At a recent dinner at one of Sansom Street’s newest eateries, Noble American Cookery, I was delighted to spot APO mixmaster and self-proclaimed “alcohologist” (and I’m not disagreeing) Christian Gaal (pictured) behind the bar. Do like me and go sit at his bar and work your way through the specialty cocktail list (my favorites: the French ’75 and the Vesper, but then, I’m a gin man), or just ask him to make something up for you. Oh, and APO fans, fear not — he’s splitting his time between the two bars.

Photograph by Jason Varney, from the March 2009 issue of Philadelphia magazine.