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EDuCATION SpırıtsMasters THE BARSMARTS PIONEERS IN MIXOLOGY SEMINAR PUTS ATTENDEES IN THE ZONE by Lana Bortolot B arSmarts graduates convening in New York City last month didn’t need a sip of their favorite spirit to get into the spirit. There was plenty of good karma and good will at the day-long Pioneers in Mixology seminar, which started with a quiet meditation, and concluded with a room of revved-up mixologists. Sponsored by Pernod Ricard’s BarSmarts program, the event was a mix of practical advice, technical know-how, mindful soul-searching and English invasion—with British- born hosts Gary Regan, spirits and spiritual guru, and Simon Ford, Pernod Ricard’s Director of Trade Outreach. Regan greeting the morning—and guests—with a meditation and a call to be “bar best.” Then he called on Aisha Sharpe and Dushan Zaric to relay the message in a presentation titled “Mastery of Service.” “Bartending is a mindful practice,” said Zaric, the Belgrade-born owner of West Village boite Employees Only. “We are the lineage holders of this profession much like martial artists or yogi.” Sleepy attendees didn’t have to work too hard this early in the morning to grasp his meaning: Zaric delivered his message in a PowerPoint presentation, showing how the bartender is a fusion of mixologist, sage and rock star who strives for content- ment, a triumvirate of stability, clarity and intensity. He channeled spiritual and spirits masters such as internation- ally renown Japanese bartender Kazuo Uyeda, and those closer to home such as Dale DeGroff, whom he called “master of his trade.” “What would Dale do?” he asked the room of 120 devo- tees. Heads nodded, pens jotted notes. “How can I get into the zone—is it by accident or intention?” Zaric continued. The “zone” to which he referred is the state of self-observa- tion that helps mixologists shift negatives into positives, turn customers into guests and, more importantly, increase the till and the tips. Said Sharpe, “If customer happiness becomes your goal, the register and tip bucket will fill up.” Added Zaric, “A concentration on service will bring stability and clarity.” After lunch and a seminar on new Rotovapor technolo- gies, it was time to go green with Nick Strangeway’s presen- tation, “Craft of Bartending Using Local Ingredients.” The London bar legend, formerly a student at the prestigious Courtauld Institute of Art, urged mixologists to go local and seasonal as much as possible in their infusions, syrups and liqueurs. And, he said, if you can’t find it, grow it yourself. Presenter Nick Strangeway explains the advantages of local ingredients in Chicago. Strangeway took attendees on a slide show tour of New York City green spots, showing them where they could source ingredients or become guerilla gardeners, covertly planting their own herbs in public parks. And for the timid, he recommended joining a community garden where they could cultivate more than just herbs. Attendee Patrice Wilson-McHugh, Director of Bars To Go Group in Jamaica and the island’s first master mixologist, said she was there to stay on top of the trends. Wilson-McHugh manages more than 100 bartenders in her company. “My expectations of what they’d deliver were high,” she said. “It was very eye-opening and a good follow up to the BarSmarts training.” The seminar was also held in Chicago and Los Angeles. may 201 1 / the tasting panel / 123 Channeling the PHOTO: EDDIE SIMEON