Barista Stories: Rastislav “Rasty” Kasár of Teddy’s Elixir & Teddy’s Speakeasy, Athens

by on 1 month ago

Meet Rastislav “Rasty” Kasár, a seasoned coffee and spirits professional hailing from charming Banská Bystrica in Slovakia. Rasty gathered his extensive know-how and polished his bartending & barista skills working for several years in the best places in London. He currently lives in Athens and has the position of Director of Product Development at Teddy’s Elixir & Teddy’s Speakeasy.

Rasty became the 2022 London Coffee Master and 2023 Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. However, he still has some exciting competitions and championship plans ahead. Rasty’s storytelling, hospitality and sensory skills are truly exceptional and we are sure whatever Rasty plans or dreams of it soon will come to full bloom and realisation!

Rasty, what is your first memory with coffee?

My very first memory of coffee is from a supermarket I visited with my parents when I was little. After my parents bought coffee beans in the red-coloured bag at the entrance of the supermarket there were two grinders that were used for the customers to grind the coffee they just purchased. The smell of roasted coffee getting ground will remain a core memory for the rest of my days.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the hospitality industry, and how did you get started?

Believe it or not, I felt intrigued by observing bartenders working in smooth coordination after regularly sitting at one local bar in a local SPA thermal house. I was watching them with great pleasure sipping on my juice and wondering why there were so many bottles at the backbar and what they actually were whilst seeing the demand for coffee and the flair bartenders had making it.

After having my application approved for the high school of hospitality and trade I knew we would be presented with the option to complete a barista course that will hopefully increase our chances in the labour market making us more capable within the hospitality industry.

After completing my basic barista course I tried to use any opportunity I had to do something with coffee including a junior barista competition organised among other hospitality high schools.

Rasty is a true maestro when it comes to combining coffee and spirits.

Can you tell us about your journey from a barista and bartender to a world-class professional? How did the two fields merge in your career?

After I moved to London in 2016 and became the youngest ever working team member at the most iconic hotel bar – American Bar at the SAVOY I was working among some of the most respected professionals there are. Because my exposure at work was limited in relation to coffee it remained a hobby for as long as I worked in bars.

After the circumstances in my life changed and coffee became my work bartending and cocktail-making became a hobby. I hoped from one thing to another and back for as long as 8 years but eventually, I combined both and turned it into a little niche.

Because I had the experience of both I did notice that some things within them are supposed to be identical, not only in theory but also in practice. I tried to apply things I learned in the bar and apply them to the coffee, especially in terms of hospitality and service.

Rasty during the A.M.O.C. x Orea pop-up.

Tell us a bit about your current work and role.

My current role as the Director of Product Development requires me to develop products across the venues we operate. Whether it is creating a menu, creating a team of dedicated and hungry people to guide and challenge their abilities to learn and perform or forming an idea for a new product we would like to introduce to our guests. This requires developing and maintaining high standards for the products & services we offer.

How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?

I am very self-critical and if I am in a room full of professionals I always like to think that there is someone who does things better or knows more than I do and I want to witness and take notes. The coffee industry is developing very fast and to stay on top of it requires a lot of effort, but I am glad I can contribute to this industry with the things I learned at my previous workplaces.

What are the current trends in cafes in your region? Are there any trends you promote yourself and would like to see more often in other places?

After moving to Athens I realised that speciality coffee as a topic may still not be developed so much outside of my small circle. Changing this and helping the industry will take a lot of effort. Taking one step at a time trying to understand what it is that drives people explaining to them how much coffee has to offer.

Since Greeks are in love with iced coffee I am introducing my colleagues to iced filtered coffee and nitro. On top of this, I like to provide the tools and knowledge I have to my fellow colleagues showing that coffee is not one-dimensional.

Looking back at your early days, was there a defining moment when you realized that you could compete in coffee championships?

In my early days, I was encouraged by judges after debriefing as well as seeing fellow Slovak baristas doing great at the competitions. Helping my colleague and observing him to become the champion was a small push that made me go all in giving myself a promise that I would compete until I became the champion.

You’ve achieved significant milestones, such as winning the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship and the London Coffee Masters. What do these titles mean to you personally and professionally?

To me personally, they mean a lot but mostly because of the people that were involved in this entire process. There were times I wanted to win not for myself but for the others who invested their time and effort and cheered for us. To me, these competitions were special because it was not me who made it but my team and this is what matters to me personally.

Professionally it gives me the ability to hold masterclasses, guest shifts and seminars. This allows me to share my own viewpoint on the topic of coffee, cocktails and hospitality. I have the ability to travel, but most importantly I get to do what I like and contribute towards this industry hoping to make a difference in the long run.

World CiGS and London Coffee Masters are among the most challenging championships to compete in. Can you let us know how did you prepare for them? Formats are very different so probably training sessions differed a lot?

Yes, they are very different. CIGS requires a lot of repetition, but sticking to the rules whilst Coffee Masters checks on your ability to perform like you would on any given day in a busy café. The ability to perform under pressure and knowing coffee holistically helps a lot as you do not know what you will be challenged with.

What is in your opinion the most important thing to have in mind when you start to compete in coffee championships?

The most important thing is in my opinion not to compromise what you are doing. Giving it everything you can is a very important learning tool and when combined with constructive and honest self-criticism it can yield great results and you get to know yourself more. It also needs to make sense. I remember competing and not having the resources to prepare, but that did not stop me from doing everything I could have done.

In your opinion, how important is storytelling in presenting a coffee cocktail to customers or judges?

Judges follow the judging criteria and there is very little they can score you on if you do not follow the rules. Storytelling is in my opinion a very important tool, but do not get obsessed with it so people do not lose focus.

When serving a guest and explaining a cocktail I always like to be mindful of their ability to follow what I say so I carefully evaluate and re-evaluate if I see the guest is having difficulties understanding it. Choosing your words carefully and giving them enough information is important and if you see they are hooked, just go for it and spend minutes explaining them, but only if they want to hear and you have time to say it because you may have another guest that needs your time and attention.

If you could only work with one coffee bean and one spirit for the rest of your career, which ones would you choose and why?

I think I would pick the most classic expression of naturally processed Brazilian as it is the kind of coffee that can be easily appreciated by baristas but most importantly the guests of the cafés or bars. Having a coffee like this would still allow me to create classic coffee cocktails but I would be capable of utilising its qualities to create modern-day coffee cocktails showing its versatility.

Spirit-wise I would like to be using mezcal as I think to this day it remains one of the most natural spirits there is, especially when you take into consideration the material and methodology of producing it. It has a lot of similarities with coffee in terms of microclimates, palenqueros, varieties, processing, bartenders…

One of Rasty’s signature coffee cocktails at Teddy’s Speakeasy.

What coffee challenges are you looking forward to? Any new projects or collaborations?

European Barista Cup held in Berlin in November. One project that I am looking forward to is an event related to the coffee and cigars pairing we are planning on organising. New projects are lined up, but I have to be discreet about them. I will keep you all posted. I am open to any collaboration should any brand find my profile interesting to promote and work with their products.