Chris Reddin: Bartender extraordinaire at the Village Pub

Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series spotlighting people who excel at hospitality and graciousness in their chosen profession.

One of the fun things about doing a formal interview with someone you are familiar with is discovering little nuggets of new information.

Such was the case when we talked with Village Pub bartender Chris Reddin, the always delightful Irishman mixing and serving drinks.

While he’s been tending bar at the Pub for 16 years (after a brief stint there in the ’90s), it wasn’t his initial chosen profession.

“I have a degree in agriculture from the University College Dublin,” he explains. “I moved to New York and got into landscaping. But given the climate, it wasn’t a year-round job. So I took jobs bartending, and that’s how I learned the craft.”

Another surprise for people who encounter the always amiable Chris: he told us that by nature he tends to be reserved.

“But behind the bar, I do try my best to make people feel welcome. A lot of people who sit at the bar enjoy the back and forth.  I always want to make people feel welcome.”

“And what’s different about the Pub is that management and owners leave you alone to do your job. They trust us to do it well.”

The last surprise: Chris is an amazing mountaineer who has climbed the Himalayas and the Andes and scaled Mount Whitney five times.

“Yes,” he smiles. “I really love trekking and backpacking.”

Photos by Linda Hubbard (c) 2024