Spirited Virginia Q1 2022 - 64

BEHIND THE BAR
Emily O'Lare, Bartender and Manager, Rebellion, Fredericksburg
BILLY FELLIN
W
hen Emily O'Lare began working
behind a bar, it was at a local brewery.
This matched her passion for beer-for
drinking, serving and home brewing it.
When she began working at Rebellion, her
appreciation expanded to creating craft
cocktails and learning about the restaurant's
featured spirit: whiskey.
Rebellion was established in Washington,
D.C. in 2014, inspired by the Whiskey Rebellion
of the late 18th century. The Fredericksburg
location opened in November 2020. The
restaurants' extensive whiskey selection
includes bourbon as well as other whiskeys
from around the world. The dining menu
likewise embraces history and heritage,
focusing on Southern cuisine and using
whiskey in many of its dishes.
What do you enjoy about working at a bar?
My favorite part is establishing relationships
with the customers. I have learned so much
about Fredericksburg and they never fail to
make the job enjoyable.
What's the biggest challenge of bartending?
The biggest challenge is making it through
a busy night. But I love the adrenaline rush
and it makes the night go by quickly. These
nights have also taught me multitasking and
given me opportunities to craft new drinks
according to customer needs. I always enjoy
making our classic cocktails but it's fun to
meet a challenge to make something new.
64 SPIRITED VIRGINIA
What do you enjoy about working at
Rebellion?
I've established friendships with my coworkers,
which makes me excited to come into work.
Getting to know my coworkers and the regulars
means there will never be a dull day.
I also love crafting new cocktails and being
able to recommend drinks or bourbon to
customers. It is the best feeling when a
customer enjoys a recommendation. I love
the atmosphere and how the restaurant is more
than just a bourbon bar. We have delicious
food, bringing in all kinds of customers-from
the bar crowd who want to taste our house
smoked wings, to a family coming to get our
delicious burgers.
What keeps you in the restaurant industry?
I enjoy it. There are always stressful days,
but your coworkers are there for you. I love
creating a good experience for customers.
When a customer comes in to celebrate a
birthday, graduation, promotion or just to
have a good night out, it is a great feeling to
help make that moment even better.
What are some ways customers have been
supportive during the pandemic?
Customers have been patient and continue to
come in and support us. We opened during the
pandemic, which caused delays and changes
in business hours, but we remained steady in
business, and the staff followed all precautions
and safety recommendations.
Tell us about the restaurant's barrel select
program and Rebellion Original cocktails.
Our barrel-select Old Fashioned is one of
our most popular cocktails. Aging our Old
Fashioned in barrels makes the drink slightly
sweeter, smoother and even a little oaky. It's
an enjoyable flavor that you can't achieve
without barrel aging. We also barrel age our
Manhattan and Final Say, a gin-based drink.
Our Rebellion Original Cocktails are carefully
created by our owners and bartenders. They
use simple flavors that are elevated by good
spirits and ingredients to make delicious craft
cocktails.
What's your customers' favorite cocktail?
Customers love our Congress Hall. It's our
rendition of a Whiskey Sour made with
bourbon-soaked cherries. It's both tart and
sweet and I haven't had a customer be
disappointed with it yet.
Do you have a favorite style of whiskey?
I really enjoy wheated whiskey. Wheated
whiskey is made up of at least 51% wheat,
which creates a sweeter, smoother flavor profile.
How do you keep learning and growing as
a bartender?
Just experience. Every day at work I try to
learn something new about bourbon and craft
cocktails, and the best way to do that is to
experiment and make cocktails.
-Annie Tobey
Spirited Virginia Q1 2022

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