09:32 AM
Create a place of peace
At this point, and I think we all agree, (it’s been told one way or
another by every single participant of the 2010 Havana Club Grand Prix): the
main difficulty of the event was most definitely dealing with the heat!
"I brought all my vintage glassware and everything on my own, even the limes. And the most difficult was carrying all that stuff from Germany to Havana, and getting the drinks cold enough in Havana, because it was really warm in the location of the competition", confesses German competitor Mohammad Nazzal.
Based in Cologne, Mohammad Works at Al-Salam Orient Lounge & Esskultur, a family-run restaurant that his Mom opened in 1986.
"It's an Arabic place with handmade furniture, a three-area restaurant, lounge and bar, but you can have dinner in all three areas. Our challenge is to make all the things we do on a high level, and that's how we try to make our guests very happy."
"The main part of our philosophy is in our name « Al-Salam » which means peace. My parents were born in the West Bank, and when my mum opened up her restaurant in1986, she wanted to create a place of peace."
Back in 2004, his family added a bar section to the establishment, which Mohammad is now in charge of. This is where he started building up his specific knowledge of bartending.
Attending law school on the side, Mohammad started to realize there was more to be found behind a counter than what the old boss of the bar would show off.
"To be honest, I started, because I wasn't happy with our 1st head bartender who used to run the bar for my family. I thought there must be more than just these clichés that come to mind when you think about a bartender in Cocktail with Tom Cruise."
"I met a real mentor, Mirko Gardelliano, still one of the best for me, and he showed me what it really meant to be a good bartender/host. My opinion is that you have to be at first a good host and then focus on techniques, because if you serve your guests amazing drinks and only focus on the technique your guest won't come back. But if you're both a good host and serve good drinks, he will always come back."
"I brought all my vintage glassware and everything on my own, even the limes. And the most difficult was carrying all that stuff from Germany to Havana, and getting the drinks cold enough in Havana, because it was really warm in the location of the competition", confesses German competitor Mohammad Nazzal.
Based in Cologne, Mohammad Works at Al-Salam Orient Lounge & Esskultur, a family-run restaurant that his Mom opened in 1986.
"It's an Arabic place with handmade furniture, a three-area restaurant, lounge and bar, but you can have dinner in all three areas. Our challenge is to make all the things we do on a high level, and that's how we try to make our guests very happy."
"The main part of our philosophy is in our name « Al-Salam » which means peace. My parents were born in the West Bank, and when my mum opened up her restaurant in1986, she wanted to create a place of peace."
Back in 2004, his family added a bar section to the establishment, which Mohammad is now in charge of. This is where he started building up his specific knowledge of bartending.
Attending law school on the side, Mohammad started to realize there was more to be found behind a counter than what the old boss of the bar would show off.
"To be honest, I started, because I wasn't happy with our 1st head bartender who used to run the bar for my family. I thought there must be more than just these clichés that come to mind when you think about a bartender in Cocktail with Tom Cruise."
"I met a real mentor, Mirko Gardelliano, still one of the best for me, and he showed me what it really meant to be a good bartender/host. My opinion is that you have to be at first a good host and then focus on techniques, because if you serve your guests amazing drinks and only focus on the technique your guest won't come back. But if you're both a good host and serve good drinks, he will always come back."
By clement
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09:00 AM
Mohammad’s winning recipe ingredients
In order to stand out in the crowd competitors have had to come up with the most challenging ideas. We remember Ioannis Petros sealing his cocktails in bottles and then sticking a label on that said, "Bottled 5 minutes ago, really fresh". What Mohammad Nazzal came up with was dinner-based 3-course menu with cocktails! Here comes his formula:
1st starter
Havana Club Anejo Blanco
Fresh lime juice
Lavender blossom honey
Dried rose blossoms
Egg white
Ting grapefruit lemonade
Homemade rosewater to spray on the drink
This drink is a light starter, with a floral aroma
2nd Main Course
Havana Club 7
Fresh Lemon Juice
Homemade date sirup
Pinenuts
Perrier Jouet Brut
Lapsang tea to smoke the glass
This drink has a full body. The smoke of the Lapsang is like a really smokey "ham" in combination with the dates and the pine nuts it makes a really balanced drink.
3rd Dessert
Interpretation of a Mulata
Havana Barrel Proof
Homemade plum elexier
Sugar
Fresh lime juice
Egg white
Ginger Beer
Spray CHOC
The drink is like a foam, with an interesting texture filling mouth...
By clement
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