Jon Stojan
Image credit: Prateek Chaudhary
While Prrateek Chaudhary has worked as bartender and bar manager in the finest restaurants, in the finest establishments, he calls himself an ‘accidental mixologist’.
The Indian-born mixologist’s career has been driven by destiny and determination, and recalling his journey, Prrateek says he still can’t believe how far he has come. His most recent success, his book on Amazon, is just one of the highlights of his incredible journey.
Prrateek’s career started when he landed a job as a bartender for Fairmont, in Jaipur, India; and he has never looked back!
From humble beginnings in India
For Prrateek, his adventure into the lucrative food and beverage industry began when he was just a young boy. He would sit in his home in India and watch Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen on television, enthralled by the series and Ramsay’s ability to turn simple ingredients into something extraordinary.
This is just what he has done with his life: his simple passion has transformed an ordinary life into an extraordinary journey.
While he began his career in India, he soon set his sights on the United States, where he is currently thriving as a manager and innovator. He has designed bars, trained bartenders, innovated his own cocktails, and tweaked and designed cocktail menus.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, he gave over 100 webinars to more than 5,000 students in different colleges. He has also been the guest speaker for 13 colleges.
The ‘accidental mixologist’ believes this is the result of passion and his belief that people are central to the industry.
A recipe for success
Prrateek explains that guest relations are what makes the industry thrive. One has to make lasting memories with guests, he explained. Also, one has to know guests’ preferences and be able to adjust menus and cocktails to offer traditional flavours, without compromising on the new and exciting.
Image credit: Prateek Chaudhary
“I am very passionate about my creation of cocktails and innovations,” he says. “I dive deep into the details when I am drafting a cocktail. For me, it’s about the appearance, the ingredients, and the story behind the drink.”
Then there is passion for one’s work, which Prrateek says he expresses through his constant smile. He said he learned from his role models, early on in his career, to be happy about his work and to always offer a smile. This hasn’t been hard for him, since he loves what he does.
Prrateek isn’t afraid to take risks. Moving to America to leave a lasting impact on the food and beverage industry took risk, however, he is reaping the dividends of a well-made decision. In the past 12 years, in his work in India and America, he has worked with great brands in the industry, including Shangri-La, Marriott, Fairmont, IHG, Hyatt, Leela, and Taj.
He has also managed different roles for these different brands, from bartender, to Bar Manager, to Assistant Director Food and Beverage.
He has also been instrumental in opening new restaurants: for IHG in India, and in Texas, United States. He has been a driving force behind the success of these establishments.
Recalling an incredible journey
Image credit: Prateek Chaudhary
As a young boy, Prrateek would never have dreamed his passion would have taken him to foreign soil, but the ‘accidental mixologist’ has even greater expectations for the future. Now he has his sights set on becoming a household name of the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Robert Irvine.
He wants to personalise his offering to the industry. His trademark style and creative flair continue to earn him acclaim among his colleagues.
He looks back on his lucrative career, explaining its humble beginnings at a beautiful Fairmont establishment in Jaipur, India where he found work as a bartender.
“It was more than just a job,” he says. “It was a stepping stone that taught me invaluable lessons, from the thrill of earning my first paycheck to the challenges that pushed me to grow. The nervous excitement of that first day, the learning curve, and the relationships I built along the way still resonate with me.”
While his journey has had many twists and turns, he maintains that he is ‘a mixologist with big dreams’, in his own words.
Life is full of the unexpected, but Prrateek believes that if he holds fast to his passion, as he has since he was a young boy, his life’s journey will continue to surprise him with good things.