The art of bar tending beyond just mixing drinks — Braide

Flair bartender, Braide Ifeanyi, popularly known as Braidey was recently  named the newest House of Angostura® Nigeria brand ambassador. He joins the pantheon of famous Angostura® faces by taking his place among a diverse and accomplished group of bartenders. Currently Nigeria’s only World Flair Association (WFA) Orange level holder, he told ROTIMI IGE his journey so far, the art of mixing premium drinks and why bar tenders deserve more respect in the hospitality industry.

You were recently made an Angostura ambassador. Tell us how that makes you feel?

To be made an ambassador to a brand means that potential has been seen in a person, but, when that brand is the world renowned Angostura, then it’s beyond what words can describe. I feel honoured, privileged and highly blessed.

 How did your love for mixing/bartending professionally begin?

My love for bar tending started when I first got a job in a club (as a cleaner at the time). I noticed how the bartender was everybody’s person and the guy that everyone listened to whenever he spoke. I particularly took interest in the way he functioned; it was like he knew every guest by name and what they drank (either spirit or cocktail), also the way he would recommend drinks based on the person’s current mood at the time. When work started properly, the language of bar tending I didn’t understand but already loved. I started getting close to him at the bar whenever I got the chance and  asked questions about whatever it was he was doing (either shaking a cocktail or double straining etc) and why he was doing it that way. He was kind enough to teach me and this piqued my interest even more.

One particular day, one of his bar assistants (who already also had bartender brand training) offered to loan me a bartenders training manual for a day. It was a very big book but I was keen to learn as much as I could, so I took the book and for a whole day, I studied like my life depended on it. It was worth it because I learnt so much theoretically. After returning the book, I started diverting a part of my salary to save to buy spirits and syrups and, I would always beg the head bartender to give me some syrups that were almost finished in the bottles. I started reading up online and making simple cocktails at home and using my sister as a taster. The chapman was the first cocktail I made and then I kept practising and making other more advanced ones for a year while also applying as a bar assistant until I landed my first bartender assistant job. The rest, they say, is history and till this day I’m hooked on bar tending.

 Many feel the work of a mixologist is simple and about just mixing different drinks. What exactly does your job actually entail?

The work of a mixologist is a lot of things but simple and goes beyond mixing and serving various drinks. The job is one for only those who are truly healthy and sound in all aspects of their being (mentally, physically and emotionally).

 The art of bar tending requires a lot of abilities. Kindly expantiate on the qualities of a real bartender.

The following are the qualities and abilities that a real bartender possesses:

1) Must be a peoples person, cheerful and courteous i.e friendly to everyone especially guests.

2) Must have good knowledge of a lot of spirits brands and especially the ones available in their outlet

3) Must be able to up sell (very vital)

4) Must be able multi-task during work hours

5) Must be physically fit as they will be required to lift items and cases, squat, pull, run, twist and stretch.

6) Must be able to memorise, could be orders, requests or even guests names.

7) Must be able to maintain composure when the bar traffic pressure is high.

 Not a lot of women are known in your industry. How can women be encouraged to take up bartending professionally?

The first and one of the most important ways to encourage women to take up bar tending professionally is to first encourage those already in the industry by making sure that pay-cheques for job roles ( head bar tenders) are the same regardless of gender. Also to use various platforms to promote lady bartenders. That way women who have always wanted to tend bars would be encouraged to come forward and seek the knowledge.

 You are the only Nigerian certified World Flair Organisation Orange level holder in your industry. Tell us about this and what qualifies you for it.

For you to become a certified flair bartender, you first need to have a great cognitive ability and also a passion for flair tending. Also, you need to enrol for the WFA grading where you’ll be taught and then given an exam that will test your abilities to make a great cocktail, how fast you make it and then your style (flair) in making the cocktail. I was privileged to have taken this exam and passed with flying colours and I am looking to conquer and upgrade my level. Also, being an orange level holder qualifies me to compete in the annual WFA grand slam competition in which renowned flair bartenders from all over the world compete.

 What makes a perfect cocktail?

Hmmm, in my earlier bar tending year I would have answered by saying a balanced drink, with complementing flavour notes and aromas. But now, I’ll say the person having the cocktail makes a perfect cocktail.

 Nigerians love to party, drink and network. How does your Angostura ambassadorship encourage your colleagues to aspire to be better?

Some of my colleagues I look up to while there are some that look up to me. Being the current brand ambassador is the catalyst needed to re-ignite our passion and morale as it goes to show that the industry of bartenders is being recognised and there’s a future ahead in it as a career.

 Your normal day?

My normal day would be whipping up a big breakfast and playing video games (call of duty) after which I head out to the gym to get a great workout. Then I freshen up and then go spend time at a private beach when it’s quiet, meditate for a little bit and practise some new flair routines for like an hour. Then set out on my motorcycle to go see any neighbouring state or town that I haven’t seen because I love to travel a lot. Also link up with a few other riding friends depending on my mood that day and then head home to get some more sleep.

 Advice to aspiring bartenders across Nigeria.

Take the craft seriously, be eager for the knowledge and everything would follow and not let the surroundings hinder them from pursuing their passion for the craft.

 Tell us a bit about your background, early years etc.

I was born in Lagos on the 16th of June 1990, currently the last of two children and I hail from Rivers State. I have lived most of my life in Lagos, had all my schooling in Lagos but have visited various states in Nigeria.

As a child, I loved basketball and swimming and at some point, I thought I was going to be a basketballer. I also loved to dance and till date I still do.

 What would you have been if not a professional bartender/mixologist?

If I wasn’t a bartender/mixologist, I would have been a programmer, I have always also loved computer programming languages.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…The art of bar  The art of bar

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…The art of bar  The art of bar