Bartending is a profession that requires you to be on your feet when others let loose on the dance floor. Amidst continuous chatter and free-flowing spirits, a skilled bartender is expected to satisfy customers, concoct innovative cocktails, and do all this while maintaining a cheerful demeanor. It’s no easy feat. My Kolkata caught up with Biswajit Barua, a senior mixologist at Park Street’s skybar LMNO_Q, to unravel the workings of a bartender’s mind on a bustling night, as they manage customer expectations, while keeping the creativity of mixology alive.
My Kolkata: What inspired you to pursue bartending as a career?
Biswajit Barua:I started my journey as a steward at Spaghetti Kitchen and Cream Centre in Mumbai. On one occasion, I remember wanting to enter the area behind the bar in Spaghetti Kitchen, and being stopped by someone who told me I’d require the permission of seniors. That day sparked the desire in me to become a bartender.
Barua mixing drinks at (left) Club Fenicia, and at the bar at (right) Club Boudoir Courtesy Biswajit Barua
Can you share the significance of mentors in your life and the lessons you value?
My brother-in-law got me enrolled at Cocktails and Dreams, a bartending institution in Khar, Mumbai. There, under the guidance of Vijaypal Rawat, Kishore Thapar, and other faculty members, I learnt the art of creatively mixing drinks, professional conduct, and essential skill sets to become a professional mixologist. Also, the faculty there gave me my first bartending gig at Black Dog, a bar in Khar Gymkhana. At present, Shatbhi Basu, India’s first female bartender, is one of my biggest professional influences. The list of things one can learn from her is endless, but I did try to imbibe the quality of manning a highly-crowded bar such as LMNO_Q. In fact, Yangdup Lama and Shatbhi Basu are two people who constantly make me strive for perfection.
Can you tell us about the places you’ve worked prior to LMNO_Q, and how they’ve influenced your development?
After my stint in Mumbai, I had to return to Kolkata due to my mother’s ailing health. It was during this time that I gained experience in manning bars in nightclubs such as Soho, Venom, and Club Boudoir. My last job before LMNO_Q was at Club Fenicia in Sector V, a place that does not allow you to mix artificial ingredients in drinks. This honed my skills in using natural ingredients and creating fresh juices and homemade syrups.
Which style of bartending do you follow, and what innovations have you introduced to enhance your craft?
As a mixologist, my main focus has always been on ingredients that complement each other well, selecting the appropriate base spirit, innovating with drinks and continuously expanding my knowledge of cocktails.
The Garden G&T, which is Barua's own concoction Soumyajit Dey
Is there a particular cocktail you created and is all the rage at any of your previous work stations or LMNO_Q?
Although the bar menu at LMNO_Q has been curated by Shatbhi Basu, I was able to add one of my drinks to the menu, which is Garden G&T. This gin-based cocktail made using homemade syrup, is a light, tasteful drink, perfect to sip on a leisurely day.
How does one stay relevant in this profession?
The best way to grow in this profession is to always have a learner’s mindset, and be receptive to what’s working for other bartenders. Maybe, even show up as a customer at a top bar, and let your masterclass begin.
Park Street skybar LMNO_Q Soumyajit Dey
How do you keep a pulse on what the crowd wants on a busy night?
I try to keep my mind as chilled as the drinks I serve. One also needs to be a good listener, and interact in a friendly manner with all guests, no matter how they choose to speak with you. There’s one quality that bartenders have to imbibe, which is lip reading and knowing what a guest wants through their body language. This skill eases the process of managing bars on a busy night.
