Behind the Bar with Corbin Coe

I perched on a bar stool at the back bar. A few guys nonchalantly shot pool at a nearby table. Other than that, it was a quiet Wednesday evening at The Crystal. “You’re early,” the bartender said with a smile, as he let himself behind the bar. Corbin Coe has been working at The Crystal for almost two years. He used to be the president of the lacrosse team, and continues to be a full-time student studying sports management. Corbin’s warm chocolate eyes and matching hair add to his approachable presence. Yes, he likes his job, but he has witnessed some unexplainable nights at this Court Street bar.  

Sy: How has being a bartender changed your life as a student?

Cc: Severely (laughs). I mean during the weekdays right now with my schedule for school, I’m taking 20 credit hours, 8 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and I work Wednesday nights and Thursday nights, so getting up for those classes Friday and Thursday are so hard.

Sy: How late do you get off?

Cc: Sometimes 3 o’clock, sometimes 3:30, 3:45, don’t get to bed probably until 4, 4:30.

Sy: Since you’ve been bartending, are there any specific things that stand out to you about “drunk” Athens?

Cc: Yeah, I mean you have to stay sober to a point where you have to realize everything that’s going on. So if there’s a situation, you can talk to the cops and be a reliable person they can count on. You can’t be drunker than the person you’re throwing out, basically. You notice little things, like how people act, especially in this bar… how bro it is, basically. Like how buddy-buddy…

Sy: Bro?!

Cc: You know like slap hands, like hug it out, like real emotional with dudes, it gets weird sometimes. It gets weird (laughs again). Sy: Have you ever had any customers be absolutely ridiculous?

Cc: Every year you get a new type of crowd so like you literally have to train your customers to show them how they can act. Like, when we first got our photo booth, I think it was winter of last year, the first night one customer tried to take pictures of his dick. So…we had to handle that situation accordingly…

Sy: Do you have any special drinks?

Cc: When our lacrosse team went to the University of Georgia for a game some of the seniors—players of age—went out and we went to the bars. At the time they were the number one party school, so we picked up a shot called the white airhead and that’s my shot of choice. Some people come and see me and do the white airhead.