Perspectives
Season 1
Why do we go to bars?
Rather than asking “why do we need bars?” The question really is, “why do we drink?” The answer seems simple, right? Not quite so simple once we look at the reasons people go to bars. Speaking to leading global bartenders and industry experts, who are ripping up the ‘rulebook’ and doing things differently, this theme explores the origins of bar culture, the ways it has evolved (depending on your outlook) and the role of bartenders: how it can be done differently, by broadening your perspective to create memorable experiences for your customers.
Contributors
Dave Broom
Community and Culture ExpertDave Broom was born in Glasgow and has spent the past 33 and a third years writing about alcohol (appropriate for someone who loves music). In his time, he’s been contributing editor at Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate, and scotchwhisky.com. In 2020, he started his own website www.thewhiskymanual.uk He’s written 12 books, the best known being ‘The Way of Whisky: A Journey into Japanese Whisky’, ‘and ‘World Atlas of Whisky’. His next book, ‘A Sense of Place’, examining the role of community, location and sustainability in Scotch whisky is out in September. He has written and presented two films, ‘Cuba In A Bottle’ and the award-winning whisky culture documentary ‘The Amber Light’. He also advises on spirit quality and new product development for a number of international distillers and has taught sensory evaluation on Diageo’s Malt Advocates Course for almost 20 years. A Master of the Quaich, he lives in Hove.
Show MoreDave Broom
Community and Culture ExpertDave Broom was born in Glasgow and has spent the past 33 and a third years writing about alcohol (appropriate for someone who loves music). In his time, he’s been contributing editor at Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate, and scotchwhisky.com. In 2020, he started his own website www.thewhiskymanual.uk He’s written 12 books, the best known being ‘The Way of Whisky: A Journey into Japanese Whisky’, ‘and ‘World Atlas of Whisky’. His next book, ‘A Sense of Place’, examining the role of community, location and sustainability in Scotch whisky is out in September. He has written and presented two films, ‘Cuba In A Bottle’ and the award-winning whisky culture documentary ‘The Amber Light’. He also advises on spirit quality and new product development for a number of international distillers and has taught sensory evaluation on Diageo’s Malt Advocates Course for almost 20 years. A Master of the Quaich, he lives in Hove.
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Osman Baycan
GM & Bar Manager, Goose No.25 and PigalleOsman Fethi Baycan started his career 14 years ago with Kafepi Group and worked in different positions as barback, bartender and general bar manager during his Kafepi years. In his country, he’s known with his practices and efforts for the young bartenders and individuals that wants to be bartender. He took a role as Bar Manager for Alexandra Cocktail Bar with his expertise and programs he built Alexandra and the bar became world known in such a short time around the world: for Alexandra he created a project called Desk of Fame which has a significant impact on Turkish Bartending. Since 2019 September he’s working with Goose No.25 and Pigalle as a General Manager and Bar Manager for the both bars next to his consulting projects for several bars & restaurants in Turkey.
Show MoreOsman Baycan
GM & Bar Manager, Goose No.25 and PigalleOsman Fethi Baycan started his career 14 years ago with Kafepi Group and worked in different positions as barback, bartender and general bar manager during his Kafepi years. In his country, he’s known with his practices and efforts for the young bartenders and individuals that wants to be bartender. He took a role as Bar Manager for Alexandra Cocktail Bar with his expertise and programs he built Alexandra and the bar became world known in such a short time around the world: for Alexandra he created a project called Desk of Fame which has a significant impact on Turkish Bartending. Since 2019 September he’s working with Goose No.25 and Pigalle as a General Manager and Bar Manager for the both bars next to his consulting projects for several bars & restaurants in Turkey.
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Eli Ana Martinez
Partner, Tlecan MezcalEli began her hospitality journey with coffee and found her passion in cocktail hospitality. She began working as a Master Bartender for Mexico City Pata Negra Group where she designed cocktails, trained staff, and managed the back of the house of the Group. She left Pata Negra to join the bar of the 9th Best Restaurant in the World, Pujol. In her five years there she moved her way up from host to bartender and eventually became the beverage manager. Currently she is partner in Tlecan, a project that aims to showcase mezcal and other agave distilled products in the heart of Mexico City’s Roma neighbourhood.
Show MoreEli Ana Martinez
Partner, Tlecan MezcalEli began her hospitality journey with coffee and found her passion in cocktail hospitality. She began working as a Master Bartender for Mexico City Pata Negra Group where she designed cocktails, trained staff, and managed the back of the house of the Group. She left Pata Negra to join the bar of the 9th Best Restaurant in the World, Pujol. In her five years there she moved her way up from host to bartender and eventually became the beverage manager. Currently she is partner in Tlecan, a project that aims to showcase mezcal and other agave distilled products in the heart of Mexico City’s Roma neighbourhood.
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Kirsten Holm
Owner, K-BarKirsten Holm was born in Thailand. Her parents worked for the danish foreign ministry and she was always curious about food traditions, art and cultural customs which shaped her approach to mixing cocktails and her view on the hospitality business. In her years bartending in hotels, Kirsten participated in international and local cocktail competitions, and, 20 years ago, Kirsten opened her own cocktail bar in Copenhagen – K-bar – the first cocktail bar in Copenhagen outside the luxury hotels, and the timing was right. The gastro scene suddenly developed rapidly, and design became a huge thing.
Show MoreKirsten Holm
Owner, K-BarKirsten Holm was born in Thailand. Her parents worked for the danish foreign ministry and she was always curious about food traditions, art and cultural customs which shaped her approach to mixing cocktails and her view on the hospitality business. In her years bartending in hotels, Kirsten participated in international and local cocktail competitions, and, 20 years ago, Kirsten opened her own cocktail bar in Copenhagen – K-bar – the first cocktail bar in Copenhagen outside the luxury hotels, and the timing was right. The gastro scene suddenly developed rapidly, and design became a huge thing.
Show LessFurther Reading
Article
9 things we learned at Tales of the Cocktail 2023As another year of TOTC flies by, we look back at some of the front-seat experiences we had at the week’s seminars. Here are 9 of the best things we learned along the way
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How Aki Wang is leading Taiwan's bartending communityOne of the Asia’s bartending greats, Aki Wang, founder of Indulge Life Hospitality Group, is consistently advocating for Taiwan’s bar industry to push its limits. He shares his insight and experience on what local culture could provide to the international bartending arena In 2007, Aki Wang had just won one of the biggest cocktail competitions […]
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David Wondrich reviews his own booksThe award-winning author and drinks historian, David Wondrich, takes a look back at his renowned writing back-catalogue. From 'Killer Cocktails' to 'The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails', he gives us the inside track on how they came to be
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Drink like a local: Bangkok with Supawit 'Palm' MuttarattanaVibrant and stimulating yet also peaceful and calm – Bangkok is full of contrasts. We went exploring the Thai capital with renowned bar veteran Supawit ‘Palm’ Muttarattana, now group bar director for Watermelon Group
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Drink like a local: Singapore with Jess ‘Hutch’ HutchinsonVibrant, eclectic and full of contrasts: Singapore is unique blend of high-end cocktail bars and high-energy dive bars. Our guide Jess Hutchinson shows us both
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Drink like a local: Taipei with Angus ZouHiking, surfing, street food and tea: Taipei has it all. We walked around town with bar entrepreneur Angus Zou, to discover the secrets of Taiwan’s capital city
Discover Campari Academy
With insight and knowledge from industry icon Monica Berg, we’re looking beyond the bar to educate and inspire bartenders at all levels of their careers on a global scale in a way that’s never been seen before.
