Subsequent week the ELIT Masters World Last takes place in wonderful Athens. Representing the UK is Klára
Kopíková from Atelier Coupette who beat off 9 amazingly gifted rivals within the ELIT UK closing at Scarfes Bar in September. Earlier than she heads off to Greece for the primary time, we caught up along with her to learn how she received into bartending, what makes her tick and the inspiration behind her successful cocktail.
First issues first, who’s Klára Kopíková
I’m a bartender. I’m from the Czech Republic. I moved to the UK 5 years in the past at present. It simply so occurs that at present [day of our interview] is my fifth anniversary of being within the UK.
What introduced you to the UK?
Again within the Czech Republic I went to osmileté gymnázium (grammar college equal), the one function was to go to school. However after I graduated, I didn’t actually know what I wished to check, so I labored in my dad and mom’ restaurant as a chef for 5 or 6 months then, as I appreciated hospitality and wished to get higher at it, I assumed I might work as a bartender or in hospitality within the UK, achieve some expertise and produce it again.
I initially moved to Birmingham as an au pair – which was a strategic transfer since you get someplace to stay, you receives a commission, all you’ll want to do is head over! Nevertheless, it didn’t fairly work out and after three weeks I left and received a bartending job in a gastropub. Matt Arnold (World Class GB 2023 winner) was my first ever coach and he taught me every thing, together with how you can maintain the shaker. I’ve all the time cherished hospitality – I’m from a hospitality household. My grandparents have a farm, my dad and mom have a restaurant and two of my three sisters additionally work in hospitality,
So it wasn’t a shock to your dad and mom that you just turned a bartender?
To be trustworthy, at first, they have been hoping that I’d go to school as a result of I’d spent eight years of my life getting ready for it. They wished me to reap the rewards of all of that point I’d put into finding out.
However my dad all the time says that I’m residing his goals – working in a great bar, residing within the UK, getting into competitions – he’s very proud. Each of my dad and mom are.
When and why did you make the transfer to London?
I used to be all the time going to maneuver to London however I finally did it eight months in the past (on the time of our interview). Previous to shifting I used to be bar supervisor on the Pineapple Membership in Birmingham and after it closed unexpectedly, I lastly made the transfer to London. I received a job at Coupette the place I labored till about two months in the past, now I’m at lately opened Atelier Coupette, the sister department which opened a number of weeks in the past.
Describe your bartending fashion?
I’m a really hard-skilled, very targeted bartender, I feel it’s extra necessary to have the ability to work a bar rapidly and effectively relatively than being overly artistic. As a lot as I really like competing and as a lot as I really like creativity, I don’t suppose that makes me good bartender. What makes me a great bartender is the truth that I’m fast, I don’t mess about, I simply get on with the job.
Who evokes you?
I’m very impressed by the individuals round me in the mean time. So Georgia Balson, head bartender at Atelier Coupette and Andrei Marcu, our Group Bar Supervisor each encourage me massively. They’re each very devoted, each need the perfect for the venue and so they all the time have the perfect intentions – I discover that very motivating as a result of I’ve labored with individuals who solely noticed numbers. Now I’m a part of a group the place each single particular person cares very deeply in regards to the venue and that’s actually uplifting.
I’m additionally impressed by my room mate Mia Kumari, who works at Devil’s Whiskers, she’s a fully superb bartender; additionally Emmy Pip Knight from the Savoy – now we have a very robust feminine energy home occurring!
What’s the perfect factor about being a bartender?
For me, personally, it’s such an important match. Bartending is a craft and I’m a really fidgety human being! I’m hyperactive, I’m all the time on my ft – I by no means sit nonetheless. So the actual fact I get to maneuver and work is de facto necessary. I’m additionally very sociable, so with the ability to work together with visitors is tremendous necessary to me. As a self-confessed nerd, the truth that there’s all the time one thing new to study is one other bonus. Plus, there’s the creativity ingredient as effectively, which is one thing that I’ve all the time cherished. I did fairly a little bit of artwork and music at college and the truth that I can pour that creativity into my job is unbelievable. Bartending all the time felt like essentially the most good match for who I’m.
When did you realise that you just have been good at it?
I entered my first cocktail competitors about three months after I began working behind the bar and I knew completely nothing! I used to be recent out of Czech Republic, I didn’t know that 25ml was a single shot, I didn’t know there was one other kind of beer apart from lager – I used to be utterly inexperienced and I used to be horrible to begin with however I did my first competitors and I did fairly effectively. Surprisingly! Although on the day of the competitors, I didn’t realise you needed to have a speech! However I received a great rating and that made me suppose ‘Hmmm, perhaps I’m good at this!’
What made you enter?
Matt Arnold made me enter, I didn’t wish to however he informed me that I’d be fantastic. So I did and I used to be. After that, the corporate the place I labored used to run a ‘100 classics’ check which, should you took, you’d get a little bit of a pay rise. So I did that. I cherished the method of studying in regards to the classics and memorising them. I additionally cherished studying up on the historical past of spirits – I simply fell in love with it. So I purchased my first couple of books on bartending. I feel I used to be absolutely dedicated to bartending about 5 months after beginning – I simply knew that it was what I wished to do.
What was your first ebook and why did it attraction to you?
The Curious Bartender by Tristan Stephenson. I assumed it was fairly appropriate for my degree as a result of I already knew a few classics and I knew about spirits however this took that information a bit of additional. Tristan defined the science, historical past and tradition behind the classics however he additionally did his personal twists on the classics, so it opened the doorways to creativity as effectively.
We’ve talked about the perfect factor about being a bartender, what’s the toughest a part of it for you?
The irregular schedules. Not having the identical days each week and dealing days and nights. Once I was a youthful, I didn’t actually thoughts as a result of my social life centred round work however now, I discover the irregular hours are tougher. However I make it work.
Speaking about that, what do you do to separate work and maintain your thoughts wholesome?
One factor that does it for me is Muay Thai – I utterly change off from every thing else after I’m within the health club, which I intention to get to 4 or 5 occasions every week. The opposite factor is I’m actually making an attempt to not speak about work with my mates or boyfriend who work in hospitality.
What attracted you to ELIT Martini Masters?
It’s a vodka competitors and I really like vodka! I’m from Jap Europe, I’m Slavic and vodka may be very a lot linked to my heritage. And naturally, I completely love Martinis!
Coincidentally, a number of months earlier than the competitors, I’d been studying about Ginta Muižniece, Grasp Blender at ELIT, so I already knew that it was an Jap European, female-led model which is tremendous necessary to me. The drinks trade remains to be very a lot male-dominated and it makes me joyful after I hear about ladies who’re making their means within the drinks trade. I discover it actually inspiring.
How did you strategy creating your drink?
I used to be sitting within the kitchen on the unique Coupette, which is the place me and Georgia Balson have been coaching the beginning group for Atelier Coupette. My colleague Edu was juicing some strawberries and was about to throw the pulp away and that has all the time bothered me as a result of the pulp remains to be stuffed with flavour. I’ve executed a lot with leftovers at Coupette earlier than. In reality, I based mostly a complete menu on simply our waste.
Anyway, as he was about to throw the pulp within the bin, I used to be impressed to make use of it in my ELIT drink. So I requested Chef for elements from the kitchen that may in any other case be thrown away on the finish of the shift or the subsequent day and he gave me some tomatoes, some unhappy wanting coriander and an opened tub of yogurt – all of which might have spoiled, and people elements shaped the idea of my drink.
As I used to be making it, I realised that that is what we do in Jap European households. Right here, within the UK and most of Western society, individuals have a tendency to buy a number of occasions every week – they purchase what they want for that one meal. We don’t try this. We go on a giant store as soon as every week and on the finish of that week, we deplete no matter is left over. Generally you make one thing scrumptious, typically not however the necessary factor shouldn’t be losing something. We take lots of delight in cooking and internet hosting our households. As I used to be making the drink, I used to be like, ‘Oh my God, that is what we do at residence’. So I referred to as it What Home Offers.
Did you suppose you’d win the competitors?
I actually appreciated my drink. Like I stated, I’m a giant Martini fan, so I assumed it nonetheless tasted like a pleasant Martini, however it additionally had sufficient flavour coming from of my elements to make it a bit of lighter and brighter.
I feel it’s a well-balanced drink however I used to be fearful that it didn’t have sufficient inspiration behind it as a result of all I did was run into the kitchen and mess around.
However that’s actually inspiring as effectively isn’t it?
Taking a look at it that means, sure, I feel it’s. I feel there’s positively a magnificence in making drinks on the spot and simply rolling with what you are feeling in the mean time. That’s what I do more often than not. I don’t have an thought for weeks or months, after which I simply see one thing and it clicks. That’s what occurred with my ELIT drink, however I used to be a bit of bit like, ‘does this have sufficient of a spine or story to win?’ However that stated, I do really feel that my connection to ELIT is exclusive.
Who would you prefer to see ingesting your What Home Offers cocktail?
If I ever received to go to the ELIT distillery I’d like Gita to strive it – that may be superb. If I received to fulfill her, and I actually hope I do in some unspecified time in the future, I’d love to inform her that I feel that she’s actually inspiring and doing a fully superb job. Aside from Gita, I’d ask my mates, my colleagues and people who find themselves near me to strive it and luxuriate in it.
And now you’re preparing for the ELIT Masters World Last. What occurs? Is it a distinct format?
There are two drinks this time. The primary might be my What Home Offers Martini, the second is a luxurious summer season serve. The temporary is to make one thing enjoyable that may be served to an viewers in Greece.
What are you wanting ahead to?
I’m actually wanting ahead to going to the Athens Bar Present, in addition to being in Athens typically – I’ve by no means been earlier than and I’ve heard a lot in regards to the bar scene there. I’m additionally actually excited to fulfill the opposite rivals and seeing their bartending types.
What would you say to individuals occupied with getting into ELIT Masters subsequent yr? Or what ought to they consider earlier than getting into?
What this competitors made me realise is discovering a private bond with the model and the spirit is an important a part of your complete course of. The judges and viewers will have the ability to inform should you simply don’t care as a lot and that’s fantastic, you’ll be able to’t care about each single model. However I feel that selecting competitions that you just actually really feel a connection to is what will get you additional and ultimately interprets as your potential efficiency and the absolute best drink. I’m so wanting ahead to getting the chance to current my What Home Offers Martini once more.
The ELIT Masters World Last takes place on Monday sixth November. Observe @elitvodka for extra info.
