They say those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach. Well, they never met Stan Vadrna. He’s an award-winning mixologist who opens award-winning bars. And he teaches.
Stan travels the globe teaching the “Ichigo-Ichie” philosophy of Japanese bartending and the art of “Sprezzatura” hosting. And he does both with passionate energy, intensity, and style.
The Beachbum is not known for energy or intensity, let alone style. So he was pleasantly surprised when Stan asked him to join his latest gambit: “Bum Berry’s And Captain Vadrna’s Faux-Tropical Bar School.”
It’s a four-day Tiki Bar immersion course, taught with the true spirit of Aloha, in a locale that would do Don The Beachcomber proud: San Antonio, on the Spanish isle of Ibiza (pictured below).
The curriculum is geared toward professional bartenders, but all Polynesiacs are welcome. Classes include Tiki History, Tropical Mixology, The Cocktail As Conversation Piece, Tiki Bar Design, The Theater Of The Bar, and The Bartender’s Sixth Sense, just to name a few. After you get in touch with your cocktail creativity, saloon economist Jozef Martiniak will offer practical advice on how to financially float the Tiki bar of your dreams.
We’ll hold these classes from late June through mid July, with your choice of three identical sessions: June 27 through 30, July 3 through 6, or July 9 through 12. Each session is limited to 15 participants, for more personalized instruction and a more relaxed, intimate experience.
If you’re coming from the U.S., you can fly either to Madrid or Barcelona, since both Air Europa and Iberia offer frequent flights from either city to the only airport on Ibiza, Aeropeurto de Ibiza (IBZ). If you’re coming from London, opt for cheap direct flights to Ibiza on Easy Jet. From the Ibiza airport, you can hop a bus ($4) or take a taxi (around $45) to San Antonio in under an hour.
For hotels close to our “classroom” at Bar Itaca, check out Arenal (a two-minute walk to school, with rooms from $43 to $65 per night) or Hawaii (a five-minute walk, $59 to $61; pictured above). Both hotels are right on the beach, and include free breakfast. (Itaca is not only a bar but a restaurant, so if you choose to have lunch there you’ll get a discount from their usual menu prices.)
For more info, click here: