Marian Beke, NightjarEach day we’ll be featuring one of the über talented bartenders who appeared in the cover shoot for our London issue. In alphabetical order, we start with Marian Beke from Nightjar.
Where did you learn your craft?
I was born in Slovakia where I started to work in bars, but mostly my experience came from London, from school and seminars or travelling and seeing other bars and kitchens. Not forgetting colleagues I was working with on daily basis…
Name a few of the places where you’ve worked
Montgomery Place, Artesian bar, Purl and Nightjar where I currently work.
Who’s the most inspiring person you’ve worked with and why?
There are many great people I have had the opportunity to work with so I would rather not mention just one name as I’d like to tell them a big thank you in person one day…
What makes a good bartender?
To be able to tend bar in a good way and maybe add something extra of him/herself.
Which bartenders do you admire and why?
I admire my guests and respect any hard working person – it really doesn’t matter if he or she is famous or working in a trendy bar.
What’s your proudest moment as a bartender?
To be able to open and close the bar each night and make sure everything goes well, the guests are happy, the owners are satisfied and our team are proud and inspired.
Shaken or stirred?
Which ever suits the drink or what the guest demands best.
What’s your favourite drink?
To mix:
Anything which is our guests favourite drink.
To drink:
I prefer to taste, then drink – I like the flavours.
On your menu:
All of them have been chosen as favourites.
What’s your definition of a bartender and a mixologist and where do you fit in?
A bartender is a person who tends the bar; a mixologist? I never know where this term came from, ask them please!
What’s your favourite ingredient?
Spices, herbs, roots – any with unique flavours.
Where do you drink off duty?
Anywhere where I can find happy people with passion for what they do.
What’s your essential piece of bar kit?
An egg cutter.
What’s your failsafe recipe to mix at home?
Good ice.
If you could mix a cocktail for anyone alive or dead, who would it be and why?
My parents as I haven’t done so yet.
You can find Marian Beke behind the bar at Nightjar, 129 City Road, EC1V 1JB. T: 020 7253 4101. barnightjar.com.
