Goodbye @zacharydg it is always fun with you! #photobomb @alicia_pan @menswearmenswear #latergram #lastchancegary #wewantyougazregan #tipplingclub #blessfriends #picoftheday
[In conversation] Mark Graham Thomas, bar manager at Bacchanalia.
The Diageo World Class bartending competition is surely heating up, and after our recent conversation with Yugnes Susela from Tippling Club we visited another contender in Mark Graham Thomas, the bar manager at Bacchanalia, and try his Ketel One-based Last Chance Gary creation that he made to impress cocktail maestro Gary Regan enough to get through to the next round.
We talk to Mark about his journey as a bartender and find out more about his pizza-flavoured cocktail called the Pikte.
First, tell us how you became a bartender.
I started working in bars when I was 20, when I just finished my National Service and was entering my first year in university. I took up a bartending job to help pay my way through school.
In my third year at university I met up with a good friend of mine, and he introduced me to some of the notable characters in the bartending industry. They really piqued my interest in creating drinks, and impressed on me that cocktails don't have to be just sweet alcoholic drinks. I spent a lot of time reading books about bartending, such as "Jerry Thomas' Bartenders Guide: How To Mix Drinks".
When I graduated I worked in a bank for a while, but I didn't find it as fulfilling as bartending. I missed the social interaction you get being a bartender, but it's unfortunate that it is one of the more undermined and undervalued jobs in the country. Which is sad, because it's a very noble profession. It takes skill, just like chefs, and it can be an even more difficult job because we have to work with flavours and ingredients in the form of a liquid.
Then I joined Nektar and really pushed myself to move forward in the world of bartending. And leaving after working six months in a bank, my mom was like "Really?!".
But I've absolutely not regretted that move. And now I'm here at Bacchanalia.
So tell us about the cocktail that you're making for Last Chance Gary. What goes into it, and how do you make it?
The cocktail I'm making is called the Pikte, which is actually an ancient Greek term (πικτή) referring to "fermented pastry", which has become what today is known as pizza. Yes it's a pizza-flavoured cocktail.
Ketel One is made from wheat, and when you think of a pizza, usually the first thing you think of is its crust - which is also made from wheat. I thought about pairing with potato and butter, so I boiled potatoes and mashed them with good quality butter, and turned it into an essence, after which infused some vodka in it just to really bring out the entire texture of what Ketel One gives. It also has a little bit of Martini Bianco, whose herbal notes also help to bring out the same quality in the vodka as well.
That's the crust. And now that you have the crust, you obviously have to have your toppings. Initially I was trying to mix the topping "flavours" - stuff like tomato and bell pepper - all together and shake it, but I realized a lot of the flavours got lost. Later I thought to myself, why don't I turn it into a foam? So I tried that, and after quite a bit of experimentation managed to get it to work.
When people order cocktails they're usually expecting something on the sweet side. This on the other hand is a lot more savoury. Do you think that's an advantage, or would it be a problem?
I think when it comes to something savoury, especially with herbs and spices, you have to be accustomed to the flavours. But there are very few people in the world who don't like pizza. Gary Regan is from New York and I'm pretty sure he's had pizza before. New York is known for its pizzas, and when you go to New York you tell yourself you have to have a pizza, and a hotdog.
Gary Regan loves his Negroni, and Negronis tend to be quite savoury - it has gin, vermouth and Campari, and all of them contain quite a lot of botanicals in them. So I think he'll be able to appreciate the finer elements of what goes into the Pikte.
What is it about the Ketel One that makes it essential for your cocktail?
When you taste Ketel One on its own, and when you let it coat your tongue you really get that buttery feel - it's absolutely smooth. People say that vodka is totally neutral, but those who can really appreciate vodkas would tell you that's not exactly true, because you can taste the different nuances in different vodkas - there's different texture, taste, roundness of the palate, linger and burn. All these matter.
But this being a Ketel One challenge, and Ketel One being the nature that it is, you don't want to do something that masks too much of what makes it special. The idea is not so much as to overpower it, but use what I have to help bring out the elements inherent in the vodka.
What's most important to you about bartending?
Our philosophy here is the genuine love for serving people.
If you go to some bars and order an apple martini, there are some people who think that making a drink like that is beneath them. I've seen that happen.
But the good bartenders that I know will take present an idea, let the customers wrap their heads around it, and make them something entirely different but with the same kind of elements (that they'll like). That customer is going to have a great taste experience, and in that one moment you've forever opened that person's eyes. They are going to walk away happy.
That to me is truly serving the customer.
You can show support for Mark Graham Thomas by visiting Bacchanalia and ordering his Last Chance Gary, the Pikte, and then hashtag #lastchancegary #wewantyougazregan #wewantyougaryregan #bacchanalia in your social media posts from now till 14 April.
[In conversation] Yugnes Susela, bartender at Tippling Club.
The Diageo World Class bartending competition is under way, and recently Yugnes Susela from Tippling Club found out that he didn't make it through the finals in the Southeast Asia part of the competition. But now there's a chance with a new wild card round that emerged that will pit him in a cocktail creation challenge against five other bartenders... with a social media twist to it.
We talk to Yugnes about his journey as a bartender, the Diageo World Class and his cocktail creation, the Last Chance Gary.
Tell us about how you became a bartender.
I've been in F&B since I was 16. I'm 26 now, so I have been working in the industry for 10 years.
I started off as a dishwasher, and then worked as a cook. Later I came out to the front as a waiter, and now I'm a bartender. I started at Tippling Club 3 years ago as a waiter, and only became a bartender a year back.
It was here at the Tippling Club that I realized cocktails aren't just about fancy names like Sex on the Beach or drinking Jaegerbombs to get smashed. I learned that there was this thing called craft bartending, where you need to understand every ingredient and component that you're putting in the drink.
I didn't even know there were the classics! It was a huge wake up call.
So I told myself, "I'm going to be a bartender." I pestered my boss (Ryan Clift) for over six months, showed him interest and the knowledge I was picking up. Then one day he told me, "Fine, it's your time right now."
Did working in a kitchen before help you understand about cocktail and food pairing?
It didn't where I was used to be before, but here at Tippling Club we cooperate very closely with the kitchen. We'd check with Chef Ryan on what they're making, and get an idea of the kinds of flavours they'd want to pair with the food - whether it should be a bit sweet, sour, or higher in alcohol content.
Sometimes it happens the other way round - we concoct a drink and let them try it, and within the hour, they'd come up with a dish. These guys know their stuff very well, and I'm very blessed to be working with them.
Tell us about the Diageo World Class competition and the Last Chance Gary.
I didn't know about the Diageo World Class until I joined Tippling Club. When I heard about it I told myself I needed to join it.
They had three stages, and I managed to get all the way into the finals. But I didn't make it through. Right now there's an additional wild card round called the Last Chance Gary, named after famous cocktail wizard Gary Regan, where we have to create a drink for him and then make some noise in social media so he'll drop by to try it. There are also a few other bartenders in the running.
I decided to do this drink, the Last Chance Gary, as a variation of the negroni. I used Ketel One as the hero spirit of the cocktail, along with amaro montenegro, roasted orange curacao, and sweet vermouth. I also used Mezcal, spraying it using an atomizer along the rim of the glass for an additional smoky aroma - it helps to create a different profile. For every drink I create I try to engage all the senses, from the look, the aroma to the taste.
During previous challenges I used different garnishes, and other wacky stuff in order to impress. But this time I had a discussion with Chef Ryan, and he told me, "You should do something very simple, straight up, and do it within 5 ingredients." So that's what I did.
Chef Ryan liked this cocktail. Thankfully this passed his test on the first go. He's my first critic - what he doesn't like, I know it needs to be improved.
What is it about Ketel One that you felt you needed to incorporate it into your drink to elevate it to a different level?
With Ketel One it's been a personal experience for me. In fact Diageo brought me to the distillery in Amsterdam. It's been around for 11 generations with the Nolet family.
When I tasted different vodkas for this cocktail, I found there were subtle differences in them. With vodka, everybody likes it "smooth", but with Ketel One the flavour lingers in your mouth and tingles your palate. It's very creamy, with notes of pepper and white flowers.
Tippling Club is famous for its food and cocktail pairing menus. What do you think would pair well with the Last Chance Gary?
Chef Ryan and I haven't really discussed what food will pair well with this, but I believe this will go well as a dessert cocktail, especially one with orange and chocolate notes. We have one called the Terrys Chocolate Orange.
What's the first thing you'd do if you got through this wild card challenge and won the competition?
I'd call my mom. She's my biggest fan, and biggest critic. Then I'll go get drunk with my boss and colleagues.
It's funny; at first my mom didn't want me to work in this industry, with its long working hours and exposure to too much alcohol. But then I brought her here to Tippling Club for dinner and that's where she finally realized where I am and what I'm doing right now.
Before I worked at Tippling Club I wasn't allowed to keep any bottles of alcohol at home. Today I have a mini bar!
You can show support for Yugnes Susela by visiting Tippling Club and ordering a Last Chance Gary, and then hashtag #lastchancegary #wewantyougazreagn #wewantyougaryregan #tipplingclub #yugnestipplingclub in your social media posts from now till 14 April.
Thank you for making time to come hang with us! Cheers to #lastchancegary (the cocktail) #tipplingclub and our #selfie cam makes all the good looking people damn good looking! Big shout out to @yugnes #yugnestipplingclub for making this delish cocktail that packs in the oomph! #notforthefainthearted #wewantyougazregan better take notice of us! #blessfriends unite #lovewhatido
