Darren Defretes knows very well how young he is – especially when he compares his age and experience to the more seasoned bartenders in Jakarta. Ironically, he has one particular pet peeve: when people of his age group come up to him and ask how much money a bartender makes.

Even though Darren appreciates how his generational peers have started taking an interest in bartending as a vocation, he thinks that "passion" should remain a critical element in their minds before they start thinking about the money. After all, even someone as young and prodigious as Darren Defretes had to start from the bottom – both technically and mentally.

"There's no guarantee that a bartender or a mixologist will achieve success if they're not passionate about their work," said Darren in an interview on Tuesday. "Any vocation, as long as it is done passionately, will lead to success. Perhaps because they are exposed to bars and social media, [young people] nowadays see things way too far ahead that they forget the small stuff."

The young could be wayward at times. Nonetheless, Darren assured them that age did not and should not restrict one's capacity, as shown by what he had accomplished so far.

"Don't let anyone undermine us just because we're young. We can still be everyone's role model – with our achievements and hard work. Efforts will pay off," he said.

Life of the party

Born in Jakarta and raised in Manado, the younger Darren was “overtly extroverted”, he said. While his peers often felt hesitant or self-conscious about opening up and making new friends, Darren was the exception to the rule.

"I was the type of person who didn't want to do anything alone," he said. "I always insisted on having a companion. I was always a part of the crowd no matter what. I never skipped any family events, either."

Little did the younger Darren know his affinity for being the life of the party would later inform his future path as a bartender. As a child, for instance, he always found himself fascinated with banquets thrown by his family – especially the ones that also served one or two liquors.

"It didn't matter whether it was a wedding or a funeral – everyone would always booze it up," Darren continued. "That's when I first observed how people would drink, and I came to enjoy it. What I saw influenced me at school as well. Back in primary school, my friends and I would try to have the best time – as if we were emulating those old folks who had the best time enjoying booze at a party."

As he grew older, Darren's increasing eccentricity came with its own set of problems. Growing up in a "deeply religious" household, he struggled to meet his family's expectations and values. As a middle-schooler, in particular, Darren started exhibiting "poor morals, like skipping classes and getting involved in fistfights," he said.

Darren's academic circumstances did not improve, even when his grandparents sent Darren to Jakarta to join his parents. His high school years, unfortunately, brought out the worst in the adolescent Darren.

"My private high school in Jakarta was infamous for its students' tawuran [brawl] culture," he recalls. "That's when I started shaping this arrogant personality. I enjoyed exchanging blows and showing off as if I were the school's champ."

Darren later hit rock bottom when it was time to decide his post-high school future. Considering his poor behavior and the subsequent lack of prospects, he was very close to being enrolled in a seafaring school by his father – until he finally found an opportunity and support to attend a university. In 2013, he was enrolled at the National Hotel Institute Bandung, majoring in hospitality.

Wild ones

Darren's college major proved to be a perfect match for his wild spirit. He joined a community called eNhaii Bartender Club, which welcomed any college student interested in food and beverage management. There, he learned about the art of flair bartending and mixology. He took an interest in bartending for a typically boyish reason.

"Girls were in awe when the bartenders started juggling. So yeah, that was my early motivation for being a bartender – so that girls would take notice of me," he chuckled. "It was silly. But I'd like to share that because there is no such thing as an instant process."

Sure enough, the then-wayward Darren started taking a more serious interest, step by step, in the nooks and crannies of how to be a proficient bartender and mixologist. Once he received his degree, he spent four months working in a hotel in Doha, Qatar. It was his one-year tenure in the Maldives. However, that truly solidified his bartending passion and, more importantly, his commitment to his craft.

"My life in the Maldives was a life of routine," he explained. "You wake up, you work, you rest, repeat. What I can share about my experience in Maldives is that I won three international bartending and mixology competitions during that one year. In 2017, I was crowned the best bartender in the Maldives. As an Indonesian, I was super proud."

When it came time for him to return to his native Indonesia, Darren was keen on making his mark in his home country. After a couple of years of bartending in Jakarta, he soon drew attention thanks to his original cocktail recipes. His most famous creation was the 2017 Yuzantara Tonic: an alcoholic cocktail that incorporated cold brew produced by an Indonesian coffee brand.

"[Yuzantara Tonic] was a development of the renowned [cocktail] recipes of the past," he said. "It was back when I was appointed brand ambassador for [a brand of coffee liqueur] Nusantara Cold Brew. Yuzantara Tonic's ingredients consist of pressed yuzu, Nusantara Cold Brew and tonic. As simple as that.

“[Drinkers] usually have coffee and tonic, but this time, there's an added yuzu element: A Japanese citrus that gives off a sort of oriental taste. It was first launched in Bali, but the feedback I received from the outlets where I introduced the cocktail was glowing. They patented the cocktail in their respective outlet, and once it was introduced in Jakarta, it was still a [knockout]."

Baris-tender

At a time when a blend of coffee and liquor might still be perceived as unusual by the common Jakartan, Darren was recognized for being able to incorporate both the art of coffee brewing and the art of alcohol mixology, blurring the lines of “barista” and “bartender”. In 2021, he participated in the Indonesia Coffee in Good Spirits Championship alongside seasoned baristas such as Shayla Philipa and Muhammad Aga.

That said, Darren refused to see himself as revolutionary. True to his maverick nature, he divulged that he simply focused on trying new stuff and seeing what happened next.

"It's not, like, a mash-up of two disciplines. I was simply challenging myself," he remarked. "Turns out, it worked. Also, what I find commendable is how baristas nowadays have started taking cues from bartenders. They’ve started incorporating our techniques in their concoctions."

Darren has been pretty busy lately. Not only is he currently serving as the corporate head of bars for GIOI Group and the brand ambassador for Spice Islands Distilling Co., he is also the cofounder of Barchipelago, a cocktail bar in Kemang, South Jakarta. The bar first opened its doors to patrons early this year.

Ultimately, the same pandemic that derailed the city's bar scene also taught him that flipping bottles and twisting shakers alone were no longer enough to survive as a bartender in this time and age. What was initially a "desperate move" unexpectedly became a power move for the young entrepreneur.

"I am so thankful that we are still standing today. Turns out, [Barchipelago] has been running pretty well," he said.

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