What it's like to be a cocktail bartender

Our thirst for these boozy and elaborate concoctions is growing rapidly with an estimated 8.7 million of us now enjoying them when we go out.

Many of us will be heading to a bar to sip a few drinks with friends and family over New Year.

Not only do we love the way they taste but we also get a kick out of watching them being crafted, often marvelling at the theatrics.

Bartenders can always be counted on to be on hand to entertain us with plenty of smoke, fire and bubbles and the staff at the Bohemian in Wolverhampton are no exception.

There are more than 30 cocktails on the main Boho bar menu which is always complimented by seasonal specials and the also cater for those who don’t want alcohol with a range of fruity mocktails.

While upstairs there is the Tiki bar which offers a different range of exotic and frozen drinks to tempt the tastebuds of drinkers.

Nancy Freeman, who has worked at Bohemian for a year, enjoys delivering customers their drinks with an extra dose of drama.

“Making cocktails is an art. It’s not just about making a drink that tastes good, you have to put on a performance too, that’s what people have come to expect,” explains the 22-year-old.

Flames

One of the most popular drinks on the signature menu is Zombie, which is served flaming. And it certainly lives up to its reputation. It’s the strongest one on offer and contains Bacardi White Rum, Bacardi Carta Negra, apricot brandy, lime juice, pineapple juice and passion fruit purée.

When it’s set alight impressive flames shoot up creating some firey fun that’s sure to warm you up on a cold December night.

“It’s a great one to make, but once you’ve made one then everyone in the bar wants one,” says Nancy.

So what makes a good tasting cocktail? “There should be three elements – you need the spirit like whiskey, rum or gin, something sweet like a fruit or sugar syrup and something sour like lime juice.

“A lot of time it doesn’t taste right if you leave one of them out,” says bar supervisor Katie Wellington.

Classic cocktails on offer at Bohemian, which opened in 2016, include a Martini, Mojito, Old Fashioned and Long Island Iced Tea.

While some of the lively bars’s signature concoctions that promise plenty of drama include the much-loved Hubba Hubba with its sweetly scented ‘boho bubbles’.

Being bright pink, it’s certainly eye-catching and it’s smells of marshmallow - what could be better than that?

Recommendations

Designated drivers or other people who don’t want to drink any alcohol are also well-catered for with mocktails to choose from including a lemon and gingertini and a virgin mojito.

But if you want something with a bit of punch but you’re not sure what you might like or you fancy a change from your usual order then the bartenders are there to help make recommendations to suit your tastes.

“We find out what spirits they usually drink and whether they would like something more sweet than sour or more sour than sweet. Once we know that we can start recommending drinks that they should enjoy. The staff are really well-trained on what we sell,” says 19-year-old Katie.

With so many recipes to remember, each team member has received training to ensure they can make each cocktail from memory when it’s ordered by a customer.

“Once you’ve made so many, you can do it without thinking really. We know them off by heart now,” says Katie. “It took a few months to remember everything but now it’s easy,” adds Nancy.

On busy nights, particularly at weekends, they will easier make hundreds of drinks as the bar fills up with revellers.

“We make so many that there is no way we could keep count especially on a Saturday night when you are making drink after drink,” says Katie.

On trend

A fifth of drinkers in the UK are now said to be opting for cocktails rather than beer, cider or wine. And many of us have cocktail-making equipment at home for those times when we want a cosy night in. So why have they become so popular?

“When you go to a cocktail bar, it’s more of a relaxed atmosphere. There is also such a massive range of drinks and there are lots of ways to experiment and try new things,” says Katie. “It’s a more enjoyable way of drinking because you can sit and sip it and they taste really good,” says Nancy, who enjoys creating new recipes.

“We are always thinking about new cocktails, new flavours and what we think people are going to like,” she adds.

Social media has also played a helping hand in boosting the craft cocktail industry as more people are looking for drinks that are Instagram-worthy.

“A lot of people take photos of their drinks because they are like art,” says Nancy who says her favourite tipple on the menu is the Mighty Maple Bush.

This drink contains Bushmills Irish Whiskey, sugar syrup, pure lemon juice combined with maple syrup and pineapple juice, topped with ‘boho foam’ and dusted with cinnamon and cinnamon bark. “It’s delicious,” says Nancy.

Above everything else Katie says working in a cocktail bar is always a lot of fun.

“It’s really enjoyable because there always something going on. Even when we are really busy, everyone is in a good mood and having a good time – and even a dance behind the bar. It’s always upbeat,” she tells us.

So this New Year why not make your drink of choice a cocktail – cheers!