Kyiv bartender Iryna Mashykhina won the World Champion title at the 2007 Bacardi-Martini Grand Prix and, with Sergey Gusovsky’s team, created Biancoro, a bar built on classic cocktails.
I am 39 years old. I was born on March 22, 1974, in the town of Smila, Cherkasy region, Ukraine.
At school I wanted to be an actress, a stewardess, a pilot... In 1991 I ended up as a student at the Kyiv Hotel Management College, in the Public Catering Department. I got my first job as a waitress in 1993 at Casino Club First (in the Intourist Hotel, now the President Hotel Kievskiy).
That’s when I realized that I like serving people. Serving people, not being their servant! Anyway, I prefer the phrase “to take care of guests”. There was a bar there; I started helping the bartenders and fell in love with it. I had great teachers and mentors, like John Siao, Peter Norton and Steve Kelly, who inspired me to become a bartender in the first place.
Then I took a professional break: I studied at Westminster College in the States and tried my hand at advertising. But I always missed the bar, so in 1999 I went back, and since then I have been a “natural-born bartender”, and I’m proud of it! Some call me a barista, which is also right: “barista” is Italian for bartender.
I just love being a bartender, or barman, or barista! I feel like a fish in water when I’m behind the bar. I feel very privileged to do my job, because it’s probably one of the greatest professions in the world!
I never had a proper plan to become the greatest bartender ever; I just did, and still do, what I do best and love best. I believe that when you have that attitude to what you do, you will achieve something, or even a lot.
Since 2008 I have been part of Sergey Gusovsky’s team, and I’m proud of it! Sergey believed in me and gave me a great professional opportunity: to create my dream bar with a classic cocktail menu.
I wanted to share with our guests the beauty and elegant simplicity of the “eternal classics” of cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned, Ramos Fizz, Sours, Dry Martini, Aviation, Slings, Manhattans, Sazerac, Champagne Classic Cocktail, Americano/Negroni, Irish Coffee, Toddy, Rusty Nail, Collins and so on! And we did it. I know for sure that when someone thinks of a good cocktail to enjoy, he or she thinks of Biancoro!
When I’m not at work, I like reading, watching movies, traveling and spending time with my family! From time to time I enjoy cooking too: among the dishes I make are lasagna and tiramisu. My favorite cuisines are Italian and Japanese. Plus, I’m a big fan of steaks, rare ones!
One of my professional achievements is my signature cocktail, Sapphire Infinity, which brought me the World Champion title at the Bacardi-Martini Grand Prix in 2007. Title aside, it’s one of the best-selling cocktails in my bar, which I consider the most important thing, because guests are willing to drink it and pay for it.
I wish your readers lots of life energy and good bartenders to serve them, and everything tasty and high-quality that comes from the bar! Have I told you I’m in love with espresso? Best of luck, sincerely!
