Who are ya, and where are you currently working? 

Hi, I am Andrei Marcu and I am the Bar Manager at Coupette London 

Tell us something about the industry we might not know! 

Throughout my life, I’ve always had hobbies and passions that I did not get to do on a professional level and I sometimes looked back and felt a small amount of regret that I did not follow that particular road. I think not too many people realise that our industry can link with anything that you had a passion for and could not do it at a scale that you wanted to. If you wanted to be an actor? oh well, now you are behind the bar 8 hours a day and you gotta act like nothing else in order to make your guests happy. You like music? Well, we got live music bars, bespoke conceptual playlists, etc. Design? Art of all sorts? Engineering? Photography? Script Writing? Whatever it is that you like somehow, somewhere you will find a link between that and hospitality. 

What’s the best thing about working in the drinks industry? 

The face-to-face interaction with our guests. And I think that is what brings them to the bars too. After not having guests in our venue for a while we realised this is what we missed the most. Talking to them, cracking bad jokes, their stories and experiences combined with ours. This live social factor we’ll never be replaced (that’s why I think Bartender Robots do not stand a chance against us, they are too quiet).

What is your favourite cocktail and where’s your favourite place to order it?

You will have to give me a hole in your magazine just for this. If I was to pick only one now I would do it just because this is what I order very often. When I finish my shift fairly early and I am on my way home I stop by Satan’s Whiskers and have a Golden Cadillac. 

Ever had a badass/rock n roll bartending moment? 

All I can think of is this one time a long time ago when I had a masterclass in a private room with 25 people that were ready to partayyyy. After 3 rounds of drinks and some shots they were quite euphoric, I’d say, and their last drink request was a champagne shower. So, I had to grab two bottles of champagne. Jump on the bar and spray them, while they were shouting and dancing. Fair to say that the room was pretty small, and I did not manage to not damage the paintings and the walls. My boss wasn’t very happy but, hey, it was totally worth it. 

Where will we find you on your nights off? 

Usually in a West End theatre or in a nice restaurant as I have a huge obsession with food.  

What’s your party trick / super-hero power? 

When the party gets too heavy, I can disappear without anyone noticing. 

What’s your favourite cocktail to make? 

Bronx. It’s always a challenge. 

And what’s your least favourite? 

Pornstar Martini for sureeee. I hope I will never have to make that drink ever again.  

Who in the biz do you always hope you’ll bump into when you’re out for a drink? 

Sam (aka The London Booze Hound). Always randomly bumping into him and having the best time.  

If you weren’t tending bar, what would you be doing? 

I would be trying to get a degree in psychology, or I would be a chef. 

What is your desert island bottle? 

A bottle of Calvados probably. Either Coupette x Sassy Xo or Lemorton 15yrs old.  

What is your hangover cure? 

Orange juice and Berroca.  

We’re thirsty. If you were gonna create a cocktail for BarChick, what would you make? 

I would definitely make a twist on a Cosmopolitan. Something like Cosmopolitan Fling from our current menu. Which is basically a cross between a Cosmpolitan and a Singapore Sling with a little twist. 
Grey Goose L’Orange | Cointreau Benedictine | Cranberry Grenadine | Lime | Pineapple Soda Sling Bitter Blend. 
 
 

Type

Bartenders