Last Call: Meet The World's Longest-Serving Bartender And An Uninhibited Party Aunt


World’s longest-serving bartender

Meet 99-year-old Clarise Kramer Cadarette Grzenkowicz of Alpena, Michigan. A bartender at Maplewood Tavern, she's been slinging drinks there since she was 20 years old, making her the Guinness World Record holder in terms of years employed bartending. The bar sounds lovely, full of banjos and guitars and regular customers—but no air conditioning. A family friend mentions it would be neat if Willie Nelson could visit the bar to say hi to Grzenkowicz. I hope it happens. [Kate Bernot]


Chicago Party Aunt

Another great lady who also loves the bar life: One of my fave Twitter follows is @ChicagoPartyAunt. Yes, those of us in the region may appreciate her more than most as she hits all our local spots. But pretty much everybody knows that crazy aunt or college friend of your mom's who is wilder right now than you were in college. Whether she's snorting coke at Ravinia or putting the opposing team's fans in headlocks at Wrigley, Chicago Party Aunt is a force to be reckoned with. I hope to meet her one day, and do a shot with a true Chitown legend. [Gwen Ihnat]

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