OSMAN FETHI BAYCAN

WORLD CLASS COUNTRY WINNER 2019

Osman Baycan was born & raised in a small town called Tirebole, moving to Istanbul aged 18 to become a Rescue Swimmer for the National Fire Department. One day, Osman’s close friend injured himself while he was working behind the bar and asked him to cover his shift, simply to wash the glasses, but this small task inspired Osman to change his career and become a full-time bartender. When he became the bar manager at Alexandra Cocktail Bar, before cocktail culture took off in Istanbul, he created the “Desk of Fame” project; the first bridge between the global industry and the local Turkish bartending scene, in total hosting 17 global bartenders to help the industry and consumers slowly grow a domestic cocktail buzz. Currently, Osman leads the bar team at Isola Food + Cocktail Bar and after many years, cannot wait to compete in the World Class Global Finals representing his bar and country as Turkey’s best bartender.