By EMILY REED / Special to the Reporter

Alabaster O’Charleys bartender Tim Boehm has advanced to the final round of Bar Olympics to be held later this month.

“We are so excited for him,” said Alabaster O’Charleys bar manager Micah Gould. “We are family at this location. It means everything to us that Tim is not only making a name for all of us in Alabaster, but also for himself. That is truly important, and our team members are worth that.”

Boehm advanced to the second round of competition June 21 at the Alabaster location where he was judged against the restaurant’s region, which included restaurants in Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Gould said the restaurant had an incredible turnout to see Boehm compete in the second round.

“It was awesome,” Gould said. “We had a full bar and bar dining was full. We had two fire trucks and four firefighters, and a police officer volunteer their time. Our team joined in on the fun, and the main dining even had guests that purposely came out just to be a part of what was happening.”

Boehm, 37, a Clanton resident, will now advance to the final round of competition on July 26 in Nashville, Tenn. at the O’Charleys Culinary and Beverage Innovation Center Bar.

There, Boehm will be judged on O’Charleys steps of service, technique and speed, recipe knowledge, O’Charleys beverage program knowledge and SOHO (southern hospitality/salesmanship.

Boehm will compete against three other competitors from Tennessee and Indiana for the ultimate title of best bartender.

This is the first time the restaurant chain has held a competition focusing on bartenders.

In the past restaurants have held Kitchen Olympics, but the debut of Bar Olympics seeks to find the best bartender from across the company’s restaurant locations.

In a June interview, Boehm said he was not looking to become a bartender initially, but stumbled upon the task after being hired by O’Charleys after visiting the Alabaster location several years ago with his wife.

“I think a lot of people look at their jobs as something they have to do,” Boehm said. “For me though, it is something I truly love to do. I have worked other jobs in the past, but nothing comes close to being a bartender.”