The man behind Bar Poland at BCB 2011: Radek Wieczorek

7. October 2011 16:00

Radek Wieczorek is a Bartender from Poland and since five years owner of a little event-company. In a litte interview he told us more about the Poland Bar at the Bar Convent Berlin 2011, his love to ice, the tiki culture and his favourites. 

Radek, at this year’s Bar Convent Berlin you will be in charge for something special: Bar Poland. Please introduce yourself and your work to our readers?

Hi everyone! My name is Radek Wieczorek and I am a 35 years old bartender with over 12 years experience behind the bar. I started my bartending romance in 1999 in London working for Kosmopol, Made in Brasil, Cafe Med Bar, Medicine Bar and in Spain working for Base bar, Hotel Es Vive, Blue Marlin in Ibiza, Shoko in  Barcelona. For 5 years now I have been living in Poland running my little event company Mixology, shaking, stirring and blending cocktails on my portable bars all around Poland and rest of the world. Last yearI also had an opportunity to work during the Football World Cup in Cape Town south Africa.

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Leszek Wiwala

6. October 2011 9:00

Leszek Wiwała is the President of the Polish Spirits Inudstry. He is coming to the Bar Convent Berlin for the Bar Poland, the 5th year Bar Convent Berlin Special, and as a Speaker. Welcome!

Leszek, you're coming to Bar Convent Berlin with a complex and exciting topic: "Rye and Republic - the History of Polish Vodka". Would you please introduce yourself and your work to our readers?

My name is Leszek Wiwała, I’m the President of the Polish Spirits Industry (PPS - Polski Przemysł Spirytusowy) – trade association representing spirits producers in Poland which have almost 80% of the domestic market. The main aim of PPS is to protect the interests of the spirits industry.

We try to accomplish our goals mainly through close cooperation with decision makers from the government, the Parliament and other public institutions. Simultaneously, social responsibility has been playing more and more vital role in our activity, thus we conduct a few social campaigns which find a broad recognition. PPS education activities are to increase the level of consumers’ awareness in order to encourage them to responsible drinking.



I am also Vice president of the European Spirits Organization (CEPS) – spirits producers representation at the European level. 



I am the author of a book “The History of Polish Vodka”  I was inspired to write it by the dispute on the definition of vodka in the European Union in the years 2004-2007.

The Cocktailian shops at Bar Convent Berlin 2011

4. October 2011 9:00

We've just published the shop brochures of the two Cocktailian shops of Bar Convent Berlin 2011 on Scribd. The shops offer rare bar tools from overseas, t-shirts, cocktail books, spirits and bitters.

Please click title to see more or follow this link: scribd.com

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Dimitri Sokolov

4. October 2011 16:00

Dimitry Sokolov did attend the inaugural Bar Convent Berlin in 2007 as a regular visitor. This year he is returning as a speaker. Just fve years after embarking a bartending career and ditching his medical studies Dmitry decided to launch his frst own bar “Help” in Moscow. Since 2003 he added several other bars to his portfolio which all run very successully. 

Dimitry, would you please introduce yourself and your work to our readers?

My name is Dmitry Sokolov, I am chief bartender and co-owner of few cocktail bars in Moscow ( Helpbar, Freebar, Temabar, All-time bar, Dreambar, Aloha bar), and hold different master classes all over Russia. Together with other leaders of the Russian bar industry we organize the “Bartenders Brothers” group – our main idea to bring a high level of bar to Russian bartenders and of course to our guests all over the country.

Official opening of Bar Convent Berlin 2011 with the Traveling Mixologists

30. September 2011 9:00

For years the bartender network Traveling Mixologists has held an officially unofficial opening party the night before the trade show. We're happy to announce that the 5th anniversary of Bar Convent Berlin will see another grand opening at Amano Bar in Berlin-Mitte on the 9th of October. 

Founded by Jörg Meyer in 2007 the Traveling Mixologists (TM) have some of the most renowned international bartenders in their ranks. The nights where they came together in cities around the world to celebrate the art of the cocktail have always worked like magnets, attracting bartenders and barflies in huge numbers.

The team behind Bar Convent Berlin is therefore very happy that the Traveling Mixologists will put on their white jackets again to serve the thirsty crowd the night before "Bartender's Christmas" opens its doors. Here's the official annoncement by TM founder Jörg Meyer:

Media Partner of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: BarLife UK

30. September 2011 16:00

BarLifeUK is a young online trade magazine from Great Britain. In the tradition of last year's Bar Convent Berlin BarlifeUK will serve as one of the official media partners in 2011 and cover the event in English.  

Simon, you serve as director of BarLifeUK. Please tell our visitors about the history of BarLifeUK?

BarLifeUK was founded in February 2010 by myself and Andy Ives. Andy has previously worked for Class and Theme magazines as well as working in and running several bars around London. I started out working in and running pubs and bars before working for various bar industry trade shows and magazines in the UK and Australia, where I spent 6 years. We have known each other for 12 years (unfortunately) so starting BarLifeUK was an obvious move.

Media Partner of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Adam Elmegirab

29. September 2011 16:00

Adam Elmegirab is a cocktail and spirits enthusiast from Scotland. As more and more English-speaking visitors attend Bar Convent Berlin the show started inviting native speaking media in 2010. This year the bar trade show will be covered by Scottish bartender and blogger Adam Elmegirab.
 
Adam, you live in Aberdeen, Scotland. Please tell us about the bar scene there.
 
Aberdeen’s come a long way since I started bartending in 2001 and we’ve a now got a great mix of independently-owned cocktail bars which I believe are key to a vibrant scene as they can really connect with the local consumer. I’ve been lucky to work with a few of these bars, such as Mim, Orchid and Dusk, and the fact they’re still going strong is testament to the work that’s been done here by bar-owner and bartender alike. When I started consulting and training in 2006 I did it with the sole intention of putting Aberdeen on the map and I think I’ve done that, even in a small way, though my work’s nowhere near finished...

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Gary Regan

23. September 2011 8:00

The born Brit and cocktail legend Regan has dedicated more than 40 years to the hospitality business. After tending bars in Manhattan for more than 20 years he has written numerous publications including „The Bartender’s Bible“, a must-read for everyone in the industry.

Dear Gary, we are happy to have you at Bar Convent in Berlin this year. Would you please introduce yourself to our readers?

I was born and raised in Northern England where my parents ran pubs, so my first bar gig was when I was 14 years old. I didn’t know anything about cocktails, though, until 1973 when I moved to New York. Then I had to learn quickly because I needed a bar job.  I was 22 years old by that time.

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Wayne Collins

24. August 2011 9:00

The internationally recognised award-winning bar trainer Wayne Collins is regarded by many within the drinks industry as one of the most knowledgeable, innovative & pioneering bartenders of today. He developed and heads up the cutting edge ‘Mixxit’ bartender training programme in the United Kingdom.

A key figure within the bar boom of 90’s London, Collins opened and worked at many high profile and award winning venues, this led to him being head hunted to become a brand ambassador and drinks stylist for various globally recognised premium spirit brands.

He is currently working for Maxxium UK Ltd. the joint venture between global drinks giants Beam Global and The Edrington Group. Wayne developed and heads up their cutting edge ‘Mixxit’ bartender training programme. As the Global Ambassador to the Mixxit programme he is a key brand developer for Maxxium's portfolio of premium brands, as he continuously trains and inspires bartenders throughout the world.

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Martin Doudoroff

12. August 2011 14:00

As the founder of CocktailDB New York's Martin Doudoroff is going to talk about new cocktail apps at Bar Convent Berlin 2011. Another topic he will cover is the world of vermouth he developed a passion for in recent years.

Inspired by the Internet Movie Database imdb.com, Martin and his colleague Matt Feifarek first launched the CocktailDB project as a response to the need for an on-line repository of cocktail knowledge for like-minded aficionados. The cocktail enthusiast and technology consultant was also one of the first entrepreneurs to launch cocktail apps such as Tiki+. His special love belongs to Vermouth, as you can see over at vermouth101.com. He told us when and how he discovered Vermouth, what style of Berlin bar he favours and where he likes to go for a drink in New York.

You have been to Berlin before, what are your favourite places?

The Berlin bars that have meant the most to me, in no particular order, are Victoria Bar, Buck & Breck, Green Door and Stagger Lee. Victoria Bar was really my introduction to Berlin's idiosyncratic cocktail culture several years ago and on my most recent visit I found the newer bars had evolved most agreeably. The drinks are good, yes, but more importantly, these are environments I enjoy, they really cater to my personal tastes.

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Allen Katz

25. April 2011 20:19

The American micro-distilling industry has been booming for years. Small American wiskey and gin brands have not only won the hearts of American consumers, but have also caught the interest of European bartenders in their quest for new and authentic flavours.

Least to say that there are now numerous small distillery start-ups in European capitals like London based Sipsmith or Persephone Distillery in Munich. So what's it like to open a distillery? When we heard that a group of New Yorkers are currently working on opening a distillery in the heart of this great cocktail city, we decided to invite them over to speak at Bar Convent Berlin. Allen Katz is one of the people behind the New York Distilling Company, that plans to start production in Brooklyn later this year. Allen is also well-known in the international bar industry as he has been serving as Director of Spirits Education and Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of New York for some time. Southern Wine & Spirits is the United States' largest distributor of wine and spirits. We asked Allen about his background and what he will be talking about at Bar Convent Berlin 2011.

Pineo Water Stations at Bar Convent Berlin 2010

2. October 2010 16:32

Like last year Bar Convent Berlin visitors will get free water at two water stations. This year's partner is Spanish water Pineo.

What's the essential beverage of a bar? It's water. Every person consuming alcohol needs to balance out the dehydrating effects of this beverage. And it's best to do so, while you're at it and not the morning after. A good bar will serve customers water for free.

It's only natural that a bar and spirits trade show will hand out water to all visitors, who spend the day testing new cocktails and attending spirits seminars. Bar Convent Berlin's water partner in 2010 is Pineo.

Pineo has a low mineralisation level. The soft and clean taste makes it a perfect company for wine and spirits. The Pineo spring is located 1.000 meters over sea level at Beneidó mountain in the Spanish Pyrenees. The two water stations can be found in the exhibitor hall (upper floor) and in the seminar sector in the basement (main stage):

Tickets for Bar Convent Berlin 2010: Questions & Answers

16. September 2010 19:15

Only 18 days to got until German barshow Bar Convent Berlin will open its doors. Here is a quick overview how ticketing and online registry works in BCB's fourth year.

If you follow the sign saying "Buy your ticket now" on the Bar Convent home page, you'll land on a  Nanoticket form. Who is Nanoticket? Nanoticket is the company that handles ticketing for Bar Convent Berlin 2010. Tickets for the Convent can only be obtained  through Nanoticket or at the box office of the BCB itself.

Presentations of Bar Convent Berlin 2009

28. October 2009 17:49

Every year after Bar Convent Berlin we receive numerous requests by visitors and especially by bartenders, who couldn't make it to the big bar industry gathering, asking for the speaker's presentations.  We've now collected the first presentions of Bar Convent Berlin 2009 and make them availabe h

BCB Shop Catalogues for Bar Convent Berlin 2009

1. October 2009 14:30

A lot of readers and visitors of Bar Convent have contacted us in the last couple of days, asking for certain items sold in the BCB Shop this year. Most of them are particularly interested in the 16 cocktail book reprints available.