Anna Nguyen

MEET

Refreshing Summer Rum

Bartender at Door Knock in Sydney’s CBD, Anna Nguyen gets a kick out of making drinks that are refreshing and fruit-forward. Teaming her up with BATI and RATU rums by RUM Co. of Fiji to create four cracking summer cocktails with their ranges was a no-brainer.

Read on to discover her go-to cocktail, the story behind her intriguing tattoo and the inspiration behind her show-stopping concoctions.

explore Drinks: How long have you been bartending?

Anna Nguyen: Nearly three years, but I have been in the hospitality industry for over five years now.

eD: How did you get into bartending? eD: How do you approach the creation of a new cocktail?

AN: I started as a waitress at Palmer & Co. but left the floor as I wanted to gain experience behind the bar. I worked at a pub for a while before moving back to cocktail bars to really hone down on the craft of cocktails. From here, I got a bartending gig at Button Bar and then moved to Door Knock where I have been for over a year.

eD: How would you describe your cocktail style?

AN: I love making drinks that are refreshing and fruit-forward. I also love a good blended cocktail. If I had to pick one cocktail to make, a daiquiri is my go-to. Simple and refreshing.

eD: Is there a particular spirit you gravitate to?

AN: Rum and whisky.

eD: For someone new to the category, what rum would you first introduce them to?

AN: If the consumer prefers white spirits, I would suggest the BATI 2YO White Rum in a daiquiri; however, if they are a traditional dark spirits drinker the RATU 5YO Premium Dark. The RATU Dark works well in an old fashioned or espresso martini, and I find cocktails are a great way to introduce someone to the category.

AN: At Door Knock we have two ways we go about creating a new cocktail. First, we taste a spirit and decide on the style of cocktail we would like to create with it, what produce is in season and flavour combinations that work well with the liquid. Otherwise, someone will come up with a really creative pun, and we’ll work backwards from there.

Creating each menu is a collaborative effort with the team, and we work with each other to find out what produce we’re each using and how we can reuse that produce to minimise waste in our venue. For our new list, each of the team members will have up to four cocktails featured.

eD: Guilty cocktail pleasure?

AN: A Piña Colada

eD: What’s been your most embarrassing moment behind the bar?

AN: I don’t have much shame, and not much embarrasses me; however, I once had a sneezing fit and ran towards the kitchen to be out of site from the customers and ended up falling over in front of everyone. Anna Nguyen, bartender at Door Knock Sydney

eD: You have several tattoos, what’s the reason behind the tattoo of Pikachu, wearing a Thor helmet, eating a taco?

AN: My friend and I got the same tattoo while doing a guest shift together in Singapore. We’re both Marvel, taco and Pikachu fans, so we thought it was a great idea and it’s still one of my favourite tattoos – I absolutely love it!