H. Joseph Ehrmann-known simply as H.-is a liquor and cocktail artist with a mile-long resume. He owns Elixir, the second-oldest saloon in San Francisco, which he remade into both a friendly watering hole and a serious stage for master distillers, brand ambassadors and the like to nerd out before lucky revelers like me. He travels the world developing new cocktails, teaching classes and consulting, and he operates Fresh Victor, a new cocktail mixer company, with products available soon at stores near you.

In this impromptu interview, H. shows my wife, Whitney, and me his garage lab, aka the “bar-rage,” the unassuming hideout where he invents incredible flavor combos. Find him on Instagram @cocktailambassadors and visit his bar when you’re in the Bay Area.