Tiago Mira is a Head Bartender and Head Creative Mixologist at Annabel’s Club in Berkeley Square in the United Kingdom. Since his arrival in London, he has competed as well as judged in many beverage competitions. He believes that hospitality is his real passion and we always have a good reason for a cocktail, regardless of the situation.

LSC: What would you say is the spirit of the moment?

Tiago Mira: Taking my workplace into consideration, I would say that Tequila is the spirit of the moment, however, I reckon that Gin is still one of the most popular spirits in the market.

LSC: How has the cocktail culture changed in the past six years?

Tiago Mira: The cocktail culture has changed quite a lot in the past six years. We went through many different styles, such as molecular mixology, speakeasy, twist on classics, etc. In our days, we have a combination of all these styles and that’s what makes our industry exciting.

LSC: Can you tell me about your toughest shift at a bar?

Tiago Mira: I had many toughest shifts throughout my career which make it difficult to mention one specific event. What I can say is that in all the challenges that I went through, there was a learning lesson. There is no such a thing as a problem too big or too small that cannot be fixed.

Sometimes, you just need to step aside for a few minutes and think before you act.

LSC: What cocktails do you think will be popular this winter?

Tiago Mira: In similarity with previous years, I reckon that Hot toddy will be one of the most popular cocktails.

LSC: Do you have a focused bar program or any bar specialities?

Tiago Mira: My main focus, as always, is to make sure that my guests have the best experience possible. Annabel’s club offers an extraordinary selection of services to our members and their guests. In order for that to happen, a full commitment, passion and skills from all the team are required.

LSC: What have you been mixing a lot of at Bar these days?

Tiago Mira: Lately, expresso Martini and Margaritas are our top selling cocktails, nevertheless, all classics cocktails are very popular.

Tiago Mira has over ten years of experience of working in the beverage and hospitality industry. He is a customer-oriented professional with a positive, proactive and result driven approach. Find more interviews with the key people in the beverage industry and insightful articles here.