Stories

Karel Varga

21 April 2019

My Story

Bar Manager Experience

  • Nationality: Czech
  • Occupation: Bar Manager
  • Workplace: Svanen Cocktail Bar, Oslo, Norway
  • Favorite Cocktail: Old Pal
  • Favorite Spirit: Whisky
What inspired you to become a bartender:

After I finished university, I did a summer job as a waiter on Costa Dorada in Cataluna, Spain. One day I ended up behind the bar. Only cocktails we would be doing were Mojitos, Caipirinhas and Margaritas. It was more about beers, wine and mixers but I loved the pace of work, all that rush around. That was the moment I realised it would be fun to work behind the bar instead of the office. New goal was set.

Tell me about your bartending journey and how you got to where you are now:

As I mentioned, it all started in Spain. Ever since I kept learning and improving as much as possible, working in diffrent types of bars. In Barcelona I used to work in Lonunge bar with happy hours. In Formentera it was a Hotel bar and Beach club. After short episode in fine dinning restaurant in Dubai, I finally arrived to London. I would compare it to military service for bartenders. You are trained day by day, sweating, making yourself dirty, you don’t get much sleep, but the joy I got in return definitely worthed it. Loads of friends, fun, knowledge and cool memories. Most of my 2 years in London I spent working at Mr Fogg’s residence, where I met and learnt from amazing bartenders. Then I was a member of opening team of Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration. After I got an offer to come over to Oslo to open Svanen, super exciting project. Bar is situated in former pharmacy from 1896. It’s such a unique venue full of maple wood and norwegian marble, all original! It’s protected by government so we couldn’t change pretty much anything. You can imagine that it was quite challenging to make functional set-up for cocktail service, but I can say we did well and now we have already 6 month since we opened the door. I am happy to be here with my pal Marek Novak, who I worked with back at Mr Fogg’s residence. Bar owner is Yunus Yildiz, ex GM of Himkok. When you get a job offer from someone like him, you don’t think it twice.

What stamp would you like to leave on the industry:

Only successful bar is the one full of guests. If my bar is full it means that I do something right. I want my bar full, without compromising values that I believe in. Providing experience based on personal treat, craft cocktails, great bar food, fitting music and all that vibe that comes with that. Also I would like to come up with something very new, signature.. It can be little thing, particular serve or technique, but something that everybody would connect to my bar. As an example I can mention throwing at Boadas, Martini serve at Connaught or supercool Martini at Paradiso.

Can you explain your personal process for creating a cocktail:

I set up drink profile that I want to achieve, do research, then I try to find the best way of how to extract the flavours and the way of serve. Sometimes you nail it on first, sometimes you need to rethink the process and sometimes you end up with something great, although completely different to your initial idea. You always learn something though.

What is the most important part of what you do and what does it mean to you:

I guess reading the guest. That’s something that you never stop learning. Every guest is diffrent. One wants you to explain them detaily every step of cocktail development, other just prefers to sip a beer while touching his girlfriend’s knee without you bothering them. You need to read them and make them happy, so they come back. It is challenging, but social skills are the core of this industry.

What do you think will be the future of the F&B industry:

Responsability towards our planet. Reducing and recycling the waste, reusing ingredients. Inspiring so (and get inspired) our industry friends and guests. Less is more. Cocktails and food will go always more hand in hand, complementing each other. Bar industry will be helping and supporting the society via events etc.

Anything that would you like to add?

I wish, us bartenders, take ourselves less seriously, spent less of our free time on social media, sharing often fake happiness, and rather dedicate this precious time to people who matter and care of us. Inspire, don’t show off!

Most bizarre client request:

There was a guest who came to Svanen. He looks at the back bar, then he looks at me and says: “One kebab, please!”

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