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After having his first cocktail (a Tequila Sunrise in a chimney
glass, eech!) at the late Canteen Bar on Piedmont Avenue in
Oakland at age 19, er, 21, David Mullen became fascinated
with bars. He worked in them while in college and to supplement
a paltry income as a journalist in Oakland.
After moving to Dallas to begin a career in marketing, exposure
to the bar scene increased dramatically. Not only because
Dallas was alive and had just repealed some archaic laws about
drinking, but also his agency began to market a number of
beer brands for Labatt USA. Rolling Rock, Labatt Blue, Red
Stripe, Tecate, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Sol, Moretti, Boddingtons,
and Stella Artois are among the brands that he developed marketing
programs for and required numerous visits to on-premise accounts.
He has also traveled extensively - sometimes on business,
sometimes on pleasure trips - seeking out the unique places
that capture the essence of a great joint. Although a non-smoker,
he would pick up a matchbook as a remembrance of each bar
visit. Otherwise he maintains a mental Rolodex that after
years of research is becoming frayed. Thus, GreatJoints.com
- a combination of matchbook memories and decaying gray matter
recollections - is an attempt to capture on the net some of
the classic bars and taverns for everyone to flip through.
Almost a decade younger than older brother David, Christopher
Mullen has been the urban pioneer living in San Francisco
(the City), New York (the REAL City), and Los Angeles. He
received a degree in English Literature from St. Mary's University
in Moraga, CA.
Though classically trained by his brother in the nuances
that make a great joint, Christopher ventured out to create
his own standard. He played in a band in the Bay Area allowing
him to venture into some very interesting venues that brother
David - still ensconced in the disco era - would never have
discovered. Both do believe, however, in the significance
of the Rat Pack and the Martini to the cocktail culture. Even
if David is with an olive and Christopher's is with a twist.
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