Konstantin Plesovskikh is the co-founder of Chainaya Tea & Cocktails in Moscow. He makes us two cocktails, one gin and dry vermouth infused with pear the second with calvados and cynar.
Konstantin introduce yourself
I am Plesovskikh Konstantin, 35 years old, born in the city of Perm in the Urals. Since the age of 4 years old, I started to practice hockey and then a series of injuries did not allow me to continue. At the age of 14, I had to stop, but I continued to swim, do jiu-jitsu… Then I moved to Moscow, where I studied Restaurant business management. I started as a waiter in a restaurant where I met a bartender who inspired me and make me want to move to the bar. Of course, in many bars, you can’t work without a minimum of experience, so I started in a nightclub. After a short time, I graduated from the school bartenders and took part in several bartenders competitions. So I move to a cocktail bar, wherein the end, it was a completely new world. A world of tastes and smells but above all a different kind of hospitality. As McBenough said, “a cocktail party: a gathering where people mix cocktails, and cocktails mix people!” Afterwards, I moved to Chainaya and even now with my 17 years old experience in the industry, it seems that everything has just begun. Now, in addition to working in a bar, I am also a brand ambassador for Camus Cognac, which for me is another step in the development of my career.
The classic you want to show us
Pear Effect Martini
30ml of London Dry Gin
10ml of Calvados
30ml of White Lillet
10ml of Dry Vermouth Infused with Pear
1 Dash of Anis
The bar you dream of
A bar that will affect not only taste needs but also give a new experience with the use of new technologies and techniques, so the bar will immerse you in new emotions and impressions!
What do you do in your time off
Probably, like everyone else, I go to bars and restaurants, I expand my horizons of tastes. I also support my health by playing sports and of course, I try to travel a lot. Now it’s difficult, but the country is big, so there is always a lot of place’s to go for new impressions and new experiences.
The spirit you like the most
I would not dwell on one alcoholic ingredient, but rather would choose a whole group that I really like in preparing my cocktails and this is all that is related to grapes. I see a huge potential of flavours and aromas in them that convey the characteristics of different countries (Cognac for France, Pisco for Peru or Chile…). And they have unlimited potential for combinations: sour and old fashioned style cocktails or flips.
What makes a good cocktail
History, the best ingredients and a story that captivates!
What ingredient do you enjoy using in cocktails
Lately, I have been paying attention to vegetables such as olives, tomatoes, beets and their use in various forms as ingredients for cocktails. We already got acquainted with fruits, now it’s time to pay attention to vegetables!
The signature cocktail you want to show us
Gorki
15ml of Rye Whiskey
15ml of Calvados
15ml of Punt e Mes
15ml of Cynar
Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
It’s very interesting to listen and read about how the Asian bar scene is developing, it will be very interesting for you to visit Aki Wang and Taiwan in general.