23. September 2011 8:00

Speakers of Bar Convent Berlin 2011: Gary Regan

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.

I worked in bars in New York for 20 years before I started to write about cocktails, bars, and bartenders professionally. And I went back behind the bar for about 18 months in 2004/2005 when I held Wednesday night events known as 'organized chaos' at my local bar (Since 1995 I’ve lived about 50 miles north-west of Manhattan.)

In New Delhi at the Diageo World Class finals you told me about one of your first experiences with Germans. You had a special day in a bar, where you reenacted the "attack of the Germans". Then there was an unexpected situation. What happened?

It was an English bar in New York and in 1999 we held a 3-day event to “celebrate“ the 50th anniversary of the onset of World War 2!  It was very tongue-in-cheek, but we had wartime posters up, played WWII music, and had videos playing of Churchill, Hitler, and bombing raids and the like.

All went well until a group of 6 Germans who spoke no English walked in. They were somewhat mystified at what was going on. I went over to them and smiled and bought them drinks, but because of the language problem, I couldn’t explain properly what we were up to. (I should add that these guys were born well after the war ended - they were probably in their 30s.)

Then 2 more Germans walked in, and one of them spoke English. He came over to ask what was going on, and I explained. He was very good natured about everything so I asked him if he and his friends would do me a favor. I told him what I wanted and he went back to discuss it with his friends.

After he came back to tell me that his friends agreed, I made an announcement to everyone in the pub, saying that we had some special guests who were going to sing for us, and the group of Germans then sang 'Lili Marlene' at the top of their voices. The pub went wild with laughter and we all had a fabulous afternoon together. It’s one of my favorite memories of bar life in New York.

One would think that a much-traveled man like you should’ve been to Germany before. But it’s not the case. Why have you never been?

The universe hasn’t been aligned until now.

You’ve attended a lot of bar and trade shows for spirits and cocktails. What are you expecting at Bar Convent Berlin?

I expect everyone to be punctual, and I expect lots and lots of Jägermeister...

What’s your impression of the bar scene in Central Europe from what you’ve encountered so far?

Hmm...this sort of depends of your definition of Central Europe. I just looked it up and Wikipedia says that the Czech Republic and Slovakia are in Central Europe, whereas I always thought they were Eastern Europe. Some of the best bartenders I know come from Slovakia.

I also know absolutely fabulous bartenders from Germany and Austria, but Czech Republic and Slovakia are the only CE countries I’ve visited, so I can’t answer this well, except to say that, in my experience, bars all over the world are the same. And they are the same now as they were when I was a kid. More on this at the Bar Convent.

You’ve been drinking lots of "Manhattans on ice" when I met you in Delhi. Cocktail nerds could spend days being upset about this. Is that one of your favourite staples?

That is my favorite drink. Got a problem with that? Let me buy you one and we’ll discuss it.

What are your favourite drinks?

Manhattans, Negronis. Mint Juleps, and Jägermeister (no joke).

Where did you sip your best cocktail?

My lips are sealed on that one.

Is there a bar in Berlin, of which you have heard a lot and that you’d like to visit during your stay?

Lots of them.

Would you do us the favour to deliver a final word to all the young bartenders out there? One or two sentences that should always accompany them in their profession.

Know that it’s great to know how to make fabulous cocktails, but that’s not what the job of the bartender is all about. The job is about being of service to your guests, making people happy, and making a difference in the world. When you get a job as a bartender, you are handed a very precious gift. Try not to blow it.

Thank you very much for the interview. See you soon in Berlin.

(Foto: Jimi Ferrara)