In the world of modern bartending, Norwegian Monica Berg has been one of the influential figures promoting sustainable, people-friendly, innovative, and efficient bars. She, with her partner Alex Kratena, runs Tayēr + Elementary bars in London. The two-in-one bar has become a must-visit bar experience, combining a casual and friendly neighbourhood bar (Elementary) with a moody, experimental, and flavour-forward bar (Tayēr). The bars are Berg’s expression as a top mixologist reimagining the classic spirit in bold, modern serves. She also co-founded P(our), a non-profit and educational symposium for the bar industry, and has her own liqueur brand, Muyu.
Monica Berg | Pic: Diageo India
Her journey started as a young bartender in Oslo and Greece, learning the ropes of being a bartender. “I’ve worked at nightclubs, dive bars, pubs, and everything in between. I moved to London in 2013, and I was working in a fine dining restaurant for a while,” she says.
She went back to Oslo to carve a niche for herself with her cocktails at Himkok, a hybrid bar and micro distillery. Her curiosity for flavours and aroma became a passion, one that she has been pursuing ever since. “I create drinks that are based on flavour rather than recipe, so it's much more instinctual and discovering your flavour instincts,” she says.
Berg’s passion also runs deep for whisky. She was recently in India as part of a collaboration with Johnnie Walker Black Label for exclusive masterclasses and bar takeovers. “I'm a big fan of whiskies. However, I personally don't like it neat. In my 20s, I too was an on-the-rocks neat whisky drinker, but now I find it much more interesting when you mix whisky because it's just such a great canvas,” she shares. The depth and versatility of whisky pairs really well with a variety of flavours and ingredients. “It’s not natural to consider whisky as a blank canvas, because there’s so much within the spirit itself, but if you can look at it as an advantage, rather than as a hindrance, that’s where the opportunity lies,” she adds.
For the purists and naysayers who believe Scotch whisky is best enjoyed neat, Berg questions whether it is worth it to convince them. “Isn’t it just better to talk to people who actually want to listen?” she asks.
At Tayēr + Elementary, she sees young drinkers who love a good whisky cocktail, and it is a global trend that resonates with younger consumers. When asked which whisky cocktail she would introduce to a curious connoisseur, she recommends an Old Fashioned. “Just by adding sugar and a gentle dilution to a whisky, it highlights the underlying profiles of the spirit. Every Old Fashioned made with a different whisky style will be different,” she explains.
Berg also recommends a straightforward Highball because she likes the way carbonation affects the whisky. “It is very important that you make a Whisky Highball with correct proportions for the flavours to stand tall,” she says. There is a reason Japanese Whisky Highballs are preferred worldwide over other types, with a much lower alcohol to soda ratio, allowing it to be a pleasant drinking experience.
