Meet the bartender: Hemant Kumar, Zephyr Sky Bar, Hyatt Regency

Some people might shy away from the idea of serving the masses in a packed bar on a Friday night, but not Hemant Kumar, who has put his creative streak and nimble fingers to work for a year of service at Zephyr Sky Bar on the rooftop of the Hyatt Regency. “My favourite time is usually on the weekends, when we are pumping at Zephyr and we make an average of at least 800 cocktails,” he says. Serving the diverse population of Sydney inspired him to recreate an Espresso Martini for the competition reflecting this colourful community. He used pandan leaf and gave a nod to Australia’s café culture with Australian-made coffee liqueur and cold presses. “The drink represents the multiculturalism of our beautiful city, taking inspiration from our community where people from different ethnicities complement each other."