Murray Stenson's Accidental Tourists

"He had to work," explains Clarke, "and any kind of event where Murray is asked to get onstage and accept an award guarantees he won't be within 1,000 miles of that event."

Even though he no longer works there, Stenson still drops by the Zig Zag for drinks once or twice a month, often during Thursday "guys' night out" gatherings organized by a group of high-tech workers. On a recent Thursday night, the group planned to show up in tuxedos. Stenson shows up a shade after 5 in anticipation of their arrival. Stationed behind the bar, Hakkinen also expects his mother, who's spent the bulk of the day at a Wheel of Fortune audition up the road at the Sheraton, to pop in at some point.

John Keatley

Stenson is more revered for his customer service than for his encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails.

John Keatley

At Canon, Stenson (left) and his boss, Boudreau, form the bartending equivalent of Magic and Kareem.

Location Info

Map

Canon

928 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122

Category: Bars/Clubs

Region: Capitol Hill

Photos

0 user reviews	Write A Review
	0

Details

Watch Murray Stenson make--and talk about how to make--an absinthe julep in this exclusive video!

Related Content

• Recipes for 15 Years in the Cocktail Biz
  January 20, 2012
• Murray Stenson Now Behind the Bar at Canon
  October 17, 2011
• Jamie Boudreau Is King Shit in Canada
  April 27, 2012
• First Call: Zig Zag's Devil's Advocate
  November 9, 2011
• With Stenson Headed to RN74, Zig Zag Announces New Barkeep Rotation
  May 26, 2011

More About

• Mike Murray
• Jamie Boudreau
• Murray Stenson
• Food and Cooking
• Eating Out

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Dining Newsletter: The week's top local food news and events, plus interviews with chefs and restaurant owners, dining tips, and a peek at our print review.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Seeing him enter, Hakkinen places a "Reserved" sign in front of the seat Stenson is angling for. Upon sitting at the bar, Stenson wonders why there's a missing letter on the placard. "It used to say 'Preserved,' " he quips.

As he and Hakkinen set to catching up, a young Asian couple seated nearby recognizes Stenson, then offers to buy him a drink. Stenson thanks them, but declines. "I'll take a rain check," he says, and then orders a pint of Maritime ale.

After his first sip, he's approached by a waitress who looks like Taylor Swift. She asks Murray if he's "still allowed in here" before embracing him warmly, then informs him that she's just moved in with her boyfriend, who's 12 years her senior. Stenson, whose girlfriend is "basically half [his] age," offers the opinion that age is of no import, and wishes her the best.

Stenson is renowned for offering bellied-up patrons surprise samplers of unfamiliar liquor, a trait Hakkinen has inherited, offering his former cohort a sip of Buffalo Trace whiskey before pulling out a bottle of Stroh, a 160-proof Austrian rum that Stenson accurately describes as tasting "like a butter-rum Life Saver." While at Il Bistro, Stenson used Stroh as a prop, turning a wine glass upside down, pouring a dollop of the rum on the upturned bottom, and lighting it so customers could ignite their cigars.

"It was a great presentation," Stenson proclaims, as assured a statement as America's Best Bartender is ever apt to utter.

mseely@seattleweekly.com