Stefan Haneder is rarely in his bars these days Acanthus in the Mühlviertel or The cocktail bar found in Linz. Because he is one of the most sought-following show bartenders in Europe. Even if the heart of a host still beats in him: “I try not to lose the feeling of what it’s like to work behind the counter,” he says on the phone. He’s on an island in Estonia right now, in a few hours he’ll be performing in front of thousands of people at the Island Sound Festival. After the trip home, the next events are already on the calendar. Why does such a large audience watch someone mix a cocktail? That can be answered by anyone who has already experienced his impressive show.
The Austrian has won nine state championship titles in both Flair and Classic competitions and numerous competitions around the world. It was always important to him not to specialize in one area, but to position himself broadly and gain experience. And regarding pushing boundaries: In 2019 he broke the world speed mixing record by mixing eight cocktails in just 1.51 minutes at the Vana Tallinn Speedround Contest. And now he has achieved the world championship title in mixing non-alcoholic drinks at the Mattoni Grand Drink 2022 with his drink “5 Elements”.
Rolling Pin: Stefan, today you are an indispensable part of the competitive cocktail scene. But everyone started somewhere. Can you still remember your first competition?
Stefan Haneder: Naturally. My first competition was the state championship in 2002 in Baden near Vienna. At that time I competed as a rookie in the Flair competition, I had only been training for it for half a year. The scene was much smaller compared to today, there were only a handful of starters. After that I grew more and more into the whole thing and started to train specifically.
Stefan Haneder is rarely in his bars these days Acanthus in the Mühlviertel or The cocktail bar found in Linz. Because he is one of the most sought-following show bartenders in Europe. Even if the heart of a host still beats in him: “I try not to lose the feeling of what it’s like to work behind the counter,” he says on the phone. He’s on an island in Estonia right now, in a few hours he’ll be performing in front of thousands of people at the Island Sound Festival. After the trip home, the next events are already on the calendar. Why does such a large audience watch someone mix a cocktail? That can be answered by anyone who has already experienced his impressive show.
The Austrian has won nine state championship titles in both Flair and Classic competitions and numerous competitions around the world. It was always important to him not to specialize in one area, but to position himself broadly and gain experience. And regarding pushing boundaries: In 2019 he broke the world speed mixing record by mixing eight cocktails in just 1.51 minutes at the Vana Tallinn Speedround Contest. And now he has achieved the world championship title in mixing non-alcoholic drinks at the Mattoni Grand Drink 2022 with his drink “5 Elements”.
Rolling Pin: Stefan, today you are an indispensable part of the competitive cocktail scene. But everyone started somewhere. Can you still remember your first competition?
Stefan Haneder: Naturally. My first competition was the state championship in 2002 in Baden near Vienna. At that time I competed as a rookie in the Flair competition, I had only been training for it for half a year. The scene was much smaller compared to today, there were only a handful of starters. After that I grew more and more into the whole thing and started to train specifically.
Five years later I was able to win the first state championship. A highlight was the 2004 World Championships in Las Vegas, where I was allowed to represent Austria in show barkeeping. It was very impressive to be on the same stage at the Riviera Hotel as Elvis Presley and Dean Martin once were. In recent years I have become more and more interested in the classic area and have slowly worked my way up. It was my mind to be world champion and now I’ve done it.
You must have been preparing for this moment for years. Ztwo years in a row you were vice world champion before you won first prize. How do you train for a competition like this?
Handyman: Looking back, my whole life was actually preparing for this competition. You can’t just go there, mix a few cocktails and become world champion. A lot of people thought that, including me at the beginning of my career. But there is a lot of hard work behind it. And of course skill and routine. And that can only be acquired through experience.
How many competitors did you have to assert yourself once morest?
Handyman: In each of the 50 participating countries there is an elimination with around 30 participants each, i.e. the national championships. This results in a starting field of around 1500 people. The respective state champions then mix live in the final in Karlsbad.
Stefan Haneder has worked his way up from a bartender in Upper Austria to the international mixology elite
Things got hot at the Rolling Pin.Convention in Graz, where Haneder demonstrated his skills as Austria’s flair guru
And in September there is also the chance to see him live on stage at the Rolling Pin.Convention Berlin
How long did it take to create the drink you lined up with?
Handyman: The drink is handed in before the competition. In my case, it took more than two years to devise and perfect it. It’s not just regarding the recipe, the show is also part of it. The performance and the presentation are part of the overall package. And: With every drink you tell a story.
You will on the Rolling Pin.Convention 2022 in Berlin hold a master class on non-alcoholic cocktails. Can you already give us an insight and reveal what is important for a good mocktail?
Handyman: Basically, there is no big difference between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The same basic principles count for both: A good cocktail must have a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity. Then he still needs a ‘modifier’, an ingredient that creates the desired taste – that was the Monin apple strudel for my World Cup drink. The turmeric mist played a major role in the presentation, through which you have to drink the cocktail.
But that alone would be too easy. To round off the drink, you give it accents that make it your drink make. I decided to work with oriental influences, i.e. notes like turmeric, chili and saffron. This resulted in a wide range of different flavors from all parts of the world; from Caribbean rum to spices from South Asia.
And what does the world champion cocktail taste like?
Handyman: We’re working on making it possible for everyone to taste it. We are currently developing several products. One is a line of ready-made cocktails called Punch Club that we have bottled in Estonia. The drinks are available in bottles or hard plastic barrels for the bar and are already on many shelves in Austria. I also fill my World Cup drink in cans. In order to strategically bring it to market, we are currently looking for investors. The goal is to bring the best non-alcoholic drink in the world to every palate in the country!
The recipe
„The 5 Elements“
- Mattoni Grand Sparkling Mineralwasser 10 cl
- White Rick Caribbean Rum / Alk.frei 4 cl
- egg white 15 g
- Mixed chili peppers and saffron 0.2 g
- Supasawa 1 cl
- Monin syrup apple strudel 1.5 cl
Garnish: Tomato Stalk, Golden Delicious Apple, Turmeric Smoke (Turmeric and Dry Ice)
Preparation: Add all ingredients except Mattoni to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a glass with ice, top up with Mattoni and garnish.
