Rok, let’s start where your Union Hotels journey began in the first place.

Rok: My Union Hotels journey started in 2012. My very first job was in the Banquet Department and I also helped out at the Unionski Vrt restaurant, from where I moved to the Aperitiv bar thanks to my mixology knowledge. I spend a year and a half there – with some brief stints at the former Smrekarjev Hram restaurant during this time – and then I came to Hotel Lev, where I’m still working now.

In what way have you managed to express yourself through cocktails since you started working at Hotel Lev?

Rok: I have expressed myself by having a free hand at creating cocktail menus. Each summer, I had the opportunity – and, of course, also the desire – to work on the cocktail menus at all of Union Hotels restaurants and bars. I followed the trends and I always made sure the cocktails were perfect for both the season and the guests’ mood… And the highlight of my career here was – at least as far as cocktails are concerned – attending the 2015 Slovenian Cocktail Championship, which took place at Grand Hotel Union 2015. I won in my home court, becoming the national championship.

What was the recipe that won you the title?

Rok: At that time, there were two categories that took two mixologists to two different world championships. The first one was the championship in mixing non-alcoholic cocktails in Prague, the Czech Republic, and the other was the world cocktail congress in Sofia, Bulgaria. I mixed two fruit cocktails, using natural, fruit purees. I was the only one to use a combo of three kinds of fruit, adding non-sparkling water to bring out the fruity flavour. As for the alcohol cocktail, I decided to do something similar, but added a bit of alcohol, giving it a slightly more intense flavour. This turned out to be a winning combination. Otherwise I’m a big fan of pineapple and oranges.

Was it these flavours that have awoken your passion for cocktails?

Rok: When I was fifteen and started secondary school, I did work placement in the Slovenian town of Vrhnika, at a good restaurant that was famous for its bartenders and which the first world champion from Slovenia, Aleš Vogrin, worked for. As did many others who I have learnt from. This world captured my whole interest and attention in no time, so even back when I was still in secondary school, I took part in a competition in Bled, winning for the first time. When I won for the second time, I was no longer allowed to compete for the school. When I graduated from secondary school, I was given permission to apply for the Slovenian bartender license. And that’s how my passion kept developing further…

Summer cocktails are quite different from the ones we drink in the autumn. Now that the autumn is just about to start what kind of cocktail would you recommend?

Rok: In the summer, guests like to indulge in long fresh cocktails, whereas in the autumn cocktails tend to get a bit shorter much like the autumn days. On cold days, some of the most popular drinks are still grog or punch, basically something that contains spirits.

What hot cocktail would best illustrate the flavours of Slovenia?

Rok: The colour of Slovenia is green because Slovenia is a green, wood-rich country. I always tell this to our guests, but actually they already know about it even before they even come to Slovenia. When I suggest mixing a green cocktail, they are always up for it.

I take it you sometimes pass down your knowledge and skills to your colleagues?

Rok: That’s right. I am now a head and I am happy to share my knowledge with my colleagues. I always tell them that they must surprise the guests … both with flavours and the way the cocktails look.

And to go back to what’ve already touched on… what should our readers use to mix their own autumn cocktail?

Rok: Rum is quite the thing for the autumn months. It goes well with limes, oranges, lemons and so on. In Slovenia, we’ve got exceptionally good water, especially mineral water. The Radenska mineral water is a great water to use in cocktails. I’ve tried quite a few from all over the world, but the waters that compare with Radenska’s strong flavour are few and far between.

Oranges are a true autumn fruit. But how can they be used in autumn drinks?

Rok: One of the tricks of the trade is mixing cloves or cinnamon with ice in a shaker. You need to mix it all together and then pour orange juice over it. Two to three minutes later, you strain it and you get a winter-flavoured orange juice.