Oliver Kritzler: Milk & Honey (London)

Oliver Kritzler is the head bartender of Milk & Honey in London. He makes two cocktails for us, one with Vermouth and Sherry and the second with Whisky and Absinthe.

Oliver introduce yourself
I am Oli Kritzler head bartender at Milk & Honey where I work for the last 2 years and a half. I think I got the job here, not because of my abilities but more because I’ve read a lot about alcohol where I began as a barback. I still remember 2 of the 3 drinks I have to make to be hired.  And now that I just became a head bartender, but I had to pass an exam. A writing part for 3 or 4 hours about brands, spirits, history of cocktails, then 3 rounds of blind tasting…

The classic you want to show us
Adonis
4 dashes of Orange Bitters
40ml of Sweet Vermouth
40ml of Amontillado Sherry

The bar you dream of
My dream bar would be open the whole day and like a library with a lot of books on the wall and with big glass windows for the light. The design would be wood furniture and sofas made of red or brown leather like a gentleman club, where you can have coffee or tea too, not only cocktails. Finger food would be served too. I think it would take place in the Notting Hill area.

What do you do in your time off
I divided my time between exhibitions with my girlfriend and restaurants. And I still read books about alcohol: one of my favourites is And a Bottle of Rum from Wayne Curtis.

The spirit you like the most
Whisky I would say but more Rye I think because it’s very versatile and you can mix it very easily. I love Rittenhouse 100 proof for cocktail even if I prefer the Bulleit Rye to drink it straight.

What makes a good cocktail
The experience, the atmosphere will change your perception of the drink as you walk in, then the dilution of the cocktail.

What ingredient do you enjoy using in cocktails
I love Maraschino Sherry, such a guilty pleasure, I used to put that in every drink and eat it.

The signature cocktail you want to show us
The Choker
2 Dashes of Angostura bitters
2 Dashes of Absinthe
10ml of Simple Syrup
60ml of Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban whisky

Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
You need to go to Satan’s Whiskers, Swift and the Vault in London. In Milan go to Iter.

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