A Drink With Cocktail Connoisseur and Head Bartender of Equis
“If you don’t have passion, don’t even get into the industry,” states Keith Motsi as we sit in the cozy and dimly-lit private lounge at Equis in the Four Seasons Hotel. Light jazz plays softly in the background and the bar team readies for the evening’s bustle. Prior Motsi’s arrival at the bar, the space had stood empty and incomplete for years.
Now,
after just over a year of business, Motsi is putting it, and himself,
on the map, garnering multiple nominations for both Bartender and Hotel
Bar of the Year awards in this year’s DRiNK Magazine’s Bar Awards,
the latter of which he and his team secured. As his crew buzzed around
the bar, we spoke to Motsi about his passion for making drinks, and
drinking them.
What do you have on the go right now?
We
are starting to work on an event called “Taste of Artistry,” and one of
the ideas we have is a gin vapor room. So instead of drinking, you’re
inhaling it. We will have gin botanicals everywhere, kind of like a gin
rainforest, meaning that it goes straight into your bloodstream so you
get drunk quicker. Originally that was my only responsibility, but
having come back from holiday, I also suddenly have a two-sided A4 sheet
filled with tasks. But it’s all fun and games; I go home and dream
about cocktails. If you work in an unpredictable industry, you never
know what will come next.
Where do you like to go for a night out in Beijing?
The
curious thing about Beijing is that people don’t venture too far out. I
often get the, “Oh, you guys are too far up north.” I walked from
Sanlitun today, it’s a 10-minute walk. Five by cab. The city has many
more places now than it did when I first came here. I can literally have
a night out in Nali Patio. Starting with a pizza in Bottega, I’ll then go see a few guys in Pickering’s, then Black Moth, and end up dancing at La Social.
I just like to go see other bartenders really, share ideas. Beijing’s
bartending community is also getting closer now and the ideas are
spreading.
Do you experiment when ordering drinks, or stick to your favorites?
I’ll
try a classic one, to see how the place is. Sometimes even ordering a
gin and tonic is a great check; just seeing what ice they use can be a
good indicator. If it’s nice, I’ll try something else. I love
experimenting, but it just depends on where you are. That’s how you
learn.
When did you have your first drink?
One
time, I bought a big bottle of cider from a corner store. Everyone
growing up in England would buy those. We would tell our parents we were
going for a sleepover and then meet in the park and drink. I didn’t
understand how getting drunk worked back then. I thought that it was an
instant effect – you had a sip and you were drunk. So we had a drink and
nothing was happening and we decided to drink some more. I got home
later that day, you know, and it hit me all at once and I was sitting in
the bath, just suffering. My mum told me not to pretend I was sober
because there was no point. Then all the cider I had came up. That was
pretty much my first time drinking.
When did you get hooked on cocktails?
One
of my first jobs for some pocket money was collecting glasses in a bar.
That place was making strawberry daiquiris and I tried them.
Strawberries are one of a few good things [Britain] grows, and I
thought, “This is heaven.” I must have had about 10 of those. I was a
little bit of a smartass – I spent days learning the drinks menu, so I
knew it better than some of the bartenders, and they would ask me for
the recipes once in a while.
Do you oversee the bar, or stand behind it and make drinks yourself?
If
you go to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in Shanghai, you won’t find him in
the kitchen. Same here. I have that confidence, that’s why we do the
training. Of course, I love jumping on, but sometimes it's better to
watch from the other side because when you are on, you can’t see the
full picture.
Name two drinks: one that you like to make, and one that you like to drink.
I like drinking everything [laughs]. I enjoy making the Paper Plane:
Amaro, bourbon, Aperol, and citrus. It’s a beautiful aperitivo-style
drink. I usually do it like a welcome drink, freshens up your palate.
There is also something amazing about making a martini. It’s only two or
three ingredients, but you can mess it up before even starting if your
glass is warm.
This article originally appeared on the November/December 2018 print issue of the Beijinger magazine. Tap on the image above to access the full issue.
Photos: Uni You
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