MIXOLOGIST ’ S LIFE
things and see how can I do it better , how can I improvise a drink , how can I get the guest to feel comfortable with the drink I ’ m making .
DANIEL LERMO
MIXOLOGIST KABUKI BAR THE RITZ-CARLTON ABAMA TENERIFE , SPAIN
DANIEL LERMO HAD PLANNED TO WORK IN AN OFFICE UNTIL A STINT IN LONDON AS A BARISTA LED HIM TO BARTENDING . TODAY , THE NATIVE CANARY ISLANDER , 28 , WORKS WITHIN THE RITZ- CARLTON ABAMA ’ S 1-MICHELIN-STAR RESTAURANT , KABUKI .
Describe a typical day .
A typical day at work starts always with preparing the areas , especially the terrace , which is a pretty good place to have a cocktail during the evening , and experimenting with the drinks . Now we are making a new cocktail menu so we are trying out all these drinks and figuring out what are the best drinks . Every day there is someone that tells you , ‘ Daniel , could you surprise me ?’ I always give them options , then I also ask if they like it or not . It ’ s fantastic to experiment with clients .
What ’ s an unusual thing you have learned on the job ?
That the expectation of the guest is not enough . There ’ s not a limit , as there is always something else you could do .
How are you disrupting your field ?
I like to experiment with new
What is the industry ignoring at its peril ?
I think they are ignoring the basic job … It ’ s important to know what knowledge do ( your customers ) have and how can you satisfy them . In this region , bartending wasn ’ t that popular 10 years ago , but now it ’ s growing .
What are you reading right now ?
“ Cocktail Techniques ” by Kazuo Uyeda , a Japanese bartender .
Who inspires you ?
My brother , Adan , because he left home when he was 17 . He went to Madrid to work . It was a big decision for all of us – he is my twin brother ... Today he is a military engineer and I ’ m very proud of him , and I think he inspired me because he showed me that if you keep going , you can get everything that you want .
What ’ s one prediction for the coming year ?
I think all hospitality business is changing constantly , as we see different tools , different recipes , and everything is going to change with the ( advent of ) molecular cocktails . It will be a big change in what people think of mixology . This trend will reach the island later this year .
64 hotelsmag . com May 2018