Yes, we know we already profiled one bartender from Hector's last fall. And we're sorry to repeat the venue, but D.J. Bensyl is just such a good story.

His bartending career has taken him from Milwaukee to Key West to Door County and back, and Bensyl, 45, has built quite a loyal following in the business.

Besnyl was a mainstay at The Bayside Tavern in Fish Creek, and he owned a bar called Bub's Pub in Egg Harbor for a short time. For a 27-year veteran of the industry, Bensyl is one of those rare bartenders who doesn't touch the sauce -- though you'd never notice while knocking back margaritas as you talk across the bar, as he just doesn't make a big deal about it.

Currently, Bensyl splits his time between the Bay View and Wauwatosa locations of Hector's -- he worked the very first shift at both bars. We caught up with him recently:

OnMilwaukee.com: How long have you been a bartender?

D.J. Bensyl: About 27 years, on and off, but mainly on. I started at Kalt's, a German place on Oakland. Rob, the owner of Hector's, hired me away. After a few years, I loaded up my truck and moved to Key West, and the first bar I stopped at was the Green Parrot, the best bar in the world. I worked in Door County in the summers and Key West in the winters, with one in Australia.

OMC: What's your signature drink?

DB: Margaritas, probably. Also the Bayside Coffee, from my days in Fish Creek.

OMC: How did you get to be a margarita master?

DB: Basically every place I've ever at, I got stuck making margaritas -- having worked at Hector's 18 years ago when they first opened.

OMC: What's your least favorite drink to make?

DB: Long Island Iced Tea. It's an amateur drink that leads to insane drunkenness.

OMC: What's the most ridiculous thing you've seen a bar patron do?

DB: Ones that you can print, right? Opening Day last year, I was working at the Hector's on State Street. There was a guy who looked like he'd be an extra on "Wayne's World." The guy passed out in the corner, and I was going to make him leave for extreme drunkenness. But then "Footloose" came on the stereo, and he proceeded to get up, take his leg off and dance. I let him drink for free.

OMC: Have you ever had to break up any bar fights?

DB: Yeah, lots of them. I just get in the middle, go low, stand up and push them apart. It's instinct, and it's my job: if I don't do it, no one will.

OMC: Do pick-up lines work?

DB: People beat on pick-up lines, but if you deliver them with a smile, they work. Acknowledge that it's a pick-up line and you're doing it for humorous effect.

OMC: Who are better tippers, men or women?

DB: Women. Working private parties, I've had $100 tips.

OMC: You ever serve any celebrities?

DB: Not too many, I guess. I've served a few sports figures, but I generally treat everyone the same.

OMC: Where do you go when you're not working?

DB: I like the outdoors, and I like live music.

OMC: What's the best part about bartending?

DB: The social interaction, the flexibility. I'm not stuck in a cubicle.

OMC: What do you like least about it?

DB: Late nights and listening to people that aren't interesting.

OMC: You don't drink when you bartend. That's sort of irregular in the business, right?

DB: It's been 10 and a half years, now. I'll do a shot of juice or soda to be social. When I quit drinking, I realized that it's all about being social. After a while, I enjoyed being on top of the game, rather than blurred out in the middle of it.

OMC: Does working in a bar make you want to drink, or does it make you not want to drink?

DB: Once I decided to stop drinking, and I started working in a bar a month or two later, I've never felt like I wanted to. I could laugh at the end of the night and remember why.