Have you ever gone into something without any expectations but then came out the other end with a newfound passion?
Perhaps his example is pretty out there, but for Joshua Ivanovic, he can absolutely say that he has.
Bartending was supposed to be just a convenient way for him to make cash on the side whilst studying media production and the arts.
What actually happened was it became a career that took him around the world, eventually landing him in Malaysia with not one, but two co-founded bars—JungleBird and Humboldt.
Hook, line, and sinker
Born and raised in the fishing and farming county Cornwall, England, Joshua’s journey into F&B started with a gig at a beachside resort.
The social side of being a bartender had him hooked almost immediately, with his love for the job only increasing as he transitioned into mixing drinks at nightclubs.
To him, it was simply the best job he could ask for to meet people from all walks of life.
“I later set my sights on broader environments with multiple stints abroad in Central and South America, California, and a ‘round-the-world’ ticket stopping in the islands of the South Pacific, Australasia and South East Asia,” he added.
When he eventually returned to England in 2004, he would go on to work at quite the number of renowned establishments in London. This included the London Academy of Bartenders (LAB) and the now-closed Milk & Honey, voted world’s best bar in 2009 and 2010.
But it was working for Mahiki that was arguably the most influential.
“I have a borderline obsession with rum stemming from my time at Mahiki,” Joshua explained.
“Being a tiki bar, we lived and breathed cane spirit.”
When he moved to Malaysia in 2010, however, he claimed that something like the rum bars he was familiar with had yet to exist.
And so in 2017, he co-founded one alongside his wife, Lolita (who was the PR and communications director for KL Cocktail Co.), and his ex-Mahiki-co-worker, Divy.
This was the JungleBird, which shared its name with a classic-rum based cocktail created right here in Malaysia back in the early 1970s.
10 years in the making
As much as he loved rum, though, a rum bar wasn’t actually the first idea that Joshua had in mind.
“As previously mentioned I’d spent time in Latin America which, particularly in the case with Peru, left a long lasting impression,” he explained.
With that, he had actually been planning to create something that embodied his love for South America for a little over a decade.
Initially called “The Sly Panda Jazz Club,” the concept would be brought to life in 2023 when they were approached to take over BAC’s former space.
In his own words, it was the picture perfect fit, but they were going to need a change of name. There was a certain other bar also with panda in its name that he wanted to avoid clashing with.
Taking “bird” from “JungleBird,” he landed on penguins. Penguins brought him back to his time in Peru where the country is home to a certain species of the animal, the Humboldt penguin.
Hence, Humboldt.
Josh would later come to find out that the Humboldt name came from one Alexander von Humboldt, a German explorer who left his mark in South America.
Aside from animals, Humboldt also attached his name to what’s known today as the “Humboldt Current.” It’s an ocean current that runs from Antarctica along the west coast of South America.
And as it happens, the current has an influence on the economies of Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia—all countries that Humboldt’s offerings are specifically influenced by.
He couldn’t have asked for a happier coincidence.
When asked about his recommendation for those unfamiliar with South American flavours, Josh’s honest advice is to be as adventurous as possible.
“From a beverage perspective, I love a drink that we do, called ‘Canelazo’ which references a hot alcoholic beverage served in the Andes with local spirit and cinnamon,” he said when asked about his favourites from the menu.
The drink is usually prepared with a fruit native to Ecuador and Colombia called naranjilla or mora. But because the fruit is near impossible to get here, his version is reverse engineered using ingredients with similar chemical compounds.
“From the kitchen, undoubtedly the Conejo Chactado,” Josh also added.
It’s a deep fried rabbit dish, inspired by Peru’s traditional “cuy,” which is made out of guinea pig.
A unique choice of meat for sure, and one that is surprisingly nutritious. Unpopularity aside, of course.
A word of warning
At the moment, the immediate focus for Humboldt is to simply build up their team and retain the talent that they have.
Long term, the plan is to open more Humboldt outlets both in and outside of Malaysia, with Josh confident that his 10-year-in-the-making concept has that special “something” that’d allow it to transcend borders.
That said, though, and perhaps this may be unexpected of a bartender, if there was one thing he would’ve done differently, it would be his approach to alcohol.
As he described, the London from back when he was working there encouraged bartenders to be the life and soul of the party. This led him to picking up several “bad habits,” seen as the norm at the time.
“There was a lot of drinking involved which has followed me throughout my career and has resulted in some mental health issues and general complications in my life that I am still tackling on a daily basis,” he explained.
It’s a reminder to know your limits and drink responsibly, peer pressure be damned.
Featured Image Credit: Humboldt
