AIHM hospitality student Andrew Rohrbach interviews the Opium Bar’s head mixologist and bar manager Matteo Cadeddu and learns there’s much more to mixology than crafting the perfect drink. Gain insights from an award-winning bartender on the secrets to success in the bar business.
What skills are needed to be ‘best in bar’? What are the differences between bars in Asia and Europe? Read the interview below for the answers, and gain a window into the kinds of questions our hospitality education students consider as they discover what it takes to be a leader in the hospitality industry.
Opium Bar: Concept Overview
The whole building physically belonged to Chef Pam’s ancestors. In the past, there used to be a lot of Chinese medicine houses around this area. The building was therefore utilized wisely. The first floor was the shop selling Chinese medicines, and the second floor was where the medicines were made.
Then the third floor was the dining room where the family could get together. The fourth floor, where the Opium Bar is now located, was then the bedroom — and the space where people could smoke opium at that time. This is why the bar was named “Opium Bar”.
“So with the story being told, and with our current context that opium is not allowed legally in the country anymore — unlike at that moment in time — the creations at Opium Bar aim to offer a surrealistic vibe through our cocktails.
The concept of beverages we offer here follows the liquid reality method. We aim to create the look and feel of the cocktails to give our guests a unique experience for their new memories, as well as to revive past memories through our cocktails”.
Mr. Cadeddu, his work is to create cocktails that bring experience through customers’ senses, a cocktail that can take you to travel back in time and sink in the subtle savor of the drink in a retro nostalgic ambiance. He reiterated that the concept of the Bar is not about putting opium into their work, but to create the vibe and keep the memory, of the past and especially of the building and its area alive. The focus is to create a memorable and unique memory for their guests. It is that makes Opium Bar special from others in China Town.
“We considered ourselves very lucky to have Chef Pam’s very historical building. What we do is enhance the historical architecture of the building. At the same time, we blend it with what we are trying to create in the bar as well as in the restaurant — keeping the memory and legacy alive” Mr. Cadeddu added.
The Bar has very good products, and decide to use them to create an exceptional look, taste, and feel for their guests’ experience. “Bangkok keeps moving forward, everything changes drastically. If you take a look around, you see all the modern architecture, new trends, and styles everywhere. But here in Chinatown, especially in the old town area, we tried to stay a little bit in the past, to preserve its charm and atmosphere.” Here we do keep moving forward, but never forgetting the past or the root we have. We create something modern, new, and unique for our guests on top of our fascinating and impressive past we have”.
What drew you to a career in mixology and bartending?
“Basically when I was young, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. But when I was like 15-16 years old, I saw one of my brothers, who worked as a chef. During summertime in Italy, we tend to go out and do some work, just sort of the way to earn money for the day, or for the year. So I went to work as a waiter and found myself enjoying working in the services industry. After that, I returned to continue my study at the hospitality school in Italy.
At that time, I was fascinated by being a chef and very proud of my creative skills and enjoy very much creating something new to share with people. I love to cook, but not for myself, practically for people. I had a thought to pursue a career as a chef, however, I’m very sociable and enjoy meeting people so much that working in the kitchen may limit that chance. With that, I found bartending a right match between creating something for someone and meeting up front with the guests. In conclusion, my experience working as a chef, to be able to create something unique and special, brought me here, into the hospitality industry, and with my personality and how I enjoy meeting people, Bartending is a perfect match”.
Mr. Cadeddu added that bartending can be a job full of pressure. When people go to a restaurant, they expect some waiting time for their food. In a bar, though, people expect faster service. That doesn’t mean the kitchen works harder than the bar — it’s just different. A bartender often has a full bar and a room of guests waiting on their drinks. In that moment, he needs to move fast, tend to those who’ve waited longest, and keep everyone happy.
This is the stressful part of the job for any front liner. The key is to stay vigilant and fix any situation before a guest gets frustrated — all while making sure each drink is crafted properly. From his experience, waiting time makes a real difference at the bar, since guests expect their drinks fast. Still, Opium Bar manages it well and keeps things steady. The team there takes full pride and responsibility in how they serve their guests. Sometimes a little waiting is worth it, because their standards don’t bend.
What skills does it take to succeed as a head bartender?
People often think serving drinks is the main task of a bartender. But from his experience — and from what he learned back in school — making drinks is actually the smallest part of the job. Plenty of good bartenders know their recipes, the right amount of alcohol, and how to garnish a drink well.
“But why guests go back to a bar, it is because of the ambiance, the comfy feeling, and the feeling connected to the bar and the bartender.” According to Mr. Cadeddu, a great bartender’s real skill is connecting with people. It’s not just about entertaining guests — it’s about understanding their needs and responding professionally. Bangkok offers no shortage of great cocktail bars. What sets the successful ones apart is attention to detail: the ambiance, the drinks, the snacks, even the napkins. Knowing how to engage and treat guests well — that’s what brings them back to the same bar.
Mr. Cadeddu shared his experience of how he enjoyed returning to the same bar. There, the staff are attentive and able to engage in any chat remarkably. This kind of place makes people want to return. It’s not about a stunning presentation with no life and no story. As a bartender himself, he sees it as a sign when a guest chooses to sit at the bar instead of a table. It means he needs to keep the guest engaged, while still keeping a proper distance. This is where the good bartender comes in. As a head bartender, Mr. Cadeddu ensures his team has the skills. They also need a strong understanding of the drinks and services delivered to guests.
Where do you find inspiration when creating drinks?
“The inspiration is constantly changing, it came from life experience and how you perceive everything around you”.
When it comes to creation, Mr. Cadeddu tends to keep things simple yet unique. It is about how to blend things together — the ingredients, the look, the taste, the smell, and the sensation the drink can deliver. He was basically mixing the ingredients together, but it was created based on the experience he has working in various bars, in various places, with various mixology methods. Most importantly, it was created with the various colleagues he’s had the opportunity to work with.
“Everything made me who I am today, all living memories, experiences, and my own self” he added.
Another approach he has in order to bring the guest back to his bar is to tickle his guests’ curiosity. For Mr. Cadeddu, it always makes his day to receive a question like “what new drink do you have today” from his guest. For him, this is very rewarding and shows how he is successful in what he is trying to do.
What does winning the sustainability award for your Flor de Caña cocktail mean to you and the bar?
Earlier this year, The Opium Bar crowned the winner of the Thailand Grand Final Flor de Caña Rum Sustainable Cocktail Challenge Competition. The competition was won by Mr. Matteo Cadeddu himself. He was announced and crowned winner of Thailand. In the interview, Mr. Cadeddu stated that they had to participate in the competition. It was their philosophy from the beginning. He also said that as a bar, they need to be really mindful. They need to pass on the message to the customer.
“I really felt I had to do this competition not only to be close to the brand but also for the value. Nowadays, there are a lot of things being produced and wasted. As a bar as well, I see there is a lot of waste, especially with citrus. We are trying to do something on our own to tackle these issues of producing. This ties into issues with global warming, and also coupled with reducing the carbon footprint. If we can do something to change this perspective of overbuying — to only buying what you need. But not only that, also helping out the local community. As a bar in Chinatown, we are very lucky because we can find local ingredients and items to use.”
How would you describe the different drinking cultures in the west and the east?
Mr. Matteo Cadeddu has had the privilege of working in many various different countries around the world from countries like Singapore to Australia and now Thailand and has had many different experiences with the different types of people, tastes, and drinking cultures in the different parts of the world.
“Even in different parts of Asia, they have a slightly different approach and palate. I will say in Thailand especially, I would find it more on the sour side however in Singapore it can be a little more on the drier side, but I noticed it throughout the whole of Asia. On the western side, especially in Europe, we tend to lean a little more to the drier and bitter side and in Australia, I noticed it was on the bitter side. So you to have adjusted, wherever you are but still keep true to yourself because what we do here at Opium, we are trying to give a western feel to the customer while still accommodating to the needs and different tastes of the customers”
