Women behind bars
With his statement “A bar is no place for a woman”, famous bartender Charles Schumann recently caused quite a stir in the bar world. And rightly so. Because although women are still underrepresented, a number of them are fighting for their rightful place behind the bar. These four women hold their own in the Dutch cocktail scene.
Tess Posthumus
Nickname: the ‘cocktail queen’ of the Netherlands. And actually of the entire world. Tess has been voted the world’s best female bartender several times. Together with her cocktail companion Timo Janse, she owns cocktail bar Flying Dutchmen Cocktails (which also regularly wins awards) and organizes the annual trade show Perfect Serve Barshow. She also writes books and columns about cocktails. A force to be reckoned with, in other words. She is one of the few women who regularly take part in competitions. When she started winning frequently, she was faced with the prejudice that it was because she is a girl. Utter nonsense. But Tess lets no one tell her what to do and grabs this man’s world by the balls.
Tess at home?
Try her signature gin and tonic: put some fresh mint leaves, 45 ml Sipsmith gin, 15 ml sugar syrup and 30 ml fresh lime juice in a shaker with ice. Strain it, top with Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic and garnish with a sprig of mint and lime.
Marie-Louise Taal
Another badass babe behind the bar. With her blonde hair, tattooed arms and years of experience, she is impossible to miss. She spent more than 10 years behind the bars of various Rotterdam icons such as Stockholm, Level, Blender and Ayla. Now she mainly works as a brand ambassador for Hooghoudt Genever. Marie-Louise compares bartenders to chefs. Women are rare in that world too. Standing behind the bar for long evenings makes this profession tough and therefore more likely to attract men. But this Rotterdam native also sees the advantage of being a woman. Her striking appearance stands out, and people are unlikely to forget her—or her drinks—anytime soon. Marie-Louise still regularly works behind the bar as a guest bartender. With a little luck, you may still get to try one of her creations somewhere in Rotterdam.
Marie-Louise at home?
Try Marie-Louise’s Since 1888 cocktail, which she created with Hooghoudt Genever at Ayla. Mix Hooghoudt Infused #3 genever with some fresh lemon juice and cinnamon syrup, then top with grapefruit juice and cava.
Sharai Rodrigues
This jack-of-all-trades is not only a bartender but also a successful actress. When she had just graduated from drama school, she found it difficult to get a job and therefore started working behind the bar. She soon fell in love with another art form: cocktails. At Henry’s in Amsterdam, she learned the finer points of the trade. After that, she helped extensively with the menus of new bars and started working as a trainer at ISAAC Academy. She competed in the NBC NK Bartending competition in 2017 and, after a series of male winners, she won. At the World Cocktail Championship, she represented the Netherlands and came second. Sharai sees that things are getting better for women behind the bar. More and more women have the ambition—and the big mouth—to fight for their place in this world. Because you need to be able to take a hit. Sharai is now Global Brand Ambassador for Boompjes Genever and is working on a platform for female bartenders.
Sharai at home?
Make Sharai’s winning cocktail, Kickstart: Shake 60 ml Bols Genever Original, 20 ml fresh lemon juice, 15 ml Monin Falernum and 5 ml Green Chartreuse. Strain the drink into a Libbey coupe, top with IJwit from Brouwerij ’t IJ and garnish with coriander.
Michelle Popov
As a newcomer, Michelle walked into Bar Oldenhof 2.5 years ago. She had no idea what mezcal was, hated whisky and knew nothing about cocktails. Now she successfully takes part in various competitions, runs a team of creative bartenders, has hundreds of whiskies under her belt and can’t get enough of mezcal. And we can’t get enough of her cocktails. Last year, Michelle poured a little less for the oneUNIT competition. Her low-ABV creation came second, just below Mads Voorhoeve’s. In the bar industry, women are known for being better at gauging their guests’ wishes and moods. Michelle proved this during the Nikka Perfect Serve 2019 competition. It is all about the guest and finding the perfect cocktail. Michelle won and will represent the Netherlands in Sydney, Australia, on December 2.
Michelle at home?
Although you won’t get her hospitality at home, you can try one of her recipes. Shake 60 ml Johnnie Walker, 30 ml Penicillin Shrub and 10 ml Noilly Prat in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice, top with Gebrouwen door Vrouwen Zeewit and garnish with lemon peel and ginger.
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