Keeping Tabs

You know that local barkeep who’s always there with your favorite drink and a ready ear? Well, she may be courting another crowd of customers on her days off. The Beehive, that bistro/bar/salon housed in the basement of the Boston Center for the Arts, has assembled the equivalent of a major-league all-star team of mixologists. Which could explain why the four-month-old South End eatery attracts so many regulars willing to brave the persistently long line to get in.

Willow Coigny

Also appearing at: Lucky’s Lounge. Years behind the bar: 5. The tattoo wending its way up her arm— the elaborate one of a demure skeleton—only hints at Coigny’s interest in Mexican culture. An entrepreneurial artist, she crafts skeleton figurines modeled after Mexican memorial statues, and when she and her husband honeymooned in Mexico last year, they visited agave fields. So if you’re a tequila buff, talk to Coigny: She’s got recommendations. 355 Congress St., Boston, 617-357-5825, luckyslounge.com.

Joe McGuirk

Also appearing at: Game On. Years behind the bar: 15. McGuirk has mixed cocktails in such a wide range of spots—including Chez Henri and the B-Side Lounge—that he’s become something of an accidental sociologist. “People go to bars for discourse,” he says. “Someone has to facilitate.” A voracious reader and avid sports fan, McGuirk can engage customers on everything from baseball to astrophysics. 82 Lansdowne St., Boston, 617-351-7001, gameonboston.com.