Witness celebrity flair bartender Atilla Iskifoglu as he mixes cocktails in Mumbai

Atilla Iskifoglu

From balancing your drink on a slim cocktail-mixing spoon to setting the bar top aflame for effect, and applying a magnetic force to make a shaker "float" mid-air, Atilla Iskifoglu, celebrity world champion flair bartender from Turkey, loves to put up a high-spirited show set to high-energy music. For one night only, on October 7, he will take over the bar at Sette Mara, the Middle-Eastern lounge and kitchen at The St Regis Mumbai for gourmet food festival World On A Plate.

Iskifoglu is a four-time winner of the European Flair Champion and currently holds the World No 2 title. His penchant for flipping bottles and indulging guests in world-class mixology has even taken him to the stage of Britain's Got Talent in 2009. In Mumbai, he will serve innovative cocktails such as Scotch me up, Copacabana mule and Queen of the Cyclades at the pop-up.

The 37-year-old is not new to India. "I first visited India in 2008, and worked with a hotel to train Indian bartenders in multiple cities, including Mumbai, Goa and Delhi. I was back in 2012 for a project in Gurgaon," he recalls. As a flair bartender, he understands the risks. He keeps a fire extinguisher handy under the bar, and a wet cloth to cover the fire if it spills. "I have years of practice, and I always tell people to not try it on their own."

Rapid fire with Iskifoglu

Go-to ingredients: My drinks are clear and don't give a hangover. But they are strong. I focus mainly on the outcome of the drink. I use fresh ingredients, and small amounts of spices only to give a bright and fun taste. Vodka, gin and rum are my preferred liquors. There is always room for bourbon.

Favourite hack while making a cocktail: If you talk to me, and answer a few questions that I ask, the taste is going to be exactly what you were craving for.
Hangover cure: Add lots of vitamin-rich ingredients

What should a good drink have: A great knowledge of the taste, a technique that gives value, you drink it and think that this was the taste you were looking for. In my opinion, a good drink should taste fresh, be full of vitamins and low in sugar content. Sometimes they should be sweet and sour, otherwise sweet and spicy. I like to make them in dark chocolate or creamy concoctions.

On: October 7; 8 pm to 12 am
At: Sette Mara, St Regis, Level 9M, Lower Parel.
Call: 8657522956
Cost: Rs 1,500 for cocktails, dinner is a la carte