Storm in a Cocktail Glass

Shalini Kumar catches up with the vibrant maestro Bar Manager and mixologist Gina Barbachano as she shakes up the cocktail circuit in India with a much-talked about bar takeover.

Gina Barbachano can shake up quite a storm in a cocktail glass. Whether she is dazzling guests with her bottle flipping showcase or giving them a taste to savour, she is at the top of her game. Based out of Mexico where she is the Bar Manager at Hanky Panky – a members only bar, rated 12th among the World’s Top 50 bars in 2021 –she was recently in India carrying out a bar takeover.

It is thanks to Moet Hennessy India and The Soul Company and Dram Attic that Gina is here. Hanky Panky carried out a bar takeover in Bengaluru and Delhi where she served a select guest list cocktails that showcased the Moet Hennessy craftsmanship. In Bengaluru, Gina created ripples at Copitas at the Four Seasons and did an encore in Delhi too.

“Our menu at Hanky Panky is called the Passport because it is inspired by our travels. In India, we served four cocktails. I was so happy to see the overwhelming response to the bar takeovers in both Bengaluru and Delhi. It goes to show how powerful the Moët Hennessy group is and how much they can pull in,” Gina says excitedly of her India experience.

The guests absolutely loved the experience and paid her the best compliment – they kept coming back for more. “We saw people coming back to repeat drinks time and again through the night which was very heart- warming,” Gina says.

The four cocktails she served showcased Belvedere Vodka, Hennessy VS and Chandon Brut, Ardbeg and Glen Morangie. The crowd’s response in both the cities is indicative of slightly different tastes. Bengaluru’s top cocktail was Adelita – made of Ardbeg, Campari, Beetroot Liqueur, Peach Schnapps, Lemon and Chandon Brut. However, Delhi loved Chapulin Colorado. This is made of Glenmorangie The Original, Sweet Vermouth, Coffee & Nut Liqueur and Oaxacan Chocolate Bitters.

The other cocktails served at the bar takeover were Catrina which is made with Belvedere Vodka, Golden Bread Milk, Honey Syrup and Orange Juice, and Cuca made with Hennessy VS, Carambole Juice, Lime Juice, Spice Syrup and Chandon Brut.

Sucess in Teamwork

While Gina is no doubt a star in her own right, she places a lot of emphasis on teamwork. “My team supports me and I do the same for them. We are like a small family. Our work demands that we don’t get much time at home, so we try to keep morale and motivation high,” she says.

The best way of doing this, she explains, is to keep things fun. “It’s definitely not an easy job and can tend to take so much from you with regard to time and energy. But it is fun because every day is a new challenge. Being a Bar Manager has taught me so much. I have made mistakes, but they always teach me more,” she says.

“I don’t expect my team not to stumble. I know everyday won’t be perfect and I know mistakes will be made. I also realise that my team has a life outside of the bar and so we do our best to manage a good work- life balance for them,” she explains her management mantra.

It is to her team that she gives the credit for making Hanky Panky stand out among the many vibrant bars in Mexico City. “We are all like a small family and we extend this hospitality to the guests as well. Even though the bar is decorated with fancy décor, we always put in effort to get to know our guests. We keep the vibe not too serious. We laugh. We try to make sure they have a good time and I think that’s what sets Hanky Panky apart from other bars,” she says.

Business Management to Bar Management

But what brought Gina into this fascinating world of flair and showmanship? She chanced upon her career quite accidentally. Originally from Morelia, Michoacan, she was a student of touristic business administration. She never wanted to get into food and beverage. “It always seemed too demanding and I was not keen to be facing the heat of the kitchen. However at my university I had the chance to do internships for events and festivals, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My mom always told me that though I looked tired and stressed, I was never happier.It was when I did an internship at a restaurant where I had to man the kitchen, the floor and the bar that I realised that this was where I wanted to be. The moment I entered the bar, I completely fell in love,” she reminisces.

And when you love what you do, it never feels like work. “I have always been a clumsy person with a terrible memory. But at the bar, everything kind of goes away and I am able to learn new menus in just a few days. It just comes naturally to me because of the love I have for the craft,” she observes.

Though this is where her love-story with bartending began,it would still be a good two years before she finally took the plunge. After two years of working with her hometown festival Morelia en Boca, she decided to move to Mexico City and explore bigger work opportunities.

As she waited for the right opening she was the Head Bartender at a couple of places. But when her friend got her an interview with Hanky Panky, she realised that it was exactly the break she was looking for. She has been with Hanky Panky for four years now and is enjoying every minute of it.

For attaining success in the bartending world, she believes, “It is very important to have passion and love for what you do. As a bartender, you need to be warm and hospitable.”