A unique blend of personal storytelling and professional insights

27th January 2025 | Angelos Bafas, also known as Mr Ungarnished, is set to release his debut book, HYPER drinks, available for pre-sale from Thursday 6th February 2025. Edited by award-winning drinks writer Millie Milliken, HYPER drinks is a deeply personal journey through the world of flavour, ethics and creativity. With over 75 recipes, HYPER drinks is more than a collection of recipes, it’s a manifesto for crafting exceptional drinks rooted in simplicity, locality, and sustainability - designed to inspire a new wave of mindful bartending across the industry.

Written as a personal journal, the book highlights Angelos’ journey from experimenting with exotic ingredients at the start of his career, to championing local, sustainable produce. Far more than a cocktail recipe book, HYPER drinks is a heartfelt reflection on the art of bartending, a celebration of community relationships with farmers and suppliers, and a call to action for a more thoughtful, sustainable approach to drinks. It underscores the importance of supporting local economies and ecosystems. 

The book takes readers on a journey from Angelos’ roots in a small town in northern Greece, to his rise in London’s dynamic bar scene, including roles as Bar Manager at Aqua Group, General Manager at SOMA Soho, and currently Group Head of Bars at Creative Restaurant Group, including Nipperkin, NIJU, HUMO and Kioku by Endo. Predominantly inspired during the launch of Nipperkin Bar in Mayfair, London - where the ethos centres on radical simplicity and locally sourced, seasonal ingredients - the book delves into the concepts of hyper-local and hyper-seasonal ingredients, encouraging bartenders and drink enthusiasts to embrace sustainable, ethically sourced produce, whilst challenging the traditional definitions of ‘local’, focusing on factors such as time to glass and geographical proximity. 

In a time when convenience often trumps quality, HYPER drinks highlights the value of traditional techniques including macerating, foraging and preservation - proving that impressive drinks don’t need expensive equipment or exotic ingredients to make an impact. Although the recipes in HYPER drinks champion seasonal crops and ingredients from across the British Isles, the book serves as a versatile tool for bartenders worldwide. The recipes provide a framework for creating exceptional drinks using local ingredients - wherever you are in the world - introducing a multitude of flavour replicas that Angelos has developed over the years.

Readers can expect recipes including a Raspberry Dry Vermouth made from scratch, Caramelised Rhubarb Spirit, and inventive cocktails such as the Wild Garlic Martini crafted with wild garlic gin, and an Elderflower Bee’s Knees featuring three distinct preparations of foraged elderflower.

On his debut book, Angelos Bafas notes, ‘HYPER drinks reflects a year of my life, or, more precisely, a year’s produce in my life. Great flavour demands great simplicity, and using local and seasonal ingredients is not just a concept - it’s the only way forward.’

‘Angelos is a purist, obsessed with quality, tradition and creativity. This book is not just a recipe book, it’s a philosophy about doing things the right way. So grab a copy and start making drinks. Enjoy.’ commented  Fred Sirieix, TV personality and hospitality expert. 

Whether you're an aspiring bartender, a seasoned mixologist, or simply a lover of creative, considered drinks, HYPER drinks invites you to explore how simplicity and sustainability can transform the way we craft and enjoy cocktails.

HYPER drinks will be available for pre-order from 6th of February, ahead of the book's official release in spring 2025. 

HYPER drinks by Angelos Bafas

All photography featured in the book is credited to Carla Barber Photography