Chat with bartender Sabine Delettre Nakamura as Negroni Week returns to Bangkok bars

Negroni Week, a week-long celebration of the Italian tipple made of gin, Campari and vermouth, is making a comeback to celebrate its 10th anniversary at more than 100 bars and hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Samui. Ahead of its return, we sit down with Park Hyatt Bangkok's talented bartender Sabine Delette Nakamura to discover more about the event, and what to expect from her special shift with Campari's Symphony Loo at Penthouse Bar+Grill on Sep 15.

This is your first Negroni Week, and it happened to be the 10th anniversary of the event as well. How are you feeling?

I feel very honored and excited to be able to participate in this famous event alongside my team and to keep on sharing the legacy of Count Camillo Negroni. We are also very pleased to be able to participate in the charity movement that this event is supporting.

What can we expect from the drink you’ll be crafting for us at Negroni Week? What’s the inspiration behind it?

My team and I created 3 drinks inspired by the classic Negroni and its modern twist. We play with unique flavors of Asia, scents and want to offer our own interpretation of this classic cocktail. You will see that those drinks have influence from both French and Japanese Heritage and of course, the Thai influence plays its part.

What makes Negroni unique? 

Negroni is a classic, very elegant and sophisticated beverage, which carries a beautiful story and represents the flavor complexity of Italy. A bridge between the past and the future, with over a hundred years of legacy and many more to come, it is a timeless cocktail.

Being French-Japanese and having spent your childhood in the countryside of Normandy and Shizuoka, how do you blend the two cultures into your drinks?

I consider myself quite lucky to come from two countries, which have very singular and delicious food and beverage heritage. I grew up in between eating sushi and foie gras, drinking wine and sake. Therefore I naturally tend to use ingredients from both countries in my drinks. A cocktail using a beautiful apple brandy calvados from my native Normandy balances out actually very nicely with a homemade green tea syrup from my other hometown in Shizuoka Japan. Add to this a touch of yuzu juice and that gives you a surprising and tasty drink.

Have you ever incorporated the art of painting and perfumery into your drinks, since you wanted to become a painter and a perfumer?

I always think about a drink as a white canvas. Each spirit, liqueur, syrup that I use are like colors that I have to blend harmoniously in order to create a well balanced cocktail. Regarding the perfumery, which is still now one of my passion, I always make sure that my drinks stimulate all my guests sense. And therefor the sensory part is very important because before your lips touch the glass, the scent of the cocktail reaches your nose.

What’s the best lesson Ohtake Manabu, your mentor, has ever taught you? 

Ohtake Manabu taught me everything I know now regarding bartending. However, more than technique, he taught me discipline. He taught me that being a bartender is about not only throwing bottles in the air and using fancy techniques, but it all come from being discipline, understand your guests, and work meticulously. He always refer to Japanese bartender as sushi master, its take years and years of patience and discipline to become successful. The work ethic I have now is the most valuable lesson he taught me.

What’s your advice to someone who wants to be a bartender? 

The secret to be successful in this job and are only those two: being discipline and really know why you are doing this job. When you are a bartender, there is always this fine line between being tempted to drink those shots that some guests will buy for you, going party after you shift etc. So being discipline and have a healthy lifestyle is important.

And for course, hard work and patience will undoubtedly help you in this career.

How does living in Thailand influence your crafts? How does working at the Park Hyatt Bangkok influence your drinks?

Thailand has a tremendous amount of fruits, spices and so as a mixologist; it is a real pleasure to create drinks. The creativity here is limitless.

Working at the Park Hyatt Bangkok is a real pleasant challenge, the fact that we are an international hotel, me and my team always have to know the latest trend in the bar industry in order to always surprise our guest and to be on too of their expectation.

How would you describe the cocktail scene in Bangkok? 

The cocktail bar scene is very dynamic here in Bangkok, there is more and more of promising talents and many interesting bars opening up. Bangkok is definitely a place which has a huge potential in term of Bar industry and restaurant scene in general.

Is anything exciting on the agenda from you as the Beverage Manager and Head Bartender at Park Hyatt Bangkok?

Many exciting projects indeed! One of the most exciting is the opening of our new Embassy room restaurant, with a wide selection of Spanish wines. And we are also planning a beautiful New Year Eve party.