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Raising the bar

As bartending slowly comes of age in the Capital, NANDINI NAIR meets the men behind bars

ON THE FLIP SIDE Bartending is gaining heights in the corporate world but is yet to be socially accepted PHOTO: R.V. MOORTHY

`Bartender'- "one who serves liquor at a bar". Of late though, Delhi has discovered that a bartender requires the imagination of a chef, the flamboyance of an artiste and the precision of an alchemist.

But who are these men with these qualities? Is their profession the newest specialisation of the hotel industry? Meanwhile, as bartending gains prominence in the hospitality industry, it is yet to be socially accepted.

Most bartenders across Delhi hotel bars are well educated. Usually they have a hotel management diploma. Their love for the job shows that bartending is a passion and not only a profession. It is a passion that pays well. The "glamour" of the job attracts them; their interest in people retains them.

Great incentives

And the job incentives overpower family disapproval. Raj Kumar of Royale Mirage, Crowne Plaza, says, "After the film industry this is the most glamorous industry, bartenders are free to be stylish." It is this style which he loves and which his family scorns. He says only his sister knows where he works and what he does. Shiva who works at the Atrium Lounge Bar, Crowne Plaza, reveals his family in Guwahati also considers bartending a "down profession" and wants him to join the family business. His sights are set on Australia but his family is unwilling.

Neeraj Kumar Sharma, with H2O at Ambassador Hotel, comes from a family of doctors. He says, "In my family there is no meat or alcohol, no one else is in this profession, it was hard to convince them, but I succeeded."

At frenzied nightclubs, bartenders attract with their antics. At gentle sit-down bars, they comfort with counsel. Neeraj says, "Knowing about the Sensex or Sachin's batting is as important as knowing how to mix a drink." Neeraj explains, quickly penning down a riddle on a napkin, that he does "mind-tricks and not bottle-tricks". Shiva guesses client preferences by their appearance.

FLARE FOR THE JOB A bartender at the Carlson Spirited Bartenders' Challenge in New Delhi PHOTO: AFP

Bartending for these men is about making their clients feel sexy and comfortable. Iain Davis, an Australian bartender, working for Polo Lounge at Hyatt Regency, says, "I have to make sure everyone in my bar is smiling, that is my job." The other bartenders follow the same diktat.

To make clients smile, Delhi hotels are making art of an action, they are transforming drink mixing into theatre. Muneesh Gadi, Manager of Royale Mirage, says, "Bartending is creative art today and not a low-end job." He explains, "The phenomenon is not new to India, but of late the bartender level has been raised." The Crowne Plaza conducts frequent in-house training in cocktails, mocktails, garnishes, juggling, free-pouring and flaring.

Rick's of The Taj Mahal Hotel recently hosted the Bartender of the Year - 2006 with Belvedere Vodka, for the fifth consecutive year. Of 11 participants from the best hotels across the Capital, six made it to the final. Sachin Hasan of The Taj Mahal Hotel was toasted the winner. He placed his well-garnished drink on two flaming glasses. The collective gasps announced his Lavender Bliss a winner. Sachin says that before winning, his family only knew he worked in a hotel, but now they are proud he is a bartender.

The runner-up was Dheerendra of Hyatt Regency's Djinns. Dheerendra also won a cheque for `The Best Cocktail Creator of the Year' for his martini, Orchard Sour.

To showcase and promote cocktail making, Iain Davis recently exhibited his eclectic collection of mojitos at the Polo Lounge. The mojito, originally from Cuba, is a raw summer drink made from rum, ice, mint and lime.

A science exercise

If bartending is an art, it is also a science. Mixology, "the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks", requires specific implements, an aesthetic eye and a keen sense of smell and taste. The tools include a cocktail shaker, mixing glass, hawthorn strainer, double strainer, tall mixing spoon, knife, muddling stick and peg-measures. Lemon juice and sugar are used to balance the sweet and the sour.

Bartending is not new to Delhi, but it is now gaining respectability and refinement. A change will come only when, as Iain says, "Bartenders are seen as professional and not service staff of a hotel." The bartender of the year, Sachin adds, "Bartending culture is not yet there in India but a competition like this (Rick's Bartender of the year) will help them get the respect they deserve."

For one who raises spirits, respect is surely due.

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