Bar Convent Berlin 2016. – We were in Berlin!
Lovro Vukadin and the president of the Association of Croatian waiters and bartenders Zoran Lukić went to Berlin to have a look at the newest trends.
The representatives of Barmen.hr on one of the most famous bartending fairs – Bar Convent Berlin 2016.
Because of a rapid evolution and growth of the world bar scene, Barmen.hr decided to invest more in monitoring the novelties of the most important events closely related to the bar industry. To make this experience complete, we were joined by a mixologist and beloved member of the Association of Croatian waiters and bartenders – Lovro Vukadin whose current effective address is in the Netherlands.
Lovro Vukadin and the President of the Association, Goran Lukic, had a look at the new trends presented in Berlin during one of the most important bar fairs in the industry – Bar Convent Berlin.
For starters, we want to give you an insight on a few details and experiences that have been brought to us by our representatives, but, in the near future, you can expect interviews with the most famous bartenders of the world and read the advice they have given to Croatian bartenders.
The jubilee 10th BB birthday
Bar Convent Berlin promoted itself on its tenth birthday into the most important and prestigious international fair of the bar world and alcoholic beverages, and more recently Craft beer as well. In fact, this is the largest gathering of bartenders in the world and all those who matter in the bar industry.
Bar owners, bartenders, manufacturers, distributors, and resellers of alcohol from 28 countries gathered in one place, exchanged experiences, made deals, educated themselves and also socialized and had fun.
From a small start-up with 8 exhibitors in 2007, BCB has become a giant that is constantly evolving and that will continue to bring down records in 2017, because the organizers are planning further expansion and expect an addition of fifty exhibitors.
Seven exhibition halls, four seminar rooms and a press room, all on 16 770 m², seem very impressive, but it is also important to point out that this number increases from year to year.
Bartenders Christmas
“Bartenders Christmas” is the unofficial but popular nickname of the BCB, which traditionally begins in early October and lasts for two days. It brought together a record number of exhibitors (317) and a record number of visitors (11,067) this year.
Over 900 different brands and giants such as Campari, Borco, Brown Forman, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Jägermeister, Beam, Schweppes, Ilva di Saronno or Team Spirit were competing in who will have a better stand, as well as a recognizable and arranged bar. That is why they literally copied the appearance of internationally famous bars for the sole purpose to fascinate and impress the world bar industry in those two days.
The educational program is more than impressive and carefully planned. Seminars and lectures are held by the biggest names in the bar industry such as: Dale De Groff, Salvatore Calabrese, Alex Cratena, Phil Duff and Ian Burell.
We interviewed many of them and we asked ourselves whether there might be any barmen left in New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Singapore and Munich, because, it seemed, everyone was in Berlin.
Many established and upcoming stars of the cocktail scene are employed at the fair which means that, for example, Simone Caporalle, world’s best bartender in 2014, will present to you his newest creation at the bar Darpo Vermuta or Ago Perrone, who picked up the prize for best European mixologist and best European bar the night before, will prepare for you one of his award-winning drinks at the Bar Lucano Amaro.
The fair runs from 11: 00h to 19: 00h, and, after that, the majority of bartenders from the fair disperse around Berlin bars and work guest shifts. During the Bar Convent, all the leading bars in Berlin are full, bartenders are found under the spotlights instead of Dj’s, and Berlin, as one of the world’s and Germany’s largest metropolis with nearly 4 million inhabitants, becomes the center of the world and the place where the Christmas of bar culture is celebrated in October.
As previously announced, we will inform you and bring you joy in the next articles by posting interviews with famous bartenders while hoping that the time before the next BCB will go by faster.
