Javier Rios

The best-selling cocktail at your bar is at 86 halfway through the day because the production team was unable to complete the production, as they had absences due to the physical injury of two colleagues. Sadly, it is normalized that the most terrible thing is not to have the best-selling cocktail during the busiest day. Staff turnover in hospitality is directly related to the excessive physical load that we face daily in shifts, completely forgetting that small attentions could help prevent a negative cost in people's lives, monetary and social, that affects everyone, and that could be very easy to avoid. There are multiple typical physical injuries associated with working in the gastronomic industry, such as tendonitis, lumbar injuries, and muscle contractures that can alter the 100% performance of a colleague, and that could easily be prevented by being aware of their physical care through exercises or active breaks.

"Don't be 86": My initiative for Ketel One "Community Heroes" addresses this social problem in the most classic hospitality positions: bartenders, waiters and cooks; positions that do not usually have easy access to preventive health benefits and that are part of the most exposed line in the exercise of the gastronomic operation. After studying physical therapy for five years and being a bartender for the last six years, I am the recipient of practical and theoretical knowledge in a unique speciality, hospitality. It is thanks to this knowledge that my initiative "Don't be 86" takes shape. The proposal has simple logistics: give each bar that can serve Ketel One's "Don't be 86" cocktail a live or online class with exercise guidelines so that their bar managers/maitre/chef can replicate it with their teams. In addition, if necessary, visual guides (digital or physical) can be implemented to remind them of the dosage of each break and each exercise. The scope of the injury prevention proposal seems to have no limits, as it can cross regions or even countries through digital connectivity, having the incredible scalability to benefit all hospitality staff imaginable. If the proposal perseveres over time, exercise guidelines could also be developed for smaller groups but in similar situations, such as waiters, cleaning assistants, cashiers and administrators, thus being able to extend it to the entire hospitality family. In an industry where good service and care for our raw materials is very important, we must not forget that the garnish of each experience is our smile and hospitality.

Don't be 86

45ml Ketel One vodka
20ml triple sec liqueur
20ml Maqui Cordial*
Cava sparkling wine top

Garnish: Aromatic lavender leaf
Glassware: Coupé cup
Technique: Frozen

*Maqui cordial:
Maqui juice, malic and citric acid (0.5%-0.5%) and 20% sugar.