Sunday Night at Night Flight
Photos Alina Ganenko
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Valeri Rogov, ‘Golden Apple’
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Leave to one of Moscow’s best-known and unusual tourist destinations to schedule a special promotional event at 10pm on a Sunday night. The event this night at Night Flight, called “The Winner Takes It All,” was a Bloody Mary bartender shake-off with contestants from some of the city’s top watering holes. This was a chance for many to return to Night Flight with a defensible excuse, “Oh, I was at Night Flight last night, but just for the great bartender contest. Really. It was a lot of good, clean fun. Really!”
Each bartender received identical ingredients: Tovaritch Vodka, Tropicana tomato juice, Tabasco, Worchester sauce, salt, white and black pepper, lemon and fresh celery - so the winner would prevail based upon mix, style, presentation. The test was blind since the bartenders were isolated from the judges, and identified only by a number. A Night Flight waitress delivered the drinks to the judges. Toby Domert, General Manager, represented Night Flight, but Night Flight Club manager Fredrik Sidoli had a chance to participate. Paul Chikin of Sally O’ Briens took the top prize of $1000, followed by Peter Kamara of Ararat Park-Hyatt Hotel, with Sidoli in at third to saving the club’s reputation.
Despite the “Must be Seen to Believe It” reputation of the Night Flight nightclub that has persisted under its Swedish management for more than 18 years now, the Night Flight restaurant is actually one of the best in town and the place to find Swedish Elk carpaccio, grilled Reindeer steak and genuine Swedish meatballs served up by Night Flight’s excellent Swedish chefs.
Come to think of it, this was a good idea. It looks like this will be a regular event with new cocktail theme and bartender participants each month. Thanks in advance to the Night Flight management for giving us more “next-day” excuses for a visit.
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The Bartenders
Fredrik Sidoli, Night Flight (Third Place)
Max Ivanovski, Baltschug Hotel
Klim, GQ Bar
Peter Kamara, Ararat Park-Hyatt Hotel
(Second Place)
Paul Chikin, Sally O’ Briens (First Place)
Vladimir Masyutin, Savoy Hotel
Valeri Rogov Golden Apple Hotel
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Judges
Simon Connolly – Passport Magazine
Bart Dorsa – Artist / Photographer
James Kramer – Vice President Production, Sony Pictures Television International
Elena Manuylova – Managing Director, Tovaritch Vodka
Scott Antel – Partner, DLA Piper Rus Limited
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Paul Chikin - winner,
‘Sally O Brians’
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Max Ivanovski Baltschug
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Peter Kamara Park Hyatt
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Vladimir Masyutin, ‘Savoy Hotel’
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Julia Fedotova, barmen at Night Flight
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Klim, GQ
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