Sweden is considered to be one of the most sustainable countries in the world… but it also happens to produce an impressive volume of internationally renowned designers and fashion houses given the size of the country.
07.12.2023 - 19:27 / forbes.com / Africa
Every year since 2009, the World’s 50 Best Bars has released its list of top tipple temples from across the globe. Not once has a single bar from Africa ever qualified for that list. It actually remains the only habitable continent on earth to be denied such a spot. And it’s not for lack of trying. There are countless candidates from Morocco all the way down to Cape Town befitting of the merit. None are knocking on the door quite so loudly as Hero Bar in the heart of Nairobi, Kenya.
Leading the charge is Shamim Ehsani, the bar’s founder. The affable character is something of a local fixture in the prestigious diplomatic district of the bustling capital. He serves as Hero’s creative director and can frequently be found holding court in the rooftop space, with the city’s striking skyline shimmering along the horizon.
He is continually developing new concepts related to food and beverage—building out a themed menu inspired by superheroes, and attracting world-class talent for an ongoing series of bar takeovers. More recently, he’s bankrolled a state-of-the-art cocktail lab on property, complete with induction tops, dehydrators and rotovaps.
In other words, he’s checking all the boxes that the World’s 50 Best judges notoriously expect to be checked. He’s finding some degree of validation, too. In 2023, Hero ranked #63 on the list (despite its name, the competition now publishes a second tier group for spots 51-100)—the premiere perch for any African bar. And Ehsani is doing all of this while still running and managing the 5-star Tribe Hotel next door.
But this is a man who lives and breathes hospitality. So, despite the fact that his days are long, they tend to be filled with more joy than stress. In an exclusive interview with Forbes, he shares some of the secrets to his success. And talks about how he has managed to finally bring an African bar into the “World’s 50 Best” conversation.
What inspires you most about today’s cocktail scene?
Shamim Ehsani: “The creativity in the methods used to extract flavor, or instill character to cocktails by bars around the world continues to inspire me. From Diego Cabrera’s (Salmon Guru) technique of submerging bottles to the ocean floor, to Iain McPherson (Panda and Sons) applying his knowledge and training from ice cream production to creating cocktails; it’s inspiring to learn about people who push the envelope in such creative ways.”
When did you become interested in bringing high-minded cocktails to Nairobi? Is there a specific moment of inspiration that you can point to, where a lightbulb went off?
SE: “In creating the concept for Hero, we explored and imagined what superheroes would drink; this exercise yielded some interesting results, including
Sweden is considered to be one of the most sustainable countries in the world… but it also happens to produce an impressive volume of internationally renowned designers and fashion houses given the size of the country.
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