Kaleb Barry

Kaleb started working in hospitality around 2018 in Birmingham, England. Like most bartenders, he started as a glass washer simply to help fund his Biomedical Sciences Degree. However, he soon fell in love with bartending, learning about the history of spirits and drinks and the various techniques and skills that are involved. It was during this period he met his friend Glenn, and with a few jobs in-between Kaleb ended up working alongside him at Roka Dubai.

Having spent 18 months in Dubai, Kaleb is enjoying bartending more than ever, thanks to the tight-knit local industry community and the variety of venues where he's been sharpening his skills, from high-end cocktail bars to high-volume clubs. This has given Kaleb the experience to be adaptable during service, and an appreciation for all corners of bartending.

At the Patrón Perfectionists UAE finals, Kaleb competed in three challenges: Paloma 2.0, My Signature Style, and Hometown Hero Live – the entry challenge tasking participants with blending Patrón Silver with their local ingredients and culture.

Hometown Hero Challenge: Milk of the Desert
Glass: Old-fashioned
Method: Muddle the cardamom pod, add Patrón Silver and Laban Punch, stir, fine strain into a chilled glass over a block of ice.
40ml Patrón Silver tequila
60ml Laban Punch*
1 Cardamom Pod
Inspiration: The Milk of the Desert cocktail was inspired by the deep and historic traditions of the UAE. The main inspiration being Laban, a traditional fermented yoghurt drink from the Middle East. It originated out of a need to keep milk for longer in the heat of the desert and is made by allowing milk to ferment for several days in a clay pot and churning it. This sweet and savoury drink is not only refreshing under the hot sun of Dubai but has been proven to help gut health and boost the immune system due to natural enzymes and healthy bacteria. This drink was traditionally consumed with every meal not only cooling the person down but aiding with digestion due to its naturally probiotic properties.

With Laban in mind and a passion for creating milk punches with alternative dairy options, Kaleb created a light and refreshing digestif style drink that can be enjoyed at the end of every meal. The second source of inspiration came from the rich coffee culture found within the UAE so mixing the Laban with Coffee Liqueur and white cacao liqueur made the ideal combination. Plus, traditional Arabic coffee is usually made from lightly roasted coffee beans infused with a mix of fragrant spices, including cardamom. So, by stirring down the drink with a fresh cardamom pod, Milk of the Desert offers some of those iconic flavours that are associated with this amazing style of coffee.

*Laban Punch
300ml Laban, 300ml white cacao liqueur, 150ml coffee liqueur
Combine the cacao blanc and the coffee liqueur then slowly pour in the Laban allowing it to split. Allow to rest in the fridge for 24hrs then pass through a wet coffee filter.