So we talked bar scene and cocktails with Sabine Nakamura of Penthouse Bar + Grill

A bar needs to know how to provide good customer experience, and that starts with a good drink and warm service. So, we talked to Sabine Delettre Nakamura about hospitality, as well as how to make a good cocktail.

Penthouse Bar + Grill is a lot of things: a grillhouse, a chef’s table, a rooftop hangout space, and so much more — it’s a whole destination in itself. However, what has captured our hearts every time we visit is the bar. With the beautiful view of the city from the panoramic glass panes, to the gorgeous drinks being served, the bar certainly charms the many guests who visit.

Keeping everything in check and running smoothly is Sabine Nakamura, general manager and one of the key individuals in Bangkok’s bar industry. With her extensive experience working in Tokyo, Australia, and Bangkok, she knows exactly how to treat anyone walking through the door.

So, we went up two elevators, got a drink, and asked Sabine some burning questions on her journey.

[Hero and featured image credit: Park Hyatt Bangkok]

So we talked bar scene and cocktails with Sabine Nakamura of Penthouse Bar + Grill

What prompted your decision to become a bartender?

I grew up in a very artistic family. My mum’s a painter and a pianist, so I grew up surrounded by art. Art is something very important for me. My passion since I was a kid is perfume. Scent can bring you back in time, and perfumery was something I wanted to pursue.

When it was time to choose my career, being in perfume was a very difficult job, and it’s very hard to make a name for yourself and create your own brand. If you lose your sense of smell, you lose everything. It’s a bit risky.

So, I got to thinking about what I can be that is similar to that — somewhere that I can still be creative and play with scents in an artistic way. I had the chance to travel a lot when I was young, visiting different cities around the world, and I learnt to love the hotel environment; the beauty and glamour inside.

That’s how I got to consider how I could be creative in a hotel setting. There were basically three choices: chef de cuisine, pastry chef, or bartender.

In Paris, all the chefs are very intense and scary, so that’s off the table. I don’t like sweets, so pastry wouldn’t work. So I went to Paris to receive hotel training, and got my first internship at The Mandarin Oriental, Paris.

I worked at the all-day dining venue and I got the chance to the bar to pick up drinks. I listened to the bartenders shaking, pouring drinks into glasses — I found them very sleek and elegant, and I think the idea of me being behind the bar comforted me.

Tell us about your time in Japan.

My second internship was in Tokyo, at The Palace Hotel. It’s a very old hotel and one day I had the chance to pick up drinks at their bar. I saw bartenders shaking, men with cigars; the whole atmosphere felt like I belong there. I talked to my manager and said that I wanted to be in the bar. It took them a while to make the decision, because as it turns out, I was the first woman to work at that bar, and I was also half-French, half-Japanese. But they took the risk, I received the training, and had the chance to learn the basics, and study the classics.

It was two years of hard, hard work. In Japan, you need to really get the basics right first. I had to make lemon, lime bitters for eight months in a row to make it perfect; gin and tonics for four months, and so on. You’re not behind the bar right away, but you learn a lot about how to get things right.

I was pushed to do a lot of competitions as well, as I was mentored by Ohtake Manabu, World Class Global Champion winner in 2011. He taught me everything I know when it comes to basics of bartending, from what ice to use, to how to shake.

What’s the best lesson that your mentor taught you?

I would say the mindset I need to have as a bartender. The most important part of the bar is the guests, and we’re here to keep them happy. That’s the ultimate goal, and sometimes we forget that.

Do you think there are more women leading bars now?

I think it’s changing. In general, bartending is still a masculine line of work. There are still more male bartenders than female bartenders. But you see more female names popping up here and there, not just as bartenders but head bartenders and managers.

Female bartenders expressing creativity can be different to our male counterparts. It’s not better, not worse, but different. In terms of marketing and media, it is definitely worth digging into more to present to the world.

What do you think makes a good cocktail?

The bartender. You can have all the balance, the tastes, the techniques, all that, but I believe that the memory I have of a drink is from the whole experience. If I have a bartender who makes me feel welcome, that would affect how much I enjoy the drink.

If we’re talking about technique, I would say ice is so important. Ice for a bartender is like oil for a chef. You can have the best ingredients, but if you use bad oil, it’s going to deter the taste of the product. Same for the ice: if you have good ice, you have a good cocktail.

Which kind of cocktail is the hardest to get right?

The hardest cocktails are the ones that are the most simple: Sidecars, Gimlets, Martinis, and such. You are only using two or three ingredients, so there is no room for mistakes. The more ingredients, juices, and complicated syrups you put in a drink, the more you can play around.

Without them, the result comes from the technique and the quality of the ice.

What is the most underrated classic cocktail?

The Last Word. Green chartreuse, gin, maraschino, lime — equal parts. For me, it’s a really balanced drink, with herbal and complexity from chartreuse, botanicals from the gin, and the cherry dimension from the maraschino.

If not Penthouse, what are some of your favourite bars in Bangkok?

I love jazz, and I love Japanese-style bars, so Alonetogether. Their drinks and the jazz take the centre. It’s not about the bartenders, not about the shows. You get a nice classic and you sit down to enjoy the jazz.

Of course, BKK Social Club. In terms of execution, design, details, I always refer to them for how good I can be as a hotel bar.

One more: Copper Bar. They have great pasta, and Fabio is a really great bartender. He makes great drinks, but he also knows when to talk and when the guests just want some alone time. That kind of connection he creates with guests is really good, touching hospitality.

What advice would you give to bartenders just starting out in the industry?

You need to be passionate. Bartending is not an easy job. It’s a lot of hours standing, so it is physically challenging. Sometimes you’re tired and you don’t feel like talking, but it’s your job and talking to the guests is essential to their experience.

To be able to stay long term in the industry, you always have to have a passion to learn more. Being a bartender is not just about shaking and looking cool, it’s a tremendous amount of learning, studying classics and mastering techniques.

Keep doing what you’re doing even though it’s hard.

Penthouse Bar + Grill, 35th – 36th Floor, Park Hyatt Bangkok, 88 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok. Open daily, 5.30pm-2am.