Award-winning bartender offers creative cocktails in comfortable atmosphere

By Jun Ji-hye

Bartender Ahn Jun-hyeok, who leads the Gourmet Bar at the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences, has displayed his talent by taking part in various cocktail competitions, where he has always reached the top 10 in the rankings.

He placed his name on the Diageo World Class Bartender Top 10 list in 2016, 2017 and 2019. He was also made the World Class Bartender Top 10 list and was selected as the Bartender of the Year in Korea's Best Bartender Contest in 2018.

In 2019, he won the Accor Asia Pacific 2019 Cocktail Competition and ranked in the top 8 in the 2020 Shanghai Shake the following year.

Ahn, who majored in design at university, said he decided to become a bartender in 2007 after he became enamored with the dynamic bartending skills that a bartender showed at a bar where he was working part-time.

“I felt that his job was creative just like in design,” Ahn said in an interview with The Korea Times, noting that since he started the job, he has worked at many themed bars to experience various concepts, including a Western-style bar in Korea, where cocktail shows are highlighted as the main event, and a whisky bar, with a classic and refined ambience.

Ahn said that he always tries to understand the essence of the ingredients, as well as use his sense of intuition, when developing a drink menu.

“Instead of thinking about which cocktail customers will order, I tend to recommend drinks that seem to fit a customer's taste, while thinking hard about how to explain my reasoning accurately and succinctly,” he said. “I want to provide something to customers who might need some relaxation after a hard day at work, in a space where they can feel welcome and comfortable.”

He recently developed a special mocktail, or non-alcoholic cocktail, for summer, called Cold Brew Mint Latte, which offers an exotic taste and feeling of energy, with its coffee base.

He said that coffee has been widely used as a cocktail ingredient these days, and that coffee shops have also created many different types of beverages based on espresso shots as an ingredient. As a result, bartenders and baristas are improving their drinks by applying various ingredients and methods.

“Cold Brew Mint Latte is inspired by the mint mojito coffee at Philz Coffee, the famous coffeehouse chain based in San Francisco. As people's desire to travel gets even stronger, I hope that this cocktail transports customers to San Francisco,” he said.

The bartender said that he is aiming to become a bar consultant in the future, to offer his expertise in bar operations, to help develop and establish a unique character for each bar.

When asked to offer words of wisdom to young aspiring bartenders, Ahn said, “A bartender should be able to communicate well with customers, to feel and learn about many things. If, as a bartender, you can maintain both self-confidence and a strong sensibility, you will be able to grow into a better bartender.”