I was born on May 8, 1990 in Prague. After graduating from school, I got a scholarship because I played semi-professional football. Since my father was a building contractor, he wanted me to follow in his footsteps, so I started studying civil engineering as a major, but I wasn't very talented in geometry or math, and after only one year they said I was too bad to continue. My parents were not amused. When I got kicked out of school, my parents told me that I had to take care of myself now. At that point, it was also clear that I couldn't continue playing soccer professionally. I was 18 years old and I knew I would never be a top player. It was really hard, but I had to see the facts as they were.
Since my mother worked in the restaurant business, I decided to do an apprenticeship in the kitchen and in service. It lasted three years. In the second year, my parents paid for me to attend a Barkeeper workshop at school. It was organized by the Czech Bartenders Association, but it took place in the famous Tretter's Bar in Prague. The instructor was Josef Zelenka. I sat in the middle of the bar and watched him shake and stir, and at that moment I realized that this was what I wanted to do.
At my first job in a club, I was flairing in front of a well-known bartender, and when he saw that, he stopped me and told me to cut the shit. He asked me, "Do you know anything about gin or a Manhattan cocktail? Put the bottles back on the shelf, open a book and learn something. Without knowledge, your posturing is just a circus act." It was a big wake-up call. I realized I didn't know anything. What's actually in a cocktail, I asked myself. I turned to Eduard Ondrareck, who was a very good Barkeeper at the time, but whom I didn't know personally. I just called him up and asked, "Can you teach me?" I asked him to show me all the basics, for example, what a Martinez cocktail is. It was a five-day intensive, and he was really like a mentor to me. Still, I loved flair, and I started traveling with a guy named Vaclav Abraham. That's when the Guy Fawkes mask idea came up. I used it as my alter ego in competitions. Everyone was amazed and wondered who the guy with the strange mask could be. I loved it.
When I was twenty-two, my brother David approached me and asked, "Why don't we open a bar together?" My parents instilled in us the credo that we should work together and stick together as a family. However, I was very focused on bartending and had no idea about business. I just focused on being a good Barkeeper . We talked about the concept for about a month and we liked the ideas we came up with. We were sitting in a park and my brother asked, "Why don't we use your mask for our concept?" I felt like we had hit the nail on the head and that's how AnonymouS Bar was born.
AnonymouS Bar
AnonymouS Bar is hidden from the street and we have a large courtyard where you can sit outside in the summer. We have a lot of space and attract quite a big crowd in the evening. Around midnight it can be a bit like being in a club. It can get very loud and quite raucous. We have about thirteen cocktails on the menu, but of course we can offer the classics. We also have an extensive spirits list.
The future
That's a tough question, especially with Covid and the current political situation. I thought that since people had to drink and eat all the time, they would definitely run out, but I was proven wrong. I was surprised at how small the step is from survival to bankruptcy. Just one day can change everything. That was a tough realization.
"Everyone was amazed and wondered who the guy with the weird mask could be. I loved it."
I hope the bar industry gets stronger, but we're in the platinum age of the industry, which means it will probably go downhill from here. All the crazy ideas have mostly already been done and it's hard to keep reinventing yourself.
Filip Stránský - Personal
Born: 1990
Special skills: I am very good at magic. I like to combine my magic tricks with my work. I always have a smile on my face and I like to bring experiences to people.
Free time: I like to play desktop video games and I can relax while playing. It frees my mind. I also like to read.
Barkeeper since: 2009
Biggest mistake: In my first year at AnonymouS Bar, I designed my own uniform. It was super expensive and after five to six months we actually didn't use it anymore.
Most important career move: I survived the Covid crisis with my bars.
Favorite cocktail: Ramos Gin Fizz. Why: When someone orders it in a stressful situation, I smile and don't ask why the heck he or she is ordering it right now. I always do that when I'm out and about to see how bartenders react. If the bartender is rude, I order four of them. It's a very old cocktail, but still great today.
Favorite bar: Any bar where I feel comfortable and welcome.
Prague in three words: freedom, craziness, security.
