Barchaeology

This fine Argentinian born and raised gentleman decided not to follow up on this parents wishes to become a world star football player. He choose the path of computers and graphic designing instead. But it were not those two that guided him to the US, it was love. And it was here he first came in touch with the hospitality industry, needless to say as a busboy.

Only a few months passed and he climbed up the managerial level to end up as a GM in Yaku Restaurant in Washington D.C. As he came across more and more people whom were sharing their Amsterdam experiences he decided that he had enough; he had to find it out himself. 

Setting foot in Amsterdam in the summer of 2009 he started at the University of Amsterdam to begin his Business Studies. Aside his studies he started his own graphic design company as well as host of critically acclaimed Door 74. Naturally the liqueur- and cocktail-fever got to him and nearly a year later the first ideas for Barchaeology crawled inside his head. Two years later he decided to drop both jobs and follow up on his idea to create the ultimate bartender platform.

Born in Zimbabwe, raised in South Africa, started bartending on the Isle of Man and now settled in The Netherlands. To say Andrew Nicholls loves to travel would be an understatement, but to describe his love for the bar would require a quill drawn by no less than the likes of Robert Burns. Andrew was initially self-taught behind the bar, but after moving to The Netherlands, he joined Ricardo Sporkslede, Tal Nadari and Misja Vorstermans at Amsterdam’s The Fabulous Shaker Boys. It was here, under the guidance of Misja and Ricardo than Andrew truly began to take flight. 

After four good years with The Fabulous Shaker Boys, Andrew decided to start his own company entitled Andrew Nicholls Cocktails & Bartending, where he focuses on national and international high end bar training such as product knowledge, cocktails, service and body language. Andrew has been involved in bar shows in Amsterdam, Paris, London, New Orleans, Barcelona, Zurich and Berlin. 

Andrew is no stranger to cocktail competitions and has been awarded first place in The Netherlands on five occasions and has achieved second place in one international final. After a 14 month stint and Door 74, Andrew is currently behind bar in Vesper, Amsterdam. Andrew is truly passionate and firmly believes that a good night’s work is determined by the number of guests that leave his bar with a bigger smile than when they entered.

Misja Vorstermans is one of Amsterdam’s best known bartenders due to his high profile career mixing cocktails and training bar staff for the capital’s trendsetters and style leaders.

After his study at the University for Physical Education where he specialised in team building, teaching sports to kids in a juvenile prison for over two years and organising team building events for companies he received his initial cocktail training in 1995 at the high-end club restaurant & cocktail bar Vakzuid in the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium. After 5 years he joined up with Ricardo Sporkslede and Tal Nadari to from The Fabulous Shaker Boys .

From there, Misja became well known and a respected name in the international cocktail scene. He has trained many bartenders and cocktail aficionado’s the ins & outs of making cocktails and can be seen in action giving seminars at bar shows in London, New Orleans, Paris or Berlin. 

He started Global bartending in 2009, a company that focuses on training, consultancy and high end events. He continues to write columns and is seen making guests appearances on radio & television and has become the Dutch 2010 ambassador for Bols Genever. Misja also has a resident Monday night in Vesper bar Amsterdam that won Best Cocktailbar 2010/2011. When Misja is not mixing drinks he’s behind the turntables mixing tunes.

Fjalar started his career as an technical engineer at the research and development department at Porsche Germany. But soon found out that he wanted a job in the fast lane and so he started his own cocktail bar called Collins Cocktails in Amsterdam. But to be confined to one spot that didn’t feel right so Fjalar joined the Fabulous Shakerboys were he worked  several years as a consultant and trainer. At the moment he owns two companies ISAAC Company and Collins Barsystems. In Collins Barsystems his technical background combined with his extensive bartending experience  resulted in the creation of outstanding custom-made cocktail stations.  ISAAC Company is a creative and strategic company that focuses on the hospitality industry. 

Fun fact: You can find the name Fjalar in the Norse mythology were Fjalar was one of the dwarfs that turned the blood on the Norse god Kvasir into the mead of poetry that was laer served to Odin. Bartending the gods!

Born in Amsterdam, with Indonesian roots, and is still walking the picturesque streets of Hollands capital. Remco Babay is a so called true ‘Amsterdammer’. Started helping out and even tending the bar in sport venues bars at age 14, which even in Amsterdam isn’t considered quite legal, he crawled up the bar ladder. 

After tending several bars his interest in cocktail grew rapidly. Remco decided to team up with a famous collective The Fabulous Shaker Boys. Under Ricardo Sporkslede, Tal Nadari, Misja Vorstermans and Andrew Nicholls’s wings a new era arose. During a four year spell he has travelled to cleanse thirsts all around Holland and beyond, working in countries such as the U.S., Spain, Italy, Germany and Azerbaijan.

Shortly after joining the The Fabulous Shaker Boys Remco started in one of Amsterdam’s most legendary bars, Herrie. Immediately after the bar was sold and diverting from the existing take on drinks he resigned. His next residence was only two blocks away, Door 74. Currently still going strong behind the stick at Door 74 and enriched with a hand full of first and second place in several competitions.

With Remco’s background in Advertising & Design joining Barchaeology didn’t took a long time.