Going 10 Rounds with Top Bartender Roberto Berdecia
What do you like to drink after a shift? “Water, beer and rum. In that particular order!”
What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? ““Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.”
After all these years bartending and creating drinks, do you still enjoy going out to bars? “Of course. I learn from everyone even if it is things that I don’t want to do.”
Name the first good drink you ever drank and where you had it. “The cocktail that change my mind to a cocktail world was the Last Word and I drank it during a drinks competition in New Delhi, India, where I was representing Puerto Rico.”
What book on cocktails or spirits is your go-to resource? “It all depends on what I need:
The Bar Book by Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Meehan’s Bartender Manual by Jim Meehan
Potions of the Caribbean by Jeff Beachbum Berry
The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
What’s your favorite cocktail and food pairing? “An Old-Fashioned and BBQ.”
What drink are you most proud of creating? “The Tropical Bitter: Don Q Añejo Rum infused with pineapple, coconut fat washed Campari and Spanish vermouth.”
Is there one person (dead or alive) you’d like to make a cocktail for? “There are a couple of people I wish I could make a cocktail for. Some from outside of our industry and some from inside our industry. It’s more of the conversation that’s going to be developed than the actual cocktail: David Wondrich, Will Smith and Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
What’s your favorite shot-and-a-beer combination? “Becherovka and IPA.”
What is the one tool that you always make sure to pack when you’re traveling for business? “My computer and a jigger.”
Roberto Berdecia is co-owner of Puerto Rico’s acclaimed Jungle Bird and La Factoría, which was a James Beard Award semi-finalist this year.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
