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March 28, 2024
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People: Martha's organized chaos takes flight

A happy customer
A happy customer
Charlotte mixed aviation cocktails
Charlotte mixed aviation cocktails
Gary Regan is serious about his cocktails
Gary Regan is serious about his cocktails
Martha used a flashlight for precise measurement
Martha used a flashlight for precise measurement
January 25, 2007

Wednesday evening in the Gallery Bar at Painters, four talented bartenders awaited the arrival of people who came to partake of a bit of “organized chaos,” a weekly event at the bar. Gary Regan, a mixologist by trade, had brought his special liquors and his music. Martha Schueneman, his cohort, had been setting up for a couple of hours – chilling the glasses, getting the fruit prepared, making sure that the ice was in full supply. Charlotte Voisey and Simon Ford, two world-class bartenders from London who joined them in a special guest appearance, were ready to shake some tasty cocktails.

This week, in addition to the local residents who know they can count on a delicious mixed drink at the local "chaos," the barkeeps were expecting a couple of dozen people from Manhattan who came all the way to the village to taste the magic of the cocktails.

By 8:30 p.m. the room was crowded with customers and the crew behind the bar was waving cocktail shakers high in the air.

“Organized chaos” is the creation of Gary Regan, who has been tending bar since the age of 14 when he helped out in his parents’ pub in Lancastershire, England. Some three decades later, he tried his hand at writing about drinks instead of mixing them, and a new career path took off.

Regan and his wife, Mardee, who also writes, found a growing audience for their liquor knowledge and magnificent cocktail recipes. That led them to found Ardent Spirits, a website fueled by their expertise and wit.

“Making a cocktail is like being a creative chef,” says Regan. “Today, bartenders use fresh herbs and spices, ingredients that my generation never would have thought of.”

Regan says that the cocktail craze has taken off, especially since Food and Wine magazine declared 2006 to be the Year of the Cocktail. And while he is now in demand from France to San Francisco, Regan also wants to make a difference in his own backyard.

In 2004, he created “organized chaos” nights at Painters, with a portion of the tips being donated to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan counties. To date, more than $4,600 has been collected for this worthy cause. Regan also created the weekly email C-O-H Bulletin that includes restaurant specials, yoga schedules, and volunteer drives. He will promote any village business for no charge.

He does all this, and holds monthly Cocktails in the Country workshops, with the help of Martha Schueneman, who has been working with him for the past few months. She is now officially in charge of “organized chaos,” where she puts her background as a food writer to good use.

Martha says that she used to come to the Wednesday event because “it was a chance to see Gary, socialize with friends in a relaxed community setting, and discover new flavors” in the drinks he whipped up.

Martha is a natural behind the bar, Gary says, because not only does she know what she is doing, but “she is sassy with the customers, “ which has a great appeal. And judging by the smiling faces this past Wednesday evening, the pair will see a lot of repeat customers to the ‘organized chaos’ in the Gallery Bar.


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