Ricardo Sporkslede

Ricardo Sporkslede is a well-known face in the Dutch restaurant, bar and party scene. As one of the founders of the Gingers cafe, Mme Jeanette lounge and The Fabulous Shaker Boys, he is a man to take serious. 

Because of his experience with cocktails, an underground and trendy event organizer asked Ricardo to shake cocktails at his extravagant parties. This is where Ricardo came up with the name of his new venture, The Fabulous Shaker Boys. This concept was totally new in 1996. One of Ricardo’s successes was his own invention, The Fabulous Ricotini. People loved it! Because in those days a good education for cocktail shakers wasn’t available, Ricardo decided to educate himself. He started reading every cocktail book he could find, he went to all the bars that were specialized in cocktails, national and international and he started to go to London to be inspired by the upcoming bar scene over there.

In 2001 he took his chance to open the first international cocktail bar with two partners in Amsterdam called, Mme.Jeanette. It became a cocktail bar, lounge and restaurant and it was the number 1 place to see and be seen in Amsterdam.

But Ricardo wanted more. His dream was to create a true cocktail culture in Holland, just like in London and New York and make the Dutch people enthusiastic for the art of mixology. In Mme Jeanette he organized several seminars with London greatest bartenders like Salvatore Calabrese and Ben Reed and invited the most influential people in the Dutch bar industry. This resulted in the foundation of the Bartenders Club in which he wanted to exchange ideas and create relations between all bartenders.

After an amazing 2001, Ricardo made a very risky but logical choice to go all the way for his true passion. He left Mme. Jeanette and used his earlier concept, The Fabulous Shaker Boys as the start of a new company. He wanted to do so much more with cocktails and the new network he had created which automatically resulted in a cocktail agency with the best cocktail shakers in Holland. Among them were Tal Nadari and Misja Vorstermans. He formed a team of eight cocktail shakers and began serving high end cocktails on exclusive events.

Ricardo also understood the importance his network for the spirit brands, in communicating their message to the consumers and started Bartender Network. A network organization for brands to participate in.  He developed a preferred supplier relation with them and integrated them in all activities of The Fabulous Shaker Boys. He set his goal with Bartender Network to increase the level of the bar industry in Holland, using the cocktail as catalyser.

Ricardo has never stopped training himself and is a regular visitor of international bar events like the Bar show in London, spirit tours in Mexico and Sweden and bars all around the world. In Holland he is one of the most popular persons to ask for judging competitions and for giving seminars on bar and sprit trends. He uses his experience to work with Misja Vorstermans to keep boosting the Dutch and international market with innovative concepts and products. Besides cocktails, Ricardo has an ongoing passion for everything which has to do with bars and spirits. He just loves his job.