Faye Chen

Faye Chen, bar manager at Speak Low in Shanghai caught up with Drinks World’s Danny Yang to talk about Patrón, bartending, mentors and the industry. Faye recently created a Patrón cocktail menu for Flint Grill & Bar and Bar Q88 at the JW Marriott in Hong Kong.

FayeChen

DANNY YANG: Tell us a little about yourself?

FAYE CHEN: I’m originally from Taiwan and I started in the industry around eight years ago. I used to work in a dive bar and there was a party where my boss hired a flair bartender to put a show on the stage. I was so impressed that I asked the flair bartender: “Where did you learn this?” He gave me a card so I found the teacher and that’s basically how I started in the industry.

DY: Tell us a little bit about Speak Low?

FC: Speak Low is a speakeasy style bar and we’ve been open for almost three years. It’s running quite well and we’ve made it into The World’s 50 Best Bars list. We focus on handcrafted cocktails and we have two different concept bars, one is what I would call American style and one is a more Japanese/British style of bar.

DY: Tell us something about your job that inspires you day-to-day?

FC: The luckiest thing with this industry is that it gives me the chance to meet a lot of people. I get the chance to talk to people, I get the chance to hear their stories and it makes me want to discover more and learn more. Customers, people around me and other bartenders inspire me.

DY: Have you had a great mentor in the industry? If so, what advice did they give you that you still work and live by today?

FC: There are a lot of good bartenders and mentors in this industry. Shingo Gokan, my boss, stands out for me. He taught me a lot of skills and how to run a bar, but most importantly, he taught me how to be a decent bartender. Being a decent bartender is not just about making great cocktails, it’s about your attitude, for example how you talk to people, how you treat industry friends, and how you manage yourself, both mentally and physically. How you manage yourself when you’re under a lot of pressure and how you behave when you’ve got a super bad hangover. Those are the things he taught me. Even though I’m a champion in the competition, he once said that when people start looking up to you, you have to push yourself more and always keep improving. Faye’s signature Crack of Dawn cocktail

DY: You’re in Hong Kong creating your signature Patrón cocktails. Have you created the cocktail specifically to suit the local palate profile?

FC: This time I prepared four cocktails for Patrón, all based on dishes I have tried before. I feel that it’s interesting to turn a dish into a drink. I’ve added some Asian concepts and flavours like Sichuan pepper, cilantro, chestnut and oolong tea, so when the customer drinks it they can taste similar flavours to the dishes. Hong Kong is similar to Shanghai in that it is an international city with western influence, so with the drinks I added Asian ingredients.

DY: From the Patrón portfolio do you have a favourite expression?

FC: This is a really hard question! If I really have to choose one, I would say Patrón XO Café because this product, for me, is great and every time I serve it to a customer I can see they are easily satisfied. It’s also a good base that I can use in many different cocktails.

DY: And finally, what’s your favourite Patrón cocktail after a long shift?

FC: As bartenders we always like to keep it simple, especially after a long shift so a drink like Patrón Silver and soda is great. Personally, I like anything Old Fashioned, so I’d make a Patrón Añejo Old Fashioned.

Faye’s signature Patrón cocktails are available at Flint Grill & Bar and Bar Q88 until March 23, 2017.