Massimo La Rocca is a passionate bartender and blogger from Italy. He is publishing his bilingual blog for bartenders "with the right spirit" as he says. We’ve just added Massimo (http://maxologist.blogspot.com) to our English blogroll. Our blog series "Liquid Blogs" features blogs that write about bar and beverage related topics. In Massimo’s case his blog is serving the purpose "to share knowledge, useful information, recipes and very interesting links with bartenders who put passion and heart in what they are doing". Massimo was so kind to answer us a couple of questions. Make sure you visit him next time you head for Rome.
Massimo, where are you working?
After incredible work experiences in Australia, London and lately at the "Stravinskij Bar" at the Hotel De Russie in Rome I’m currently working as bar manager at the "Sofa di Via Giulia Bar" in the St George Hotel in Rome.
Why did you choose bartending as a career?
After being a deejay, webdesigner, pastry chef assistant and a waiter abroad for many years, I met an old friend, who was a head bartender and hospitality school teacher at the Adriatic coast of Italy at the time, at a Pastry Chefs’ Expo in Rimini. He propsed to me to do an A.I.B.E.S. course (Italian Association of Barmen and Supporters) and from that point onwards I just fell in love with the profession, the relationship with the guests, the hosting part of it, such a big interchange of energies.
How is the bar scene like in your city?
We all know that drinkwise, most of the tourists come to Italy to enjoy a nice glass of wine, a good expresso, or an outstanding grappa after a (mainly) pasta-based meal. Strangely enough, Rome is a little different and, attracting big waves of American tourists. The demand for mixed drinks has been quite constant over the years. I sadly have to say though, that there aren’t many places I could suggest to enjoy a perfectly made drink surrounded with the right amount of kindness and style. Those places are mainly located in luxury hotels, while throughout the city one will find many cafés (often with their own pastry section), wine bars and pubs.
Which products or drinks have you been into recently?
Recently my drinks are taking the hyper-local approach, using ingredients sourced from neighbours’ gardens and citrus trees, allowing me to make spiced syrups, candied citrus peels, foams and gelatines. I don’t like mentioning brands but I’d love to see more awareness in choosing products for one’s bottle display. As a consequence of the global crisis, F&Bs are making a lot of cuts in product buying too, without realizing that they could buy products at the same price, that really make the difference. The product I’ve really been into recently is tequila.
What makes a "complete" bartender in your opinion?
I’ll get to the point in a while but please, allow me to tell you my story. The first day behind the mahogany has been very scary! What are people excpecting from me? ‘As long as I learn as many recipes as I can, I’ll be ok!’ I told myself back then. Then my first "teachers" started entering the room, day after day, and they started moulding me into "something" completely different. These teachers were…my guests! Not having the chance to work beside a real mentor I believe that the only other way to grow up is by confrontation with other human beings, that’s why I deeply feel that the guests are our real teachers.
Beginning from scratch is the key to become a complete bartender, know how to clean a toilet, answer the phone, wait tables, collect people’s coats, look after tabs, motivate your staff, work more than your staff to gain their respect, know the tools and your limits and – most important – learn how to be a great host! This is something that is not written in books, but it’s within yourself and it will grow stronger everyday through experience.
A complete bartender is also a well trained and passionate person that will look after a well stocked liquor display, that will create your ambience and that will make sure customers come back. I always say to my staff: "Just act as if you were the owner of the bar and that the bar is like your own living room. And beyond that…just be a human being ’cause at the and of the day, that’s what we all are, aren’t we?
Thanks for your time, Massimo.
Link: http://maxologist.blogspot.com
Helmut Adam
Helmut Adam ist Herausgeber von Mixology, Magazin für Barkultur, trinkt gerne Negronis, Tequila und den einen oder anderen Gin & Tonic. Bevor er sich zum Bar Manager an der Mixology Bar aufschwang, arbeitete er als Bartender in Zürich, Wien, Berlin und London.
