Interview with Vitória Kurihara, World Class finalist from Paraná

Mixologist Vitória Kurihara, 24, is one of the six finalists in the national edition of World Class 2023, the biggest cocktail making competition in the world. The Paraná native started her career in gastronomy working as a confectioner, but soon recognized cocktail making as her vocation, and has been working in the field for four years. Currently, she is head bartender from Duq Gastronomia, a restaurant located in the central region of Curitiba.

In an interview with Bom Gourmet, Vitória explained about “Manná”, a project that took her to the grand finale that will take place this Monday (05) at the Pavilhão da Bienal do Ibirapuera (SP). In addition to sharing about the preparations for the grand finale, she also spoke about her professional transition: from pastry to bar. Check out the full interview below.

Can you talk a little more about your professional career? What made you stop being a pastry chef to work as a bartender?

I always had in mind that I would work in some area of ​​gastronomy, and that’s why I ended up working in the pastry shop. But it’s something that has always been a plan of mine, that I have a profession that brings me a purpose as to why I work in this field. The bakery didn’t give me that, so I opted to go out, explore the world and understand what I was going to do with my life. In the midst of this, the bar ended up falling for me. There, having to serve people at the counter, making cocktails, I understood what hospitality was. For me, one of the biggest purposes I have today is precisely this: to transform my client’s day in some way, through a cocktail, or through the care I take with him… Because it is a very hospitable branch, cocktail making kind of embraced me as a profession, and it all kind of made sense.

What are your main references in the world of cocktails?

There are several people in the cocktail making business that I have as a reference, who are people who really made a name for themselves through their profession, in short. But I think the ones who bring me the most reference are people who are running with me every day, working, exchanging ideas… So, I would say that they are the people who are part of my life as a whole, the cocktail scene in Curitiba.

Have you participated in other cocktail championships? If yes, which ones?

I already participated in the Monin Cup Brasil, in 2022. I was one of the ten finalists in the Brazilian. In 2019, if I’m not mistaken, I participated in a Tanqueray championship too, which I took first place.

What motivated you to participate in World Class 2023?

I always plan myself to hit some goals, and I think World Class was always a goal, I just wanted to be prepared for it. Well, we know how much the contest makes a difference in a bartender’s life, so when you start thinking and putting these things on the scale, it’s very easy to see what motivates you. Mainly because of the fact that the World Class makes us leave our comfort zone, and really try to understand the professional that we are, you know? What is the differential that we have in a field of work with so many people. I think this is something very incredible, that the World Class makes us look for it, you know?

What is the central idea of ​​the project and the concept of the “Manná” cocktail that took you to the World Class 2023 final?

Manná is a cocktail and a project that aims to connect bars and small producers, generating income and opportunity for these families. The most important part of the project is a study where we look for unconventional inputs that can be sold, generating more income for these families, and also bringing more techniques and flavor into the bar. So, together with the farm Maria Emília and Sabrina Carrard, my designer, I developed an extremely informative project that could be replicated anywhere in the world.

How are you feeling about being among the 6 finalists of the biggest cocktail contest in the world?

I don’t think I would have any other feeling to define except how happy I am. Like I said, I planned this, and now to be doing it like this is amazing. But, I’m also very excited, because I know there are going to be a lot of people who are participating who are good too. But it’s the good anxiety, I’m very excited.

How will the final work? How are you preparing for the big day?

Well, the final will take place at the BCB (Bar Convent SP), at the Bienal, in São Paulo. It will start early, a few hours from the end. In terms of preparations, I think basically what I’ve been doing is studying. Practicing my presentation, studying the drinks, studying the cocktails, recording the presentations with my cell phone, presenting in front of the mirror… Because everything, like that, has to be gone through with a fine-tooth comb, you know? So it’s been a pretty intense training day.

What is the concept of the drink that you will present in the grand finale?

So, I can’t actually open this, because since it hasn’t happened yet, it could harm me by opening this. But the concept of the drink they ordered is new modern classic. So that we could create a new modern classic. So I’m working on that, which is easy for me. I’m very much into classic cocktails, the new classic, which are variants of the classics that we have. So that’s basically the concept. I can’t open more than that.