Tucked away off Cedar Street, The Poet & The Patriot is a neighborhood hangout filled with laborers during the day and students at night. Its name refers to poet Padraig Pearse and Irish Labour Party founder James Connolly, both of whom were executed for their activism towards Irish statehood during the Easter Rising of 1916.

Bartender Jason Crane first visited the Poet when he was living around the corner as a UC Santa Cruz student. He found a home in this cross section of Santa Cruz society. After graduation, the Moorpark, CA, native moved back to Southern California, only to come back up north a few years later. He agreed to let Weekend Santa Cruz get to know him better.

How long have you worked at The Poet & the Patriot? 4 ½ years.

Have you been a bartender anywhere else? No. I’ve just done catering and weddings for friends.

Where did you learn to tend bar? Here. Taught by the staff, the other bartenders who work here.

What is the most requested drink at The Poet & The Patriot? Cold Guinness. The secret to getting a good head on it is patience. You’ve got to take your time with it. Very few people do. Also, we serve it room temperature, the only place around here that does, so a lot of people come here for that. Guinness prefers it cold, but it’s an American thing [to have it warm]. Never had an Irishman ask for it room temp.

Your favorite drink? Magners Irish Cider with a touch of ice.

What’s your biggest pet peeve with bar-goers? People have a sense of entitlement. You should act in public the way you want to be perceived. A lot of times with young people, they get really arrogant.

What do you like most about bartending? I love it because it’s a really, really social job. I can’t think of a job more social than this. And it’s people at their best. You’re around people who want to have a good time. If you get paid to do this, you feel pretty lucky.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen happen at your bar? We used to have an internet jukebox and I saw a girl mistake it for an ATM and mistakenly put $80 worth of credit on it. Then out of embarrassment, she left without saying anything. By the time we figured it out, she was long gone.

What do you like to do when you’re not bartending? I’m here most of the time hanging out. Most of the people who work here are long time patrons who ended up hanging around. I collect records and comics, play video games.

Strangest drink you’ve ever mixed? I had someone request half and half for their Guinness. I figured she had brought coffee from outside, but then she put it in her Guinness. It instantly curdled. I’ve also had someone order red wine and Coke. English girls.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at a bar? Almonds and snacks. Most of the places I go don’t serve food.

What regular always makes you smile? Pat, who’s now working behind the bar. I always look forward to it if he’s going to be here. We’re a big time regulars bar. We’ve been here for going on 28 years.

Being a bartender has taught me…. Not to judge people too quickly. Some of the closest friends I’ve made here are people I wouldn’t have thought I’d be hanging out with.

Most people don’t know that…. I’m actually pretty boring. I wish I had more skeletons to make this interesting.

The Poet & The Patriot, 320 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. (831) 426-8620). MAP