Odd Strandbakken has been appointed Head Bartender at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Stepping into his exciting new role with characteristic ease, native Norwegian Odd Strandbakken is responsible for overseeing the Hotel's bars: elegant speakeasy Charles H. and Korean contemporary nightspot OUL, as well as all internal and external events. Partners in life as well as creative vision, Odd's wife, Alyssa, is in charge of managing all hotel beverages, from lavish cocktails to welcome drinks for restaurant and spa customers.
Committed to his craft since he made his first mocktail aged nine, Odd began bartending in a tiny town deep in the Arctic Circle where there were more polar bears than people. Since then, he has travelled to 42 countries, working at the world's top bars, sampling the finest global blends and furthering his insatiable passion for distillation and fermentation, brewing and preservation.
With a style that's uniquely his own, Odd has garnered a range of awards, from World Champion at the 2018 Cherry Herring Cocktail Contest for his originality to elevating Oslo bar Himkok from #42 to #17 in the World's 50 Best Bars ranking.
On a mission to support local producers over global brands and put house-made products centre stage, Odd's dedication to minimalism comes across in clean cocktails with a worldly vision.
