Marian Beke is an astonishing bartender whom we first found creating classic cocktails at London's Montgomery Place. Despite his soft-spoken nature, his drinks have a thousand fascinating voices, from past and present. When we met him in late 2007, we came away impressed with him. Great conversation, deep knowledge, and just a fantastic host. Anyone wanting to improve their skills on the service side of the bar would do well to observe his approach. You can now find him at Nightjar in the Shoreditch neighborhood, where his skills are shining even brighter than ever.
He understands that the cocktail can be a perfectly encapsulated moment of life; flavor, appearance, ambiance all combined. Creating such ephemeral perfection requires a temperament which is part craftsman, part entertainer, and part zen master.
We wish we didn't live 6000 miles away from Marian's bar.
Here's an interview with Marian from TheDrinkShop.com.
[Post updated January 18, 2011]
