JOEY CHISOLM Professional Category - Grand Finalist QLD HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY? AND HOW DID YOU END UP AT THE BOOM BOOM ROOM? I’ve been in the hospitality industry for a little over 11 years. I started working in a winery in Mt Cotton, and then I moved overseas to London and worked in hotels as a room service attendant and event staff in 5-star hotels. I then moved to Edinburgh and landed a job as Bar Manager of the Whiski Rooms; this was an awesome experience and where I fell in love with whisky. The bar specialised in Scottish cuisine and Scotch whisky, with over 500 single malts on the back bar. I then moved back to Brisbane and worked at Cobbler in the west end, where I worked with greats like Cameron Pirret and Dominic Xavier. I then moved over to Lefty’s on Caxton Street and then I opened Seymour’s Cocktails and Oysters with Cameron (now NSW, The Exchange Ambassador) and Alex Boon. Following here, I moved to Brooklyn Standard while The Boom Boom Room was being built.
YOU WON YOUR RESPECTIVE TITLE IN YOUR REGIONAL FINAL – WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO WIN? Winning the Regional Final was an awesome experience because Cameron (who is afraid of bananas) had to drink my banana milkshake! No, but seriously, I was able to help a community in need by raising money from my cocktail, and I’m proud that this competition allowed me to do so.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR PASSION AND MOTIVATION FOR THIS INDUSTRY?
YOU WERE THEN TAKEN TO BALI, TO JOIN THE OTHER FINALISTS. SHARE WITH US YOUR GRAND FINAL EXPERIENCE?
I love creating drinks that evoke a sense of emotion or a feeling of excitement. Watching customers faces light up when they taste something delicious is what it’s all about. Also, the community is one big family and it’s great to be apart of that.
The experience was unreal! The Beam Suntory team had so many awesome activities lined up, and it was such a cool place to hold a competition. WHAT WAS A HIGHLIGHT?
WHAT WAS OR HAS BEEN THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU ON SHIFT? I can’t answer that. It will incriminate me. YOU ENTERED THE PERFECT BLEND 2019. WHY DID YOU WANT TO TAKE PART THIS YEAR? The Perfect Blend is such a fantastic competition, and the prize is a trip of a lifetime. I want to go to Kentucky to visit The Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark distilleries! 34
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The highlight for me was the first dinner at Ku De Ta where we were treated to delicious cocktails and the most beautiful sunset. Dinner was paired with some delicious whisky that Dan Woolley had organised and educated us on. WAS THERE ANYONE THAT INSPIRED YOU OR MADE AN IMPACT ON YOU DURING YOUR TIME? Lachie Robinson (WA Professional Category 2nd Place) was a big inspiration for me, not
only was he sick during The Grand Final competition challenges, he powered through and ended up creating two of the best cocktails. HAVE YOU OR DO YOU HAVE A MENTOR IN THE INDUSTRY? I’ve have several mentors in this industry, Alex Boon had a significant impact on how I develop drinks and Aaron Clark is someone I always look up too. HOW WERE THE CHALLENGES SET AT GRAND FINAL, AND HOW DID THIS CHALLENGE YOU? The challenges were harder then I thought. I loved the Mystery Box Sustainability Challenge, but, the ingredients weren’t the most common Balinese ingredients which made it difficult. GLOBALLY WHO INSPIRES YOU OR WHICH MARKET / COUNTRY HAS A BAR SCENE YOU WOULD LOVE TO WORK IN OR IMMERSE YOURSELF IN? I’d love to work at Oriole Bar in London. This venue is at the forefront of the industry and the drinks they produce interest me a lot! WHAT’S NEXT FOR JOEY? Joey wants to win The Perfect Blend 2020! And then hopefully get a BA role with Beam Suntory!