After years of honing his skills at bars across Bali, Vietnam, and France (where he earned his nickname, El Hombre, after serving the best pisco sour to a Spanish customer among four French bartenders), Agung Satria Wibawa is now channelling his personality into crafty twists on classic cocktails at his own bar, OSMO, infusing a whimsical flair to Jakarta’s growing drinking scene.
E: How did you first fall in love with mixology, and what inspired you to pursue it as a career?
A: Creating new drinks is a fun, intriguing, and emotional process. I wouldn’t call it a career; instead, it’s a passion.
E: Your career has also taken you to France and Vietnam before returning home to Indonesia. How did each country’s bar scene shape your approach to mixology?
A: There is no particular influence I’ve gotten from each country I’ve ever been in. I’ve always known what I want to do, and that’s how I define my approach to crafting my cocktails. It always varies depending on the venue’s concept, but I invented a fundamental called the 4 T Formula: Technique, Treatment, Temperature, and Timing.
E: Having crafted countless cocktails over the years, what is the one principle you always keep in mind when developing a new drink?
A: A great cocktail is beautiful, delicious, and intentional.
E: You recently co-founded OSMO, which has quickly become a favourite among Jakarta’s urban crowd. Could you share some insight into the process of establishing a cocktail bar?
A: In a very competitive market like Jakarta, creativity plays a crucial role. Having a well-designed space and good promotion is something everyone else can do, so the key is to find a gap that needs to be filled. That’s how I came up with the Solera Whiskey programme and Bastardized Classics concept for OSMO’s cocktails.
E: One of OSMO’s most distinctive elements is its Bastardized Classics concept. In what ways have you reimagined traditional cocktails?
A: With all due respect, I’m not trying to change how the world looks at the classics. They all existed long before I did. But, if you’ve ever been in a situation where you can’t decide which drink you want, OSMO might have the answer for you.
E: OSMO also introduced Indonesia’s first Solera Whiskey programme. What inspired you to bring this concept to Jakarta?
A: Just like our cocktails, OSMO’s Solera Whiskey is made by combining three different styles of whiskies, letting them mingle and harmonise with time. It’s a similar practice used in fortified wine, resulting in a more complex and layered product.
E: If you could distil your life into a single cocktail, what would it be?
A: Tequila Highball. Straightforward and drama-free.
Exquisite Taste Volume 51
Agung Satria Wibawa
IG: @el_hombre27
