The Bartender | Alexander Yanev
It is 6:57 p.m. The crimson April sun is setting behind the snowy hills of the Vitosha mountain. The 360-degree view of Sofia from the Ozone Skybar & Lounge, situated on the 29 floor of the five-star Grand Hotel Millennium, is mesmerizing. Alexander Yanev wraps an apron around his turquoise shirt and takes his place behind the dark-marble bar. He seems ready for a busy Saturday night.
But Alex says he is used to the dynamics of being a professional bartender. “I had to learn fast ever since I started bartending completely by accident during the summer of 2017,” Alex says. “I was preparing hookahs at Joshua Bar & Kitchen, a high-end bar in Blagoevgrad, when, one day, I had to cover for a bartender who did not show up.”
“Later on, I was lucky enough to visit the headquarters of Illycaffè, a renowned coffee company, in Trieste, Italy,” Alex adds. “I then realized that bartending can be my lifetime job.” He went on to reach the top six in the bartending competition Bar Masters 2019 and to become a full-time bartender at one of the finest bars in Bulgaria.
At the start of his shift, Alexander opens the hatch of a metal cooler underneath the bar and starts pulling out speed bottles. Each of these dispensers contains fresh juices, syrups, cordials, and tinctures. He leaves two empty bottles on top of the counter. Alex gets a shiny metal citrus press and squeezes a dozen of lemons. He then grabs a tin fine-mesh, bowl-shaped colander and strains the juices into the bottles. “Removing the pulp slows down the fermentation and extends the life of the juice,” Alex says.
Right when he is done with his pre-shift prep, a tall Japanese man in his 50s dressed up in a black tuxedo enters the bar. He is Alex’s first guest for the night. “I never refer to the people who come to my bar as clients,” Alex says. “I call them “guests”. I regard bartending not as a job, but as a passion.”
“Would you like to try something that is not on the menu,” Alex asks. The bartender then offers a custom cocktail that would make the guest feel special — a high-end Japanese whisky mixed with syrup from matcha, a traditional Asian green tea, and garnished with seaweed bitters.
After the guest accepts the personalized offer, Alex turns around and picks a rocks glass from a shelf built into the wall. He opens a cooler and scoops crushed ice into the glass to cool it off. He does the same with a large mixing glass. Twenty seconds later, Alex throws away the ice into the sink.
Then, Alex opens the leftmost drawer of his station and pulls out an emerald-green bottle with premade matcha syrup. With one hand he pours 50 milliliters into the mixing glass while stirring it with the other via a long bar spoon. Alex then grabs a small dark-blue plastic jar from beneath the counter and uses a clip to transfer four cubes of seaweed bitters into the mixture.
The booze comes last. As the cocktail is not on the menu, Alex must search for the whisky on the display wall behind him. He grabs a half-full oval bottle with an aureate color and a large bronze cap. The square white label says Hibiki and contains an intricate Japanese hieroglyph. Alex adds 50 milliliters to the mixing glass using a steel double jigger.
Finally, Alex places the rocks glass on а rubber mat in front of the guest. He pours in the mixed liquid through a strainer and adds some ice cubes. He garnishes the drink with a raw twist of nori seaweed. The cocktail is ready to be served.
“A cocktail is not simply alcohol,” Alex says to his guest as he presents the drink. “It is an appeal to all senses of the consumer.”
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Ilia Dobrev is majoring in Business Administration and minoring in IMC and IS at AUBG. He tells the story of Alexander Yanev who has a true passion for bartending and for establishing a connection with his clients.
