Alexandra Jianu, Head of Social Media New Moon, is a specialist in good mixes. Both at work, where he combines creativity with efficiency and analytical thinking, but also outside of it, when he surprises his friends and followers on TikTok with surprising cocktails. During the pandemic, she became the bartender on duty for the group of friends, and then realized that she could take her passion for mixology online.
“In mixology, as in communication, it is essential to know how to attract and impress the target. Every time I prepare a cocktail, I think about the story I want to convey through tastes, textures, colors and presentation, to like I would do in a campaign,” says Alexandra.
About communication and creative cocktails, Alexandra Jianu tells more in the lines below:
A good creative mix
In high school I flirted with very diverse fields, from medicine to the police, but in the 12th grade I discovered Advertising at SNSPA. At the time, it seemed like the perfect mix of creativity and applied thinking that I was looking for. Fortunately, it was. There was also the reputation that communication people throw the coolest parties, which I got tired of anyway after the first year at the agency.
I followed the classic path of university – internship – job, with a one-year break for a master’s degree in Creative Industries in Denmark. In 2021 I arrived at New Moon, and for over a year I have been Head of Social Media & Performance.
Passion outside of work
The passion for making cocktails started long before I could drink them. When I was 15, my mother came home with a book of drink recipes from which I was drawn to the Bloody Brain, a shot that looked like a brain in formalin. I tried to recreate it with what I had around the bar. It didn’t work out for me, but it whetted my appetite. Every time I had guests over, I would test new recipes on them. I had no idea what they tasted like, it didn’t tempt me at all, but I loved the ritual.
What followed
I had a period of several years when other passions and concerns took the place of cocktails, but I rediscovered them in the pandemic, of “need”. I became the duty bartender for the group of friends, but the real level up was when I stumbled upon Drink Masters, a show with some of the best bartenders in the world. It was the point where I went from making cocktails from a recipe to exploring mixology.
An intense foray into different techniques followed: dehydration, smoking, fat washing, spherification, I tried them all. I turned my kitchen into an experimental laboratory. I’ve found that the part I like best is the waiting. I make a liqueur and stare at it for months until I get to taste it. It’s a process you can’t rush, and it also comes with a lesson in mindfulness.
How did you learn
Social media and especially TikTok are the best teachers, but I learn from everywhere. I go out and ask bartenders, I recreate famous bar cocktails, I’m part of online communities, I go to conventions, I watch international competitions and most importantly, I test my friends and ask for feedback.
What has this passion turned into?
The transformation from a weekend hobby to a more serious commitment happened a few months ago. My friends kept writing to ask me for recipes, so under their pressure, I made mine a TikTok account. I discovered pretty quickly that people aren’t interested in cocktails that take you a week, so I started a series of basics. Little by little, I hope to build a community and spark people’s curiosity. I want to encourage them to better understand what they consume, discover new flavors, experiment and explore their creativity.
How much time do you dedicate to this passion?
Mixology is the kind of passion that can take over all your free time. These are cocktails I’ve been working on for almost a month. You let the fruit macerate, you infuse a liqueur, you make all kinds of syrups, and when you get to the end, you might find that it didn’t turn out, especially when you play with fermentation – you create a living organism that can completely change from hour to hour, from temperature to temperature. But surely the greatest satisfaction is when you get to test it and discover an original flavor.
Since we also introduced the content creation factor, it has become more complicated to manage. Sometimes I make cocktails at 8 in the morning when the light is best, put them in a thermos and send them to friends. Time is found. I edit clips on the subway, on the way to work, or record my scripts in the shower.
The most important thing is to be curious and let the ingredients surprise you, and secondly you have to be consistent. Often you don’t feel like shooting content, editing, cleaning up after a week of work, but I try to treat the whole process with the same seriousness as I would treat any other project.
Moments when you wanted to give up
Last year we threw a Cuban themed party with a menu of 6-7 themed cocktails. We wanted everyone to have an option to their liking, so we spent the entire evening making drinks. After all the guests left, I realized that I had not exchanged two words with them. Exhaustion had begun to take the place of excitement, so I took a break. I couldn’t stay away for long, but I still changed my approach. I started having evenings centered around a single drink and I was surprised to find that people drink what you give them, and they like it.
Discoveries, surprises
I understood that socializing is the central aspect of this passion. For me, the most beautiful moment is when I prepare a cocktail for someone and witness the moment of “wow, this is surprising” after the first sip. It’s a very good excuse for genuine interaction. Come to think of it, I probably only drink 2-3 cocktails a year by myself. All the charm lies in sharing this process.
Mixology & communication
The passion for mixology and advertising meet in a very natural way. Both require creativity, attention to detail and a good understanding of people. In mixology, as in communication, it is essential to know how to attract and impress the target. Every time I make a cocktail, I think about the story I want to convey through tastes, textures, colors and presentation, just like I would in a campaign.
The content I create for TikTok is a perfect example of how these two worlds merge and support each other. Years of working in social media have given me the tools to start down this path, but at the same time I have the opportunity to test on my own “brand” ce funcwhat and what not. Since opening the account, I’ve probably changed the initial strategy 3-4 times based on public reaction, a luxury I would never allow myself with a client.
Essentially, I found a nice balance between the two passions, each helping me grow and develop on both fronts.
Source: www.iqads.ro
