The Bartenders

Adi and Noam Orr

Patrick Gitau (Patrickgitaufotografi)

Allow us to reintroduce your favourite person behind the bar: the bartender.

Just like the cocktails they serve, they come in all shapes, sizes and colours each with their own personalities. If you have done a survey of Nairobi bars then you know that every bartender is different even though the tools are the same. One thing we can’t deny, however, is that there is nothing better than a bartender who knows their drinks.

These are the kind of bartenders we just so happened to encounter at the Baraka Events stand at the Masego concert. The cocktail menu was short and simple but not everyone likes their cocktails the same way. One mention of this and the drinks were adjusted accordingly. Even under extreme pressure from inebriated patrons, they all kept their cool. We were officially impressed and ran right to the source to find out more about the bartenders, the cocktails and the business.

We’re all familiar with Baraka Israel which is an Israeli company that came to Kenya 4 years ago to introduce Kenyans to Israeli wines. Fast forward to today and the wines can be found in more than 100 outlets all over Nairobi as well as other Israeli products such as spices, olives and spreads. Many of us have also attended the festivals organised by them and EatOut, including the incredibly successful first Nairobi Cocktail week. Well, they decided not to limit their 15 years of experience working and managing the best bars in Israel to just this festival. They saw a gap in the market and decided to fill it with Baraka Events, a branch of Baraka Israel that focuses on bartending services for corporate events, weddings and other private events whose tagline and motto is ‘making people happy’.

They focus on making sure everything they use is high quality so they import their decorations from Israel and get their produce from Kenyan farms to ensure that all their garnishes are fresh. Additionally, they believe in focusing on the smallest details to make sure that Kenyans are provided with the best experience. From the cleanliness of their glasses to the professionalism of their bartenders, no detail is skipped when preparing to serve their clients. If a bartender serving you looks familiar then that’s because they only hire bartenders from other bars within the city who have been trained well and know how to work events.

Take a look at their menu you will be met with both the familiar and unfamiliar. Noam and Adi Orr took their time to experiment and taste their cocktails and were able to come up with greatness. Adi’s botanical gin and tonic may sound strange but it is full of familiar ingredients such as dill, chilli, lime and basil while their exotic mojito is filled with the delicious tropical flavours from lychees, pineapples and passion fruits.

This being the wine issue though, we made sure they gave us their recipes of delicious sangrias. There’s no need for any fancy equipment. With a glass and some Baraka Israel wine, you’re already halfway there!

Hermon Golan Moscato

Patrick Gitau (Patrickgitaufotografi)

WHITE SANGRIA

Ingredients

• 125ml Hermon Golan Moscato

• 40ml Limoncello

• 25ml Sparkling Water

For garnish:

• Melon Balls

• Raspberries

• Fresh Mint

DIRECTIONS

Mix all liquid ingredients well in a jug or bowl. Serve in a wine glass and garnish with melon balls, raspberries and fresh mint.

RED SANGRIA

Ingredients

• 100ml Massoret Efrat (or any sweet red wine)

• 75ml Orange Juice

• 25ml KWV 12 Barrel Select (or any brandy)

• 1 Cinnamon Stick

For garnish:

• Fresh oranges sliced

• Dried Blood and Regular Orange Slices

DIRECTIONS

1. For the dried blood orange slices: Thinly slice the oranges, place them on a baking sheet and bake for 5 hours in an oven at a low temperature (between 90-95 degrees Celsius).

2. For the cocktail: Mix all liquid ingredients and the cinnamon stick well in a jug or large bowl. Garnish with oranges.