Chinatown’s George Nemec is an accomplished bartender originally from the Czech Republic. Having conquered Australia – winning the title of Australian Bartender of the Year in 2004 – Nemec is bringing his talent and fondness for absinthe to Shanghai’s sauciest new venue.

You’re pretty fresh to Shanghai. How are you finding it?

You’re making me laugh. I was basically locked in Chinatown for the last 25 days so I haven’t really seen the city. From day one when I arrived I was at the office and on site, and having five or six hours of sleep a day.

But you’ve found time for a few drinks, right? Where do you go?

There are a couple of Japanese oriented sake-bars, Southern Cross, Constellation 2, and Kiitos. I’m a really big fan of Japanese bar culture; I’ve been to Japan and Tokyo quite a few times. I do very much enjoy sitting in those types of bars and having drinks made by the bartenders. It’s obviously a little bit different in Shanghai from Tokyo but it does still have a pretty strong focus on good quality ice, good products, good glassware, and precision.

What’s the thinking behind the drinks list at Chinatown?

There’s actually a reason behind nearly every single one of those drinks. Number one, because we are a themed place, we are stepping back in time. We are in Chinatown, in the 1930s; that’s why I wanted to put classic cocktails, cocktails with a lot of history on the list. Here, I have Old World where I am digging out old classic cocktails, and New World is the gap for creativity. It’s the place for China and Chinatown specials.

We like the selection of absinthe drinks.

There’s not a big choice of absinthe cocktails in other places, and this is an area where we’d like to specialise. Eventually we’d like to get a bigger range of, say 15, 20, 30 absinthes. I just want to break this boundary, this concept that absinthe is this horrible drink that brings on heaps of headaches.

Coming from the Czech Republic, absinthe is very accepted within the bar society – not horrible and quite a pleasant spirit. But, at the same time it’s not an easy spirit to work with. Once I see a lady sitting at the bar drinking my absinthe cocktail, then ordering a second and third, it will be an amazing feeling for me, and my staff.

Have you got a favourite drink?

I really like drinks with three or four ingredients that are nicely balanced – that’s where I see the beauty behind cocktail making. It’s not only about knowing the recipe or creating it, but about the perfect balance of ingredients. There is a drink called Summer Heat; I borrowed it from the owner of this bar in Tokyo called Star Bar, which is one of my favourite bars in the world.

Are you normally a talkative bartender, or more technical?

I am a more technical bartender. There are some bartenders today, their cocktails are not amazing, but they have great personalities and talk a lot. I’m trying to find the perfect balance between having short chats to the customer while making drinks and being quick. That’s what makes a bartender a good bartender, not only being a perfect host but having technical knowledge.

There’s a healthy culture of crazy at Chinatown. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen from behind the bar?

Honestly speaking, the craziest thing for me was actually to be behind the bar because we’ve all been waiting almost a year for the opening. I seriously stood behind the bar and I couldn’t believe it was all happening!

What are some of the most exciting moments on stage?

I really like Chinatown Charlie, the man who is guiding you through the whole evening. He has a really hard job. He’s not only entertaining you for a certain period of time but he’s there for the whole evening. For me, he’s probably number one on the stage.

Is it true that everyone on Chinatown’s staff has to give a performance at some point?

It’s true. When I was little I played the clarinet and saxophone. I’d like to surprise the customers by working this into the show – being a bartender, then all of a sudden grabbing a clarinet and playing. But obviously I’ll have to start practicing.