The Bartender | Iliya Zotkov
It is a busy Friday night in The Cocktail Bar in Sofia, and the 44 years old bartender Iliya Zotkov is standing behind the bar, concentrating on the drinks he has to prepare. As he pours the liquid ingredients in the jigger with deft movements the ice in the shaker begins crackling. The jazz music and people’s laughter can not muffle the sound of the shaker rattling in his hands.
As a mixologist with more than 25 years of experience and one of the founders of flair culture in Bulgaria, the art of manipulating bar utensils and bottles in a dazzling fashion, Iliya knows his way around bottles and liquids.
In recent years he turned the page on juggling with bottles in search of the essence of the profession, the flavor of the drink.
“The drink is much more important than the show, in fact, it is almost completely missing in modern bartending. It’s all in the effort, the contact with the person in front of you, to create a memorable moment,” he said.
When juggling with bottles, one can often lack the skill to adequately communicate with the person ordering the drink. The idea that a good bartender is a good psychologist is also true, according to Iliya. That is why he values the importance of communication between staff and customers.
“The perfect cocktail is the perfect combination of time, place, and person. If you catch the customer at the right time and make him the perfect drink for the moment, there is a chance that it will be perfect,” he said.
In his professionalism and desire for consistency, he advocates for sustainability. He promotes the usage of paper straws instead of plastic, and when possible not using straws at all. According to Iliya, the aroma of the cocktail is often neglected when using a straw.
“If you drink from a straw you can not taste the cocktail with all your senses,” he advised his customer as he served them their drinks. “Certain aromas can take you back to a childhood memory or another period.”
In his longing for sustainability as well as better-tasting drinks, he uses only fresh homemade ingredients. Every juice and fruit-flavored alcohol, as well as various syrups, are made with fresh ingredients beforehand and used during the night shift. That is what makes the cocktail not only better tasting but much healthier.
The technology of preparation is also important since it can change how a certain ingredient tastes. While he was preparing his garnishes, he expressed his opinion on the technique, which is important for the consistency of the flavor.
. “If you crush a piece of pepper five times instead of three, for example, it will taste completely different, depending on the strength,” he noted.
He examines different kinds of literature in searchof new flavors and jokingly shares that he believes he knows about certain herbs more than his pharmacist.
“My profession is such that, when you tell someone what you do, they ask you, ‘Well ok, but what are you seriously doing’,” said Iliya.
“Over time, this becomes your way of life and it is difficult to break away, and over the years, of course, you begin to want to be better,” Iliya shared.
His commitment even led the Cocktail Bar, the place where he works and has put his talents in since its opening 7 years ago, to win ‘the best bar in Bulgaria’ award for 2018 in the competition by Bakhys, a magazine about wine and gourmet.
The article and photos were created by Blagovesta Skerleva, a student at the American University in Bulgaria, majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication. This article dives in the everyday life and experiences of the 44 year old Iliya Zotkov, showing how this ‘hobby profession’ can become someone’s lifestyle, his troubles and believes regarding his occupation as a bartender.
