Sean Frederick of Citizen Public House (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

Sean Frederick of Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar is a relatively new kid in town, a member of a new generation of talented young bartenders in Boston. And though he may mix a mean drink, he is as kind and welcoming as can be behind the bar. Whether you want a elaborately crafted cocktail or a simple vodka straight-up, he’ll serve it with an equal measure of grace and skill.

He’s also rather modest, even self-effacing. “When you first called, I thought you must have the wrong person,” he says with a laugh as we sit down to talk before the beginning of his shift on a gray winter afternoon. “I haven’t been in this town long enough.” While he may have been tending bar in Boston for a relatively short time — he started at Citizen when it opened this past fall — he’s been a cocktail enthusiast and ardent admirer of Boston bartenders for many years. Indeed, he’s positively rhapsodic when describing his first Sazerac cocktail at Eastern Standard: “It’s what a great cocktail should be, where the whole is greater than its parts,” he says wistfully. “I fell hard for that first Sazerac. It’s like that old flame; it always seduces you.”

Until last month, he lived in Manchester, NH, which was not exactly a hotbed of craft cocktail-making. While going to school at UNH, he waited tables, spending years as what he describes as “a very frustrated server,” traveling to Boston on the weekends and dreaming of an opportunity to tend bar. He finally got his chance with the opening of the Republic Café in Manchester, which had a cocktail menu that they took as seriously as their food.

Sean Frederick Making a West Fens (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

You can still find him behind the bar at Republic one night a week, but he’s a full-time Bostonian now, and more often than not you’ll find him behind the stick at Citizen Public House. It’s a job he clearly relishes and his enthusiasm for the cocktails, as well as the bar’s expansive array of whiskey, is infectious.

“I’m only now feeling like I’m starting to get my arms around this enormous wall of whiskey ,” he says, pointing to the array of bottles behind the bar. “Every time I turn around there’s something new that’s on the shelf, that’s brown, that’s awesome! Plus, I’ve been floored by the interest and knowledge of some of our guests, though you don’t have to be a cocktail geek to enjoy this bar. People are just excited about whiskey and we always have something to please.”

Almost any night of the week, Citizen is a hive of activity and Sean describes tending bar there as an athletic endeavor. “On busy nights, it’s almost like you’ve been abducted by aliens,” he says with a smile. “You see a beam of light at the beginning of the night and then a chunk of time just disappears. You’re in a state of perpetual motion and so long as you’re pleasing people at every turn of the way, it is a fun way to spend one’s time.”

When asked to name one of his favorite cocktails, not surprisingly, Sean chooses a whiskey-based drink. It’s called the West Fens and it’s a lovely variation on a classic Manhattan, which he invented on the fly one night at Citizen for a guest, who also happens to be one of his favorite bartenders, John Grdinich of the  White Mountain Cider Company in Glen, NH.

West Fens

1.5 oz. Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey
.75 oz. Aperol
.5 oz. Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth
.25 oz. Luxardo Maraschino
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanter Bitters

Stir in mixing glass with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

West Fens from Citizen Public House (Photo: Susanna Bolle)

Here are a few of Sean’s notes on the ingredients, which he explains are very specific for this drink:

Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey – one of the few whiskies on the market made from 100% rye malt, from Tuthilltown Spirits in New York State

Aperol – bittersweet Venetian ‘aperitivo’, flavored with orange and rhubarb

Carpano Antica – a bold sweet vermouth purported to be the originator of the style. Unlike most other sweet vermouth, it is made with a red – rather than a white – wine base. Full-flavored with distinct notes of chocolate.

Luxardo Maraschino – liqueur flavored with Marasca cherries; Luxardo’s is the gold standard. Bright and lively, with a slight nuttiness from cherry pits.

The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanter Bitters – based on a recipe by the most influential bartender of the 1800’s. Deeply spicy and fruity, with loads of clove and raisin.

Ingredients for a West Fens (Photo: Susanna Bolle)