Waiting for Answers: Five Good Questions for Nick Crutchfield

Nick Crutchfield and I grew up together - I have known him since the presidency of Jimmy Carter - though admittedly neither of us discussed his politics at the time.  Or since.  Regardless, we fell out of contact for a time until the magic of the world wide web brought us back together.  And that is when I found out that Nick had become a bartender.  
Not just a bartender.  Some, no, most bartenders are content to merely practice their craft in a passive manner.  They are recipe followers.  But Nick is a chef with the bottle - he is on a perpetual quest generate new, distinct experiences using a medium that is both ancient and undergoing a true renaissance in our time - alcohol.  Nick works in Charlottesville, Virginia at the Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar.  Clearly, if you're on the eastside of the Blue Ridge Mountains you should drop in.  

Also, on September 8th, I sent Nick five questions:


1. You are a bartender and mixologist, unless I'm mistaken; do you understand yourself more as a craftsman or an artist?
2. Barkeeps often find themselves in the role of therapist - what are your thoughts on this?
3. When you make a drink for yourself at home, what do you make?
4. What are your thoughts on the politics of alcohol in the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia?
5. Beyond the basics, what are the critical ingredients every gentleman and lady should have in their liquor cabinet and/or fridge?