Beyond Vodka: Report from the 2016 Moscow Bar Show

A Bloody Mary big enough to bathe in. The best bartenders from Siberia. A hangover bar with porridge and soup to help partiers recuperate — and then keep on going. 

These were just a few of the highlights of the 2016 Moscow Bar Show, Russia’s largest celebration of bar culture, which was held Sept. 6-8 in St. Petersburg’s Lumiere Hall. Bartenders, bar managers and mixologists gathered to discuss ways to elevate their craft, whether developing new cocktails or a personal brand.

Hamilton Beach® Commercial was there. Here’s our report from the front lines.

Blenders gain new fans at the Moscow Bar Show

We teamed up DaVinci Gourmet and Business Russia to talk shop with Russia’s best bartenders and demonstrate our high-performance blenders. (We also learned how to say “cocktails” in Russian: коктейли, pronounced kokteyli.)

“Every third barman informed us that he had the Rio Bar Blender in his bar,” says Maksim S. Matusevich, Brand Manager for Business Russia. While the Rio is a drink-mixing stalwart, today’s sophisticated frozen drinks and craft cocktails demand the increased power of Hamilton Beach Commercial’s high-performance blenders, such as the Summit with Auto Blend, the powerful Tempest and the ultra-quiet Eclipse.  

“That was the first big event we took part in as Hamilton Beach Commercial,” says Brand Ambassador Anton Vozrastov. The team introduced a novel, though simple, concoction: blended beer with frozen fruit. “Turn on the blender, 10 seconds,” he says. “It’s a rather good drink.”

It’s an economical cocktail, says Marina Algatskaya with Hamilton Beach Commercial representative Loba International, because it allows a bar to make use of any fresh fruit it has on hand. And, she adds, “It’s quite light.” Russians, like Americans, are newly aware of the sugar content of their drinks, so they’re consuming less soda. “In Russia, women don’t usually drink just beer, because they don’t like it,” Vozrastov explains. “If it’s fruity beer, it’s not so bad.”

Cocktails with fruits and vegetables are popular, and bartenders are recognizing the advantages of using Hamilton Beach Commercial blenders to create them. “If you’re doing it just in the shaker, some parts of the fruit stay in the shaker,” Algatskaya points out. “With blenders, we maximize the use of the fruit.”

Highlights of the St. Petersburg bar scene

In Russia, as in the United States, craft bars and cocktail bars are climbing in popularity. Live music’s also a draw, although the nightclub scene is waning slightly. 2016 Moscow Bar Show attendees explored St. Petersburg’s lively bar community, known for destinations like these:

• El Copitas is a secret speakeasy in St. Petersburg that’s accessible only to guests with reservations. A dark hallway leads to a cozy cellar with a long community table, presided over by the bartender. El Copitas is credited with introducing many Russians to tequila and mezcal. “There is no snobbery: no one wanted to do a mixology laboratory,” co-owner Igor Zerno tells The Village.

• The Hat Bar draws patrons of all nationalities, who come to hear live jazz and sip expertly made cocktails. The bar has 30 types of whiskey, and bartenders are happy to shake up a custom drink.

• Do Immigration is an unprepossessing spot beloved by wine lovers for its carefully curated selection and warm service. Sip, sit back, and nibble cheese and crostini. The owners may even send over a little Russian moonshine, one reviewer says.

• Xander Bar, found in the Four Seasons lobby, welcomes guests with a crackling fireplace and a dim, library-like atmosphere. Guests praise the bartenders’ creative cocktails.

Make Your Own Blended Beer Cocktail

Several variations of the blended fruit and beer concoction were on offer at the show, here are some recipes for you to try (in metric as a nod to their origins:

Version 1:

Ingredients:

Plum – 50 g
DaVinci Gourmet Salted Caramel Syrup -- 15 g
Chilled light beer of your choice -- 0.2 L 

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a high performance blender.  Pulse for 2 seconds, then jump 10 seconds.

Version 2:

Ingredients:

Apricot – 50 g
Lemon juice – 10 g
Simple syrup – 15 g
Chilled light beer of your choice -- 0.150 L 
Ice – 4 cubes

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a high performance blender.  Pulse for 2 seconds, then blend on high for 10 seconds.

Version 3:

Ingredients:

Black currant – 50 g
DaVinci Gourmet Classic Blackberry Syrup – 15-20 g
Chilled light beer of your choice -- 0.2 L 

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a high performance blender.  Pulse for 2 seconds, then blend on high for 10 seconds.

Want to share your mixology expertise? Tell us what makes your approach unique and we may feature your bar in a future post.