Bartender and owner of Care/Of Bar in Malmoe
Meet Stefan Forsberg
Name: Stefan Forsberg Age: 33 Lives in: Malmoe, Sweden
Occupation: Bartender, Bar Manager and owner of Care/Of Bar in Malmoe
Passion: Cocktails, mixed and served at his cocktail bar Care/Of Bar
Favorite Rivsalt product: "I use the 002 THE ORIGINAL REFILL – Himalayan salt rocks a lot,
especially in savory cocktails like Paloma and Margarita. It’s perfect for enhancing other flavors.”
Follow him on Instagram: @careofbar
Lives and breathes coktails
Stefan has a soft spot for bartending history. The craft, the origin of classic drinks, cocktail books from the early 1800s. I learned a lot about the classics and traditional ingredients at Press Club in Brisbane, he says. That was a really good school for me. And from his deep knowledge of bartending – knowing the craft, judging quality, knowing how to balance flavors – comes new ideas. Sometimes I create new cocktails in my head, he says. And I pretty much know how they will taste before I mix them.
Drink better, not more
Stefan has a mission. He wants to make people drink better, not more. I want to educate my guests, he says. Make them aware of the ingredients and what quality tastes like. And surprise them with new experiences. Care/Of Bar has one cocktail served in a black glass – Wild Card. The ingredients are secret and guests are asked to guess what’s in it. To make them reflect on flavors and ingredients.
Shake, rattle and mix
The bartender is a showman, the counter a stage. And every performance 5-8 minutes long. It shouldn’t take more to mix a cocktail, Stefan says. Everything has been arranged to perfection. The counter is visible from every corner of the bar. The bottles, the garnish, the equipment, the cooled down glasses are cleverly organized to match the working order of the drinks.
The bar is quite small, 50 seats. Perfect size, it seems. It never feels crowded. The cocktails are served by the table, which keeps the guests seated and adds to the relaxed atmosphere. Snacks and smaller dishes can be ordered. But the main attraction – always the cocktail.