July 2003 - People: Focus Pool Bar Jim After 25 years on Hilton Head, it is not an exaggeration to say that Jim Lisenby is right back where he started - at least locationwise. Nearly every day from March through November, the laid back, easy going proprietor can be found, surrounded by several blenders and piles of fresh mangos, bananas and pineapples, behind the counter of Pool Bar Jim's, the oceanside bar behind The Marriott Grand Ocean Resort. Lisenby, better known as Pool Bar Jim, reflecting his consistent knack for finding employment near the water, is definitely familiar with the piece of real estate where he has been creating, perfecting and dispensing his frozen, frothy, fruity creations for the last 10 years. In fact, it's the same spot where he got his start on Hilton Head in 1978, when he took a job running the bar at the old Hilton Head Inn. "When I came here, it was a one-stoplight town with a turn bridge," he recalled. According to Lisenby, the old inn was owned by a Kuwaiti prince and was operated by Sea Pines. "It was originally constructed so people could tour the Sea Pines property," he said. But financial difficulties with the hotel and the imminence of a Sea Pines bankruptcy did not look promising to the accomplished bartender and entrepreneur. When the hotel was sold in 1983, "I knew it was time for me to move on," he said matter-of-factly. Lisenby takes moving on as an occupational hazard - a prerequisite to finding the right fit in an industry that is not often known for stability. But through persistence and passion, Lisenby acknowledges that owning Pool Bar Jim's fits him as comfortably as the tropical print shirt he wears to work. "I can't really think of anything else I'd rather do," he said, noting that when he completed the deal with Marriott to open his bar, he remarked to the company's representatives, "I've died and gone to heaven" - pretty impressive for a guy who stumbled into bartending completely by accident. While a junior at East Carolina University in 1968, Lisenby ran into a friend who was opening a bar. His friend asked if he would mind bartending, and Lisenby accepted. Although Lisenby graduated with a B.S. in business, his continuing education toward achieving a doctorate in daiquiris had just begun. But the real curriculum in the creation of frozen concoctions came when he helped open the Myrtle Beach Hilton as bar manager in 1973. South Carolina's mini-bottle law presented a marketing challenge for Lisenby and his crew, who were used to working in free-pour states where it was possible to make cocktails consisting of more than one liquor. The simplicity of the one-liquor drinks being offered at the hotel's poolside bars encouraged guests to mix the same drinks in their rooms with their own liquor, at a fraction of the cost. This hurt the hotel's bar revenue. Banking on the notion that most people don't pack a blender and fresh fruit when they go on vacation, Lisenby and his co-workers set to work on giving guests drinks that they couldn't make in their rooms. The frozen drinks became so popular that customers often called back requesting recipes. One day, when the bar was three deep and Lisenby received three different phone calls from across the country for recipes, a customer suggested he write a book. In 1978 Lisenby published "Pool Bar Jim's Famous Frozen Drinks." The fruits of his research are evident at his current establishment where, instead of menus, patrons can choose from some 200 frozen libations featured in the book. The publication has been so successful (40,000 copies sold to date) that Lisenby is writing a second book, to be released next year, featuring over 850 frozen drink recipes. "My goal (with the second book) is to establish myself as the authority on frozen drinks," Lisenby said, despite the fact that many would argue he has already achieved this distinction. But the amicable bartender gains more from his work than an income. He enjoys associations with loyal legions of annual vacationers as well as locals. "I like the kind of bartending I do now because I'm dealing mostly with families. I look forward to seeing them, and I'm sad to see them go - like having relatives," Lisenby remarked sincerely. And while Lisenby's aptitude for frozen drinks can be validated on the first sip, he seems to have found an equally successful formula for living: "Working hard and being productive at something you enjoy doing and reaping the benefits of that once you accomplish it," he said - a way of life he takes to heart.