Not because he is a spellbinding mixologist, which he most definitely is; and not just because the Campari Group’s brand ambassador will enchant you with his boyish personality, giggling every few seconds after cracking a silly joke.
The 35-year-old Cheras lad recalls that Beverage Class had been his favourite while pursuing his degree in international tourism and hospitality management.
“Being able to taste the liqueurs and spirits sparked things in my mind, like, ‘oh, what if I combine this and this?’ or ‘what can I make out of this by adding some juices?’
“Instead of paying attention to my other classes, I was writing down my own cocktail recipes in this little book. Looking back, these were very messed-up recipes! But it was fun,” he told FMT Lifestyle.
Today, Giri is a well-known mixologist, with a decade of experience under his belt having worked at Hilton KL, Botak Liquor, and The Private Group, to name a few.
He joined Monin Asia-Pacific as a beverage innovator in the middle of pandemic lockdowns in 2020. Then, still needing to pay the bills, he took a practical step and entered a more corporate setting.
“But when the brand ambassador job opened at Campari last year, I jumped at it because I wanted to do things that were cocktail related,” he said.
“I get to train with their products. And I don’t need to be tied down to one particular bar; I get to move around. And the beauty of that is, I have many friends in the industry, which drives my confidence.”
This wasn’t his first affiliation with Campari – in 2019, Giri emerged as the champion in the Campari Bartender Competition Malaysia and went on to represent the country in the finals in Milan, Italy. His cocktail of choice was a Negroni, one of the world’s most well-known classic cocktails.
“It’s a very easy drink to make, though I messed it up a number of times when I first started,” Giri shared with a wink, recalling that his Negroni tasted “bitter” and “not very nice”.
Giri listened to a barista who advised him that if one drank coffee daily, one wouldn’t think about the bitterness as much. Applying this to his Negroni making, he began experimenting and “seeing how deep of a bitterness I could introduce into the drink”.
“In the end, it became a beautiful drink and drove my passion in bartending,” Giri revealed. “And being able to take part in the Campari competition was a milestone in my bartending career.”
To top it all off, Giri finds deep satisfaction in meeting different people every day.
“There can be very long hours that make us feel tired, but when we meet people who can laugh along with us and tell jokes, that makes it really nice. I love having that kind of experience.”
Of course, not every moment behind the bar is magical: dealing with nonsensical requests and rude remarks from customers can really ruin the vibe.
“It really puts you off when you’ve got a bar full of people who deserve your best. Remember, let the cocktails be sour, not your face,” Giri quipped.
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