Rui Principe is the mixologist at the Taj West End, and his love affair with cocktails and bartending began in 2005 when he was the cocktail bartender at Hard Rock Café, Lisbon. He studied at the Cocktail Academy in Portugal, which provided bartenders with a professional qualification for American Freestyle Bartending. “I loved bartending. It is a difficult job at times. It requires you to be quick, think on your feet and ensure that your guest is satisfied. It is also very important to use natural and fresh ingredients. A signature drink that customers keep asking refills for, is very satisfying.”
How does one make ‘Indian’ cocktails? “Spices are the ingredient that India is famous for across the world. I try to use spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, and a dash of saffron in my cocktails. The best cocktails are the ones that are created using ingredients sourced from kitchens.”
He adds, “Indians like sweeter cocktails, which is different from the west where cocktails are stronger and more emphasis is given on flavour. It is a little difficult to make sweet cocktails, since sugar tends to ruin the best of drinks, if not used properly.”
Principe prefers classic drinks rather than cocktails. “It is also seen in the best chefs — you make something so many times that you are not very keen to eat it yourself. I love martinis also.”
Mixology happened when he was 16 years old and was working in a hotel during his summer vacations in Portugal. “I was interested in bartending and joined a school.”
He adds, “I do not think that you need a professional degree to cope with the demands of being a bartender. You need to work in a good cocktail bar and understand that mixology goes beyond just bartending and serving drinks to customers. You need to understand your measures, ingredients and how it all works better.”
