Mix master puts new twist on classic cocktails
Print Edition
As one of the most renowned bartenders in the world, Cihan Anadologlu travels the globe creating new drinks with local ingredients.
“Everywhere I travel, I want to do something which fits with the country. People can try something local, but with a new variation,” Anadologlu told Shanghai Daily during his recent trip to the city.
While guest-bartending at the Jade on 36 Bar at the Pudong Shangri-La East Shanghai last month, Anadologlu served up a new cocktail of his own devising called Oriental Fusion.
The drink features a touch of Maotai-brand baijiu, mixed with Beefeater 24 gin, homemade ginger beer, cucumber and dill. The ginger beer, pressed by Anadologlu himself, is also seasoned with Sichuan pepper.
“I don’t want to make cocktails which the country is already famous for and which people know. I want to use ingredients from each country to try to make something special,” he explained.
Anadologlu has created other cocktails inspired by the tastes of Asia. These include the Old Shanghai, which uses rum with roasted sesame oil and orange flower water. Then there’s the Jade Martini, which uses dry vermouth, smoked-wheat and vodka.
“A lot of vodkas around the world are made with wheat, but if you distill wheat in the alcohol, the taste is gone. I wanted to bring out the real vodka taste before it distills,” Anadologlu explained.
Born and raised in Munich, Germany, Anadologlu moved at the age of 18 to New York, where he worked at a bar. He later gained mixing experience in London and Hong Kong. He eventually returned to his hometown, where he managed several bars, including the one at the Four Seasons and Munich’s famed Schumann’s Bar.
Among other accomplishments, Anadologlu is a Bacardi Grey Goose Global Finals winner. In 2014, he also created his own cocktail for the after-party of the Academy Awards.
“I don’t want to just make drinks and call myself a bartender. I am a bartender, but I try to do something special. I want to create something new, and I want people to enjoy it,” he said.
When asked about his own favorite spirit, Anadologlu picked cognac, which he describes as one of the most challenging ingredients to work with.
“Everybody says cognac is for old men, you know, sitting on a leather chair with a cigar. But it’s not that really. You can make fantastic cognac drinks,” he said. “The good point about cognac is that you can mix it with everything.”
According to Anadologlu, to make a strong, aromatic cognac drink, all you need is a bit of bitters, a touch of sugar and a squeeze of either orange or lemon.
“Even if you mix in fruits or vegetables, it will still have a cognac taste because it’s strong. Don’t worry about not tasting the cognac,” he explained.
Anadologlu plans to open his own bar in Munich in November. According to him, it will be a member’s-only establishment with just 35 seats and an all-female bartending staff.
“I want to give a chance to women. There are good female bartenders all over the world, but nobody realizes it. Everybody looks at men because they think it’s a man’s job. So I said ‘when I open my bar, I’ll give a platform for women, so they can show that they can be better than men’,” he proclaimed.
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