Meet Elmer: one of our most tenured and beloved bartenders at the Brewpub and the brains behind Unidos!
Elmer has worked at Aslan for six years, since 2017, making him one of our longest employees here. He started off as a line cook and now has been a lead bartender for the past four years.
Born in San Deigo and raised in Woodburn, OR, Elmer moved to Bellingham with family when he was 13. He also spent some time in Portland but moved back to Bellingham at 21 to be closer to family and for better work opportunities. He has sisters, a brother, and his mom living here in Bellingham.
“I’m very big with family.”
When asked about his favorite Latino food in Bellingham, Elmer immediately said his mom’s house. “When I want the authentic experience, I go to my mom’s. She cooks really well, and my oldest sister has started to get our mom’s recipes down as well!” They often have family meals to celebrate or just to be together.
Elmer’s son, Giovanni, will be moving back up to Bellingham from Portland to start middle school at the end of August. “I remember where I was at in middle school, so I'm super excited to have him be here and to just be a part of that!” he said.
Elmer’s younger sister Mayra recently got a job here at Aslan. He said they work really well together and that it's fun for him to watch her do her thing and be there to help her when she needs it. This is her first restaurant job, and she’s been absolutely crushing it!
Elmer obviously has a huge spot in his heart for family. He said when his family is doing well, then he is happy. Aslan, to him, has become his second family. The culture within the company and the customers that come here have helped him get out of his comfort zone, grow his communication skills, and meet people in all walks of life, he said. He’s met some of his best friends as Aslan and even lives with a couple of Aslan employees!
A couple of months ago, Elmer reached out to our production team and had a meeting about creating a Mexican Style Lager. Of course, they said yes! He wanted Aslan to brew a Mexican Style Lager because Aslan never has before, and he wanted to bring awareness to the Latino community in Bellingham and provide a safe space for Mexican families to come gather and feel welcome. Elmer chose the name “Unidos” for this beer, meaning United, to emphasize the bringing together of the Latino community here in Bellingham.
The artwork for this beer label was done by local artist Ivan Colin, also chosen by Elmer. Ivan used Mexican Talavera pottery as inspiration for the label, and he absolutely crushed it!
Elmer is very excited (along with the rest of us as Aslan) for El Suenito to open soon! They are a Mexican and LGBTQ+ owned brewery and tamale restaurant projected to open in Bellingham in the Fall. He is excited for more representation of the Latinx community in Bellingham, especially within the beer scene. Be on the lookout for collab beer that just might be in the works…
We appreciate all of our employees coming to us with ideas, big and small, and we are so lucky to have someone like Elmer here at Aslan that actively goes above and beyond to help create the community-oriented space that we aspire to be. Thank you, Elmer; we appreciate you!
