Without bars there are no drinks and without drinks there are no bars. As simple as it sounds, it is important to be aware of how sad life would be without the beautiful evenings at the bar... without the social gatherings with a good cocktail, without the spent nights with good friends or strangers who are the same Evenings became the former, without the deep, superficial conversations over one or three cool drinks. In short, a life without “Prost” and “Cheers” – no, we don’t even want to imagine that. And for this reason, in our new blog series we would like to introduce you to the people without whom we probably wouldn't exist. People who tirelessly conjure up delicious drinks for us night owls until the early hours of the morning, who invent new recipes and give us unforgettable evenings.
In the first edition of our bartender portraits, we are not only proud to introduce you to a very charming and talented young man, but also two of his self-created cocktails. We haveMartin Bieringer n his second home, the James T. Hunt Munich's Maxvorstadt and learned a few exciting things about him and his life.
In the lively Munich student district, in the middle of the urban hustle and bustle, there is a pleasantly modest bar that most new first-year students don't immediately notice, despite its central location and the small tables on the sidewalk. However, James T. Hunt doesn't have to hide at all. The bar has a very casual feel; tastefully and casually furnished, you immediately feel at home. Of course, this is largely due to the friendly bartender and operations manager Martin Bieringer, who welcomes us with a broad grin. He happily presents many small paper airplanes that he folded the night before - as decoration, he tells us with a wink, for the drinks he brought with himTHE DUKE Munich Dry Gin and LION’s Vodka brought it to life for us.
Before Martin talks about the secrets for our bartender portrait, we mix it first. With nimble fingers, two drinks are created with professional composure, which the mixologist developed with our distillates and added to his menu. You can find the recipes for mixing further down in this blog.
With the cocktails previously mixed by Martin, we sit down on the light brown leather couch and during a pleasant conversation it quickly becomes clear that we are sitting across from someone who knows exactly what he is talking about.
THE DUKE Distillery: Dear Martin, you have been operations manager at James T. Hunt for a year. What was your dream career as a child?
Martin Bieringer: I wanted to become an inventor.
It somehow worked – you keep inventing new recipes. How did you get into gastronomy?
I graduated as a tax clerk in 2013, but started working in the catering industry the year before. During my studies in communication sciences (2015 - 2018) I worked as a bartender in the barroom - it was awesome! I've been writing for Mixology on the side since the end of 2017 and after a short stopover at Trisoux, I've been operations manager at James T. Hunt since June last year.
What do you enjoy most about your current job in the catering industry?
There is nowhere I can express my creativity as much as in this job and I enjoy it incredibly much.
What has been your biggest success so far?
When I won the championship in the F-youth team at FC Stern in Munich.
What couldn't you do without in your life?
On my special.
Why is THE DUKE Gin in your back bar?
In my opinion, there are far too many gins on the market now, but THE DUKE Gin is one that you simply have to have as a Munich bar simply because of its regionality. The guests also actively ask about him.
Which drink always works for you?
A classic Americano.
What would you get up very early in the morning for?
For fresh rolls and the DHL postman.
What does a day off look like for you?
Relaxation mode 5000, meeting friends, playing cards (Watts).
If you had one wish for the bar scene, what would it be?
More relaxation. Everyone needs to chill out a lot more and chat less. (Editor's note: the colloquial verb palaver means that someone seems to talk endlessly without providing any useful or substantive information.)
Chat a little out of the box - what's your craziest gastro story?
While shaking in the barroom, the shaker flew backwards out of my hand and straight out the front door.
And I'm just thinking of something related to THE DUKE: Recently, some guests kept ordering tonic and ice cream. We were a little surprised about the order and at some point we took a closer look and realized that you had stolen a bottle of THE DUKE Gin from our warehouse and had enjoyed it in our bar.
Do you have a request for your guests?
Man vs. machine – spread more love! And EC payment is NOT faster than cash payment! Please include this.
So, now for the liquid part. The topic of CBD has been on everyone's lips for some time and only recently made headlines again (especially in the traditional Free State of Bavaria). However, Martin Bieringer and we at THE DUKE Distillery did not let this deter us and Martin has designed a CBD cocktail that should safely dispel any remaining doubts about the topic of CBD in drinks. We would like to introduce: “Fly High”
Anyone who would like to have the drinks mixed by the creator himself now knows where to get them. Definitely worth a visit!
Now there's not much left to say except a huge thank you to Martin Bieringer for the open-minded conversation! It certainly wasn't the last and we're looking forward to hearing more from Martin in the future.
