Meet the bar person who perfects your drinking experience

A busy bar with groovy music, guests queuing up to order drinks and light-footed bartenders is an apt example of organised chaos. There is a team assiduously working to ensure each order is fulfilled and every drink is made as per a guest’s preference. At the Bengaluru brewery Windmills, the bar executive, Vishal Kumar, is in charge. His role is equivalent to a sous chef. It involves supervising the day-to-day running of a bar. These range from taking orders, creating recipes, managing a team to taking stock of inventory—ensuring the trendiest tequila or whisky is on the menu.

“My first responsibility is to make the guest happy,” he points out. There is a process to achieve this goal, and it starts with taking orders as well as knowing when to not disturb the guests. For instance, if a couple seated by the bar-top is on a date and sharing a moment, the team wouldn’t interject to take orders. And, when it’s time to approach them, the first attempt a bartender makes is to understand their palate, suggest drinks from the menu and customise (if needed) according to their preference. Their job is not complete after serving the drink, taking feedback before the guest leaves is essential. Kumar trains his team of bartenders to master this skill for a seamless experience. 

Also read: Placing the spotlight on the sous chef

His second job is to ensure the smooth operation of the bar when it’s open for service. In bartending vocabulary, each drinks order is known as the bar order ticket or BOT. The BOTs come to Kumar and he directs them to respective sections—from cocktails to mocktails and beverages, like coffee—and fulfils them. When the bar is closed for operations, he takes stock of inventory. He ticks off his to-do list of filling shelves with mixers, liquors and the newest spirits that have hit retail stores. Granular details, like checking the expiring date on each bottle, is part of his team’s job list. There’s a lot that goes on behind-the-scene for a perfect cocktail.

Windmills has three outlets, at Whitefield, Bengaluru airport and Texas in the United States. The bartending team is led by corporate mixologist Neil Alexander, followed by beverage manager Dilip Babu and Kumar is the third in command as the bar executive overseeing the operations at the Whitefield branch. The The 28-year-old hails from Himachal Pradesh, and started his bartending career about a decade ago. While working at hotels like Lemon Tree and Shangri-La in Bengaluru, he discovered recipe creation, a step forward from classic cocktails. About six years ago, he joined Windmills when the craft cocktail revolution in India was taking off. “I wanted to make things,” he says, and adds the most fulfilling part of his job is when guests remember him by his name. 

Back of the House is a series featuring restaurant and bar staff who work behind the scenes to add to the dining experience.

Also read: Why Bengaluru's ZLB23 is the best bar in India