Mixologist raises the bar for cocktail and food pairings

Seasoned mixologist Julian Maarman is painting the town red with his Blu Table food and drink pairing evenings.

Even his quips carry the spirit of tipple.

“I am as old as your father's favourite single scotch malt whiskey and as vibrant as your mother’s favourite glass of shiraz,” Julian Maarman, owner of Gqeberha-based The Oswald Bar Agency, responds when asked his years.

Such irreverent retorts are to be expected, of course, since Maarman has been tending bar across South Africa for more than a decade. Humour comes with the territory in an industry renowned – and sometimes notorious – for the smorgasbord of characters it attracts.

A former manager “smashing just about every piece of glass in the bar” after breaking up with his girlfriend and blaming it on colleagues, only to be outed by CCTV footage, is just one of the interesting tales he has gathered along the way.

Having seen and done it all, Maarman decided the time had come to go out on his own to offer events where food and drink pairings are the order of the day – or night – and so The Agency was born.

One of his more successful offerings is the Blu Table evenings at the Radisson Blu, Port Elizabeth, hotel.

“My bartending journey all started at a venue called The Rust cocktail lounge back in Pretoria and was really my first taste of the bar-verse. I never considered it a career path until many years later,” he explains.

“I then spent a few years in a number of other roles in the hospitality industry, which I absolutely hated, so I decided to stick with bartending.”

Maarman believes his knack for hospitality comes from being raised in a home where there were constantly guests at the weekend and he was “forced to play waiter and bartender at a young age”.

By his estimation, he has clocked more than 10 000 hours serving punters their favourite drinks. The industry being what it is, he is thankful to have had several mentors along the way.

“I still consult with them to this day. The irony is that now I train and mentor bartenders despite never being officially graded – except by the school of life and experience.”

Storytelling is an important part of the cocktail experience, he says.

“My creation process starts with taste followed by a compelling story. I am a natural presenter, so my presentation adds to the anticipation and flavour of the drink.”

But it is also not uncommon for him to draw inspiration from the “strangest places”, as he puts it.

For example, a taste of salmon once spurred him to mix a gin infused with the popular dinner fish. Beetroot peels for bitters and mushroom soda as a lengthener have also found a way into his marvellous concoctions.

It is his love of food that ultimately put him on his current path.

“Pairing cocktails and food offers an opportunity to express yourself and your skillset through flavours. I have developed a reputation for weird combinations, so I am keen to keep this going and blow the flavour spectrum out the water.”

Maarman is particularly proud of what he has put together for the Blu Table evenings.

The drop-off point for guests is the Craft Republic bar in Main Road, Walmer, where they are treated to a welcoming drink before being whisked away to the Radisson on the beachfront in a vehicle provided by the BMW dealership in the city.

Once at the hotel, they are escorted to the private dining area for a second drink before the cocktail and food evening begins. After dinner, they head back to Craft Republic to join in the festivities.

He believes such events are booming because of the hospitality sector commercialising activities to give locals and visitors more intimate experiences of cities.

“The first few paired dinners I did as a bartender was through the Airbnb platform from my private home. To end up hosting these dinners at the Radisson was not part of the plan, but most welcome.”

Maarman brushes off perceptions that cocktails are more a young person’s game, saying “there is drink for every stage of your life”.

The cocktail and food combination also helps to break stereotypes, and wine, coffee and non-alcoholic drinks are very much part of the experience.

“The mixed drinks are all from my personal catalogue I have developed over the years. The pairing is not just a play on flavours; we are looking at bouncing acidity, mouth feel, contrasting flavours and even strange ingredients in the drinks.”

With such a penchant for innovation, one would expect the seasoned mixologist to be something of a mad scientist at home. Not so, he says.

“I don’t enjoy mixed drinks at home, so it will beer, wine or a good spirit. I had a Guinness while watching the Irish play rugby. That was good a Guinness!”

He also professes to be far less adventurous in the food department when not overseeing events.

“For someone who is immersed in food and drink, my home meal plan is dull as I am on a diet. But my recent favourite taste is peanut butter porridge with some banana, peanut sprinkle and sunflower seed.

“Actually, that sounds like a tasty drink,” he adds.