Matthew PielThe Watering Hole:

June, 1423 34th Ave., 323-4000, MADRONA.The Mixologist: San Francisco transplant Nick Vrignaud.The Drink: A shot of Fernet Branca with a ginger-ale back. “It’s very much the restaurant insider’s drink,” Vrignaud explains. “Some people call it Jagermeister for grownups.”I’ve barely managed to get in a sip of the sweet, herb-laden, almost coffee-esque Fernet before Vrignaud pulls it to the side. He’s just realized I’m planning to tuck in for dinner at June after the drink. “Fernet is, like, ‘on the way out the door,'” he explains. “Let me make you a Sazerac.”Like many mixologists, Vrignaud has educated himself on the origins of the cocktails he slings from behind the bar at June. The Sazerac, he explains, is best made with a strong, spicy rye. Rather than the smoother bourbons favored by many mixologists, Vrignaud makes his Sazerac with Wild Turkey. He also eschews the twist, simply zesting the lemon over the glass. I’m not the kind of purist who insists on cocktails today resembling their Prohibition-era iterations. That said, Vrignaud’s Sazerac was zesty, bright, and impressively worth the $11.After paying for the drinks, I headed to my table for dinner, Fernet in hand, thrilled to have such an ideal after-dinner digestive.The Atmosphere: June is the kind of neighborhood bistro where everyone from the bussers to the management will circulate regularly with water to check on you and your meal. It’s more like dining in a friend’s very busy, oddly laid out, casual dining room, than a high-end eatery.An hour or so after I’d first taken a seat at Vrignaud’s bar, my dining/First-Calling companion and I were wrapping up a meal of tender geoducks, oil-covered radishes, flavorful mushrooms, and delectable chicken. (I’ll let The Surly Gourmand take it from here on the wonder that is June’s edibles.)Just as I was turning to the after-dinner drink I’d been saving, Vrignaud appeared at our table. He carried three tumblers, a bottle of the dark liquid, and glasses of his recommended ginger-ale chasers. He set them down and asked us about our meal, pouring two fingers of Fernet in the tumblers. Capping the night, we all drained our drinks together, and happily stumbled into the night air.The Verdict: Bitters aren’t for everyone, but however you feel about Fernet Branca, you’d be hard pressed to find a better bartender to drink with than Vrignaud.Follow Voracious on Twitter and Facebook.