At the forefront of his field and bathing Birmingham punters in sweet cocktail wares, we uncovered the predictions, fancies and the mixology mastery of Dan Filippi, Bar Manager at dapper city drinking retreat Ginger's Bar.
My name is Dan Filippi, 33 years old. I was born in Birmingham, although I have only recently moved back home to where the heart is. I’ve been working all over, mixing and creating new be-spoke cocktails for over 15 years, in various different styles of venues. From fast pace performance bars in London to more chilled vibes, setting up beach bars in Ibiza; I have worked alongside some of the greatest bartenders in the world who have inspired me along the way.
With over a decade in the field and the knowledge to back it up, Dan Filippi can be found whipping up a cocktail storm at infamous Birmingham bar, Ginger's.
I have a massive interest in training and consultancy within the bar industry and am now the proud manager of Ginger’s Bar on Newhall St, Glynn Purnells Brand. As winner of many mixology and flair competitions, regional and world class, my ultimate goal is to establish a chain of cocktail bars around the world, offering something extra than most bars I visit. I believe in giving a tailored service to my guests and I’m always in search to find everyone their very own cocktail.
I believe that passionate bartenders will continue trying more different ways and methods to introduce botanicals, fresh produce such as herbs and spices into cocktails. (What we at Gingers bar call ‘the bitter element’). Now a very important thing to consider when making a balanced cocktail that refers to your palate. Dating back to the 80s / 90s cocktails, a period I call ‘The Dell boy era’ a bartender would have made you a very loud blue drink with an umbrella. These types of Hawaiian themed cocktails only containing a balance of both Sweet and Sour elements are becoming a thing of the past, leaving us with only a few classics. As the drinking world has taken the leap into the 21st century, the ‘Mixology era’ has spawned. Where as, cocktail bartenders or mixologists use fresh produce in cocktails bringing that third Bitter Element into the mix, making a drink more palatable.
2014 I feel, is the very beginning of a new era ‘The Molecular era’… Gastronomy and molecular mixology will be a big impact on how drinks are served and presented in the near future. I am very interested to see what variations are made on what we have branded as classic cocktails of each era using this scientific method.
From the molecular to the down right scientific, Dan sees Birmingham cocktails taking a lab-style turn.
My personal favourite to make are the Caviar pearls using a spherification process. Producing small spheres of a liquid flavoured ingredient designed to explode or burst on your palate. A flavoured liquid when mixed with Sodium Alginate, forms a gel membrane around each droplet when dripped into a Calcium Chloride bath. Since the viscosity of the bath is thinner, this allows the small flavoured droplets to seal into spherical shapes. A reaction caused by introducing two chemical ingredients together in this way. This scientific technique is great to enjoy with Champagne.
