The Art of Responsible Bartending

Turkish bartender Atilla Iskifoglu was in the city to give bartenders an insight into flair bartending, the science of bartending and mixology | EPS

He has been a flair bartender and mixologist since 1995,  He has participated in world championships to showcase his skill of flair bartending with the idea of  making it popular. We are talking about the Turkish man with a penchant for flipping bottles, Atilla Iskifoglu, who, with a combination of live shows, television appearances and YouTube videos has made flair bartending a trend indeed. He also participated in Britain’s Got Talent. And, after that appearance, he believes that flair bartending became a rage in the UK. But, what exactly is it? “Flair bartending that got popular in the mid-1990s, includes juggling, flipping and manipulating bar tools,” explains Atilla, who made a pit-stop in the city to teach Hyderabadi bartenders about the craft and also give them an insight into scientific bartending, which is nothing but the science behind mixing drinks. “A lot of bartenders don’t know much about mixing drinks. They just whip up a cocktail as per the menu and serve it to customers,” observes Atilla, who wants to spread the knowledge of scientific bartending throughout the world. “I am on a world tour – teaching bartenders the skill of flair bartending, which is a growing trend today. It is also one of the growing forms of entertainment across the globe,” informs the self-taught flair bartender, who would spend around eight-nine hours a day to master the art.

 1. Cocktail vs Mocktail

As Atilla sips on his glass of water, he explains that he is not too much of an alcohol-person. “I don’t drink a lot of alcohol. And, whenever I do feel like drinking, I have a little Havana Rum,” informs Atilla, who is a bit of a health-freak. The Turkish bartender spends his time and creativity in coming with a variety of cocktails and mocktails. “I love making mocktails – those are healthy and refreshing,” he smiles.

He says that is it all about having the knowledge to mix drinks up. “I have a big book with me, which has abundant information about vitamins and nutrients that come in with fruits and veggies. I try to incorporate those in my cocktails and mocktails.” He believes that this way he can reduce the negative effects of alcohol to a minimum.

“Alcohol, burns the stomach and leads to a health problems. We can’t deny that. But, we can reduce its bad effects by using fresh and healthy ingredients and by reducing the alcohol content in a cocktail,” he adds.

2. Unusual ingredients

Atilla, who has come up with around 300 different cocktails till now, uses some very unusual ingredients when he mixes up drinks for his customers. The most unconventional being spinach. Really? “Yes. I don’t use it in all my drinks. But, I do add spinach in few of my drinks and the customers have loved it,” he shares. Other ingredients that can be found in Atilla’s drinks include honey (instead of sugar syrup), fresh fruits juices (instead of canned ones), ginger, walnuts and some spices. “Using these ingredients not only help us in making a drink taste better, but it also helps reduce the negative effects of a cocktail. Fruits absorb alcohol and honey is healthier when compared to sugar syrup,” he adds.

3. Responsible job

Being a bartender means holding major responsibility, according to Atilla. “As bartenders, we have to make sure that we know what we are serving our customers,” he says, adding that a bartender should learn everything about mixology before going behind the counter to whip up drinks. “This is the reason I am going across the world to train bartenders. I definitely want to spread the art of flair bartending, but I also want to teach bartenders about responsible bartending. Making a cocktail is not just about mixing up spirits and squeezing some lime on top of it. It is about mixing a drink keeping the customer in mind,” signs off Atilla, who wants to spread the word and knowledge about healthy mocktails and cocktails.

While he is busy touring, Atilla continues to practice flair bartending, gearing up to participate in another upcoming championship.

Courtesy : http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/article1483013.ece

Top 5 Qualities in a Great Bartender

Think you have the qualities to be an amazing bartender? Take a peek at our list of the Top qualities we think every bartender needs to rock a little magic behind the bar.

Top 5 Qualities of a Great Bartender

Bartender

1. Multitasking

Can you handle several tasks at once? As a bartender you will often need to. You will want to be able to engage and interact with guests, make drinks, and even help keep your bar area clean, all at once.

2. Communication

Communication skills are an essential quality of any successful bartender. You will want to be able to easily engage and communicate with your guests. The better your communication the better your customer service. It can often be difficult to exactly what type of drink a guest is looking for, or maybe your bar does not carry their favorite beer or alcohol. Great communication will allow you to establish a relationship with the guest and help meet their needs. The result? A happy guest, great tips, and an excellent bartender.

3. Organization

Are you organized? Great bartenders need to be organized. When the bar is busy you will not have time to look for your shaker, your bar key, or to skim through shelves to find the liquor you need. Organization is key!

Bartender

4. Flexibility

To be successful as a bartender you will also want to be flexible. Most bars are busiest on weekends and late at night. Be ready to work hours other than the typical 9-5. These can be perfect hours for students!

5. Attitude

Inevitably at a bar you will be occasionally dealing with belligerent or rude individuals. Having a great attitude is important in how you handle these guests. For the other guests a great attitude will help the customers bond and engage with you. They will most likely be inclined to tip well and even return as a regular.

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for more info visit : www.mixoflair.org

TIPS FOR BEING A BETTER BARTENDER

TIPS FOR BEING A BETTER BARTENDER

Doesn't matter, If you are a bartender in a hotel, lounge, night club or just a mixologist at home, here are certain important guidelines for you and your friends to position your cocktail at different level with uncompromising quality in which they are presented.

The very important tip for the bartender is to keep your bar absolutely clean. A clean bar reflects your guest that they have entered in to a quality establishment and as a bartender bar is your stage to perform, so it’s your primary responsibility to keep it clean.

Use Fresh Ingredients

Use the ingredients as fresh as you can rather than using bottled or canned ingredients for your cocktails, mainly fruit juices. Use fresh fruit juice rather than going for tetra packed one. Answer can be as simple as squeezing lemons, limes and oranges with a hand juicer or getting an electric juicer to make fresh apple,

cranberry, pear or any other type of fresh fruit juice.

This can also be suitable to other mixers like, using a soda siphon inverse to using a bottled soda water or club soda and making your own simple syrup, sour mix etc.

                    Use Quality Ingredients

Drinks you make will reflect your and your organization’s image in terms of quality and standard. The ingredients which you are using can easily be identified specially liqueur which is the strongest ingredient in a cocktail.

There is a significant variance between spirits on the bottom shelf and the top shelf of your bar. A daiquiri for example, which is made with a bottom shelf rum is going to be disappointing compared to one made with Rs.3000 bottle of rum. This simple upgrade will start your cocktails off on the right foot.

                    Use Pre-chilled Glassware

Chilling a glassware is an essential step in cocktail making, and believe me it makes a world of difference.Chilling the glass before pouring your drink will keep your drink chill for longer and the experience of your drink will be constant from start to end.

Same thing is applicable if you are planning to serve hot drink, pour some hot water for some time while preparing your drink. No one desires a chilled drink in a warm glass and a warm drink in chilled glass; it kills the entire drink experience.

Always Measure

Measuring the cocktail ingredients cannot be compromised, if you want to maintain balanced taste consistency in your drink. Many bartenders avoid this step as they think it’s time consuming and they want to show their free pour style.  One who works in a busy bar, rarely touch the jigger and it causes over pouring or under pouring the ingredients and ultimately causes damage to your delicate, well balanced drink.

Garnish Your Drinks

As not all cocktails need a garnish but who need, should be properly garnished.  If you want to fulfill the profile of your cocktail, you should listen your cocktail’s call for lime, lemon, olive, orange, etc. Garnish helps to make your cocktail more presentable and its absence will not give you a finished feeling.