Ryan Chetiyawardana | Longer Tables Fund x MAD Studio

{One is the cocktail I hate making the most,} {and that's a strawberry daiquiri.} Actually, {most drinks with strawberry in it,} {I think,} suck. Hi, {I'm Ryan Chathier-Wardner,} {or Mr. Lion,} {and I'm a bartender based in London.} {My favorite cocktail,} {both to make and I think as a just definitive,} like, {piece of craft,} {is the martini.} {I think there's something so special about} {something that's kind of endlessly variable.} {Everybody has their own take on it.} {Cooking for people,} {hospitality is an act of love,} {but being able to make somebody a martini,} {there's something so special about it,} {and it's the,} {you know,} {ultimate aperitif.} {I describe it as kind of one of life's perfect moments.} {Sharing a martini ahead of dinner,} like, {it doesn't get better than that.} {The reasons you go into a bar are incredibly varied.} {It might be for a celebration,} {it might be that you've had a long day with} {a big group of friends or an intimate date,} {and it's being able to try and think} {on what's exciting in that moment.} {One of the things that was most fascinating to me was,} {how can you control something and make} {that fit for that particular moment?} {And the beauty of a cocktail is you can control everything.} {You know, cocktails are really for everyone,} {and they should be something that more people} {encounter and more people get to interact with,} {because everybody needs a little bit more} {of a dose of happiness in their daily lives.} {How do we find ways to kind of bring a wider,} {more diverse collective of people to the table?} {How do we find ways of integrating} {some of the knowledge that they bring?} {You know,} {none of us want to kind of rest on our laurels.} {None of us want to kind of think that we know all the answers.} {You know,} {the point is to be able to kind of be pushed and to be challenged,} {and for everybody to start looking at things differently,} {and the best place to do that is across the table.} Perfect. {Thank you.}