Behind the Book, The Cocktail Balance 2.0 with Stanislav Harcinik

Jul 15, 2025

Join Stanislav Harciník, a Slovak bartender, author, and mentor from Mirror Bar in Bratislava, as he shares his transformative journey from bar back to passionate hospitality advocate. He discusses the magic of connecting with guests and how his love for cooking shaped his bartending philosophy. Discover the inspirations behind The Cocktail Balance and why theory precedes recipes. Stan emphasizes that hospitality is about 'selling love,' illustrating how genuine experiences create lasting memories for patrons.

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ANECDOTE

Hating The Bar Then Finding Purpose

Stanislav Harciník started in bars as a student barback and hated it at first, considering quitting many times.
He persisted, learned hospitaliy craft, and eventually fell in love with bartending through guest connection and flavor work.

INSIGHT

Cocktails As Culinary Creations

Stanislav connected bartending to cooking via flavour imagination and recipe creation in his head.
That culinary thinking shaped his approach to cocktails and drove creative experimentation.

ANECDOTE

Lockdown Sparked The First Book

Stanislav used COVID lockdown time to finally write the book he'd collected notes for over a decade.
He saw the pandemic as the moment to focus and turn his accumulated knowledge into a publication.

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In this episode, Damian is joined by Slovak bartender, author, and mentor Stanislav Harciník, the creator of The Cocktail Balance and The Cocktail Balance 2.0. Broadcasting from Mirror Bar in Bratislava, Stan shares the unexpected beginnings of his hospitality career, the philosophy behind his writing, and his firm belief in the power of hospitality done right.

This conversation dives deep into what it means to be a modern bartender , not just in terms of technique and creativity, but as someone who understands flavour, business, and guest experience in equal measure. From the theory sections of his book to how he trains new team members at Mirror Bar, Stan’s holistic approach is a blueprint for the future of bartending.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

How Stan went from hating bar work to finding real purpose in hospitality
The moment he discovered the magic of connecting with guests
Why his love of cooking and flavour memory shaped his bartending style
The origin story of The Cocktail Balance, written during lockdown
Why the first edition was released only in Slovak — and the deeper reason behind it
What The Cocktail Balance 2.0 set out to do — and why theory comes before recipes
Why hospitality is more than just service, and how pricing tells a story
How Stan’s recipes act as creative blueprints, not rigid instructions
His take on hospitality as “selling love” — and why that’s what guests really pay for

Key Quotes:

“Being a modern bartender isn’t just about what’s in the glass. It’s about what you deliver, how you connect, and how you grow others.”

“You’re not just selling a drink — you’re selling an experience, a feeling, a piece of yourself.”

“We’re in the business of love. Hospitality is how we show it.”

P.S. The bonus Lock-In session with Stanislav Harciník — where we go deeper into bartender training, creativity, and his “Learn. Grow. Pass it on” philosophy — will be available soon for free at thecocktailacademy.com.

Connect with Stanislav Harciník:

Instagram: @stan_harcinik

Website: thecocktailbalance.com

Contact Damian:

Website: www.thecocktailacademy.com

Email: sayhello@thecocktailacademy.com

Instagram: @welovecocktails

TikTok: @welovecocktailsx

Facebook: @welovecocktailsx

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