Born and raised in Jakarta, Supanji Saputra, or more commonly known as Panji, didn’t start his career in the food & beverage industry behind the bar. Like most people when they first start, he began waiting tables at a local restaurant. However he quickly grew bored of being a waiter and became attracted to working at the juice bar. Attracted to the creativity required to create the garnishes for the drinks, he realised that he wanted to pursue that line of work instead.
Determined to work in the world of bartending, Panji moved between a few bars, picking up his bartending education and developing his skills along the way. Eventually in 2015, Panji was hired at H Gourmet & Vibes as a head bartender. It was during his time as head bartender, creating cocktails and training the staff that he found himself most excited in his work. He enjoys the creating aspect of mixology, trying out new recipes with different ingredients to concoct delicious drinks. Bartending to him was his creative outlet, similar to an artist with painting or a musician with music.
Today, he continues his work as the head bartender of Hatchi, an Asian fusion restaurant and sake bar. Focusing on East Asian-inspired cocktails using spirits such as sake, soju, and shochu, Panji creates many of the house-made syrups and bitters using local fruits and spices. He hopes that he can help lead Hatchi to be known as a cocktail and sake bar destination in South Jakarta. One of his aims is to get more customers interested in cocktails through their presentation. He believes that unique looking drinks can attract more attention and spark more conversation among the public about cocktails.
Mangosteen Margarita
Muddled mangosteen
Grapefruit syrup
Tequila
Cherry liqueur
Lemon juice
Simple syrup
Triple sec
Panji’s cocktail is the Mangosteen Margarita. Inspired by the Mexican margarita, his drink blends a classic tropical cocktail with the mangosteen fruit commonly found in Indonesia. He identifies the fruit as filled with various health benefits for good blood circulation and lower blood pressure.
Read the original article in Foodies Magazine Vol 3 Issue 4 August 2018
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