Gabrielle Jesus exudes all the warmth, humor and bonhomie a person could want in a bartender. Stationed behind the counter in the cozy confines of The Vintage on Lincoln Street, Jesus — who goes by Gabby — says she’s passionate about the drinks she makes, but even more so the people she serves.
“I am people-curious,” she says, adding that the most important aspect of serving the public is making eye contact. “Especially if the bar is really busy,” Jesus says. “If you just kind of ignore them, it pisses them off.”
A California transplant, Jesus says she fell in love with Eugene after moving here three years ago from Watsonville, near “the salad bowl of America,” she notes. “I love the entertainment scene around here,” she says. “Everyone’s kind here, too, comparably.”
It’s that “comparably” that reveals Jesus’ sly wit, which she’s translated into a gig as a local stand-up comic — something she started pursuing after she started working at The Vintage. “Making people laugh, it’s great,” she says, describing her brand of comedy as “blue humor” derived from “real-life” stuff like motherhood. She nods to Bill Hicks and Sarah Silverman as two of her favorite comics.
Jesus will be performing her stand-up Feb. 24 in “Saturday Night Funny” at First National Taphouse, but in the meantime, she’d be happy to muddle a cocktail for you at The Vintage. “I like making drinks,” she says. “I like tasting them. You see the look on people’s face after you make them a good drink — they’re just delighted. It gives me a little tickle inside.”
The Vintage is open 11 am to 10 pm Monday through Thursday and 9 am to 10 pm Friday through Sunday at 837 Lincoln Street; eugenevintage.com or 541-349-9181.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519