Barfly Edition 2 | 2020

Edition 2, 2020 CLASS OF 2020 CELEBRATING & SUPPORTING THE Yesterday,COMMUNITYtoday&tomorrow

2 FEATURE LIQUEUR WHISK(E)YWHISK(E)Y COGNACSWHISK(E)Y

FEATURE 3 VODKA GIN RUM

TEQUILA

Laphroaig® 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 40% alc/vol. Laphroaig Import Company, Chicago, IL

Hayley ‘Milkshakes’ Morison www.theblend.world#togetherweblend#the_blend

EDITOR

SENIOR DESIGNER Racs Salcedo CONTRIBUTORS

Ago Perrone, Amanda Humphrey, Brendan Grey, Giorgio Perrone, Jason Ang, Hidetsuga Ueno, Hisashi Kishi, Joe Schofield, Luke Whearty, Robin Nance, Sam Egerton, Scott Miller, Shirley Leung, Stefano Catino, Tina Wing Kee, Will Meredith, PHOTOGRAPHY Tom Yau, Valentine Maguire Barfly is published on behalf of Beam Suntory Australia by HIP Media Bay 8, 6 Middlemiss St, Lavender Bay NSW 2060 ABN: 42 126 291 914 Barfly was nominated as finalist in Customer magazine of the year at the 2009 Publishers Australia awards Wow, where to start. My choice of words for this editor’s note is incredibly different from the last. While the summer edition normally closes out the year and leads us into the summer break and mad Christmas party rush, 2020 closes out with a very different course ahead of us. We know our industry has been one of the hardest hit, with Victoria placed into lockdown twice and under some of the strictest regulations in the world. Meanwhile - on the other side of the country - Western Australia’s venues have been open and flourishing with zero cases for a significantly long time. At the time of writing this, our very large island remains closed at the borders. Although we are separated from the rest of the world and unable to travel, we certainly need to continue to support one another as a community, as times of stress and uncertainty continue on and affect both mental and physical health.

As a result, The Blend has partnered with Healthy Hospo again, bringing you a new initiative The Work/Life Series featuring the pillars of health: physical, nutrition, connectivity, sleep and financial health! Turn to page 61 to find out about the global partnership. Want to get involved locally? B Healthy has recently launched in Australia for bartenders, with lots of fun challenges and items to WIN! Turn to page 59 for more information! This edition features many legendary contributors, with interviews from industry experts from across the globe. We caught up with Amanda Humphrey, UK’s Maker’s Mark Ambassador who moved to Kentucky during the pandemic; she shares distillery life and what it’s like working at the heart of her beloved whisky (page 48). Another highlight is Robin Nance who shares her past, her truth and what it was like to win Brand Ambassador of the Year at the Spirited Awards (page 38).

WELCOME NOTE 05

EDITOR

Submissions for the IDEA Lab are now closed, and in this edition we reveal the shortlist and catch-up with the mentors who are supporting the finalists while they prepare for the TAKE THE STAGE phase of the initiative. Turn to page 32.

Finally, in this edition we also look back and celebrate the year that was, heading behind the scenes and sharing all the new activity. We look forward to our next edition and focusing on how to build strength back into our community. Until then, support one another, be kind and be safe!

EDITOR’S NOTE

CREDITS MANAGING Hayley Morison Ashley Pini ASSOCIATE Sasha Falloon EDITORIAL Hannah Sparks Helena Naprta

PUBLISHING EDITOR

Also in this issue, we share with you The Blends of the VIRTUAL World and each host’s online syllabus, including Luke Whearty with his BYRDI at HOME series; Joe Schofield on Bartender Administration; Growing Drinks in the Modern Bar with Sam Egerton and friends; and finallyand soon to drop - is the all-new ‘Words with Will’ podcast series with host Will Meredith! There are cocktail recipes galore from each of the hosts featured in this edition to keep you inspired and educated on techniques and skills.

Have a magical Christmas, and a safe new year!

TAKE A COOL, CLEAN FILL 1/3 GLASS WITH ICE FRESHLY SQUEEZED WEDGE OF LIMEADDFILL GLASS TO THE TOP WITH C.C. & DRY DRAUGHT C.C. TALL GLASS4321CMYCYMYCMYMCK

CONTENTS 07 9 LUKE WHEARTY – BYRDI AT HOME 14 JOE SCHOFIELD – BARTENDER ADMINISTRATION 18 WORDS WITH WILL 22 GROWING DRINKS IN THE MODERN BARSAM EGERTON & FRIENDS 32 IDEA LAB – SHORTLIST REVEALED 34 IDEA LAB – MENTORSHIP PROGRAM 38 MEET: ROBIN NANCE 40 MEET: JASON ANG & TINA WING KEE 42 FLAVOURS OF JAPAN - HAKU VODKA 44 DOJO PROGRAM 48 MEET: AMANDA HUMPHREY 50 HOW WET IS YOUR COCKTAIL? 52 SHOCHU 54 THE NEW AGE OF COCKTAIL GARNISHES 56 SPIRITED AWARDS 59 B HE ALTHY 67 THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS 69 BAR CONTENTSBUZZ224842349 14 564438 59

WILLWITHWORDsGROWING DRINKS IN THE MODERN BAR with SAM EGERTON & FRIENDS LIVE NOVEMBER!LATELIVE LIVE JOE PERSONALPRESENTATIONSPROJECTLEADERSHIPORGANISATIONCOMMUNICATIONSCHOFIELDEXECUTIONBRAND LIVE LUKE WHEARTY BYDRI AT SUGARFATSSEASONALITYTEXTUREFERMENTATIONHOME&OILS&ACIDS THE BLENDS OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD presents Our 2020 Partners NOVEMBER!LIVE

WHEN LUKE WHEARTY QUIT HIS FIRST JOB AS A PIZZA DELIVERY DRIVER, HE DIDN’T IMAGINE IT WAS A JOB HE WOULD DO AGAIN IN HIS LATER YEARS, AND CERTAINLY NOT AFTER THE SUCCESS OF OPENING BYRDI, MELBOURNE. HOWEVER, COCKTAIL DELIVERIES WERE WHAT THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA NEEDED TO GET THROUGH AN UNPRECEDENTED PANDEMIC, AND WHAT BYRDI BAR IN MELBOURNE NEEDED TO SURVIVE THE LOCKDOWN. IT’S BEEN A BUSY TIME FOR THE OWNEROPERATOR, BUT HE HAS MANAGED TO KEEP HIS HEAD ABOVE WATER. AS WELL AS CREATING AN ONLINE SHOP AND RUNNING ONLINE COCKTAIL WORKSHOPS, LUKE THREW OPEN THE DOORS OF BYRDI TO THE BLENDS OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD AUDIENCE. CURRENTLY LIVE, FIVE ONLINE VIRTUAL SEMINARS ARE OFFERED, TEACHING BARTENDERS SKILLS SUCH AS FERMENTATION, SEASONALITY, TEXTURE, FATS AND OILS AND SUGARS AND ACIDS, ALL MADE AVAILABLE TO CONDUCT IN YOUR VENUE OR AT HOME. AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS LEARNINGS AND DISCOVER THE TEACHINGS FROM TOP FOUR NOMINATED, BEST INTERNATIONAL COCKTAIL BAR (SPIRITED AWARDS 2020).

FLIGHT

FEATURE 9 with The Blends of the Virtual World

BYRDI TAKES

WHAT IS ‘BYRDI AT HOME’ IN A SNAPSHOT, AND WHY SHOULD BARTENDERS WATCH YOUR CONTENT?

It’s been challenging, that’s for sure, but there have been opportunities for us to come together as a team. One example was the online cocktail classes we ran with The Blend and Beam Suntory. They were an excuse to come together to prepare for the classes and work on several ideas creatively as a team for when we reopen.

It’s an insight into what we do in the venue day-to-day and what makes us a unique bar in Australia. We have always aimed to have an all-encompassing and holistic approach at BYRDI, and these videos show that. The online series allows people to dive into a variety of topics and thought processes that can be adapted into their venues or at home. WHAT CAN BARTENDERS LEARN FROM YOUR EDUCATION SYLLABUS, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THOSE TOPICS?

WHAT DOES BEING NOMINATED FOR TALES OF THE COCKTAIL’S TOP FOUR FOR BEST ESPECIALLY?BARINTERNATIONALNEWCOCKTAILMEAN,THISYEAR

For sure, the pandemic has forced me to adapt. I’ve always thought of myself as a fairly dynamic business owner, but how COVID-19 has forced me to adapt and evolve my business has not only strengthened the business, but give me more confidence.

HOW HAVE YOU KEPT THE TEAM ENGAGED AND MAINTAINED EDUCATION AS A FOCUS AT BYRDI DURING THE LOCKDOWN?

I tried to choose a range of topics that people will find useful, but also to showcase the various elements we look at when creating everything for BYRDI. Whether it’s fermentation, seasonality or texture, these are the elements that come into consideration when we are developing new concepts and ideas for our menus.

10 FEATURE YOU ARE ONE OF THE ONLINE HOSTS FOR THE BLENDS OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD PLATFORM THAT HAS LAUNCHED AS A RESULT OF COVID-19. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH BOTVW AND WHY DID YOU PARTNER WITH THE BLEND?

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY BENEFITS TO THE VENUE OPERATION OR STRUCTURE AS AN OUTCOME OF COVID-19 AND ANY YOU MIGHT MAINTAIN?

Grateful. Especially in a year when everyone is just trying to survive. To be nominated by your peers as one of the top venues in the world when we have been closed for longer than we have been open, is very humbling. It also gives me the energy to get to the other side of this. It’s been a rough year, but I believe in maintaining a positive mind frame and trusting the process. If you put the work in, things will pay off. You’ve just got to keep on doing everything you can. In this case, I had to go back to my roots to one of my first jobs as a pizza delivery driver. The only difference is, this time I’m delivering cocktails, not pizzas!

The online store is definitely a benefit and something we will maintain in the future. We had always planned on having an online store, but our priorities were focused on the venue when we opened. The silver lining of the pandemic is that it’s given me the time to execute a quality online offering that will add another layer to the venue moving forward. Something else that has been a recent addition are the online cocktail workshops. We trialled our first one recently and have received several enquiries to do more, which is great as it’s another line of revenue for us while we are closed. It was also a lot of fun tailoring a cocktail kit, with everything from shakers to spirits, produce and ice, and delivering them in advance so participants had everything they needed for the class. Everyone had a heap of fun, myself included.

My role was to give insight into what we do daily at BYRDI bar and, more importantly, share several of my personal recipes, techniques and thought processes with people who can view them from home and replicate them. The Blend and I share many mutual values, but the biggest is a focus on community and sharing knowledge. Partnering with The Blend enabled me to share my experiences and knowledge with the bartending community. It’s initiatives like this that I think the bartending community needs right now. It brings people together and makes people feel that they are part of a larger community. I know that may sound corny, but it is reassuring to know that there is a larger community out there that you can lean on when things are tough. I know I feel more reassured because of this.

FERMENTATION IS A TOPIC WITHIN YOUR SYLLABUS. HOW DO YOU USE FERMENTATION IN YOUR VENUE, AND WHY IS IT SUCH A TREND IN RECIPES AND MENU PRACTICES GLOBALLY? Fermentation is a great way to add terroir or a sense of place to your venue. The apples I ferment at BYRDI taste different to the apples that someone else might ferment in, say Queensland, because of the difference in apple variety, where the apple was grown, airborne yeast, the time of year etc. I believe fermentation is the future of bartending and it excites me to think that instead of travelling to the other side of the world to have the same Manhattan I could make at home, bartenders will be able to provide a unique experience that tells a story and gives a sense of time and place to that moment and destination.

DO YOU FEEL YOUR ROLE AS COVID-19?HASOWNER-OPERATORCHANGEDDURING

BYRDI IS LOCATED IN MELBOURNE. HOW HAS THE BAR BEEN OPERATING DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN? Lockdown forced us to move completely online (www. byrdishop.com.au). We built an online store when we first went into lockdown, and now we are delivering cocktails around Melbourne and shipping cocktails Australia-wide. It has saved us as a business and ensured we will be here when things go back to normal.

FEATURE 11 FERMENTEPISODE:ATION BYRDI at Home SALTYFERMENTEDLACTODOG 50ml25mlINGREDIENTS:Haku®VodkaLactoGrapefruit Liqueur 100ml BuildMETHOD:Sodaallingredients over ice in highball glass with Pepperberry & Grapefruit Salt rim. ATBYRDIHOME BYRDI AT HOME IS AN ONLINE SERIES THAT GIVES INSIGHT INTO THE VENUE, AND WHAT MAKES THIS MELBOURNE BAR UNIQUE AND ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. THE VIRTUAL SERIES ALLOWS VIEWERS TO SEE THE THOUGHT PROCESSES BEHIND EACH COCKTAIL, THE HOLISTIC APPROACH AT BYRDI AND HOW THEY CAN BE ADAPTED INTO YOUR VENUE OR AT HOME. CHECK OUT BELOW THE BYRDI AT HOME COCKTAILS THAT ARE PART OF THE BLENDS OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD SERIES. SIGN IN OR SIGN UP AT WWW.THEBLEND.WORLD/EN-AU

12 FEATURE SEASONALITYEPISODE: BYRDI at Home WATTYL WINE AddMETHOD:25g250ml250ml750ml150mlINGREDIENTS:ROKUGinPetNatDryVermouthMeadYellowWattleallingredientsto mason jar, seal and rest for 48 hours at room temperature. Once infused, strain, bottle and refrigerate for future use. FATSEPISODE:&OILS BYRDI at Home BYRDI LAMINGTON 50mlINGREDIENTS:Cacao&Coconut Jim Beam Black Label 25ml Raspberry Sweet Vermouth* 5ml 2:1 Sugar Syrup StirMETHOD:overice and strain into frozen cocktail glass. *RASPBERRY VERMOUTH: 500g Raspberries 1L CombineSweetVvermouthallingredients in a jar and leave to rest at room temperature for 25 hours before straining.

ACIDSSUGARSEPISODE:& BYRDI at Home FIG CARAMELLEAF FASHIONEDRE 700mlINGREDIENTS:JimBeam Rye Label 2x Large Fig Leaves 300g Vinegar Caramel 1xMETHOD:5LMason Jar Stove top Fine Strainer or Muslin cloth Freezer TEXTUREEPISODE: BYRDI at Home PINEAPPLE OLD TOM GIN 700mlINGREDIENTS:SipsmithLondon Dry Gin 1kg Fresh Pineapple 250ml AddMETHOD:Gommeallingredients to mason jar and leave to rest in warm place (can leave in sun to speed up infusion) for 24 hours. Once infused, strain and bottle for future use. FULL DEMONSTRATION OF RECIPES FOUND ONLINE AT WWW.THEBLEND.WORLD/EN-AU FEATURE 13

14 FEATURE Bartender Admin Skills that open doors Joe Schofield Collaboration (2019) with The Blends of the World & Mona in Hobart, Tasmania, presenting to a live audience. BARTENDER ADMIN - WHAT DOES IT MEAN EXACTLY? ‘ADMIN’: SHORT FOR ADMINISTRATION, A WORD THAT DOESN’T SOUND VERY INVIGORATING... AND THE BLEND RECENTLY LAUNCHED A VIRTUAL SYLLABUS ON BARTENDER ADMINISTRATION...HMMM, QUESTIONABLE ONE MIGHT SAY. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHY. WORDS BY HAYLEY MORISON

We are all aware that bartenders are equipped with the resources and tools within their venues to learn about cocktails, ingredients, bar service, producers and brands, but sometimes the necessary skills required ‘behind the scenes’ are missed or overlooked. Outside of that, we all know that experienced bartenders who travel the world for training, pop-ups and guest shifts didn’t acquire the skills from nowhere - remember that. They had to acquire those skills and adapt, using them day-today. The skills we are talking about include time managment, presentation skills, personal branding and communication, to name only a few.

Ask yourself, where is your next step in this industry? Is it brand ambassador, manager, sales rep, venue owner, manager, group operations or education professional? The list is endless, but the foundations of these skills are very much the same.

andProjectOrganisation,everythingmembers.available,ThereofADMINandwww.theblend.world/en-autowatchJoe’sBARTENDERmodulesonTheBlendstheVirtualWorld.aresixmodulesexclusivetoTheBlendEducationtopicscoverfromCommunication,Presentations,Execution,LeadershipPersonalBranding.

FEATURE 15

Sign in or sign up

Joe Schofield, leading a team at Mona, Hobart.

Joe Schofield, winner of The World’s Best Bartender twice in one year, has created an online syllabus, breaking down these skills into a format that is useful to industry professionals that may not have access to them in their day-to-day.

These administration skills are thought starters and personal development coaching techniques that can assist you in taking your career to the next level. There’s a reason Joe’s one of the the best in the business, and we’re so happy to be able to share these unique and valuable insights with you to help elevate your career.

Well it was the many questions we were asked about up-skilling and the ‘how’ and ‘where’ to obtain these type of skills, during recent masterclasses that sparked the conversation and the collaboration with Joe Schofield.

MASTERINGNEWSKILLS

JOE HAS AN INTERNATIONAL CV WORKING IN BARS AND VENUES ACROSS THE GLOBE. BORN AND RAISED IN MANCHESTER, UK, JOE FIRST JUMPED BEHIND THE STICK WHILE STUDYING CONTEMPORARY ART AT UNIVERSITY, AND SOON HE WAS MIXING UP A NEW CAREER PATH. HE BARTENDED IN AUSTRALIA FOR A WHILE AT PALMER & CO IN SYDNEY AND FOR ROCKPOOL IN MELBOURNE. AFTER A SHORT STINT HOME, JOE LEFT AGAIN TO WORK AT TIPPLING CLUB IN SINGAPORE, WHERE HE LAUNCHED AN INNOVATIVE COCKTAIL PROGRAM WITH CHEF-OWNER RYAN CLIFT. NOW HE’S PLANNING ON OPENING SCHOFIELD’S BAR WITH HIS BROTHER IN THEIR HOMETOWN. THAT’S WHY JOE WAS PERFECT TO TEACH THE BLEND’S NEW SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS FOR THOSE WANTING TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN THEIR CAREER. FROM COMMUNICATION TO PERSONAL BRANDING, JOE SAYS UPSKILLING HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT’S CHANGING THE INDUSTRY’S OUTLOOK.

16 FEATURE

EXPLAIN WHAT THE VIRTUAL SEMINARS ARE ABOUT. We have six seminars covering Communication, Organisation, Presentations, Leadership, Project Execution and Personal Branding. I believe these are important and necessary skills for people to have to progress in their careers. As much as we all love standing behind the bar and making drinks, it is very difficult for the majority of the on-trade to spend their whole lives doing that. What happens if you want to be promoted? What if you would like to generate more income? I hope these virtual seminars will help people achieve their ambitions.

DURING THIS TIME OF, LET’S SAY, UNCERTAINTY, WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR THE TRADE TO DIVERSIFY THEIR SKILL SET? We are consistently hearing the words ‘adapt’ and ‘pivot’ during this difficult and challenging time for our industry. We are constantly getting new guidance from the government, and we are being forced to be as flexible and adaptable as we can. Having a diverse skill set in this time has never been more critical, as it allows you to be more flexible and agile as our working environment changes.

FEATURE 17

EXPLAIN YOUR LATEST ADVENTURE WITH THE BLEND IN 2020. I consider myself very fortunate to have such a strong relationship with The Blend and Beam Suntory. This year, I partnered with them once again to share my thoughts and insights on topics that we often don’t come into contact with as bartenders. These are topics that are more commonly found in a more corporate environment, but topics that are key to progression and success in any industry.

In my opinion, having a strong personal brand is very important. It gives you so many more opportunities, whether that is for travelling with work or for your next role, as examples. We should all be aware that even the way we portray ourselves on social media or in-person falls into our personal brand. Potential employers will always be taking note of who is behaving at industry events, just in case that person’s CV ever falls onto their desk Joe’s modules are online and available to The Blend members. Sign in or sign www.theblend.world/eu-auup

HOW HAVE LEARNINGS?EXPANDEDYOUYOURSHARE

JOE, YOU COLLABORATEDPREVIOUSLYWITH THE BLEND AUSTRALIA DURING THE BLENDS OF THE WORLD’S 2019 TOUR OF THE EAST COAST.

WHAT YOU’RE READING, LEARNING AND LISTENING TO.

WHAT COVID-19?DURINGHASOREXPERIENCES,POSITIVELEARNINGSSELF-DEVELOPMENTOCCURREDFORYOULOCKDOWNAND

I have spent the majority of the time finalising several tasks for my upcoming projects and, on a more personal note, I have enjoyed having the freedom to be able to improve on my cooking skills. I have tried to see the silver lining during a very difficult time for everybody, not just professionally, but also personally.

I have been reading quite a lot of books on varied topics that still have a lot of relevance to the projects I am working on. I even started doing an online accountancy course, which will pay benefits in the long run.

The Blend team and I were discussing some of the challenges people face when they are ready to progress to the next stage of their career, processes that can appear simple but aren’t for everyone, such as the art of writing an email or how to be a great communicator. We realised that no one was teaching those skills to the on-trade as a whole, and we thought teaching those skills could be really useful for our colleagues and peers to be able to achieve success within their roles.

HOW DID THIS ABOUT?COLLABORATIONLATESTCOME

PERSONAL BRANDING IS A TOPIC YOU DISCUSS IN YOUR SEMINARS. TALK US THROUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AND CAN YOU SHARE A FEW INSIGHTS INTO WHY MEMBERS OF THE TRADE NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR PERSONAL BRAND?

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18 FEATURE WORDs WITH WILL The Blends of the Virtual World presents

seriesPODCAST Blends of the Virtual World launches fun, industry focused podcast series, with Will’, hosted by Will Meredith (Lyaness, UK). industry chat, pub nonsense; call it what you want, either way, it’s just one hell of a good time. sits down with some special guests from all over the world, have a chat about their lives and experiences, of course to have some cracking banter; after all, could a little fun these days!

Interviews,

Sign in or sign up www.theblend.world/en-autoCMYCYMYCMYMCK

a new,

Words with Will YOU COLLABORATEDPREVIOUSLYWITH THE BLEND TEAM DURING THE BLENDS OF THE WORLD AND DANDELYAN TOUR (2018). EXPLAIN YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE WITH THE BLEND IN 2020. I did indeed. It feels like a lifetime ago now when James Wheeler and I went to Australia for a few weeks to share the stories, history and thought process behind Dandelyan, from drink creation to atmosphere, financials, back of house and so much more. That was followed up with a few evenings of showcasing the ‘Lyan style’ by workshopping several drinks in collaboration with the venues we were working with. My collaboration with The Blend in 2020 is something new entirely. We have been working on a podcast series called ‘Words with Will’ that will be hosted on The Blend’s online platform, The Blends of the Virtual World. In the series, I am joined by inspirational bartenders, operators and brand legends. The series aims to capture the lost moments over the bar or in a bar where we essentially talk “pub bollocks”: life growing up, their route into the industry and a few golden stories that may or may not be embarrassing. The series is there to give anyone listening that feel-good factor; something to enjoy on the way to work or while hanging out at home. We do cover some real talk, as well as answer questions about our industry’s future.

HOW DID COLLABORATIONTHIS COME ABOUT? Hayley and the crew from The Blend reached out at the start of lockdown. I was told that an online platform was in the making, and I could be a part of it. They essentially said: “What would you like to do with us?” It was an open brief, which was fantastic. After that, we did some back and forth, talking about what to do. Eventually, we settled on the idea of a podcast, and the name Words with Will followed pretty instantaneously! WHY SHOULD BARTENDERS LISTEN TO WORDS WITH WILL? I think people could use a little fun these days. At the same time, I always found that my favourite part of working in bars was the relationships and learning about each other, and the podcast is all about that. With everything that surrounds the industry, it is easy to forget that there are people behind the ideas we see and read about, and each has a really interesting story to tell. This platform is a great way to hear a few of those stories. HAVE YOU EVER HOSTED A PODCAST BEFORE, AND WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE? No, this is my first time. Whether you are surprised now or not, you certainly will be once you hear my attempts! It was a really fun experience, with a lot of people helping out along the way. There was a podcasting guru who helped to show me the ropes and several technicians who taught me the fundamentals of recording. From there, it was just a case of finding some willing participants to chat to. The Blend team were phenomenal from the get-go. Overall, it was a chance to learn something new, get to know people better and hopefully end up with something that others will enjoy hearing.

WHICH GUESTS HAVE YOU INVITED ONTO YOUR PODCAST SERIES AND WHY?

FEATURE

They are guests from around the world that I have worked with, in some way, shape or form during my career. They are all people I have friendships with, but people I wanted to get to know better. I worked with Nicole at Lyaness in London. She now runs Satan’s Whiskers in East London, and we have a great rapport. Ollie Margan owns and operates Maybe Mae in Adelaide, where he hosted us during the Dandelyan tour. Matt Stirling is co-owner of Fancy Free in Melbourne, and we worked together a couple of times when he threw epic parties in Dandelyan and Lyaness. Maura Milia manages Connaught Bar, and while we have hung out a few times, I wanted to learn more about her and her role in the bar. Joe Worthington is an independent consultant and such an outrageous character and friend whose brain just needs to be deciphered somehow. Rory Shepherd runs food and drink development for the BonHomie Group, and I’ve bumped into him enough times that I’ve lost count, but we never got the chance to IF YOU HAD TOLD WILL MEREDITH A FEW YEARS AGO THAT IN 2020 HE WOULD BE A PODCAST HOST BY DAY, HEAD BARTENDER BY NIGHT, HE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU WERE JOKING. BUT AFTER WORKING BEHIND THE STICK AT TWO OF THE WORLD’S BEST BARS, INCLUDING DANDELYAN IN LONDON (NO. 1 IN THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS 2018) AND WORKING HIS WAY UP TO HEAD BARTENDER AT LYANESS IN LONDON (NO. 39 IN THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS 2019), HE’S MASTERED THE ART OF POURING AND TALKING. AND LET’S FACE IT, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AMIDST A PANDEMIC. WORDS WITH WILL IS A CONVERSATIONAL-STYLE PODCAST WITH SEVERAL OF THE WORLD’S BEST BARTENDERS, OPERATORS AND BRAND LEGENDS. IT BRINGS TO LIFE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WOULD NATURALLY HAPPEN OVER A BAR - HILARIOUS HICCUPS AND GOOD BANTER - IN A TIME WHEN FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION IS LIMITED, AND EXPLORES HOW EACH GUEST CARVED OUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL PATH IN THIS INDUSTRY. 19

We’ve also had to trim down our menu a fair bit to prep everything, so it’s a streamlined offering of our pre-existing drinks. What’s important now that we are open is not to shout about us, but to offer a safe place for people to relax, enjoy themselves and have a little drink, with all the same Lyan Love as usual. That is essentially our objective.

20 FEATURE properly catch up and hang out, so this was the perfect chance. A-K Hada is a stalwart of the New York bar community and Tales of the Cocktail legend. Again, she is someone I’ve spent fractions of time with before but never had the chance to get to know her story. Finally, Amanda Humphrey is a transatlantic whisky specialist who moved to Kentucky to further her work with Maker’s Mark, which is fascinating in its own right.

I don’t want to give too much away, but the great thing was that each guest brought their own thing to the table, giving each episode its own flow and subject matter. Joe was just chaos, whereas A-K and Ollie were funny and madly insightful.

WHAT CAN LISTENERS EXPECT TO LEARN FROM THE SERIES?

Rory was super well-spoken and shared some beautiful stories. Maura has some suspect interests while Amanda has taken on American-ness in her stride! Matt was an absolute gentleman and dreamboat, while Nicole was her ever-charming self. I can’t give one or two highlights, as I feel like each guest has their highlight, so you’re just going to have to listen to all of them!

HOW DID THE TEAM STAY UNITED DURING COVID-19? We maintained regular communication with the team throughout. At the start, we were simply feeding new information as it came. Once we got used to the set-up, we continued to arrange regular meetings every couple of weeks where we did the typical pub-quiz stuff, with prizes and alternate quiz masters. We tried to work on a couple of creative projects, but it’s always tricky when you can’t be in the same room as someone to taste and discuss. Once measures began to ease, most of the team met for small dinners or lunches, getting used to chatting and seeing faces again. After a few months filled with numbers and statistics, being able to sit and have a good chinwag with friends was such a relief.

We have tried to keep as many things as possible, as similar to before we closed. However, there is a new normal, and the hotel has been very active in making sure that we adhere to hygiene and social distancing measures to keep ourselves and our guests safe. It’s important that we make people feel comfortable in the space while delivering the Lyan hospitality. We wear masks, we have reduced capacity, and we have a lovely selection of different sanitisers for different surfaces - all exciting stuff!

Each guest has their own insight into various parts of this industry, covering things such as wellbeing, festivals, work/life balance, operations, drinks and travel. In that sense, I think there is something for everyone in this podcast. The podcast series isn’t necessarily a teaching podcast, but depending on what you find interesting, you’ll learn some life lessons from people who have been through it and worked their way to the top. Everyone had their own path, some of which were so different, but they all shared the same traits: hardworking, charming, decent and respectful, and that’s the best lesson to take away from this. YOU ARE HEAD BARTENDER AT LYANESS. WHAT HAS COVID-19 BEEN LIKE FOR YOU IN LONDON WITH LOCKDOWN AND VENUES CLOSED? It was a tricky few months, to say the least. When the lockdown and closures were announced, we had to freeze as much stuff as possible and hope it would taste as good once defrosted. It was weird because London came to a standstill with the click of a finger. The first few weeks were quite nice in that we all had some time to switch off, slow down and recharge. It was good to run and cycle about the empty city and see landmarks with nobody around. It was an eerie yet strangely beautiful experience. We are back up and running now, fortunately, albeit with limited service days and hours, which is at least a step in the right direction.

WHAT COVID-19?DURINGHASOREXPERIENCES,POSITIVELEARNINGSSELF-DEVELOPMENTOCCURREDFORYOULOCKDOWNAND That’s a great question, and I don’t feel that I stand alone when I say that I had a lot of time to reevaluate things such as work/life balance, lifestyle choices, habits and interests. I tried out a bunch of things such as making mead and bread, generally cooking every single day, plenty of running around trying to get fit, and more recently I have begun coaching under 13s football! All of these experiences have been rewarding, and I’ve enjoyed them all. I’ll be sure to keep up with them as we ease back into work.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE AT LYANESS SINCE REOPENING?

IF YOU HAD TWO MINUTES AS A GUEST ON WORDS WITH WILL, WHAT WOULD YOU SHARE WITH THE TRADE?

Ooft, that’s a tricky one. It’s never easy when the shoe is on the other foot! If I had two minutes to talk, uninterrupted, I would probably touch on what I mentioned before. This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about yourself and what you enjoy doing. If you love making drinks, there’s so much information out there as to how to refine that. If you want to get fit, grab a pair of trainers and go! If you are considering other avenues, explore them and read about them. We have so much time that we aren’t used to having and you will yield so many great results by using just a fraction of that time to be productive. I also genuinely believe that just a little bit of exercise makes such a difference. You don’t need to be able to run a marathon; running for 30 minutes a couple of times a week clears the head and refreshes you instantly. When this started, I thought that it was time to move mountains. But in reality, minuscule tweaks and additions to your schedule quickly snowball into bigger change. This podcast was a great example of that.

Words with Will Episodes will be available online in November. Sign in or sign www.theblend.world/en-auup

WHAT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT FROM SOME OF YOUR GUESTS THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE BARFLY AUDIENCE?

www.TheBlend.World/en-au THE BLENDS OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD GROWING DRINKS IN THE MODERN BAR with SAM EGERTON & FRIENDS .

CREATIVE,COCKTAILSUSTAINABLE,MAKING FROM THE GROUND UP EXPLORE THE WORLD OF

MERIVALE’S GROUP BARS MANAGER, SAM EGERTON CAN’T HELP BUT FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES DESPITE THE CURRENT PANDEMIC THE WORLD IS FACING. DURING THIS TIME, SAM IS TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, HOW IT HAS BROUGHT HIS STAFF CLOSER TOGETHER AND GIVEN HIM MORE TIME TO TEND TO HIS ROOFTOP GARDEN, ABOVE CHARLIE PARKER’S. SAM WAS RECENTLY INVITED TO SHARE THE LESSONS HE’S LEARNT AND THE LESSONS WE CAN ALL LEARN BY TAKING A WALK IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. GROWING DRINKS IN THE MODERN BAR, IS A NEW ONLINE SERIES CREATED FOR BARTENDERS, TO EXPLORE THEIR CRAFT, CREATING SUSTAINABLE COCKTAILS FROM THEIR OWN COCKTAIL GARDENS, AS WELL AS FORAGING AND ALL ABOUT BEES AND BEEHIVE MANAGEMENT. HERE HE EXPLAINS WHY YOU SHOULD TUNE IN.

22 FEATURE

Giacomo Franceschi and Sam Egerton

WHAT CAN BARTENDERS LEARN FROM YOUR EDUCATION SYLLABUS, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THOSE TOPICS?

YOU ARE ONE OF THE ONLINE HOSTS OF THE BLENDS OF THE VIRTUAL WORLD

THE GARDEN IS USED EVERY DAY AT CHARLIE PARKER’S. DESCRIBE THE BENEFITS AND PURPOSE OF THE GARDEN.

I was lucky to work with The Blend in 2016 when we opened Charlie Parker’s in Paddington, Sydney. Sustainability had become a cornerstone of industry conversation, and so we opened Charlie Parker’s with a focus on seasonally-driven produce and addressing the waste stream associated with bars. We and venue manager Tony Marshall were fortunate enough to go to Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney to meet bartenders and share a little about our process. The Blend team approached me when COVID-19 first struck and I saw an opportunity to talk to not only the evolution of Charlie Parker’s, but also to how we have been integrating other natural elements at another venue we recently opened, called Will’s on Coogee Beach. WHY SHOULD BARTENDERS WATCH YOUR CONTENT?

FEATURE 23

WHO ELSE FEATURES IN YOUR ONLINE SYLLABUS, AND WHAT IS THEIR ROLE?

Charlie Parker’s opening team conceived the idea of the garden, taking inspiration from the farms that Fred’s, the restaurant above Charlie Parker’s works closely with to bring seasonal produce to guests. Giacomo and the current team are the custodians of the space and have integrated the produce grown in the garden to drive the cocktail menu. As well as reducing the produce brought into the venue daily, the garden provides another layer of connection

I think it’s an opportunity to see how easy it can be to integrate your local environment into your bar program. Hopefully, it provides some inspiration for the viewer to get to know their environment and use it in future drink creations!

FORAGING IS A TOPIC IN YOUR SYLLABUS. HOW DO YOU USE FORAGING IN YOUR VENUE, AND WHY IS IT CURRENTLY A TREND IN RECIPES, MENU PRACTICES AND METHODS GLOBALLY?

I was lucky to have the assistance of two bartenders who work at the same company as I do - Charlie Parker’s bar manager Giacomo Franceschi and Will’s bar manager Luke Ashton.

At its simplest, we focus on gardening and foraging; I think these are two counterpoints in environment-focusedan approach to flavour. We breakdown the dos and don’ts in both areas and provide some easily digestible information that can be applied anywhere in the world.

We use foraging at Will’s because we don’t have access to a garden like we do at Charlie Parker’s, but want to encourage the bar team to think seasonally. Foraging connects you to nature, slows you down and helps you to appreciate the effects that the environment, weather, and seasons have on produce and flavour. I think foraging is the next step towards returning to ‘local’, which we’ve seen happen globally in the past decade. As we move away from the massproduction of things we eat, I believe we are turning back to the things in nature that we can live on sustainably, the things I think we lost over the past few generations. Nutrition and flavour are all around us, you just need to know where to look for them and where to find them.

THEWHYROLEOFLAUNCHEDPLATFORM,(BOTVW)WHICHASARESULTCOVID-19.WHATISYOURWITHBOTVW,ANDDIDYOUPARTNERWITHBLEND?

HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU SAY GIACOMO AND YOU ARE IN THE GARDEN AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACTIONED IN THE GARDEN EACH DAY?

Giacomo and his team look after the garden on a day-today basis. They have a roster to ensure the watering is done every day. The prep team will be up in the garden a few times a week to collect garnishes and the elements required for the cocktail menu. Beyond that, I try to get up there once a week to spend some time with the bees and see how everything is coming along.

24

FEATURE between the venue team and the product served to our guests.

“I think foraging is the next step towards returning to ‘local’, which we’ve seen happen globally in the past decade.”

Teaching a bartender about seasonality and the challenges associated with gardening gives them an incredible appreciation for the produce, and you can’t replicate the flavour of something you have grown and just pulled from the soil.

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY POSITIVES FOR THE VENUE OPERATIONS AND STRUCTURE AS AN OUTCOME OF COVID-19?

We have a bunch of citrus trees that are new this year, so we’re excited to see how the flowers bloom and if we get any fruit in the coming months. Additionally, we did a pretty large redesign at the end of winter; we reduced some of the planter beds and raised them all to help with drainage. This meant a lot of pruning and trimming to get all the plants in the best spots for spring. Everything is looking happy and healthy; flowers are everywhere - so the bees are buzzing - and we will be looking at a few spring crops to replace the winter ones soon.

FEATURE 25

I think that the teams are a lot smaller than they were pre-COVID-19, so people are working tighter and more cohesively than before. I think the pandemic was a great equaliser. No one was isolated from its impact, and I think that helped to galvanise teams; everyone was in the same boat and everyone was looking out for each other. I think that was always the intention in hospitality, but the chaotic nature of our industry has meant that looking after our guests has occasionally come at the expense of our teams.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN GROWING THIS MONTH?

26 FEATURE Garden to GlassHUNTLEYSCOVE×DISCARDEDPREP GLASSWARE: Tall GARNISH: Hares Foot Clover INGREDIENTS: 45ml ROKU Gin 60ml Hard Lemonade* 10ml Huntleys Cove Honey 60mlWater**Soda METHOD: Serve tall over ice *HARD LEMONADE WITH GINGER & HONEY WITH SAISON YEAST 500g Glucose 125g 3000mlLactoseLemon juice 5kg Spent Honey Soaked Ginger METHOD: 40 minutes on high setting on the stove. Strain. 2.5L Yield 2L Water Added 4g Yeast Nutrient 5g Safale BE-134 Ferment for ten days. Bottle and store for minimum three **HUNTLEYSmonths. COVE HONEY 100ml100gWATERHoneyWarm Water Stir to combine Bottle and seal GROWING DRINKS IN THE MODERN BAR

3pts HOLM OAK GLASSWARE: Rocks GARNISH: Bay leaf INGREDIENTS: 60ml Jim Beam Black Label 10ml Acorn Bitters* 10ml Galliano L’Autentico METHOD: Stir down with a broken bay leaf *ACORN BITTERS 5 x Parts Acorn Syrup 1 x Part Acorn Tincture Acorn Syrup 250g METHOD:AcornsBoil in water for 30 minutes.Strain off water and Roastrepeat.inoven for 15 minutes on medium heat. Steep in 500ml 1:1 sugar syrup for 14 days. Strain and fortify with 30ml NGS Acorn Tincture 250g Acorns Boil in water for 30 minutes. Strain off water and repeat. Roast in oven for 15 minutes on medium heat. Steep in 250ml NGS for 14 Straindays. and bottle.

GLASSWARE: Goblet GARNISH: Sage leaf INGREDIENTS: 30ml Maker’s Mark 60ml Pineapple Sage Mead* 7.5ml Italian Amaro 20ml Verjus 3 x Drops Sea Celery Solution** 2 x Dash Aromatic Bitters

28 FEATURE

PINEAPPLE SAGE

METHOD: Build in glass and stir to combine. Add large format ice block. *PINEAPPLE SAGE MEAD 1.65kg Honey 10L Warm Water 5g Mead Yeast 400g Pineapple Sage Leaves METHOD: Begin mead fermentation by combing honey and warm water in chamber. Leave aside some warm honey water to activate yeast in. Once activated, combine in chamber and leave to ferment for approx. five days. Be sure to test everyday as temperatures vary. Once fermented correctly, pick sage from garden, wash and blend into mead using Vitamix. Leave to infuse overnight and strain through superbag. **SEA CELERY SOLUTION 100ml Hot water 10g Maldon salt flakes 20g Sea METHOD:CeleryCombine salt and hot water and stir until dissolved. Blend with fresh sea celery leaves.

FEATURE 29 NIGHTSHADE GLASSWARE: Rocks INGREDIENTS: 60ml Jim Beam Black Label 20ml Lemon Myrtle Cordial* 10ml Black Nightshade Liqueur** METHOD: Shake and strain into rocks glass. Top with crushed ice. Drizzle Black Nightshade Liqueur. *LEMON MYRTLE CORDIAL 5 x Lemon Myrtle leaves 200g Caster sugar 200g METHOD:water Stir over low for 30 minutes. Add equal parts fresh lemon juice & lemon myrtle syrup. Add 0.5g citric acid per perSugar.StrainMETHOD:25g100ml100gLIQUEUR**BLACK100gNIGHTSHADEBlackNightshadeBerriesH20CastorsugarSteepforoneweek.andadd200gCasterAdd0.5gtartaricacid100g Coast to Glass

‘WET’ MARTINI GLASSWARE: Coupette GARNISH: Sea lettuce nori* INGREDIENTS: 40ml Haku® Vodka 40ml Noilly Pratt 5ml Leather Kelp Solution** METHOD: Stir down and strain into cocktail glass. Wash*‘NORI’sea lettuce. Steep in boiling salted water for five minutes. Pat dry and lay between two sheets of baking paper and season with sesame seeds. Dehydrate for two hours. Cut garnish to order. **LEATHER KELP DehydrateSOLUTIONLeather Kelp. Steep in HAKU for two weeks. Strain and bottle.

FEATURE 31 SOUTHERLY GLASSWARE: Highball GARNISH: Rose Geranium INGREDIENTS: 30ml ROKU Gin 60ml Lillet Rosé 30ml Coconut Water 15ml Rose Geranium Syrup* 10ml Aloe Vera 15ml 0.5mlWaterSaline Solution 10ml Lemon Juice METHOD: All ingredients, except the lemon juice, are batched together and force Whencarbonated.assembling, add ice to a highball glass, add lemon juice and then the Southerly mix. Gently stir. *ROSE GERANIUM SYRUP 1 x Drop Rose Geranium Essential Oil 150ml 1:1 sugar syrup Blend for 60 seconds.

32 FEATURE SHORTLIST REVEALED!

FEATURE 33 NEW SOUTH WALES INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION • Orion Leppan Taylor TEAM SUBMISSION • Miguel Calli Trejo, Johnny Hemans, Randhem Alquizor & Nathan Jaskierski QUEENSLAND INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION • Ivan Brewer • Daniel Rodriguez • Ceri Kidby-Salom SOUTH AUSTRALIA INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION • Olivia Freear TEAM SUBMISSION • Michael Keogh, Sean Howard, Kayla Grigoriou & Jack Booker VICTORIA INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION • Callum O’Sullivan • Jonathan Sheeren • Ashley Briggs • Francesca Camilli • Micah Higbed • Brendan Keown • Alex Marks TEAM SUBMISSION • Nicola Keating & Ishma Alvi • Tim Pope & Tony Huang WESTERN AUSTRALIA INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION • Michael Hall • Kaden Pool • Tom Kearney TEAM SUBMISSION • Shirley Yeung & Reid Gunter IDEA LAB SUBMISSIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED! A NEW PLATFORM WAS CREATED BY THE BLEND AUSTRALIA (AS A RESULT OF COVID 19), OFFERING MULTIPLE GRANTS OF UP TO $20,000 TO HOSPITALITY WORKERS, VENUES OR INDUSTRY TEAMS WITH THE BEST IDEAS TO GROW, SUPPORT, REBUILD AND INNOVATE OUR INDUSTRY! WITH SUBMISSIONS CLOSED, THE EXTENSIVE JUDGING PANEL WERE PUT TO WORK, AND NOW THE SHORTLISTED FINALISTS CAN FINALLY BE REVEALED. IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, DRUM ROLL PLEASE…

FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW

34 FEATURE

“We are all driven by our passions and interests, but are too often scared or discouraged from pursuing them because we cannot see a way to make them happen. The Blend’s IDEA LAB was designed to enable bartenders to realise their dreams” - Ago Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani, Connaught Bar, London.

The lockdown has given us time to think and create; now IDEA LAB is a chance for the industry to have their ideas heard.

Shortlisted finalists were paired with an industry mentor to help them bring their idea to life, from creation to presentation, during the next phase ‘Take the TheStage’.Blend is all about supporting and celebrating the bartender journey, and the IDEA LAB follows the same format as The Perfect Blend in that this initiative will allow the shortlisted entrants ample time with the right support to set them up for success when they present to the judges in the next phase.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world as we knew it and we are having to adapt in ways never anticipated. It brought the hospitality industry to its knees overnight, and everyone hurt. But the industry is resilient and one that can rebuild with support.

The IDEA LAB is a new initiative offering multiple grants of up to $20,000, or $5,000 worth of Beam Suntory stock, to bartenders, teams or venues with the strongest ideas to innovate, grow or support the industry.

I want to inspire future generations of bartenders and provide support through creative and stimulating platforms and mentoring programs. Building confidence, encouraging self-expression and driving positive change are key to helping individuals and moving the industry forward, particularly this year. We are pleased to take part in the IDEA LAB and hope our contribution will help bartenders to feel optimistic and inspired about what they do and how they want to shape their future.

Ago Perone (Connaught Bar), Stefano Catino (Maybe Sammy) and Giorgio Bargiani (Connaught Bar)

FEATURE 35 STEFANO CATINO Maybe Sammy & Maybe Frank TELL US WHY YOU PARTNERED WITH THE BLEND’S IDEA LAB?

The best thing you realise when you grow up is that you enjoy doing things for others more than for yourself. I have been working closely with Hayley Morison from The Blend for the past year, and it’s been a great way to give back to the community I love. WHAT EXCITED YOU ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH THE INITIATIVE?

The best thing you can do with your experience is to learn from it and share your advice. I’m excited to be involved in this project to pass on my knowledge and potentially help someone build their career in this industry.

Barfly caught up with the mentors of the IDEA LAB for 2020, who are also hosts within The Blends of the Virtual World online education platform. Each of the mentors have been partners of The Blend program, some even since inception into the market in 2016. The mentors are exceptionally well versed in the industry and have invaluable expertise they can share to their mentee and group sessions that will be offered to the shortlisted finalists.

WE HEAR FROM THE MENTORS ABOUT THE IDEA LAB, THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THE ROLE THEY PLAYED...

Giving opportunities. We are all driven by our passions and interests, but are too often scared or discouraged from pursuing them because we cannot see a way to make them happen. The Blend’s IDEA LAB has been designed to enable bartenders to realise their dreams. It offers amazing opportunities to come up with ideas, build projects and fuel the passion many bartenders globally have for this profession and industry. We cannot wait to see the submissions and discover the entrants’ creativity.

AGO PERRONE AND GIORGIO BARGIANI Connaught Bar, London WHY DID YOU PARTNER WITH THE BLEND’S NEW PLATFORM, IDEA LAB?

WHAT WAS IT THAT EXCITED YOU ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE?

I have been fortunate enough to work on some amazing concepts in my career, some that are still going today and some that have gone into the experience bin. I hope that I have helped someone to navigate this process and create something with longevity that has a positive impact on our industry.

“I hope that I will have helped someone to navigate this process and create something with longevity that has a positive impact on our industry” - Sam Egerton, Merivale Group.

LUKE WHEARTY BYRDI WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE IDEA LAB AND HOW HAVE YOU HELPED THE SHORTLISTED FINALISTS BRING THEIR IDEAS TO LIFE?

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE IDEA LAB?

I am a mentor and will be doing whatever I can to help the shortlisted participants on their journey. Log onto www.idealab2020.com to see all the shortlisted ideas.

36 FEATURE SAM EGERTON Merivale Group

I am a mentor, but I’ve always felt that the word is a little pompous; I prefer to think of myself as a facilitator of sorts and more of a sounding board to help people direct their creativity and bring their ideas to life. I’d like to think that, given my experience in the industry, I can offer some valuable insight into creative development and execution of ideas from start to finish.

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THIS EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SAY ABOUT THE ROLE YOU PLAYED AND THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL INVOLVED?

My role is to help the shortlisted applicants develop their ideas and provide guidance as they work through the process.

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SAY ABOUT THE ROLE YOU PLAYED?

I’d like to be able to say that I helped someone to execute their idea. Everyone has ideas, but it’s harder to get them off the ground. I would find helping someone rewarding.

JOE SCHOFIELD SCHOFIELD’S BAR WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE IDEA LAB AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT’S GOING TO HELP THE INDUSTRY AT THIS TIME?

I think the IDEA LAB platform is an incredible opportunity for any food and beverage industry professional to bring their ideas to life. Participants are encouraged to create something beneficial to their community and colleagues.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE IDEA LAB?

We wouldn’t hand-dip mediocre bourbon. WE MAKE OUR BOURBON CAREFULLY. PLEASE ENJOY IT THAT WAY. Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Whisky, 40% Alc./Vol. ©2017 Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc. Loretto, KY, USA www.drinksmart.com

ROBIN NANCE DOESN’T BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. SHE ADMITS HER CAREER IN HOSPITALITY BEGAN WHEN HER MODELLING CAREER EXPIRED. SHE NEVER LIED ABOUT NOT MAKING IT TO COLLEGE WHEN SHE ENTERED THE CORPORATE WORLD. SHE DIDN’T PRETEND WINNING BEST AMERICAN BRAND AMBASSADOR CAME FROM HER WORK ALONE. AND SHE OPENLY SHARES HER STRUGGLES ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHOW OTHERS THEY’RE NOT ALONE. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE ROBIN WHO SHE IS AND SHE CAN STAND PROUD AS THE SENIOR NATIONAL PORTFOLIO AMBASSADOR AT BEAM SUNTORY IN THE USA, WHERE SHE IS ALSO AN INSPIRATION TO THE TRADE. IN THIS INTERVIEW, ROBIN SHARES HER THOUGHTS ON THE TABOO SUBJECT OF AWARDS, WHY THE PANDEMIC FORCED A CHANGE THAT WAS NEEDED IN THE AMERICAN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AND WHY YOU DON’T NEED TO HAVE IT ALL TO RISE TO THE TOP.

Thank you so much! It’s honestly still so overwhelming. I am good friends with so many

38 FEATURE BEAMBACKGROUNDABOUTCHICAGO.YOUNANCEROBINAREBASEDINTELLUSALITTLEYOURSELF,YOURANDROLEATSUNTORY.

I started modelling in high school and as soon as I graduated, I was off to New York. It’s not all the glitz and glamour you imagine for most models and to make ends meet, I got a job as a host in an Italian restaurant. By the ripe old age of 26 (haha), I was ‘too old’ to continue modelling, so I went back to my hospitality roots and rose from server to bartender, to manager and finally Director of Operations for 12 restaurants in Los Angeles. In 2012, I moved to Chicago and not long after, I was approached about a job as an ambassador for a whisky company. In 2014, when Suntory purchased Jim Beam, I went to work as the National Auchentoshan Ambassador at Beam Suntory. In 2017, I wrote a proposal for my current role (which didn’t exist at the time) and I’ve been doing that ever since. Now I represent the entire portfolio through trade events, The Blend, USA and our partnership with the USA Bartenders’ Guild.

TODOESSPIRITEDOFATBRANDBESTONCONGRATULATIONSBEINGNAMEDAMERICANAMBASSADORTHISYEAR’STALESTHECOCKTAIL’SAWARDS.WHATTHEAWARDMEANYOU?

Awards-AMBASSADORBRANDAMERICANBESTSpirited2020

YOU’RE AN INSPIRATION TO MANY IN THE INDUSTRY. WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER TO THOSE STARTING THEIR CAREER WITH THE VISION TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

My favourite quote is: “The answer is always ‘no’ if you don’t ask.” It’s okay to ask `questions; it’s okay not to know the answers. That’s how we grow. My current role didn’t exist, but I saw a need in the business and asked for it. If there’s a job you want but you don’t know if you’re qualified, apply anyway. Then take that list of qualifications and seek out mentors who can help you to build confidence in the areas you feel you need it in. If you get the interview, don’t focus on saying the ‘right’ thing. Ask questions that you can learn from. So often we dismiss the skills we bring to the table because they aren’t on some arbitrary list. Finally, you’ll be great at anything you’re passionate about. Skills and jobs can be taught. but passion can’t. If it doesn’t build fire in your gut, move on.

DO YOU BELIEVE THE PANDEMIC WILL CHANGE THE INDUSTRY FOR THE

WHAT DO YOU THINK AWARDS DO FOR THE INDUSTRY AND HOW DO YOU FEEL THEY BENEFIT A VENUE, BRAND OR INDIVIDUAL?

ambassadors who are all doing great work. It’s incredibly special to win an award that is voted on by your peers. I am supported by, in my opinion, the greatest team of ambassadors in the world who push me to do and be better every day.

LONG-TERM AND WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY TAKE AWAY FROM THE PANDEMIC SO WE ALL COME BACK STRONGER?

I hope so. The pandemic shone a spotlight on issues in the industry. We had an opportunity to take a step back, look at where change was needed and move forward to a more sustainable business model. I hope that we embrace this opportunity and don’t revert to a flawed system because it’s comfortable. The hospitality industry employs a massive number of people and we can enact real change, such as getting more involved with our communities and government.

IF YOU COULD SHARE A CAREER HIGHLIGHT WITH US, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I never went to college and for a while, I was ashamed and worried that would prevent me from growing my career in a corporate world. About three years ago, Beam Suntory was approached to build a beverage management pathway in cooperation with our city colleges. It was a project brought to us by our mayor to support and ensure the growth of hospitality in Chicago. Somehow, I ended up leading the project and I’m proud to say that it will be launching in the autumn of 2021 and is the first of its kind in America. Not only that, but I now sit on an advisory board of a college, despite being someone who never stepped foot in one. Anything is possible.

Awards have become such a taboo subject. I think it’s important to embrace joy wherever you can find it. Awards - especially those voted for by peers - are a reminder of the amazing results of yours and your team’s hard work and dedication. They are something you can share with your community as a way of saying ‘thank you’. For an individual, it can be a powerful addition to your resume that opens new doors to your future. For venues and brands, it shows how much you put into providing a quality product, experience and talented team to your audience. No award is an individual award; no one gets to the level of winning awards alone.

It’s important to be available to listen. I try to ask questions around our trade members’ needs and then really listen to what they say. Then I can use that to build tools within our programs that fit their needs. I’m also known for being quite open on social media and sharing my struggles openly helps others to know they’re not alone and hopefully normalises difficult feelings. I realise this isn’t for everyone, but it’s a big part of who I am. I don’t have a brand profile and a personal profile; what you see is what you get.

YOU RECENTLY LAUNCHED THE BLEND, USA. AT SUCH A CRITICAL TIME IN THE INDUSTRY WITH COVID-19, HOW HAS IT BEEN RECEIVED? The feedback so far has been great! We haven’t done a big push outside of social media, so it’s building slowly until the USA industry returns to a more stable place. Our goal is to provide the tools our trade members need right now and to be there to support them during their rebuild.

THIS YEAR HAS COME WITH ITS CHALLENGES. HOW ARE YOU INSPIRING AND CONNECTING WITH BARTENDERS IN YOUR MARKET DURING THIS TIME?

FEATURE 39

40 FEATURE Shaken but Not Stirred THERE IS A JAPANESE PROVERB, “NANA KOROBI YA OKI” THAT TRANSLATES TO “SEVEN TIMES DOWN, EIGHT TIMES UP”. IF ANYONE UNDERSTANDS THE MEANING, IT’S JASON ANG AND TINA WING KEE, PART OF THE TEAM BEHIND SYDNEY’S JAPANESE BARS AND RESTAURANTS: TOKYO BIRD, OSAKA TRADING CO. AND BANCHO. WHILE THERE WAS NEVER A GOOD TIME FOR A GLOBAL PANDEMIC TO HIT, COVID-19 ARRIVED ONLY MONTHS AFTER THEY OPENED THEIR NEW JAPANESEPERUVIAN RESTAURANT AND BAR, NIKKEI, IN SURRY HILLS. BUT UP THEY GOT, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, PROVING LITTLE COULD SHAKE THEM. AND IN THEIR DARKEST HOURS, THEY MADE THE MOST OF WHAT THEY HAD. Jason Ang & Tina Wing Kee of Sydney’s Tokyo Bird, Osaka Trading Co., don, Bancho and Nikkei Bar & Restaurant.

YOU OPENED YOUR NEWEST VENUE, NIKKEI, JUST BEFORE COVID-19. HOW BADLY WAS THE VENUE IMPACTED? Unfortunately, at the time of the shutdown, Nikkei was so new it barely had a foundation to pivot off. We considered doing takeaway and delivery, but having stood down a lot of staff across the venues, we opted to consolidate our efforts into Osaka Trading Co. and ensure the bars would be ready to reopen as soon as they could. We reopened Nikkei in July with a set menu on Thursday and Saturday nights only. We hope to open on Wednesday nights and for Friday lunches soon.

It sure has been a tough one. At one point, we had four of our five venues closed and no idea when any would reopen. But we’ve learnt how resilient we are. We are also lucky to have a supportive team that really cares about our venues; they’ve kept us Thegoing.pandemic has given all of us some time to stop and smell the roses, but also to appreciate what we have. We’re extremely grateful to be able to continue what we’re doing while embracing a new way ahead.

We’ve reduced trading days for now at our bar in Chinatown, Banchō, and at our newest venue, Nikkei Bar and Restaurant, with a view to increase our trading days later in the year. At Nikkei, we’ve moved to a set menu and dining only, which helps the kitchen to manage the inventory a lot better over a reduced trading week. We’d always taken bookings at all our venues, but the proportion of walk-ins has reduced as more people are planning and booking ahead given the limited capacity in venues currently.

Having our business partners and teams backing us up as our world came crashing down was something we’ll be forever thankful for. To know that there are people around to support us at the worst of times is everything. We’ve also received great support from some of our suppliers across the board, so thank you!

HOW HAS YOUR TEAM RESPONDED DURING THE CHANGES?

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT HAS STOOD OUT TO YOU AS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE AT WORK OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS?

HAVE YOUR OPERATIONSDAY-TO-DAYCHANGED?

HOW HAVE CUSTOMERSYOURREACTED TO THE CHANGES?

Generally speaking, our customers have been great. At Osaka Trading Co. in Tramsheds, we moved to takeaway only for two months or so during the lockdown, so we have been open the whole time. Initially, more customers were using Uber Eats or other delivery platforms instead of coming in for takeaway, but we were just glad to be open and still cooking. We also started retailing all sorts of goods: bottles of wine and sake; Japanese ingredients such as mirin and tonkatsu sauce; Japanese ceramics; and even toilet paper at one point! When we were able to have ten dine-in customers at a time at Osaka and Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills, our customers looked glad to be drinking out of the house. While bottleshops were going gangbusters during the pandemic and people were drinking up a storm at home, we’re glad our customers haven’t lost their enthusiasm for drinking out. QR codes have been a bit tricky for some guests who are new to the technology and some are getting tired of the check-in process, especially if they are going to multiple venues in a night.

FEATURE 41 THIS YEAR HAS BEEN TOUGH FOR THE INDUSTRY, BUT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TAKE AWAY ANY POSITIVES AMIDST THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC?

WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC? It’s been so hard to watch the impact on the hospitality industry, ourselves included. There were nights at Tramsheds when we were one of only two or three venues open and trading, and there are usually ten-plus venues open. Meanwhile, we got to know our Surry Hills neighbours well, especially during the weeks when there were more hospitality operators roaming the streets than customers. Chinatown was a ghost town for many weeks, with many businesses shut up and no tourists or visitors in the streets. The industry has been shaken-up, but it’s nice to have a community around us for support or even just a drink and a laugh about how terrible the situation was. I think it will be a stronger industry when the dust settles.

We have strict sanitising and disinfecting processes in place for before, during and after service, which will be one positive legacy of COVID-19. Our menus have either moved online or can be accessed with a QR (quick response) code, which reduces printing costs and makes changing the menu easier. We have moved to single-use print menus in some venues.

It was hard in the weeks just before the shutdown. There were no customers around and rumours of the looming shutdown were circulating. But our staff were so resilient, supportive and understanding, even when we had to cut hours and stand down some. JobKeeper eventually helped to alleviate a lot of the pain. There have been a lot of operational changes but the teams have just taken it in their stride.

42 FEATURE Haku® ‘Star’TanabataCocktailsVodkaforFestivalORIHIME GLASSWARE: Nick & Nora INGREDIENTS: 15ml Haku® Vodka 50ml Dry sake 15ml Fresh lemon juice 10ml Honey 10ml Aquafaba 1 x Tsp. Sencha green tea 1/2 x Tsp. chrysanthemumDried flower 2 x Tsp. Dried goji berry METHOD: Infuse sake with sencha, chrysanthemum, goji berries and honey for 24 hours. Fine strain into a bottle for later use. Into a shaker add infused sake, Haku® Vodka, lemon juice and aquafaba. Shake. Double strain into a chilled glass. Cocktails by Yoshi Onishi and Bill Ng of Bancho TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THE LEGEND BEHIND THE JAPANESE STAR FESTIVAL KNOWN AS TANABATA, YOSHI AND BILL CREATED A MENU OF COCKTAILS WHICH HIGHLIGHT THE SOFT, CLEAN AND LUMINOUS FLAVOURS OF HAKU® VODKA. BEST ENJOYED UNDER A CLEAR, STARRY NIGHT SKY. VEGA GLASSWARE: Nick & Nora GARNISH: Grapefruit zest INGREDIENTS: 30ml Haku® Vodka 15ml Lillet Blanc 15ml Creme de cacao 1 x Tsp. Matcha powder 15ml Fresh lemon juice METHOD: Whisk matcha powder into creme de cacao, ensuring there are no lumps. Strain into a shaker add Haku® Vodka, Lillet Blanc, Matcha creme de cacao and fresh lemon juice. Shake. Double strain into a Nick & Nora glass. VegaOrihime

Heavenly

HIKOBOSHI GLASSWARE: Tall GARNISH: Star anise INGREDIENTS: 30ml Haku® Vodka 15ml Amaro Montenegro 15ml Honey water 2 x Bps Red bean paste 30ml Cream 3 x Dash black walnut bitters METHOD: Into a shaker add Haku® Vodka, Amaro Montenegro, honey water, red bean paste and cream. Shake hard. Double strain into an iced highball glass, top with crushed ice. THE SEVENTH GLASSWARE: Highball GARNISH: Cucumber slices INGREDIENTS: 45ml Haku® Vodka 30ml Mint & oolong tea syrup 15ml Fresh lime juice METHOD: Brew strong tea of oolong and fresh mint. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes then strain. Mix in an equal amount of sugar. Stir to dissolve and allow to cool. In a highball glass, build cocktail with Haku® Vodka, tea syrup and lime juice. Add ice and top up with soda water. HEAVENLY RIVER GLASSWARE: Stemless wine glass GARNISH: Lemon stars INGREDIENTS: 45ml Haku® Vodka 15ml Dry vermouth 1 x Dash orange bitters 30ml Nigorizake (cloudy/ unfiltered sake) lemon zest METHOD: In a mixing glass, stir down Haku® Vodka, vermouth and bitters. Strain into a stemless glass. Layer over nigorizake.

River The Seventh The Seventh Hikoboshi

Hisashi Kishi of STAR BAR and Hidetsugu Ueno of BAR HIGH FIVE Tokyo, both located in Tokyo’s Ginza neighbourhood, are two masters of the art and will share their tricks and tips with Australian bartenders in a first-of-its-kind advocacy program next August. The program by the House of Suntory, DOJO - which translates to ‘a place to master the way’ - will teach bartenders not only the skills and meticulous techniques, but also the philosophy and customs of Japanese Kishi-sanbartending.wasthefirst bartender to be awarded by the Japanese Government while Ueno-san was Tales of the Cocktail’s 2016 Best International Bartender. The pair will teach bartenders how to master traditional Japanese hospitality, shaking and mixing, and will delve into the mastery of advanced skills including iconic ice carving techniques, using Japanese knives, fruit cutting, garnishing and cocktail making using House of Suntory’s modern craft spirits: Suntory Whisky Toki™, Haku® Vodka and ROKU Gin. “We are extremely proud to be launching the House of Suntory DOJO with Hisashi Kishi and Hidetsugu Ueno. Characterised by unrivalled technical mastery and unfailing attention to detail, Japanese bartending is an object of fascination and is imitated around the world. As such, these techniques and concepts need to be taught by best-in-class ambassadors of the Japanese bartending culture, and we are confident that bartenders all over the globe will welcome this program with excitement,” says BARFLY managing editor Hayley Morison. THERE IS AN ART TO JAPANESE BARTENDING. WATCHING FROM THIS SIDE OF BAR,

YOU CAN SEE THE EMPHASIS ON TRADITION, THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL, ICONIC ICE CARVING TECHNIQUES AND COMMITMENT TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR EVERY CUSTOMER - TO MAKE EVERY CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE PERSONAL AND UNIQUE. IT’S DONE WITH SUCH FINESSE THAT IT’S EASY TO FORGET BARTENDING IN JAPAN IS AN ART ACHIEVED WITH A LOT OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.

44 FEATURE ENTER THE DOJO

THE

FEATURE 45 Hidetsuga UenoHisashi Kishi MASTERS Meet the

I don’t think our techniques are superior or inferior, they are just different, particularly because of the size of our bars. The bars in Japan are comparatively small - 15 seats on average - which require different behaviours and movements at the bar when you create and serve cocktails.

ICE CARVING PLAYS A HUGE ROLE IN DRINK SERVICE. HOW AND WHEN DO YOU LEARN HOW TO CARVE THE ICE DIAMOND, AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF JAPANESE KISHI-SAN:BARTENDING?

UENO-SAN: Patience, smiles and how to show vitality. HOW DO YOU THINK JAPANESE BARTENDING DIFFERS FROM AUSTRALIAN AND WESTERN STYLES OF KISHI-SAN:BARTENDING?

I think it will be a great opportunity to introduce our commitments to serving cocktails.

SUNTORY HAS LAUNCHED A PROGRAM THAT SHARES THE ART OF BARTENDING.JAPANESEWHATIS THE DOJO PROGRAM IN YOUR KISHI-SAN:WORDS?

WHY DO YOU THINK JAPANESE BARTENDING IS SO BOTH:FAMOUS?

KISHI-SAN: The Japanese bar community is rooted in this country. I teach the young bartenders how to clean the bottles, how to polish the glasses and the other basic skills of Japanese bartending. It is also very important that they know how to keep the bar clean.

KISHI-SAN IS AN AWARD-WINNING JAPANESE BARTENDER WHO HAS PUBLISHED SEVERAL COCKTAIL BOOKS AND APPEARED ON JAPANESE TELEVISION MANY TIMES. HE IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPING THE MODERN JAPANESE BARTENDING TECHNIQUES AND WAS NAMED CONTEMPORARY MASTER CRAFTSMAN BY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IN 2008 AND TOKYO MEISTER BY THE TOKYO CITY GOVERNOR IN 2004. TODAY, HE IS THE MASTER BARTENDER AT STAR BAR, PRINCIPAL OF THE JAPAN BAR SCHOOL AND CHAIRMAN OF THE COCKTAIL CULTURAL FOUNDATION. UENO-SAN IS ACCLAIMED BY BARTENDERS ALL OVER THE WORLD AFTER CLAIMING TALES OF THE COCKTAIL’S COVETED TITLE AND MANY OTHER NOMINATIONS AND PRIZES. HE HAS WORKED IN BARS ACROSS THE WORLD INCLUDING THAILAND, CHINA, TAIWAN AND JAPAN. HE OPENED #FINDTHELOCKERROOM IN BANGKOK, THAILAND AND BAR HIGH FIVE. THE BARS HE’S WORKED AT HAVE BEEN LISTED IN THE WORLD’S TOP BEST 50 BARS AND ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS BY DRINKS INTERNATIONAL MORE TIMES THAN YOU CAN COUNT ON TWO HANDS. HE HAS BEEN THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NIPPON BARTENDERS’ ASSOCIATION AND JUDGED LOCAL AND GLOBAL COCKTAIL COMPETITIONS SINCE 2018.

Diamond ice was developed with my inspiration and embodied by Ueno-san. Ice is a very important element in cocktails, it’s an ingredient that defines the quality of a cocktail.

UENO-SAN: We are very excited to introduce what we have learned in Japan. WHAT WILL BARTENDERS LEARN FROM THE DOJO KISHI-SAN:PROGRAM?

UENO-SAN: They will learn the real meaning, purpose and goals of Japanese bartending.

About 35 years. UENO-SAN: 30 years plus. YOUR BAR IS RENOWNED GLOBALLY FOR MANY REASONS. DESCRIBE THE GUEST EXPERIENCE TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KISHI-SANVISIT.

I would like you to know how we feel about Japanese bartending and the kind of cocktail philosophy we have - that we really enjoy creating and serving cocktails our customers want, rather than focusing on the right or wrong way to make cocktails.

UENO-SAN: When I started working at STAR BAR, everyone else was making ice balls and we thought it was boring. So, we were looking for something different. One day, Mr Kishi was looking at an old fashioned glass with many edges and shifted from an ice ball with one edge to an ice ball with many edges that reflects the liquor and makes it appear shiny. That was about 20 years ago.

(STAR BAR): Japanese craft cocktails - my focus is on serving very unique but Japanese-inspired cocktails. We also emphasise our wide range of Japanese whiskies, which were collected over 35 years of bartending. They can be ordered by the bottle or neat. UENO-SAN (BAR HIGH FIVE): It’s a traditional Japanese bar with a relaxed atmosphere that serves locally flavoured cocktails, a lot of Japanese whisky and gin.

The shape and temperature of ice are very important.

We do not think it is famous but there are some unique and distinctive ideas behind it and those may have been perceived that way. YOU ARE IDOLISED BY MANY BARTENDERS, NOT ONLY IN JAPAN BUT ALSO AROUND THE WORLD. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU TEACH YOUNG, NEW BARTENDERS WHO WORK WITH YOU?

46 FEATURE HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN KISHI-SAN:BARTENDING?

JAPANESE BARTENDING IS A CRAFT, A DELICATE ART FORM. WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE JAPANESE STYLE OF KISHI-SAN:BARTENDING? We aim to make cocktails that are customised to the customer but that follow a traditional recipe. Therefore, it’s a result of adapting to the customer’s preference and the bartender’s intuition. It is different from twist-cocktails. UENO-SAN: A deep attention to customer service and the small details in cocktails.

FEATURE 47 CMYCYMYCMYMCK

48 FEATURE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT. FIRST OFF, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF INCLUDING WHEN AND HOW YOU JOINED THE MAKER’S MARK FAMILY?

I joined the Maker’s Mark family after a stint of managing a global portfolio of whiskies. I had an affiliate love for American whisky, specifically Maker’s Mark, and wanted to represent the brand. After five years of managing global whiskies, I went for the Maker’s Mark’s UK Ambassador role. I have never worked for such a dynamic and fast-paced brand before. In the two years I was an Ambassador in the UK, I managed to host 14 private selects for our single barrel program, ‘The Maker’s’ experiential workshops and countless activations across the country. HOW DID THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAD TO KENTUCKY AND BE BASED AT THE MAKER’S MARK DISTILLERY COME ABOUT?

HUMPHREYAMANDA BORN IN AMERICA BUT RAISED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AMANDA HUMPHREY WAS DESTINED TO HAVE A CAREER THAT MADE THE MOST OF BOTH WORLDS. IN JUST A FEW YEARS, THE WHISKY SISTER - AS SHE AFFECTIONATELY CALLS HERSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA - WENT FROM BARTENDING WITH MARCH GROUP IN LONDON TO WORKING AS MAKER’S MARK’S UK AMBASSADOR, BEFORE RETURNING TO HER SECOND HOME TO TAKE ON A ROLE AT THE HOME OF MAKER’S MARK, THE DISTILLERY IN KENTUCKY. YOU COULD SAY SHE’S A WOMAN WHO KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS AND ISN’T AFRAID TO GO AFTER IT. HERE, AMANDA SHARES WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A BRIT LIVING IN KENTUCKY, WHAT A DAY AT WORK IN THE DISTILLERY LOOKS LIKE AND WHERE SHE’S SET HER SIGHTS ON NEXT.

I created a five-year plan for myself when I joined Maker’s Mark back in 2017. In my mind, my end goal was to move to Kentucky to head up the drinks program for the brand and I already had my US citizenship. I told my direct line manager and anyone who would listen to my plan. I built relationships, makes her mark on Kentucky

WHICH COUNTRY WILL YOU VISIT FIRST WHEN WE’RE FREE TO TRAVEL AGAIN?

Much like our whisky, everything we are growing on our wheat and barley test plots and in the one-acre garden plot at the farm is in the pursuit of flavour. We are growing Dan Barber seeds next to heirloom varieties to see what grows best in our soil. We started back in January, so we are only just starting the journey, but so far we have successfully grown pumpkin, squash, corn, okra, watermelon and tomatoes. We pick produce from the garden daily and take it to the Star Hill Provisions Restaurant to create true seed-to-fork dishes and cocktails. The menu will forever change and evolve depending on the season and what is available to us at the time. A total of 80 per cent of our produce is from our farm or local producers - our eggs come from my colleague’s farm and our honey from our neighbour Jonny Young. His bees pollinate wildflowers on the Maker’s Mark property, which is super cool and I use his honey in a lot of cocktails at the distillery. We have also taken single-use plastics out of tastings, events and the restaurant, and are lowering waste through recycling and composting on-site. Maker’s Mark also uses solar panels to offset the energy used to run its maturation houses. And then we move to the unsexy but equally as important stuff like our wastewater treatment Wefacility.have an Environmental Impact team that I am a part of. We get together every six weeks to assess and implement better ways of working. I’m excited about the future.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR A BRIT LIVING IN KENTUCKY? HAS IT BEEN EASY TO SETTLE INTO A NEW COUNTRY AND WHAT ASPECTS DO YOU FIND MOST DIFFERENT TO BEING AT HOME? Apart from missing good quality tea, Sunday roasts, English breakfasts and driving on the right side of the road, I’m adjusting well. The main shock is going from a large international city such as London to America’s most beautiful small town. Things move at a slower pace here but I’m not mad about that.

Patagonia - I had to put my visit there on hold this year. Patagonia is the southernmost part of South America and spans Argentina and Chile. The area is known for its breathtaking scenery of dramatic mountain peaks, lakes, glaciers and unique wildlife. I’m going on a 14day hiking excursion. I will be travelling on my own for this particular trip, which I find incredibly enriching and highly recommend to others to do so if they haven’t already and can pluck up the courage. I will stop over in Buenos Aires for a few days to visit the team at Floreria Atlantico and to eat and drink my body weight in steak and red wine.

FEATURE 49 collaborated and created incredible activations with talented bars across London and threw myself into the role, knowing it would pay off eventually. When the role at the distillery was created, I went for it and here I am.

Where to begin… Chief Operating Officer Rob Samuels and the team have some incredibly exciting environmental initiatives going on at the distillery. We are by no means perfect, but we are committed to change and ongoing improvement at the Wedistillery.arecreating an oak repository within 1000 acres at Star Hill Farm to educate about forestry management to ensure the future safety of the great American white oak. Our Environmental Farm Manager Jason Nally has been working on biodiversity by getting rid of invasive species, bringing back native grasses and prairie lands. This encourages a healthy wildlife habitat and soils, in turn creating healthy water that is filtered into our spring-fed lakes that are key to the production of Maker’s Mark.

DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE AND WHAT IT INVOLVES.

We decided to shut to visitors for a while to protect the safety of our production team and to make sure we could carry on making whisky for y’all. However, we recently opened tours and hospitality back up again with restrictions in place - masks are mandatory and tour groups are reduced in numbers. Tours are also currently staying away from production areas but still going on an awesome tour of our warehouse and tasting experience. The restaurant and bar at Star Hill Provisions are starting to pick up with people buying cocktails and nibbles before heading out.

My new role as Education and Drinks Program Manager for Maker’s Mark involves so many different strands. At the distillery, I work closely with our Tour Team Manager Forrest Smallwood to create new and exciting experiences for both trade and consumers. I also head-up the drinks program at the distillery and manage the day-to-day running of the distillery restaurant and bars. The other part of my job involves working closely with the global brand team. This involves creating education and activation programs and social media content for the market. No two days are the same and as a creative person, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

HOW HAVE VISITORS?ABLECOVID-19?CHANGEDDISTILLERY’STHEOPERATIONSCURINGHAVEYOUBEENTOSTAYOPENTO

TELL US ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITYDISTILLERY’SPRACTICES.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY AT THE DISTILLERY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? It changes day-to-day. I arrive at the distillery around 8.30 am; the drive into work is so beautiful and never gets old. I have been working with the brand team on the new global drinks strategy, from concept to photography and videography, so that’s been keeping me busy. This morning, I was out foraging for acorns so I could make acorn vermouth before heading to the restaurant for service. I spend the late afternoon writing articles for publications and usually finish the day with online training or a tasting.

Whilst we rarely like to refer to our cocktail creations as ‘Gelatinous’, it is a surprisingly common practice that, if we are honest with ourselves, is absolutely awesome. Gelatines are formed by long strings of Amino acids that bond like a futuristic 3D matrix across a liquid and add firmness. In their extreme, they result in jelly.

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and egg whites are chock full of them, which is why they’re a staple in any kind of cooking where you’re trying to bind something together. Much like viscosity, a good ‘Gelatinous Wet’ balance allows the liquid to linger longer on the palate and impart more flavour. If your cocktail is feeling a bit thin but you don’t want to add any more sweetness, mastering your jelly skills is a must.

THE OBVIOUS ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ‘WHAT TEXTURE IS THIS COCKTAIL?’ IS (OF COURSE): WET, IT’S LIQUID.

50 FEATURE

There are in fact many types of ‘Wet’, and said wetness can be categorised in many ways. For today, we are going to focus on a few of the most common types of wet that we generally work with behind the bar: ‘Sticky Wet’, ‘Gelatinous Wet’, ‘Hot/Cold Wet’, ‘Airy Wet’ and, my personal favourite, ‘Dry Wet’. Firstly, let’s establish our base for comparison, which is water. I could nerd out for a while on how waters with high amounts of minerals become heavy and how Fluorides kind of make water ‘Dry Wet’, but for the sake of brevity, let us classify your standard H2O as ‘Wet Wet’ and make that our starting point. Water is the common element within all drinks and life on this planet. So, this becomes our base that we add our various chemical components to create flavour, aroma and texture. Alrighty, let’s begin.

In moderation, the perfect Whiskey Sour. In the modern age of bartending, we’re all getting pretty used to seeing Agar Agar and Aquafaba being used in drinks. But the original ‘gangsta’ will always be the humble egg.

STICKY WET I challenge you to name a cocktail that doesn’t have some form of sugar in it. The most common sugars are combinations of Glucose and Fructose, but players like Lactose and Maltose get involved every now and again too.

Our brains are hard-wired to search out sugar in nature and consequently, it kind of tricks our brain into enjoying whatever else is there. (There’s a reason cough syrups started upping their sugar content over the decades). With sugar comes its distinctive, viscous texture that I will refer to as ‘Sticky Wet’, which bartenders have been playing with for generations now. ‘Sticky Wet’ is a texture we don’t think about too often, but innately know when we’ve gotten it wrong. If a drink is too heavy in sugars, it results in a syrupy texture that sticks to the palate leaving an uncomfortable mouth feel that lingers too long like an unwelcome guest. Luckily, the solution for overly sticky wetness is to simply stir or shake your drinks some more. Too little sugars though and you run the risk of your drink becoming too ‘Wet Wet’, sliding across your palate too quickly and leaving you with a ‘thin’ experience.

WHAT KIND OF WET?

THIS IS A SILLY QUESTION. BUT LET’S DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER. WORDS BY BRENDAN GREY, THE EXCHANGE, AMBASSADOR Sticky Wet

GELATINOUS WET

Every cocktail has some sugar in it somewhere (sorry Negroni lovers, that vermouth is loaded with it) and for a good reason: Sugar makes things taste better by association.

This one is my personal favourite to mess with. Whilst we don’t often desire our drinks to leave someone parched afterwards, used in balance with other mouth feels, this is the one that creates clean, crisp textures to round out your drinks.

HOT/COLD WET

The temperature in cocktails is a tricky one. Often we are expected to either chill things down or heat things up, but rarely do we talk about the intricacies of how this messes with texture and, inherently, flavour. When we heat a liquid up, the molecules within start moving around a lot, meaning there is less friction against surfaces for them to stick too as everything bounces around. This results in warm drinks moving faster across the palate, whilst something that’s been chilled down is more sluggish and can essentially stick to the palate. However, different molecules have different thermal limits, meaning some flavours will zip past your palate whilst others will happily linger, despite an apparently warm or cold Understandingsensation. this allows us to manipulate these textures to bring out the characteristics we want in our drinks. As an experiment, try warming up a Manhattan and comparing against chilled and room temperature; baby it will blow your mind.

know what I’m talking about. The easiest way, however, is to just reduce your sugar level to a minimum. We’ve become so accustomed to everything having sugar in it nowadays that it’s very absence blows our fragile little minds. So, now that we’ve got our different types of ‘Wet’, let’s discuss application.

Let’s say you’re making something for a cocktail competition. You’ve got your flavours and now it’s time to factor textures into it to make things a bit more interesting.

Airy Wet

DRY WET

FEATURE 51

There are a couple of ways you can do this. The classic way is with something bitter or tannic. Bitterness usually means poisonous in the natural world, so our mouths are programmed to lower our salivating to keep us from swallowing whatever we’ve mistakenly thought was food.

Another way is keeping your drink’s alcohol content nice and high. At these more boozy levels, small amounts of alcohol evaporate on your tongue and often take a bit of moisture with them, leaving your palate feeling dry and Whiskeydusty.drinkers

Any of these on their own is a bit boring really, and the key to an interesting drink is using a few of them in tandem with the flavours you’re trying to Let’schampion.takethe classic Daiquiri as a test run. In my quiet opinion, this is a case of balancing ‘Sticky Wet’, ‘Cold Wet’ and ‘Dry Wet’.

A wee bit of sugar to keep it on the palate, with a nice cold temperature to lengthen, and a good measure of alcohol to give it a nice dry finish. As long as you don’t go overboard with your ‘Wet Wet’, you should be Let’slaughing.crank

AIRY WET Dry shaking cocktails to create sexy foams is a long-standing tradition that we all love/hate in bartending, often depending on how deep you are in the shift, but what the hell is actually happening and why is it so Tosatisfying?createa foam, you first need some of those sweet amino acid strings we talked about in ‘Gelatinous Wet’. Due to their super light molecular composition, these strings will quite happily sit on top of air molecules which create dope little bubbles and, depending on how hard you shake/blend, create a delightful foam. When these foams reach your palate, they begin to break down from the heat in your mouth, slowly collapsing onto your taste buds creating a layered increase in flavour. This can be great for sweet flavours, as it slowly exposes your palate rather than punching it in the face. Isolated bitter flavours have a strange tendency to compound in on themselves, so be careful where you use these flavours as a texture. Dry shake some bitters with egg white some time and eat a spoonful.

the concept up a notch from there.

Do you want a nice clean finish with some ‘Dry Wet,’ or really looking to let the flavours linger with some ‘Gelatinous Wet’? Would the sweet, floral notes benefit from some ‘Airy Wet’, or is this drink better to just slide across the palate with some ‘Hot ConsideringWet’?things in this manor allows you to push some limits and try some weird stuff out, and who knows, maybe even stumble across something uniquely Butdifferent.let’sbe honest, as long as it’s liquid and boozy, we’re all gonna be fine.

52 FEATURE As you’ve no doubt surmised from the title of this article, I’m talking about Shochu (not to be confused with Soju or Baiju). However, the popularity of this native spirit is relatively recent in the context of its history, with rocky beginnings and a boom that went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the Butworld.first, let’s discuss what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks it actually is. No, it’s not Vodka. First and Iforemost.couldspend an entire article discussing the intricacies of Shochu production and how it differs from Vodka/Gin/Rum/ Tequila, but we’ve got a lot to cover, so I’m going to keep this Thereconcise.are essentially five elements to making a Shochu that define the categorySaccharification, Fermentation, Raw Ingredients, Distillation and Aging/ Resting.

The Saccharification process is definitively the most unique aspect to Shochu production as it uses Koji, a type of filamentous fungus native to Asia thought to have made it’s way to Japan in the 6th century. To begin, a measure of grain (or sometimes native potato) is cleaned and cooked, before having Koji mixed in and then left for around two days to convert the starches into sugars. The most common grains for this initial process are rice, wheat and barley, though as we’ll discuss later there is a plethora of options. There are three types of Koji (black, white and yellow), which all impart unique flavour profiles into the final distillate (more on that another time, it’s an article unto itself). After the Koji has had time to do its thing, Shochu production then has a double fermentation process. This initial Koji culture has yeast and water added and is allowed to ferment for around a week (the time period can change depending on the base ingredient, the Koji and the geography). This creates the first Momori (broth) which will then kick start the second

KL IN 2019*). WORDS BY BRENDAN GREY *

With over 300 distilleries in the country, there is a huge variety of Shochu recipes that, in some cases, date back hundreds of years. These recipes have become local specialities, fiercely championed by the communities they dwell in, with unique flavour profiles and serving traditions (google Yudofu Gonbe style Shochu if you’re feeling OnceButadventurous).Idigress.theraw ingredients have had themselves another week or so to ferment, it’s on to Shochudistillation.can be pot stilled, column stilled, vacuum stilled and there’s even a few super old school wooden pot still’s in production (don’t try that at home, my god they’re dangerous in the wrong hands) or a combination of any of the above. The distillation process used further categorises the Shochu, with 95% or more column still distillate creating a Korui Shochu, blends creating an Otsurui Shochu and 100% pot still distillate creating a Honkaku Shochu.

Shochu The Rise of KL > 193,934 Data sourced from Shochu.Pro www.shochu.pro/2019-sales-data-industry-decline-continues/

IF I WERE TO ASK YOU ‘WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR SPIRIT IN JAPAN?’, YOU COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR THINKING IT WAS WHISKY (LORD KNOWS IT’S THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST SPIRITS EXPORT). BUT IN ACTUALITY, THERE’S A LOCAL LEGEND THAT TRUMPS WHISKY SALES IN JAPAN 4:1(781,400

It’sfermentation.duringthis second fermentation where the bulk of our raw ingredients are added (sometimes as much as 5>1 against the initial measure) with additional yeast and water. This is then allowed to ferment creating the second Momori, which will then have the liquids strained into a still for distillation. But first, lets discuss the many options that we have for our raw ingredients.

The selection of raw ingredients that you can use and still label the final product as a Shochu has got to be one of the most expansive selections I’ve personally ever seen for a spirit. The most popular are barley (mugi), rice (kome) and sweet potato (imo), but other acceptable ingredients include seaweed, sake lee’s, aloe, black sugar, saffron, mushrooms, sunflower seeds…(I could go on for quite some time).

FERMENTATION?

The success of Japanese Whisky could be credited for this or the introduction of the vacuum still to Japan in 1972, but whatever the reason, Shochu boomed in popularity like the ugliest of ducklings suddenly getting its swan and hasn’t looked back. In 2003, for the first time in Japanese history, Shochu sales managed to outpace Sake sales and in 2012 it was officially awarded the title of Kokushu along with Sake as the national ofalcoholJapan.

Koji is mixed by hand through rice to prepare the first Momori

So now that we know what it is, let’s have a chat about its history. The exact origins of the spirit get pretty murky, but the oldest documentation of the word Shochu is actually from a piece of graffiti at a shrine in Kagoshima built in 1559. The carpenters who built it took the time to carve into one of the roofing slats about how the head priest who commissioned the shrine wouldn’t share his “TheShochu.high priest was so stingy he never once gave us Shochu to drink. What a nuisance!”

Want to learn more about

FYI, calling someone a nuisance back then was some serious smack talk. It would seem that during this period (in fact up to the Shochu boom of the 1970s), Shochu was not held in particularly high regard. It was only made in the lower provinces of Kyushu prefecture, Sake sales dwarfed the Shochu industry, in 1885 the writer Shiukichi Shigemi described Shochu a public scourge where ‘hundreds of people were and are ruined by this dreadful drink’, it was presented at the Paris World fair in 1900 by Dutch traders to very little interest and at one stage was used by the daimyo Shimazu Nariakira almost exclusively to make the percussion caps for Andbullets.yet, the category endured until in 1970 there was an explosion of innovation with new recipes and distilleries emerging all over the country.

Check out Luke Whearty’s BYRDI at HOME module within The Blends of the Virtual World!

The raw materials are cleaned and cooked before being added to the second Momori to get the highest yields of sugar and thus alcohol

A Toji inspects his undiluted Shochu during a distillation for impurities or inconsistencies

It is currently the highest-selling spirit in Japan, with a plethora of flavour profiles to choose from and the incredibly popular Chuhai’s (Shochu Highballs) becoming a commonplace in bars and those delightful vending machines that sell alcoholic beverages (one day Australia, one day). Additionally, as higher and higher quality Shochu’s have found a market, the always next-level cocktail scene in Japan has been throwing their creative expertise at the category, developing some outstanding variations on modern classics and traditional recipes (Top tip: Try a Mugi Shochu Corpse Reviver No.2. It will blow your Luckilymind). for us here in Australia, our chance to have a play with the category is fast approaching. Stay tuned as KOYOMI™ Shochu will launch early next year.

In all cases, nothing can be added to the distillate except water, and charcoal filtration is a big no-no, giving the distillers that always fun ‘get it right-firsttime’ Finally,mantra.theShochu is rested/ aged for 3-12 months to allow the oils to separate/ be removed in one of three options: Glass-lined steel tanks, clay pots/ vats or, in some cases, wooden barrels. The last one is a wee bit risky, as if the Shochu takes on too much colour from a particularly active barrel, it loses its classification. I kid you not, checking the colour density of Shochu’s with a spectrometer is an actual job. After this, just add water, get it in a bottle and good times will be had by all.

So1559-PRESENT:hotrightnow

FEATURE 53

Both the first and second Momori’s are regularly stirred to allow both the yeast and koji to react to the air

WORDS BY SHIRLEY LEUNG

54 FEATURE The New Age of COCKTAIL GARNISHES

Let’s start with the simple question of, what is a garnish? Is it a physical thing? Or a tangible thing that offers intangibility of experiences? More importantly, what are the limits to garnishing a drink? I would love to say goodbye to the days of over-garnishing, but let’s be honest with ourselves, those Bloody Marys with chicken wings, mini cheeseburgers and candied bacon still exist somewhere, and let’s not start on the fairy floss and bubble smoke gun gadgets. Gimmicks only remain as gimmicks for a short run. They’re never intended to be Forlong-lasting.muchofhistory, cocktail garnishes only served within two categories. The first is known as the ‘worker’ garnish, finishing touches that serve to complete a drink: the olives in a Martini; a cherry in a Manhattan; the pickled onion for a Gibson. The other category is the ‘fancy’ garnish. Its sole purpose is to be a decoration for a drink. However, as social media platforms have become one of the easiest ways for bars across the country to get recognised and used as a marketing tool to raise brand awareness, we’ve seen a huge shift in the past few years from over-the-top garnishes to ones that are aesthetically simpler and serve a bigger purpose than a gimmick. As the world became more aware of their environmental impact, so did bartenders. We’ve seen a huge push in the community to reduce waste and promote the cycle of reusing and repurposing ingredients from

GARNISHES RANGE FROM EDIBLE TO ELABORATE, AND CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS A DUSTING OF CINNAMON, TO A FANCY SMOKED INFUSED COCKTAIL OR THE MORE REFINED OLIVE ON A SKEWER. WHATEVER THE STYLE OF GARNISH, THEY NEED TO SERVE A PURPOSE AND ELEVATE THE DRINKING EXPERIENCE. HERE, SHIRLEY LEUNG DELVES INTO THE HISTORY OF GARNISH TRENDS AND THE LATEST TREND OF THE NAKED GARNISH.

Several years later, we’ve arrived at a new age for cocktail garnishes. Enter the naked garnish. Simple, subtle, softer, and serves a bigger purpose. To the eye, it may be just a repurposed sugar-coated rim or paint on a Highball; a few drops of oils in a Martini; a dehydrated leather candy; a mist of fragrance. The purpose is still theatrical at its core, but the thought process and intentions have changed. The golden rule of design has always been ‘form follows function’, and so it seems the world of cocktail creations and the bartenders that follow have also adopted this rule. Not only does recycling, reusing and repurposing already used bar ingredients help reduce wastage, it becomes more cost-efficient for businesses. It also allows for more creativity and pushes the boundaries of creation for bartenders. It is creating new challenges and new flavours. Like most trends that come and go, let’s hope for this one to stick around a little longer.

FEATURE 55 the bar and kitchen. Initiatives like Trash Tiki were born to build a community of knowledge for bars to have access to and discuss issues of sustainability in the industry, and great bars such as the former Dandelyan have taken strides to promote zero wastage bars.

v 56 FEATURE SPIRITEDAWARDS TALES OF THE COCKTAIL WORDS BY HAYLEY MORISON

FEATURE 57

Whilst we try to adjust to a new way of living in this ever changing environment, hosting events digitally, not face to face but screen to screen, has now become the ‘new norm’. For the first time in history, the Spirited Awards took place in an exclusively digital format as part of Tales of the Cocktail’s free global conference on September It24th.enabled people to connect across the globe on what would have been a night of glitz, glamour, and uplifted spirits, with thousands of industry people from across the globe united in one room to award and celebrate those among us for their commitment and positive influence to our industry and the people within it. We are all very aware that the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and the global economy has been massive; 2020 has brought us challenging and pressing times, and also many changes. Tales of the Cocktail realises that this is a reflective time for organisations and our industry, not just in our neighbourhoods, but around the That’sworld. why the Spirited Awards has never had more of a powerful meaning. It is so much more than an industry awards ceremony. Through recognition and connectivity, the Spirited Awards continues to allow us to support one another during one of the most difficult shared times in our lifetime. The awards symbolise honour, support and connections. Honouring beverage professionals and industry leaders, who in turn become regarded as influential role models among their peers.

Remaining incredibly important, the awards continue to celebrate the resilience of our peers, and act as a voice of support, mentorship, and a way of keeping the community connected through celebration - of passion, hard work, and dedication of teams and individuals around the world. This year’s conference bared the theme “catalyst”, meaning “to spark change,” and this year’s winners represent a global class of Forchangemakers.thosenotfamiliar, the Spirited Awards was founded in 2007, and recognises beverage professionals, products, and establishments across every facet of the global spirits and cocktail community. The award categories celebrate a huge range of talent – from bartenders, brands and ambassadors to journalists and media – to ensure each aspect of the industry is well represented and recognised for their Incontributions.previousyears, my role as a judge was not an honour I took lightly. This year, my role expanded as Co-Chair for Asia Pacific, to which we saw an increased panel of judges worldwide contributing to the process of the recognition of the talent and finalists. This year saw the highest number of nominations we’ve ever received and greater geographical, cultural and gender diversity than ever before. That in itself is a celebration of creativity, tenacity and community unlike ever before. So, without further ado … drum roll, please.

58 FEATURE CATEGORIESAMERICAN • BEST AMERICAN BAR TEAM CAFÉ LA TROVA, MIAMI, FL • BEST AMERICAN BRAND presentedAMBASSADORbyTales of the Cocktail Foundation ROBIN NANCE, BEAM SUNTORY • BEST COCKTAILAMERICANBAR PACIFIC COCKTAIL HAVEN, SAN FRANCISCO, CA • BEST AMERICAN HIGH VOLUME COCKTAIL BAR ABV, SAN FRANCISCO, CA • BEST HOTELAMERICANBAR THE SPARE ROOM AT THE HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT, LOS ANGELES, CA • BEST RESTAURANTAMERICANBAR THE SILVER LOUISVILLE,DOLLAR,KY • BEST NEW AMERICAN COCKTAIL BAR SILVER WASHINGTON,LYAN, CATEGORIESINTERNATIONALD.C. • BEST INTERNATIONAL BAR TEAM THE CONNAUGHT BAR, LONDON, UK • BEST BRANDINTERNATIONALAMBASSADOR presented by Tales of the COCKTAIL FOUNDATION CAMILLE AUSTIN, CASA LUMBRE SPIRITS • BEST COCKTAILINTERNATIONALBAR NATIVE, SINGAPORE • BEST INTERNATIONAL HIGH presentedCOCKTAILVOLUMEBARbyBeam Suntory LICORERÍA LIMANTOUR, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO • BEST CocktailpresentedRESTAURANTINTERNATIONALBARbyTalesoftheFoundation SOBER SHANGHAI,COMPANY,CHINA • BEST COCKTAILINTERNATIONALNEWBAR KWĀNT, LONDON, UK • BEST CocktailpresentedHOTELINTERNATIONALBARbyTalesoftheFoundation SCARFES BAR AT THE ROSEWOOD HOTEL, LONDON, UK WRITING & CATEGORIESMEDIA • BEST COCKTAIL & SPIRITS WRITING presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation “JANEE: WHERE IS SHE NOW” BY AARON GOLDFARB FOR PUNCH • BEST COCKTAIL & SPIRITS PUBLICATION presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation HALF FULL • BEST NEW COCKTAIL OR BARTENDING BOOK presented by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation THE MARTINI COCKTAIL: A MEDITATION ON THE WORLD’S GREATEST DRINK, WITH RECIPES BY ROBERT SIMONSON • BEST NEW BOOK ON DRINKS CocktailpresentedHISTORYCULTURE,ORSPIRITSbyTalesoftheFoundation LAST CALL: BARTENDERS ON THEIR FINAL DRINK AND THE WISDOM AND RITUALS OF CLOSING TIME BY BRAD THOMAS PARSONS • BEST CocktailpresentedVIDEOPODCASTBROADCAST,ORONLINESERIESbyTalesoftheFoundation GLOBALWHISKYCASTCATEGORIES • WORLD’S COCKTAILBESTMENU ATLAS BAR, SINGAPORE • WORLD’S BEST SPIRITS presentedSELECTIONbyBeamSuntory AMOR Y AMARGO, NEW YORK, NY THE WEREAWARDSASFOLLOWS Best International Bar Team, The Connaught, London and MAYBE SAMMY Team nominated top four in this category International Bartender of the Year, KelseyWorld’sRamageBestCocktail Menu, ATLAS Singapore

Helping bartenders move ‘n’ shake in a different way!

STEP UP CHALLENGE: It’s time to take a step in the right Anddirection!theway to do that is to get your blood pumping with a brand new, all-inclusive exercise challenge! Climb your way to the grand prize by tracking your flights of stairs climbed for the month of November!

LIFE COACHING: In need of a little guidance to get you into the next stage of your career? We’ve got you covered! Scott Miller, a transitional Life Coach and founder of ICoach Connect, has provided all the deets on what a Life Coach is and how they can help you in your life and career. But wait, that’s not even the best part! We are offering five bartenders across Australia the chance to win five individual sessions each with Scotty!

B1 CHALLENGE: Rally behind your state bar team in their quest to take out the grand prize! This November, 4 bar teams from across Australia will work with a personal trainer to challenge themselves, and each other, to race against the clock and beat their own personal best for the chance to win a team outing valued at $2,000!

60 FEATURE B Healthy is a brand new program designed to provide bartenders access to great resources, and experts in their respective fields of the health industry, for living a healthy lifestyle in the hospitality industry; the facts and figures, the nitty-gritty about all things health and Thewellbeing.Blend (now global) has partnered again with Healthy Hospo to bring you access to resources on many different aspects of health, from physical health, to nutrition, and even financial health. Tim Etherington-Judge is a legendary name in the hospitality community when talking about wellbeing in hospitality. Here in Australia, The B Healthy program will build upon the teachings in this content by providing you with a range of local resources, as supported by local expert coaches, to help you be the best and the healthiest version of yourself!

The Blend Launches

FOCUSING ON THE PILLARS OF HEALTH: PHYSICAL, MENTAL, CONNECTIVITY, NURTITION, SLEEP AND FINANCIAL.

A NEW PLATFORM TO HELP THE AUSTRALIAN BARTENDING COMMUNITY MOVE AND SHAKE IN A DIFFERENT WAY!

WHAT IS PART OF THE B HEALTHY PROGRAM FOR 2020?

WHY HEALTH? Good question! Tim believes that maintaining good health is critical to success in the hospitality industry. It is fundamental in getting the most out of life, enjoying yourself, reducing the potential for illness, and forging a long and successful career.

The

NUTRITION In this day and age, nutrition gets more and more complicated by the second, and it’s all too easy to reach for a quick fix when you’re a bit snacky. Tim focuses on the importance of eating the right foods, with good nutritional value, in order to maintain good health and live a long and active life.

FEATURE 61

Healthy Hospo and THE WORK/LIFE SERIES

By putting you and your health as a priority, you can work towards being the best and happiest version of yourself, both in your personal life and behind the bar. SLEEP In an industry with somewhat unusual working hours, sleep is often something that is overlooked. Tim says it’s time to do away with the ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ attitude and start making sleep a priority. Sleep is a superpower, so put on your superhero uniform (pj’s or whatever it may be) and go and save the world…or yourself at least.

EXERCISE The importance of exercise isn’t something new; chances are you’ve heard it over and over again since you were a kid. But perhaps a reminder is needed.

SLEEP

TIM ETHERINGTON-JUDGE FROM HEALTHY HOSPO HAS PARTNERED WITH THE BLEND TO EDUCATE BARTENDERS ACROSS THE GLOBE ON HOW TO PUT THEIR HEALTH FIRST. THE WORK/LIFE SERIES IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH HEALTHY HOSPO THAT INCLUDES ONLINE EDITORIAL AND ARTICLES, WHEREBY TIM WILL TOUCH ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS WITHIN THE GLOBAL BAR INDUSTRY, A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT SUBJECT CONSIDERING THE CURRENT GLOBAL CLIMATE. HE WILL TOUCH ON SOME OF THE KEY PILLARS OF HEALTH THAT HE TEACHES THROUGH HEALTHY HOSPO, INCLUDING SOME THAT MAY NOT IMMEDIATELY SPRING TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE TERM “HEALTH”: SLEEP, NUTRITION, EXERCISE, CONNECTIVITY AND FINANCIAL HEALTH. importance of

And that’s exactly what Tim is here to do. Hospitality is a physically active industry, with hours spent on your feet day after day. But why not try out some other forms of exercise? After all, getting a little sweaty is good for the body AND the mind.

62

Tim Etherington-Judge from Healthy Hospo

FinancialConnectivityExerciseExerciseHealth

One of the fundamental aspects of connectivity, and perhaps not something that springs to mind immediately, is selfcompassion. That’s right, Tim believes that before we can talk about connecting with others, we need to talk about connecting to ourselves. By doing this, we can inevitably strengthen our connection with others down the track. So, whilst it is vital to make time for your friends and family, don’t forget to make time to connect with yourself too!

CONNECTIVITY

The way to financial freedom is to be smart with your money and make it work for you…but what the hell does that mean, and how do you do that? Tim does not profess to be a financial wizard, but he has picked up a thing or two along his journey in hospitality. So buckle up, its time for a lesson in finance 101, to learn how to reap the short and long term benefits of being financially healthy. These few learnings are just the tip of the iceberg! Check out the Healthy Hospo content live on The Blend website to learn more about these pillars of health.

FINANCIAL HEALTH

FEATURE

FEATURE

• Sign in or sign up www.theblend.world/en-auat

The STEP UP Challenge is an opportunity for those motivated individuals who are looking to add a little bit of activity into their lives. In this 4 week challenge, bartenders will compete to see who can climb the most flights of stairs, as a way to get their bodies moving.

COMFORT

• The Challenge is open for submission from 2nd November - 15th November 2020

KEEN TO GET THOSE LEGS MOVING? REGISTER TODAY! Registrations are open from 2nd November to 15th November 2020, 11:59PM AEST on The Blend Website. It’s time to challenge your industry mates to get their butts into gear! UP, GET THOSE FEET MOVING AND THAT YOUR ZONE...LITERALLY.

The person who climbs the most flights of stairs will be crowned the champion, and will win a $200 gift card, as well as a mixed case of Beam Suntory stock AND your very own pair of PERSONALISED KICKS to keep the physical momentum going post the challenge!

BLOOD IT’SPUMPING!TIMETO STEP OUT OF

• Track those steps using the App!

Challenge yourself and compete against your fellow bartenders to see who can climb their way to the top!

LET’S PHYSICAL!GETSTEPUPCHALLENGE: WIN SOME GREAT PRIZES! FEELING A LITTLE SLUGGISH? GET

HOW DOES IT WORK?

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

63

• Begin stepping. Step some more.

THE STEP UP CHALLENGE:

The most improved bar team will win a ‘team outing’ of their choice valued at $2,000! There will also be a prize for most improved individual, for that one legend who really goes above and beyond.

WHICH STATE

THE B1 CHALLENGE (BECAUSE B1 IS GOOD FOR YOU...DUH!) IT’S TIME TO SHOW YOUR STATE PRIDE BY RALLYING BEHIND YOUR LOCAL

TEAM!

BUT WHY ARE THEY REALLY DOING THIS?

64 FEATURE HOW DOES IT WORK? From 2nd November to 1st December, the selected bar teams from each state are invited to compete against each other in a series of 1-minute fitness challenges, accompanied with four weeks of team training sessions with a personal trainer, and their local ambassador from The Exchange; that’s right, the ambassadors are hyped up and ready to motivate their team (and to one up their rival state ambassadors of course). The trainers will be pushing their team to beat their personal best to earn more points, with the team with the most points winning the grand prize!

The team challenge will help lift spirits... (different to the usual ones they pour) and encourage team building for the bar teams, as well as providing a clearer mindset (let’s release those Soendorphins!).getbehind your state team and support your fellow industry players! Follow your local team’s progress on The Blend social media. BAR

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

WILL WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP?!

THE BLEND HAVE INVITED ONE BAR TEAM FROM EACH STATE IN NSW, QLD, VIC AND TAS TO PARTICIPATE IN B1 CHALLENGE!

THE NOVEMBER

EACH TEAM WILL TRAIN FOR A MONTH WITH THEIR VERY OWN PT, WHO WILL HELP THEM TO PUSH THEMSELVES AND SWEAT BEYOND BELIEF EACH WEEK TO BEAT THE CLOCK IN A SERIES OF CHALLENGES.

Scott “Scotty” Miller is the founder of ICoach Connect and is a transitional Life Coach with his own experience working in the hospitality industry. So who better equipped to provide guidance for people in the industry? You can learn all about Scotty, his story and his work as a life coach on The Blend website, or keep reading to hear

3. Embrace that you are exactly where you need to be to take the next step to get you there. Want to be one of the lucky participants to get one-on-one time with Scotty? If Life Coaching sounds like the thing for you, or your industry buddy, then register your interest via The Blend website and let us know why you would benefit from this experience. More details can be found online at www.theblend.world/en-au on how to apply!

Scotty will help these five bartenders to create positive change by using the methodology of ‘reflect, connect and embrace’:

FEATURE 65 SO FIRSTLY, WHO IS THE LIFE COACH?

THE BLEND IS GIVING FIVE BARTENDERS THE CHANCE TO APPLY FOR THEIR OWN LIFE COACH. DON’T KNOW WHAT ONE IS OR WHY YOU MAY VALUE FROM ONE? THAT’S OK. NOT MANY PEOPLE DO. ENTER STAGE LEFT... SCOTT MILLER. A LIFE COACH GET YOURSELF A COACH!

a bit about what Life Coaching is (and isn’t). He will take the participants through the various teachings that he applies in his coaching, including chunking down your goal, establishing your core goals, the morning apple, connecting with your Blutoniums, and keeping your word to yourself.

1. Reflect on where you are and how you got there.

2. Connect with who you are and where you want to be.

Sign in or sign up www.theblend.world/en-auat MILLER SAT DOWN WITH BARFLY TO CHAT ABOUT WHAT LIFE COACHING IS, HOW IT WORKS AND WHY HAVING A COACH CAN NOT ONLY BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP NAVIGATE SOME OF LIFE’S HURDLES. YOU TO “B”. MILLER

IS THERE JUST ONE TYPE OF LIFE COACH?

Scott Miller, iCoach Connect

66 FEATURE WHAT IS LIFE COACHING?

Having a coach can definitely help by giving you a confidential way to talk to about what you have going on in your life, someone to bounce your thoughts off of, and someone to help you identify the roadblocks you have in front of you that are keeping you from getting the things you want in life.

Anyone looking to deal with and or create change in their life in a positive way! The types of clients that I have had success working with include men and women looking to quit smoking or achieve health, fitness and weight loss goals, hospitality workers looking to break out and start doing their own thing, and business professionals looking to make large decisions around a change in their lives.

WHAT DOES THE COACHING RELATIONSHIP LOOK LIKE?

FROMGETTING“A” TO WHERE

CAN THIS HELP WITH MY MENTAL HEALTH?

YOU’VE GIVEN US AN IDEA OF WHAT LIFE COACHING IS. WHAT IS NOT LIFE COACHING?

WANT

Despite all of these different types of coaches, there are some pretty universal rules as to what Life Coaching is NOT: Counselling, Therapy, Psychiatry, Tantric Healing or anything that involves Crystals or Chakra’s; there is no swinging watches or leather couches.

There are all different types of coaches working in different aspects of this field. I work as a Transitional Life Coach, but there are relationship coaches, performance coaches, confidence coaches, business coaches, transformational coaches… the list goes on.

WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM LIFE COACHING?

Traditionally we work in five or six sessions, with 1 x 1 hour session per week. In these sessions, we start by taking the time to establish where it is you are at; your A. Then where exactly you want to be; your B. Every week, we will reflect on where you are in relation to the previous week, connect with where it is you want to be (your goal) and embrace that you are exactly where you need to be to take that next step again.

Having a coach isn’t for everybody, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you are someone that feels like they are not where they want to be in life right now, and you think you might need some help in getting there. Then using a coach might just be the right choice for you.

SCOTT

Before I started working with a coach and studying to become one myself, I had heard a lot of assumptions and misconceptions about Life Coaching. That it was for fakes, phonies and failures. A lot of scammers trying to make a quick buck passing on some regurgitated self-help mumbo jumbo. The truth is, there is a lot of that out there. But that’s not really what Coaching is all Atabout.itscore, Life Coaching is very simple. It’s just about helping people get from A to where they want to B. And it you don’t know you’re A or B, we can help you figure that out too. There is a very basic principle in science that states, “No two things can occupy the same space.” Sometimes we need to put something down to make room to carry something else. It is a coach’s job to reflect back any limiting beliefs a client may have that are acting as roadblocks and help to remove them so that you can continue moving forward to where you want to be.

- SCOTT

FEATURE 67 ROKU OFFICIAL GIN PARTNER OF THIS YEAR’S WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS

“In this challenging year, along with our financial support of the on premise by our parent company Beam Suntory, we are extremely proud to acknowledge the bars that have made the World’s 50 Best Bars list,” said Jon Potter, Managing Director for the House of Suntory. “We are delighted to welcome ROKU and the House of Suntory to the 50 Best family,” said Roger Betriu, Partnerships Director for the World’s 50 Best Bars. “We are not only looking at the prestige of a brand, but the people behind it. ROKU and its team have shown relentless passion and support to the project.”

US-based Ashtin Berry is the ROKU Industry Icon 2020. For this award, the Academy is asked to choose one person who has done more for the progress of the bar industry than any other individual. Berry is a hospitality activist and educator, dedicated to creating safe and equitable workspaces in the bar and restaurant sectors. She is an accomplished bartender, a WSET Level Three sommelier, and founder of Resistance Served, an annual food and beverage symposium focused on celebrating and examining Black and African American contributions to hospitality. Berry is known for her commitment to enacting positive progress in the industry at all levels and helps companies design their own roadmap to equity. In her formative years, Berry’s experiences working in hospitality ignited her passion for making all facets of the industry – from bars to restaurants and hotels – a without-prejudice space. She is also a co-founder of Radical Xchange, an experiencebased agency

AwardofandBerry,congratulationsintersectionality.promotingAbigtoAshtinaprogressivechampionawell-deservedwinnertheROKUIndustryIcon2020.

ROKU was launched in 2017 and translates to “six” in Japanese. ROKU is made with six traditional Japanese botanicals infused, distilled, and blended by the artisans of Suntory Spirits in Osaka, Japan. Sakura flower, Sakura leaf, Yuzu peel, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea and Sansho pepper are harvested in accordance with ‘shun,’ the tradition of collecting ingredients at their peak flavour. Created from Japanese ingredients by master artisan, the Founding House of Japanese Whisky, ROKU represents the nature and spirit of Japan. This premium spirit embodies Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii’s philosophy of commitmentattentionpursuitcraftsmanship:monozukuriarelentlessofperfection,meticuloustodetail,andtoquality.

ROKU BERRYWINNER,ICONINDUSTRYGINAWARDASHTIN

BEAM SUNTORY PROUDLY ANNOUNCED ROKU AS THE OFFICIAL GIN PARTNER OF THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS. ROKU PRESENTED THE “ROKU INDUSTRY ICON AWARD” AT THE VIRTUAL AWARDS CEREMONY. THE AWARD HONORS ICONS MAKING OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BAR COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. This award and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list are voted for by 540-plus members of the World’s 50 Best Bars Academy.

68 FEATURE 1. Connaught Bar, London, UK 2. Dante, New York, USA 3. The Clumsies, Athens, Greece 4. Atlas, Singapore 5. Tayēr + Elementary, London, UK 6. Kwānt, London, UK 7. Florería Atlántico, Buenos Aires, Argentina 8. COA, Hong Kong, China 9. Jigger & Pony, Singapore 10. The SG Club, Tokyo, Japan 11. Maybe Sammy, Sydney, Australia 12. Attaboy, New York, USA 13. Nomad Bar, New York, USA 14. Manhattan, Singapore 15. The Old Man, Hong Kong, China 16. Katana Kitten, New York, USA 17. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City, Mexico 18. Native, Singapore 19. Paradisco, Barcelona, Spain 20. American Bar, London, UK 21. Carnaval, Lima, Peru 22. Salmón Gurú, Madrid, Spain 23. Zuma Dubai, UAE 24. Little Red Door, Paris, France 25. 1930 Milan, Italy 26. Two Schmucks, Barcelona, Spain 27. El Copitas, St Petersburg, Russia 28. Cantina OK! Sydney, Australia 29. Lyaness, London, UK 30. Himkok, Oslo, Norway 31. Baba au Rum, Athens, Greece 32. Panda & Sons, Edinburgh, UK 33. Swift, London, UK 34. Three Sheets, London, UK 35. The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok, Thailand 36. Tjoget, Stockholm, Sweden 37. Buck & Breck, Berlin, Germany 38. Employees Only, New York, USA 39. Bulletin Place, Sydney, Australia 40. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo, Japan 41. Artesian, London, UK 42. Sober Company, Shanghai, China 43. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan 44. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 45. Drink Kong, Rome, Italy 46. Room by Le Kief, Taipei, Taiwan 47. Alquímico, Cartagena, Colombia 48. High Five, Tokyo, Japan 49. Charles H, Seoul Korea 50. Presidente, Buenos Aires, Argentina Connaught Bar Ranked No. 1 Best Bar in the World with Maybe Sammy Ranked No. 11 L-R: Maybe Sammy Ranked No.11 in the world, Two Schmucks Ranked 26th in the world, El Copitas Ranked No 27 in the world and Lyaness Ranked No. 29 in the world

BAR BUZZ 69 BAR BUZZ Moments captured through 2020

70 BAR BUZZ

A Masterful Collaboration Steeped in Kentucky Tradition & Japanese IntroducingDetail. a Bourbon That Redefines Bourbon. LegentTM Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Partially Finished in Wine & Sherry Casks, 47% Alc./Vol. ©2019 Legent Distilling Co., Clermont, KY.LegentBourbon.com

68 FEATURE CHARACTER TAKES TIME.