By Benita Aw Yeong

Whenever there is alcohol around, there will be hanky panky, especially in the bathroom, says this bartender.

Mr Dave Koh confesses to having had his own slice of the action.

The 31-year-old has "gone all the way" in the open-air stall situated behind the bar, although he declines to reveal who the woman was or what the experience was like.

His lips are sealed regarding any other details.

But he lets on that getting female attention is not so uncommon for a bartender.

He now works at Bar Stories in Haji Lane.

Once, a woman about 10 years younger than him wrote her number on a napkin, then palmed it to him just before he left.

"She shook my hand right before leaving, and conveniently left me her number," he says.

"I texted her to let her know I appreciated her courage, but things didn't take off from there because she wasn't really my type."

While he maintains that feeling tipsy on the job has never happened ("It's so unprofessional"), drunk customers get away with a lot.

"There was a guy who took on our drink challenge, which involves downing drinks with increasing levels of alcohol, one after another.

"But 20 minutes after taking a big chug of the most potent drink he almost passed out.

"Interestingly, his head also, somehow, secured a spot on the generous bosom of a woman sitting next to him," he says in amused wonder.

"And boy, was she hot! I was quite envious," he adds with a laugh.

The job of a bartender is a lot of fun, he says. "Bar Stories doesn't have a menu, and we craft recipes based on the kind of flavours the customer likes.

"When you see that he or she enjoys what you've made, it's a very visceral type of pleasure," he says.

The bachelor, who holds an overseas degree in public relations and psychology, says this is his favourite job.

Previously, he worked as a public relations consultant and a cook in a French restaurant.

These days, he clocks 12-hour days behind the bar, which begin at 3pm and end at 3am.

"All of us are here for the passion. The long hours don't make it so easy to have a social life," he says with a laugh.

Mr Koh shares the anecdote of a colleague, who would taste his creation, then spit it out because of his religious beliefs.

"He would not swallow the cocktails, so he couldn't taste the finish of it. But he had a very good palette and the flavours always came together very well," Mr Koh says of the talented colleague, who is no longer bartending.

The job may be fun, even satisfying, but there is the perception that bartending is not a respectable full-time profession.