Nearly five miles south of the Hollywood sign, one can find Birch, a New American restaurant offering culinary-driven cocktails in a rustic setting. The name for this Los Angeles spot serves as a subtle homage to the hometown of its chef/owner, Brendan Collins, who grew up in Nottingham, England, near a copse of birch trees.

Running Birch’s bar program is Gaby Mlynarczyk — the beverage director with over 20 years of experience who also keeps a blog, Loving Cup, to help demystify drink making for the home bartender. In this episode of "Across the Bar," host Paul Barron has a chance to chat and learn from Mlynarczyk, a New Jersey-born and UK-raised fashion-student-accidentally-turned-bartender extraordinaire.