Raise the bar', high

Bartending is one of those interests that get left behind as hobbies when we move on in life to more ‘serious’ things. A hobby that only sees daylight at a party when people are in awe of the cocktail you made last time and crave for more.

For Rohan Matmary things were different; he knew what he was good at and chased it to ace it. The Bengaluru boy has won the Brown Forman American Whiskey Legacy Cocktail Challenge 2019 and we couldn’t be happier.

Today bartending or mixology is a field that is slowly gaining fame in the country. Rohan Matmary, the 25-year-old in a candid chat with Bengaluru Chronicle lets us in on all about the competition and his love for bartending...

“It was a one of a kind cocktail competition where bartenders from all across the country participated; we were supposed to make two cocktails. It also included selling the cocktails in our own bars. About 300 bartenders from across the country participated and only 17 made it to the national round. The level of competition is quite interesting due to the different parameters in the competition,” Rohan begins.

His creations, Lillianaire and Aztec Mule, helped him win the hearts of the audience and judges alike. Rohan says, “Lillianaire is a cocktail with hibiscus flowers, rhubarb, lemon, egg white, pomegranate and a popular liquor brand. It expresses the gentle and mellow characteristics of the drink. On the other hand, Aztec Mule is a blend of mesoamerican pineapple, jalapeno and jaggery with a liquor brand. It is an excellent brunch drink.”

 Having bagged the title, he has gotten the opportunity to go on a trip to a liquor brand’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and Woodford Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky along with a chance to visit the Brooklyn Bar Convent. It is his second time in the competition and he is thrilled to see young talent emerging to greater heights and raise the bar every year.

When asked what is the scope for a field like mixology in India, Rohan says, “The Bartender is an Aristocrat of the working class. It is indeed a great profession to be a part of. I am from a very technical family background, so mixology for them was a big no-no.

Although today my family is super proud of the heights I have achieved. Cocktail scenes in India are exponentially rising because the consumers are well travelled and know what they are drinking, so a mixologist is much needed to match the expectations of the clientele.”

Bengaluru is a second home for Rohan who has completed his degree at IHM here. He also enjoys travelling and exploring Indian cuisines when he isn’t being a perfectionist behind the bar and loves the fact that his job gives him the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things everyday.

He concludes by letting us in on what the secret is behind creating the perfect recipe for a cocktail. “The balance between different flavours is what we bartenders strive for. If we achieve that, there is nothing that can go wrong. While putting together a drink, all you need to do is explore flavours, strike the perfect balance, garnish and glassware.”