It would never have been an option to speak of a classic cocktail as the favorite of a lover of experimentation and the avant-garde, but that’s the way it is. Konstantino Panagiotidis, the best ‘barman’ in Spain 2022, speaks of ‘Whiskey old fashioned’ as his favorite mix for its bitter flavors, which have nothing to do with the sweetness of the professional moment he is going through.
Although he has been practicing cocktails for twelve years, he has only been working as a bartender at Jul’s restaurant in Ibiza for four. This and an exhaustive effort allowed the Greek to win the favor of the jury of the World Class Competition on May 23, and become the representative of Spain in the world competition of the best mixologists, in Sydney.
What initially seemed like a good opportunity to work part-time and earn some money turned out to be his passion. The restless hours behind the bar have allowed her to explore his capabilities. “The only limit to my creativity is the sky,” says Panagiotidis with a smile. “It is a profession in which there is no rest,” he adds.
The work of the ‘bartender’ does not end when leaving the restaurant, it is much more than that. Inventiveness, experimentation, the search for inspiration and work based on trial and error are essential to develop new cocktails and continue to raise the level of liquid gastronomy, very high both globally and nationally. Paradiso, the cocktail bar located in Barcelona, is in third place in the world of the mixology industry. The same goes for Salmon Guru, also ranked among the best around the globe. Maintaining and even raising the bar is one of the Greek’s greatest motivations.
The attitude of a bartender when it comes to serving the final product and treating the customer are essential, as is their personality, which is reflected in the cocktails and in their gastronomic proposal. In this case, the winner follows the lines of his favorite drink, at least in its ingredients: usual and easy to find. The techniques are the ones that are different and he enjoys experimentation and the use of the avant-garde. With emotion and joy in his voice, Panagiotidis affirmed that he had not assimilated his victory in Spain, but he is confident for Australia, where he will once again be evaluated by David Ríos, the only Spanish world winner. “I want to win with all my might.”
