How to create a cocktail story?
When I have a full bar, why should I tell anyone fables about alcohol?! There's no time for that!
I often come across the opinion that a bartender should mix good cocktails, smile, be helpful and hospitable. I can't agree more. However, it is good to realize that work in gastronomy is about added value. This is something that defines a good business. A story can be a perfect tool of added value and a "game changer" of business.
In the following lines, I will show you how to create a good story, how to use it in a bartending competition and explain why it is so important.
Humanity has been telling stories since time immemorial. We have come a long way together with them. From game hunting paintings on the walls, bedtime stories by the fire, first books, to visual stories that make little hearts jump. We have come here, to a blog post on how to create a story.
George Orwell, the author of the great work 1984, wrote that he who controls the present controls the past. This means that stories determine reality, regardless of facts. A good "story behind" has power, like few things in the world. The power of the word doesn’t have to be necessarily used for the purposes of a political system as in the case of Orwell's (hopefully) utopia. A good story will also be appreciated by guests at the bar or a judge at a bartending competition.
"When I have a full bar, why should I tell anyone fables about alcohol?! There's no time for that!” This is a phrase I've heard countless times. First, the story can be shortened based on the situation and still convey added value. Second, if you think that a guest will pay €13 for a drink just because you shake well, you are wrong. Hospitality is the foundation of our business, and storytelling is its fraction that you can take advantage of.
On the other hand, the judges at the competition feel drawn into the action, preferring the experience to simply turning of the competition cocktails into themselves. You don't have to agree with me. But you must admit that people love stories: movies, series, books, your life in a nutshell on a second date. Fortunately, creating a good story isn't a science, but it does have a few rules that I've simplified into three points:
Inspiration
Concept
Realisation
Inspiration is speculated to be found everywhere. It is true. There are so many things that we can draw inspiration from that sometimes people can find it difficult to choose or to find the right one. Some people, on the other hand, expect that when they ritually sit cross-legged by the fire, inspiration will strike them out of nowhere. To explain, I will use a quote from the world-famous painter Pablo Picasso: "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." In our world, this means that if you are working to create a cocktail and its story on a certain brand, look for as much information as possible. Try to find various links on the web about its history, quotes about the brand, or simply how the brand communicates in terms of marketing. Many times, you will find links to the brand or category of alcohol or cocktail in places where you wouldn’t expect it.
It is important to say that inspiration should be simple. Something that plays into your cards like a thought, something that you like or that is close to you. "But I don't like anything, I'm not interested in anything!" If this thought crossed your mind, philosophy may be your inspiration.
Specifically, nihilism is a direction that has a dismissive attitude towards the supposedly meaningful aspects of life. Well, according to Wikipedia. The key is not to be ashamed of your inspiration. You must be proud of it.
Let's think of the concept as the materialization of inspiration. You connect what can be connected. In the equation, it might look like this: (Brand + Inspiration) x Common Connection = Concept.
Then you divide the concept into old but good:
Introduction – In the introduction, you explain where you got your inspiration from.
Core – In the core, you clearly define the whole story, the connection with the brand and inspiration.
Conclusion - In the conclusion, use the message you want your story to leave.
Before the whole process, determine what the meaning of the story should be. Should it educate? Did you create it to make the judge laugh? Or do you want to leave emotional depth? This is important so that you can better determine the tone in which you will tell the story. If the idea of your story is to stop destroying our planet, you don't play the song "Burn the Witch" at the competition. Or if you made a twist for the Paloma cocktail, and the story is about how the tequila brand supports dove breeding, you can't call the drink "RIP Dove" and smile while preparing it.
Tips & Tricks for a great cocktail story
Avoid clichés - stories from the family background have long been out. It's nice to think of your grandparents, with whom you cooked Szegedin goulash, but grandfather's beer dripped into the pot, so you thought of cordial with sauerkraut combined with beer. Of course, there are exceptions that prove the rule. Maťo Župina won an entire discipline in the world round of the prestigious Diageo World Class bartending competition thanks to the story about his family.
Trying to combine an alcoholic cocktail with its health benefits is also a common mistake. Unfortunately, it's a bit of an oxymoron, as alcohol is harmful to the body. You can easily lose points in a competition or upset a guest at the bar.
When finding an inspiration, try to choose something that you think no one else will use. You will be authentic and original at the competition. In the bar, you amaze the guests with your knowledge.
"Dig" as deep as possible. Dive into your topic as deeply as you can. The more information you have, the better your story will be.
When telling the story, use visual aids such as decorating the drink, serving it, a special glass, or a hand-painted tray on which the drink is served.
When the story is finished, write it down, read it, rewrite it. Repeat until you are satisfied. It's never a bad idea to tell your story to an impartial person who will give you an objective opinion.
Realization can be painful for introverts and exhilarating for extroverts. You simply must enjoy telling a story at a competition or in a bar. It is the utilization of the effort of the entire process in order to make the time that the judge or guest spends with you more pleasant. Of course, the guest is not always in the mood for it, and it is necessary to "read" the game. For the last part, I pointed out three basic points that you should stick to:
Always talk to the point and do not deviate from the topic. Our grandmothers had a great analogy for this. Don't mix apples and oranges.
Always follow the golden rule: introduction, core, conclusion.
Determine the key words of the story that will help you deliver the message and meaning of the story and repeat them more often. Brand, inspiration, connection.
Let's not forget that we have enormous power as hosts. Thanks to the story, we can change the direction in which the guests' evening will go. The world deserves good stories, and I'm glad I could write a story about how to write a story.
Dominik Tapušík
pre The Cocktail Balance
