Stories
Esley Gunaratne
My Story
The Old School Bartender
- Nationality: Sri Lankan, British
- Occupation: Head Bartender
- Workplace: The Egerton House Hotel. London
- Favorite Cocktail: Vodka Dry Martini
- Favorite Spirit: Vodka
What inspired you to become a bartender:
Well, I believe it was since I was starting to study Food and Beverage Diploma in Hotel School in Sri Lanka, just after my Advance Level Exam (1988). Then I was inspired by my cousin brother who runs a restaurant/bar in the city of Negombo where lots of tourists hang around and my basic cocktail-making skills had started. Somehow I was keen on learning about beverages day by day while I was working at my cousin brother’s place.
Tell me about your bartending journey and how you got to where you are now:
My bar journey started officially 30 years ago in Sri Lanka, in a 5 star hotel with the name “Airport Garden Hotel” close to Colombo international Airport, that was my dream job. After three years of fantastic and knowledgeable bar experience in my very young beverage career, I got the opportunity to go to “Hotel Sofitel ” in Doha, Qatar as a bartender in 1993. The Sofitel Hotel is run by French management and I had so many French wines around me, which I loved to learn about and develop my product knowledge as I had always wished. In 1998 I gave my resignation for my Bar Supervisor job title, which I was holding at my last position before I came back to Sri Lanka after 5 years of being away. Then I started as a Restaurant & Bar Supervisor at the LightHouse Hotel in Galle (Jetwing Boutique, 5 star). I really enjoyed my food & beverage experience with my work mates there. In 1999 I got a great opportunity to work as a Hotel Manager at Nippon Villa Beach Resort, which has 28 bedrooms and a big banquet hall with a lovely bar. In the year 2000 again a new job, new hotel, new position as a Restaurant & Bar Manager at the Camelot Beach Hotel in Negombo close to my hometown. This is the year in my life and bar journey which was a turning point, since I had been in Sri Lanka for the last two years while working, I participated in a Sri Lankan island wide Cocktail Competition and Wine Sommelier Appreciation Competition and fortunately I was the winner of both. For winning both competitions, I received a scholarship to go to Germany to visit 13 different vineyards and five famous wine regions in France. In June 2001 to 2005 I worked as a Butler in Rome, Italy, for an English family. Long story short, I started a new life, a new challenge. I learned and perfected my craft across Sri Lanka, Qatar, Germany, and Italy before travelling to London to join Red Carnation Hotel Group at The Egerton House Hotel. Since 2006 I have worked as a Head Bartender.
What stamp would you like to leave on the industry:
My passion is not just making drinks or cocktails just as bartenders are supposed to do. My stamp on the hospitality industry is developing the people who work as bartenders and encouraging them to maintain their product knowledge and to maintain high standards day by day as well as keen to learn.
Can you explain your personal process for creating a cocktail:
I have created cocktails for many different occasions. Being a bartender is like being a doctor, you need to find out what people need and then treat them. I talk to my guests and gauge which cocktail is right for them and how they’d like it to be served and pay attention to details with self-confidence in what I’m serving.
What is the most important part of what you do and what does it mean to you:
Bar professionals are also champion multitaskers, managing personalities, operations and more while being hospitable to everyone at the bar. I’m completely focused on the guests. I like to make guests feel welcome, entertained and attended to and be a friend or companion to make great drinks for them. Being a Barman gives me the opportunity to be creative by making quality cocktails to suit each guest’s request. While serving drinks to guests I also have the chance to have wonderful conversations with them. I have been lucky to meet many famous people and it’s always a pleasure for me to serve them drinks as they like them. It’s a fantastic feeling when they return to the bar and know me by name. Even the smallest bar menu requires a bartender to have a great memory to remember how to make all the drinks. During a busy night, you can’t afford to have a bartender that is slow and holding up the process for customers. Also, a good memory can help a bartender recognise regulars as well.
What do you think will be the future of the F&B industry:
I’m sad to say that after Covid-19 the hospitality industry will be a different world, I think. I don’t have any idea how to start or when it will be until this world pandemic disaster is over. Hopefully people need to continue with social distancing, but for most of the bars in the world the space will be too small to run the business as before, I guess.
Anything that would you like to add?
Extensive cocktail knowledge and superior drink mixing skills, these are two qualities almost everyone will think of when they picture a good bartender. After all, a significant part of your role is providing a service to your customers. But they also want to see you as more than someone making and serving them drinks. Customers want to see a friendly personality and helpful team member.
Most bizarre client request:
At the Egerton House Hotel, where I’ve been working for the last 15 years, my bar is known as one of the most famous Classic Dry Martini bars in London. I served one of the worst Dry Martini’s as per guest request who I have never met before and never again. He asked me to make the Dry Martini with the following ingredients: Gin: 50ml, Vodka:50ml, Martini Dry Vermouth:25ml, shake together, 3 olives, 2 cocktail onions, half of lime slice, then pour into a frozen Martini glass and finish with orange twist. That was a really odd one to me.