Barfly | Edition 3, 2018

Edition 3, 2018

BAR INDEPTH:

SOCIAL CLUB COCKTAIL RECIPES

BLENDS OF THE WORLD 2019

FEAT. FANCY FREE HEALTHY HOSPO

HOW MUCH SLEEP ARE YOU GETTING?

EL COPITAS & TWO SCHMUCKS

YOUNG BLOODS X LOLLA COMPETITION

PLUS: BAR CONVENT BERLIN, BAR INNOVATION, EMPLOYEES ONLY, THE PERFECT BLEND FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

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WHISK(E)Y

WHISK(E)Y

WHISK(E)Y

COGNACS LIQUEUR

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VODKA

GIN

TEQUILA

RUM

Try C.C. Zero Sugar Dry

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10 20 24 32

39 51

70

82

CONTENTS 62

74

8 10 17 20 24 32 36 39 51 62 68 70 74 82 86

THE PERFECT BLEND FINALISTS 2019 CANADIAN CLUB COCKTAILS EMPLOYEES ONLY SYDNEY ROKU GIN BAR INDEPTH: EL COPITAS BAR INNOVATION BAR CONVENT BERLIN YOUNG BLOODS X LOLLA: SIPSMITH DANDELYAN: BEHIND THE SCENES BAR INDEPTH: TWO SCHMUCKS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: EMMA CRISP HEALTHY HOSPO VENUE PROFILES FANCY FREE: THE BLENDS OF THE WORLD BAR BUZZ CONTENTS

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L LOVE AT FIRST

SIP? Laphroaig® 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 43% alc/vol. ©2016 Laphroaig Import Company, Deerfi eld, IL 6

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EDITOR’S NOTE Summer is finally upon us; daylight savings, balmy nights, beach days, and the silly season. This is evidence that the year is drawing to a close and yet another has flown by.

And what a year it’s been, for the industry. Bartender Magazine’s, Australian Bar Awards saw The Blend/The Exchange win Training Program of the Year (again). We’d like to thank all our members for your continued support of The Blends of the World, especially the global mentors who have shared their knowledge. Through the BOTW program, we have trained 600 bartenders across the nation, not forgetting to mention, the exceptional work The Exchange ambassadors do day in and day out!

Also taking away one of Bartender Magazine’s prestigious awards was the gregarious Emma Crisp. Emma walked away with the Rookie of the Year title, after less than two years in the industry. Turn to page 68 to find out how she did it.

This year saw the World’s Best Bar*, Dandelyan tour Australia for two weeks. Through their collaboration with some of Australia’s top venues, the Dandelyan team were able to take us behind the scenes of their ‘Modern Botany’ approach and innovative drinks concepts. Turn to page 51 to hear from local legends Tim Laferla, James Pennefather, Ollie Margan, and Mario La Pietra who worked on the tour, and find out about their personal experiences of a tour that was a year in the making.

CREDITS MANAGING EDITOR Hayley Morison

To recap, at the beginning of the year The Blends of the World spread the message of minimal waste and sustainability with two incredible humans, Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths, also known as Trash Tiki.

Continuing on their message of mindful bartending, and waste management, The Perfect Blend decided to continue this strategy and use this as one of the entry ‘journeys’ that bartenders could choose to conceptualise and submit their cocktail.

PUBLISHING EDITOR Ashley Pini

The Perfect Blend Competition was another roaring success in 2018, with 450 entries submitted and 79 finalists selected to take the stage. Kurtis Bosley and Tim Pope won their respective categories, with both awarded an all-expenses trip to Tales of the Cocktail and Kentucky, the home of bourbon, to visit the Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam distilleries.

SENIOR DESIGNER Racs Salcedo

The competition is back for 2019, with a new prize, new cocktail brief, and a whole new array of finalists.

Turn to page 8 to find out who made this year’s competition.

Canadian Club invited bartenders to be part of their Social Club, and front cover shoot. Summer is a time for adventure, entertainment, the outdoors and sharing. Turn to page 10 and be inspired by their shared serve recipes!

This edition is packed full of interviews with some liquid magicians and influential people on the global bartending stage. On my travels, I was fortunate enough to spend time with the El Copitas team from Saint Petersburg. Here they share their story about the ‘black market’ of Russian hospitality. They’ve endured struggles, setbacks and hurdles, but now are ranked 39 on the World’s Best Bars list. It’s such an inspiring and moving story, that they even wrote a book about it. Turn to page 24 to hear what Artem Peruk has to share.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sasha Falloon

CONTRIBUTORS Artem Peruk, Claudia Morgan, David Stucken, Dhiva Thangathurai, Elise Godwin, Emma Crisp, Hayley Morison, Iain Griffiths, James Pennefather, Kurtis Bosley, Mario La Pietra, Maria Marter, Moe Aljaff, Ollie Margan, Tim Etherington-Judge, Tim Laferla PHOTOGRAPHY Jacqueline Jane van Grootel, Polina Mayskaya, Ryan Stuart, Steve Woodburn, Thomas Davidson

Another inspirational story, that needs to be shared, is one of true ‘hustler’ spirit, stubborn determination, and pure belief in your ability and knowledge. Two Schmucks. Moe Aljaff takes us on their personal journey.

Turn to page 62.

If that isn’t enough, we have our regular features on all the nations new hot spots and recipes to keep you busy for hours.

A Merry Christmas to you all, and have a safe and enjoyable New Year. So cheers to the year that was, and the adventures that await! Wait till you hear what we have on the agenda for 2019!

Hayley ‘Milkshakes’ Morison

* Worlds Best 50 Bar #1

Barfly is published on behalf of Beam Suntory Australia by HIP Media 169 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point, NSW 2060 ABN: 42 126 291 914 Barfly was nominated as finalist in Customer magazine of the year at the 2009 Publishers Australia awards

#the_blend www.the-blend.com.au

WELCOME NOTE

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2019

THE PERFECT BLEND REGIONAL FINALISTS ARE ANNOUNCED With just over 400 entries submitted, deciding upon The Per fect Blend Finalists for 2019 was no easy task.

Ten judges on the panel, completely blind judged each individual entr y – it ’s time we reveal to you those who were fortunate enough to progress to the next round: The Regional Finals.

In no particular order here are the 2019 Regional Finalists of The Per fect Blend:

NZ

WA

VIC / TAS

Georgia Mackenzie Evens Axelle Martin Arun Rodgers Louis Shepherd Jack Coppack Toria May

Charlie Hunter Taylor Rogers Asha Combes Max Giudice Paula Galvez Lachlan Hanna

PROFESSIONAL

PROFESSIONAL

Madeleine Tate Caellan Sparkes Gina Nicholls Joey Clancy Ben Newman Daniel Sullivan Andrea Marseglia

Lachlan Robinson Mark White Murray Walsh Jessica Arnott Hugo Togni Emma Crisp Zack Garcia Kaden Pool

Tyler Dent Alicia Clarke Alastair Broadhurst Tom Gibbs Shenai Jones Daniel Norton Liam Edmunds Oscar Shaw Chloe Cooper

APPRENTICE

NSW

APPRENTICE

APPRENTICE

QLD

APPRENTICE

PROFESSIONAL Rohan Massie Campbell Nicol Ashley Luke Turner Renato Tonelli Adam Hussein Tony Huang Zachar y Morgan Sarah Elyse watson

Brittany Rowe Benjamin Vials Orion Leppan Taylor Saravanan Subramaniam Jane Zou Noah Nguyen-Luu Conor Teevan Lucille Rose Liam Gavin

APPRENTICE David Aznar Dan Ruther ford Joshua Pretorius Zoltan Ognyenovits Curtis Minnns Savannah Williams-piper James Corcraighe Kiki Day

SA / NT

PROFESSIONAL

PROFESSIONAL

Vincent Valliere Charles Chang Natasha Capol Kate Mcgraw Tim Laferla Behzad Vaziri Raphael Redant Ashley O ’Neill

Alex Lange Luke Kelly Nicholas Harris Leroy Martin-McEwen Tristan Robins Joseph Chisholm Jessica Moxon

Nick Corletto Chad Hanson William Turner Kayla Grigoriou Jaime Fraser Josh Mack Alex Johnston Anneliese Grazioli Al Simmons

APPRENTICE Mike Han Jin Maekawa Jacob Alderdice Ben Tallura

PROFESSIONAL

Thank you to all those who entered and dedicated time to creating and submitting an entr y.

Whether you entered or not you can still be part of the action, keep an eye on your inbox and social media for an invite to the Regional Finals that will take place in 2019 During Februar y to April, each state will host an epic party, and we’ll invite all industr y to support our finalists and witness what talent your respective state has to offer.

COCKTAILS TO SHARE THIS SUMMER IT WOULDN’T BE A SUMMER ISSUE WITHOUT THE ANNUAL CANADIAN CLUB BARTENDERS SHOOT. TAKING PLACE AT SYDNEY’S CHIC WATSONS BAY HOTEL, BARTENDERS GOT TO DON THEIR BLUE AND WHITES AND BE PART OF THE CANADIAN CLUB SOCIAL CLUB, WHERE THEY CURATED REFRESHING, THIRST QUENCHING COCKTAILS ALL DESIGNED TO SHARE. READ ON, BE INSPIRED AND WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL CLUB.

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SIMON HOPKINS Surly’s American BBQ

Canadian Christmas (serves 4) GARNISH: Orange slices INGREDIENTS: 120ml Canadian Club 1858 30ml MONIN Gingerbread syrup 250ml Black tea 4 x Dash Australian Bitters Co. Aromatic Bitters 3 x Cinnamon quills Top with ginger beer METHOD: Build and stir

RYAN KIMBALL The Capone (serves 4) GARNISH: Grated nutmeg, fresh mint and lime INGREDIENTS: 120ml Canadian Club 1858 60ml Cruzan Aged 2 Year Dark Rum 60ml Courvoisier VSOP 20ml Vanilla syrup 20ml Homemade Allspiced dram METHOD: Build and stir FEATURE

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NATASHA CAPOL

CRAIG KERRISON

Ms G’s

Bopp and Tone

Golden Geisha

Native Club Soda

(Serves 6)

(serves 4)

GARNISH: Dehydrated fruit wheel (caramelised) grapefruit, strawberry

GARNISH: Finger limes, lemon myrtle, lemon, orange and lime wedges

INGREDIENTS: 220ml Canadian Club 1858 80ml Bols Triple Sec 150ml Yuzu Jasmine tea 100ml Fresh guava juice 100ml Fresh mandarin juice 80ml Bergamot 80ml Strawberry and pandan infused vermouth

INGREDIENTS: 160ml Canadian Club 1858 90ml Homemade strawberry shrub 90ml Fresh lime juice 280ml Ginger beer

METHOD: Build and stir

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METHOD: Build and stir

LACHLAN GUNNER Bistecca

Coastal Comber (Serves 4) GARNISH: Mango cheeks and lime wheels INGREDIENTS: 160ml Canadian Club 1858 90ml Fresh lime juice 90ml Smoked maple syrup 90ml Tonic water Top with ginger beer METHOD: Build and stir

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JORDAN MCMAHON ANTONELLO ARZEDI Palmer & Co.

Maybe Frank

High Stakes

Club Colada

(Serves 4)

(Serves 5)

GARNISH: Fresh peach and rosemary

GARNISH: Fresh mint, fresh pineapple and fresh banana slices

INGREDIENTS: 160ml Canadian Club 1858 120ml Fresh orange juice 40ml Fresh lemon juice 40ml Sugar syrup 40ml Pimento Allspice 8 x Dash Australian Bitters Co. Aromatic Bitters.

METHOD: Build and stir 14

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INGREDIENTS: 200ml Canadian Club 1858 400ml Coconut water 50ml Fresh lime juice 40ml Banana sugar syrup METHOD: Build and stir

STEVE DAVIS

EROS PEDONE

Opera Bar

Maybe Frank

Ontario Punch

Bellini Club

(Serves 5)

(Serves 5)

GARNISH: Grapefruit and starfruit slices

GARNISH: Blueberries and peach slices

INGREDIENTS: 200ml Canadian Club 1858 250ml Bitter lemon soda 200ml Lemonade 60ml Pink grapefruit juice 7.5ml Citric Acid

INGREDIENTS: 150ml Canadian Club 1858 450ml Prosecco 100ml Fresh lemon juice 50ml Agave 50ml Soda water

METHOD: Build and stir

METHOD: Build and stir

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The Exchange have launched their newest trade program – The Exchange Bartender Exchange.

The Exchange BARTENDER EXCHANGE supports and facilitates bartenders to swap places with their contemporaries from bars across the country and the world. From menu takeovers, to pop-up bar swaps and special guests, the Bartender Exchange showcases the very best in bartending talent and the latest drinks trends from the outstanding Australian bartending community.

The first activation of the program was held on the 12th November between Savile Row X Doorknock. The second swap was between Hains & Co (hosted on the 18th November) and The Gresham (hosted on the 25th November).

Each venue collaborated with The Exchange Brand Ambassadors to create phenomenal menus that brought to life a variety of hometown staples alongside quirky creations specifically made for the night.

The go-to team for drinks culture, innovation, and experiences in Australia.

Be sure to keep a look out on our social pages for more to come in 2019.

The Bartender’s Bar:

Employees Only Sydney

THERE ARE VERY FEW BAR CONCEPTS YOU COULD TAKE AROUND THE WORLD AND SEE IT BECOME A ROARING SUCCESS IN EVERY MARKET. IT’S THE UNIQUE FORMULA OF PERSONABLE HOSPITALITY, CLASSY SURROUNDS AND LIGHTNING QUICK SERVICE THAT HAS SEEN EMPLOYEES ONLY BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL SENSATION. NOW, IT’S AUSTRALIA’S TURN. BARFLY SAT DOWN WITH VENUE MANAGER ANNA FANG AND PRINCIPAL BARTENDER ROBERT KRUEGER TO FIND OUT HOW EO CAME TO BE IN AUSTRALIA, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THE SYDNEY INSTALMENT AND PINPOINT JUST WHY IT’S SUCH A GLOBAL HIT. WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES AT EMPLOYEES ONLY, SYDNEY? Anna Fang: I’ve been given the role of venue manager, which involves bringing together things like recruitment and interior design, along with some marketing efforts and professional operations. I’m also responsible for the purchasing of items, meeting with suppliers and vendors and, basically, being a sounding board for all the new ideas that come by.

Robert Krueger: I come from the original Employees Only (NYC) and then I spent most of last year in Singapore, helping manage and bartend at that location.

I created the bar program and hired the bartenders that create the awesome Employees Only experience.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OF THE SYDNEY OFFERING? RK: What I think makes EO great is that it satisfies every portion of the evening equally well, with a slightly different crowd that blends in from one moment to the next. You have the early evening oysters and martinis or steak tartare and Manhattan, and then we also do real dinner.

At the other locations, we’re booked up for dinner every night – especially in New York where it’s been established for a long time. People come in for celebrations, they come in for business dinners and they come in because it’s their neighbourhood bar. After dinner, it kicks more into a bar crowd from 10pm to midnight. Then we go into late night, where we continue to serve food until 3am.

When people who work in hospitality (who are definitely the demographic we originally targeted and will always target) start getting off work and close their bars for the night, hopefully they start sending people our direction because we’re open every day until that time. EO is fun and hospitable, with great drinks up until the end of the night. That’s pretty much the way it runs.

AF: We’re trying to help rejuvenate Sydney’s culture, coming out from the lock out laws. We hope having a brand/ institution as huge as EO in Sydney will help to bring back that nightlife culture to the city and, hopefully, other places in Australia.

RK: It’s funny, we’re a Prohibition themed bar and obviously that era is incredibly

significant to the cocktail culture of the United States.

Unfortunately, you’re kind of under a different type of Prohibition here. We’re fortunate to be coming at the right time though, when things are relaxing a little bit. But it’s almost like ‘Prohibition light’ that is going on here now. (Laughs) It’s kind of timely for us.

SHARE WITH US WHAT THE DÉCOR IS LIKE? RK: There’s art deco inspiration to the interior décor. Also, as at the other locations, the bar is concealed behind the front of a psychic’s parlour or a tarot card reader’s booth. That theme has been carried through the six locations around the world.

AF: Just look for the lit up neon psychic’s sign.

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RK: There will be a fortuneteller working nightly. We’ve done this in every other location, except for West Hollywood. You need to get an independent license to get a psychic’s parlour up and running there! (Laughs) When we set up in West Hollywood, a codes compliance guy came by and said, ‘Oh, can we see your licenses for your psychic? Are they licensed, fingerprinted and registered with the city government?’ And we went, ‘What?!’ (Laughs) It’s a bit of fun. People do come in, get a cocktail or a glass of wine and go and sit down with the palm readers or tarot card reader to talk about their life and their future. Hopefully they make some positive decisions under the MILD influence of carefully crafted cocktails… (Laughs) It’s about people having fun, relaxing and enjoying themselves.

Our aim is to make EO a place where people want to hang out, whether it’s in their neighbourhood or a destination for their weekend night out.

AF: One of the interesting things about the space is that it’s part of a heritage building, so there are some very ‘Sydney’ elements inside. We’re really excited to keep those, as they’re pretty much the heart and soul of what Sydney is. We wanted these interior design elements to influence the overall design.

HOW DID EO COME ABOUT IN AUSTRALIA? RK: I’ve always wanted to be in Australia, so it’s kind of amazing to have the opportunity to open in this completely different part of the world. The venues have opened where they are due to local partners, who have someone on ground in the market. They then approach us and say, ‘Hey, we’ve done a little legwork, and we think this would work for you here. Come and check it out’. We’re fortunate that that was the case here at a time that I was able to come and join the project.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS EO’S UNIQUE SUCCESS FORMULA?

YOU’VE OBVIOUSLY DRAWN INFLUENCE FROM THE EOS FOUND ACROSS THE GLOBE, WHAT IS DISTINCTIVE ABOUT THE SYDNEY OFFERING?

AF: EO has made a reputation for itself as a legendary spot in Manhattan, and wherever you go, whether you’re speaking to tourists or Manhattan locals, people know about it.

RK: One of the interesting things is the building we’re in is a basement space, which is a first for us. That’s because the spaces available in Sydney CBD are different from our other locations around the world.

With regards to the food and cocktail menus. We’ve brought some recipes from New York, or from the other locations because they’re winners and they’re what

RK: We’ve actually reached a point where we have global regulars, aka people who have visited Miami, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. LA is still very new, but even then New Yorkers who have relocated to LA were so excited that the place was opening up there. Over the years, I’ve served so many Aussies in New York and I’ve had a great time with nearly all of them! Already we’re meeting

we do well.

people in LA, who are from here,

that are excited EO has opened in Sydney. The son of one of our regulars in New York lives here, and he can’t wait to see the Australian equivalent.

AF: The formula that makes it so successful is great food, great cocktails and amazing service.

You order a cocktail and you get it in close to 40 seconds flat.

RK: Well, we do our best!

(Laughs) It’s high quality, it’s fast and it’s fun. It really is a place where people feel cool and have a great time. It does really come from that initial impetus to create a place where restaurant and hospitality workers can unwind after work and be treated as well as they treat their guests all night long. We want everybody in hospo to be trying to wrap up the night so they can make it in time to come and get chicken soup at last call with us.

That’s the way it’s worked elsewhere. If you can get there by closing time, you’re going to have a great drink, have a good time and hopefully see a bunch of your friends and your favourite bartenders.

Of course you then want the recognition of the neighbourhood and the dining community and drinks enthusiasts at large, but we’re doing it right if hospitality people are coming to see us on a regular basis, having a good time and spreading the word about us to their guests.

create a group and have a strong bar team. I mean, Employees Only New York has won Tales of the Cocktail’s Best Bar Team in the past, so it’s important for us to have a team that works well together, stays together and nurtures people to grow. Steve and Igor have certainly done that in Singapore, where they have had almost a zero staff turn over in the first two years. The bartenders there have grown so much they are now competing internationally and visiting bar shows around the world.

They also now have a platform that they can take their careers through the business.

HOW WAS THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS? RK: There is such a tremendous pool of talent in Australia and, thankfully, we received a huge amount of interest. There are also interest from bartenders around the world who are hoping to get in on the next one! It’s amazing! We get résumés from India, Spain and all over, which is awesome!

It’s not the easiest thing in the world and not even the best idea to just bring people from all over when there is such amazing talent here. Hopefully, we’ll have diversity in that regards. We’d love people who are experienced with Employees Only from the other locations to come over, so they know from day one what it’s all about.

HAVE YOU TRAINED THE STAFF TO EMBRACE THE SAME EO PHILOSOPHIES? RK: My business partner, Dushan Zaric flew over before the opening to train the staff and help instigate the culture and philosophies that define Employees Only. It is our goal to FEATURE

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SYDNEY EMBRACES THE SPIRIT OF

SUNTORY’S PREMIUM JAPANESE CRAFT GIN, ROKU, WAS LAUNCHED INTO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET WITH TWO UNIQUE EVENTS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER.

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The Spirit of ROKU saw the gin takeover Sydney’s Town Hall in late August, transforming the space into an immersive tasting experience. Guests navigated through a range of sensory experiences that represented the six traditional Japanese botanicals used in ROKU Gin – sakura leaf, sakura flower, gyokuro tea, sencha tea, sanshō pepper and yuzu peel.

Those present bathed in the scent of yuzu, experienced the flavour of sanshō pepper through seasoned traditional yakitori,

sipped on sencha tea and gyokuro tea and basked in the beauty of the sakura flower. Each of the five sessions concluded with a taste of ROKU’s signature serve, the ROKU Gin & Tonic with fresh ginger, served in the traditional Japanese hospitality ritual of omotenashi.

Due to the success of the event, ROKU Gin partnered with Sydney’s popular Japanese-inspired cocktail bar, Tokyo Bird, for a three week pop-up bar in September.

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Guests were treated to a sensory experience of the botanicals before tasting ROKU Gin’s signature G&T paired with canapés that highlighted the Japanese botanicals. The ika kushiyaki, char-grilled squid skewer, showcased the spice of sanshō pepper, while the shiitake mushroom tempura highlighted the herbal flavour of sencha tea.

The distinct sakura mayo used on the tuna tartare added a sweet element to the dish, while the yuzu coconut panna cotta offered guests a rich and citrusy dessert option.

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Bespoke ROKU Gin cocktails were also available to purchase on the night, including The Sakura, a mix of ROKU Gin, dry sake, cherry blossom syrup, rose water and salted sakura; The Yuzu, a citrusy blend of ROKU Gin, sweetened ginger, yuzu juice and soda; The Sanshō, a spicy combination of ROKU Gin, Lillet Blanc, cloudy apple juice, lemon and lemon balm with a sanshō sugar rim; The Sencha, with ROKU Gin, sencha tea, honey, peach aperitif and hops; and The ROKU Martini, a delicious combination of ROKU Gin, Noilly Prat vermouth and ginger.

THE PERFECT SERVE STEP-BY-STEP ingredients • • • •

30ml ROKU Gin (in ROKU cup) 120ml premium tonic water 6 matchstick thin slices of ginger Ice

method • • • •

Fill a tall glass with ice Pour premium tonic water over ice Add 6 slices of ginger Pour ROKU into glass

•

Stir and enjoy

to follow the spirit of Japanese hospitality, if you are with friends please pour theirs and let them pour yours.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Polina Mayskaya

DEFYING ALL ODDS:

EL COPITAS BAR WORDS BY ARTEM PERUK

THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS LIST FOR 2018 WAS RELEASED IN JULY, DURING LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK. AMONGST SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE INDUSTRY, TRENDY FIVE-STAR HOTEL BARS AND TREND-SETTING VENUES WAS THE NAME OF OUR LITTLE MEXICAN BAR NESTLED DEEP IN THE HEART OF SAINT PETERSBURG. COMING IN AT NO. 39 AFTER WE OPENED ONLY THREE YEARS AGO IS A MASSIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN ITSELF, BUT THE STORY BEHIND EL COPITAS BAR MAKES IT NOTHING SHORT OF INCREDIBLE. THE FACT, ALSO, THAT WE HAVE MADE THE TOP 100 LIST EVERY YEAR SINCE OPENING MAKES THIS TALE NEAR UNBELIEVABLE. AND MANY DID QUESTION HOW A YEAR OF WORK COULD CONVINCE EXPERTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO REMEMBER AND NAME EL COPITAS AGAIN AND AGAIN. MANY PEOPLE ARE CONVINCED THAT WE HAVE INVENTED A LOT OF THE STORY, JUST TO MAKE SOME NOISE. BUT IT IS ALL TRUE. A CAR WAS INDEED STOLEN, I REALLY SLEPT ON THE TABLE FOR TWO MONTHS, AND WE INDEED BORROWED CHAIRS FROM OTHER BARS, AS WE HAD NO SEATING ON OUR LAUNCH NIGHT, AND SOLD BACK TO OUR FIRST GUESTS THE ALCOHOL THEY HAD GIFTED US FOR THE OPENING – IT ALL HAPPENED. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHERE YOU WORK, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SOMETHING. BESIDES, PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS LOVED FAIRY TALES, AND HERE EVERYTHING HAPPENED FOR REAL. IN SOME WAY, IT WAS A UTOPIA. BUT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, IN 2016, A YEAR AFTER AN OPENING THAT COST US ONE MILLION ROUBLES ($21,500AUD), A SAINT PETERSBURG BASEMENT BAR APPEARED 76TH, THEN 70TH AND FINALLY 39TH ON THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS LIST. 24

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L-R: Artem ‘Radio’ Peruk, Nikolai ‘Mr Murka’ Kiselev, Igor ‘The Now Guy’ Zernov

WHO/WHAT IS EL COPITAS?

university that saw them both step behind the bar for the first time.

As I briefly explained, ‘El Copitas Bar’ is a small Mexican venue in the very heart of Saint Petersburg, with a strong collection of rare spirits, delicious cocktails and a quirky team. This social hub is tough to find, and our rule is, guests that intend to visit must book to let us know they’re coming… slightly because we aren’t entirely legal, but I’ll touch more on that later.

I was living in Pskov at the time, having completed my teaching diploma, and working as a bar manager at a local venue.

It’s hard to believe, but when an iron door on Kolokolnaya Street opens before you and a man in a bright apron enigmatically and graciously admits you into a gloomy room with the word ‘El Copitas Bar’ shining on the wall in neon lights, you just cannot believe it. This is us. The people who tried making a brick house out of straw and sticks, and somehow managed to do it.

Nowadays, the bar staff take part in all of the most popular bar shows and industry events across the globe, and are dedicated to inspiring and mentoring the younger generations of the Russian bar industry.

WHO ARE THE LEGENDS BEHIND EL COPITAS? Behind the prosperous image lies an energetic, passionate and vibrant team of three dreamers that have shed a tonne of blood, sweat and tears.

Nikolai and Igor have known each other since their student days at the Saint Petersburg I.I. Mechnikov State Medical Academy. As is probably true for most of today’s bartenders, it was one of the many part-time jobs the pair held down while at

So, one of the most talked about bars in Russia was opened by two doctors and a teacher – a strange yet wonderful combination that may be the secret to its success.

NIKOLAI ‘MR.MURKA’ KISELEV Nikolai began working as a bartender in 2004, and since then has tended bar at more than 12 venues across Saint Petersburg.

He is the creator of the first premium cocktail catering service in Russia, ‘Must Have Bar’ and he is the co-owner of Russia’s original mezcaleria, ‘El Copitas Bar’. Nikolai is a mentor and lecturer at Bartender’s FAQtory, a school dedicated to teaching bartenders and hospitality professionals their craft, and is also the cofounder of one of the most popular HoReCa (hospitality) gear shops, ‘Mister Murka’. He is well known to many of Russia’s ‘urban celebrities’ and has taken part in many of their video clips.

ARTEM ‘RADIO’ PERUK Artem has been a bartender for more than 10 years and has launched more than 10 bars over that time. He is the co-founder of Russia’s most renowned bartender’s community, the ‘Independent Bartenders’ Society’. Artem is a skilled speaker and has given more than 200 presentations about bartending across Russia. Together with Nikolai and Igor, he is the creator of Russia’s premium cocktail catering service, ‘Must Have Bar’, and the co-owner of ‘El Copitas Bar’. He also co-owns the aforementioned Bartender’s FAQtory school.

IGOR ‘THE NOW GUY’ ZERNOV Like Artem, Igor has also been bartending for more than 10 years and has launched more than 10 bars over that time. Alongside his two colleagues, Igor co-created ‘Must Have Bar’ and co-owns ‘El Copitas Bar’. He also co-owns Bartender’s FAQtory school with Artem. Igor is a proficient speaker, presenting more than 500 talks on bartending right across Russia, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. He is the anchorman of ‘Russian Cocktail News’ the country’s first media channel dedicated to the bartending industry, and he has previously been a jury member on the TimeOut awards panel to decide Saint Petersburg’s ‘Best Cocktail Menu’.

Right now, he is in charge of creating the new cocktail menus for El Copitas Bar every other week and is a crucial mentor for the bar staff and crew.

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Copitas - personalised by guests.

something new. Well, what is more typically Saint Petersburg than a walled courtyard?

So, we tested our idea for El Copitas by hosting a pop-up art bar with Mexican cuisine and drinks at the Moscow Bar Show in 2014. We were thrilled to receive active approval and positive feedback from industry professionals and decided to go through with the project. But why Mexican?

We have each been to Mexico individually and were all mesmerised by the variety of languages, cultures, ingredients, myths, legends and ingredients. We all wanted to replicate this, in our gloomy city.

The Entrance

HOW DID YOU CREATE THE CONCEPT OF EL COPITAS AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE, FROM CONCEPT PHASE THROUGH TO OPENING? Our original idea was to open an entertainment bar. We needed something, besides the cocktails, to inspire people to keep coming back, as we knew it wouldn’t work otherwise. We wanted it to become a city landmark, like the Hermitage or Pyshechnaya. Making it a must-visit tourist attraction of sorts would at least mean we could pay the rent.

We needed to find the right balance of something typical and characteristic of the city that was also, at the same time, 26

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Most people associate Mexico with desert cacti, sombreros on the heads of moustached men and Frida Kahlo. Indeed, these are the three images that Mexico markets itself on.

But at El Copitas Bar, we wanted to tell the true story of this civilisation. Through studying the Mexican way of life, tasting a huge number of traditional dishes and listening to mystical stories, legends and tales told to children by the elderly, we each found something that we really wanted to bring back to Russia.

We jumped in headfirst and explored everything down to the smallest detail.

Igor carefully analysed the local agave drinks and the simple, fresh and diverse cocktails made from them; Nikolai fearlessly discovered the peculiarities of the local cuisine, and I lost myself in Mexico’s exotic and rich cultural heritage. Exploring these three unique aspects in the same country shaped the idea of what El Copitas Bar now embodies.

It wasn’t easy, and there were many points where we could have given up. Firstly, on the day that we finally found the location for the bar, Igor’s car was stolen. When you’re about to spend your last rouble on opening a bar, you have a wife and child waiting for you at home, and then your car gets stolen, you really have to step back and weigh up the risks. Secondly, I had to give up the stable and comfortable life I’d made for myself in Pskov and, lastly, the location for the bar itself was cause to stop and reconsider this whole venture. When we look back on the pictures today, we’re reminded what a nightmare it was. The 100m² basement that had previously housed a Fishing and Tourism store was, truthfully, more suited as a squatter’s den. There was absolutely nothing there. Just damaged walls, stale air, rats and a complete lack of wiring or plumbing, except the odd broken pipe. To top it off, it was the beginning of December…

WHAT DOES EL COPITAS TRANSLATE TO, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? A ‘copita’ is a traditional Mexican terracotta clay drinking vessel. Literally, it translates to ‘the little glasses’. We take care of each copita the way we care for each guest, and every regular has his or her own unique copita that we serve his or her welcome drink in. We find the ritual quite moving. We unite people by giving them an unexpected experience and making them feel unique. It makes them want to stay with us and become part of our community, with their own littlepersonalised copita as a memento.

WHAT IS THE BAR SCENE LIKE IN RUSSIA?

19TH CENTURY – THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY

THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY UNTIL NOW

It’s getting more and more hyped up.

Sometimes, it actually feels a little too uncontrolled. There are a lot of wannabe best bars with no concept or knowledge of what they are actually doing. It’s likely because starting a bar business here is a lot more affordable than anywhere else in the world, so a lot of bartenders who have dreamt about becoming an entrepreneur can try their luck in Saint Petersburg.

During this period, Saint Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire and the official residence of the numerous royal family members. So, the most luxurious and fancy establishments were founded here. This was the true era of imperial hospitality, with a seemingly endless amount of fashionable, A-class restaurants employing the best hospitality professionals from around the world. Many of the best restaurants in the city had American style bars attached, and the most skilled bartenders and managers were invited from all over the world to host the nobles. The influence of European culture and the European mindset was stronger than ever.

Now, Saint Petersburg is once again the cultural capital of the biggest country in the world and the most visited Russian city by tourists. The globalisation era and influence of Instagram has spread trends across the globe at the touch of a button.

When bartenders travel more, they are exposed to new ideas that they can bring back to Russia to inspire others. We try to help the industry experience such exposure, and so we recently launched a bar school called Bartender’s FAQtory to share the knowledge and experience of the world’s bartending community.

We’ve been called before ambassadors of Saint Petersburg and its bar culture. I’m not sure how true that is, but we are certainly trying to promote the city, its hospitality and its heritage.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SAINT PETERSBURG? To understand exactly why you need to consider the history of alcohol distribution in Saint Petersburg. ( Insert my teacher diploma here..)

THE REVOLUTION OF 1917 AND THE WHOLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY Russian representatives and Soviet Union intelligence officers attended dive bar-like drinking dens such as Ryumochnue. These communal canteens could be found everywhere. For the most powerful and respected people of society, there were the exclusive ‘special places of joy and endless fun...’

There was also a large number of bars for international tourists (Intourist Bars) where cocktails, punches and all styles of mixed drinks were being served, even during the Soviet years.

There are a lot of migrants moving to Russia from Europe and the USA, and a lot of new international hotels, restaurants and enterprises popping up. From this cultural exchange, there is a new cultural phenomenon for the Russian HoReCe industry called bar hopping or bar crawling.

After the sanctions from the USA and the EU saw an import ban of quite a few essential products for the bar business and the collapse of the rouble in the autumn of 2014, there was a rise in the use of products utilising national ingredients, such as different liqueurs, ratafias, tinctures and bitters.

At the same time, with our passion still strong for the industry, we realised that the young and welcoming Saint Petersburg bar scene was a space of opportunity (due to the comparatively lower rents than Moscow, the softer laws and the more grateful guests). We could also see that our city was much more desirable for the brands, events and different bar shows that other Russian cities.

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that you’ve never even worked a shift with.

We promised each other to open our doors on the 1st of January 2015. The import ban from the USA and EU was three months before trade and we were without access to the best-imported products. Simultaneously, I, (Artem) got divorced, Nikolay got fired, and Igor’s car had been stolen.

We realised we’d come to only a month before the opening and we had nothing. We scavenged every coin we could.

We’d promised each other to open those doors, and we were staring down the barrel at one of the most incredible challenges of our lives.

We created the hashtag #onemonthonemillionroublesonebar on Instagram, and we set about the task. I’m not going to lie, it was unbearable, but we made it.

If we compare Saint Petersburg to Moscow, Moscow is extremely expensive and, as a result, venues are not focused on following a concept but rather on trying to make a profit.

Bars and restaurants fight for every penny and to win over the majority of the audience by any means possible. To do this, you need to appeal to everyone: the provincial girl hopping from a restaurant to a bar just to get the Instagram picture; the 90-yearold money-bags who wants everything to appear respectable and classy, and the ultra-fashionable hipster with no clear preferences. Of course, not every place is like this, but Moscow is mostly about margin and not about the concept.

Whereas Saint Petersburg is truly a northern Venice, built by an Italian and sung by the Russian classics. It is a hotpot of insanity, creativity and idle self-indulgence. You can feel the history of titanic labour and slavery 28

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pulsating beneath the beautiful facades. It is the embodiment of all forces in this world, created for beauty and greatness.

All these circumstances have united to give bartenders the opportunity to start their own ventures with strong feelings of optimism and hope.

WHAT DIFFICULTIES/ CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE, FROM CONCEPT PHASE THROUGH TO THE ACTUAL BRICKS AND MORTAR? Igor Zernov, Nikolav and I are unique and have entirely different personalities. In saying that, we are from the same generation and we knew each other pretty well before working together. It was difficult at first, starting your lifelong dream with two others

This was at the peak of the economic crisis; we had no idea what to do, no stuff and absolutely no money. Half of the stores around us were closed because of the skyrocketing prices and terrible currency rate. One day out before opening, the bar had only a small supply of underthe-table tequila and mezcal; a table (that I was sleeping on at the time); a simple, homemade tablecloth; and no chairs. Why have a big table if you cannot physically sit down at it? We had no money and, as a consequence, no chairs.

This is where the generosity of Saint Petersburg’s bar scene came to light.

Honestly, this story still shocks me when I tell it today. We simply went from one bar to another and begged them pitifully to let us borrow at least one chair for the opening. It was incredibly awkward and embarrassing, but almost everyone gave us a chair without

any questions asked. We didn’t expect this level of hospitality, and every time we’d step into a new place, we were wondering if we’d leave with another chair. Of course, initially, they all laughed and thought it was a silly joke, but the fact remains that every time we left with a chair.

This proves one major thing: the entire Saint Petersburg bartender community is a family. There are no isolated establishments.

All the existing and emerging venues are part of one greater community. We are immensely grateful to those bar owners and managers that believed in us at that moment and helped us out or just wished us luck.

Gestures like that showed Igor, Nikolai and I, that people sincerely believe in El Copitas Bar and it has, since, given us the strength to see this through, not to let down not only each other but all those who contributed.

So, on January 1st 2015 El Copitas Bar opened. How did it go? It was an absolute victory. The number of visitors far exceeded our expectations: friends, colleagues and acquaintances all wanted to personally congratulate us on the fact that, despite everything, we had not given up. Of course, it was hard. At some point, we were even selling our friends the alcohol they had given us for the opening. You can’t get any lower than that…

readily available to get in ANY grocery store in Europe or Australia. While the product is common for the Southern European market, for example, it still can be unknown in Russia. So the importers are not going to risk putting their bets on bringing in risky spirits unknown to the market. Nobody would ever buy it.

The concept of El Copitas was also something that proved a challenge from the very beginning. Due to the sanctions, any mezcal or agave spirit was entirely banned and, almost, unreachable. We were the first 100 per cent illegal bar, with an illegal spirit collection brought to us in parcels and boxes by our guests. No one else had even thought about bringing alcohol into the city. Sometimes we were so scared that we couldn’t even open our door for a new guest if we didn’t know them by name or face.

Being afraid the police could close our venue at any minute, we realised the importance to learn all of our guests by heart – their habits, names, friends and preferences.

Even though a lot of our guests were literally sitting in their own chairs, drinking their own tequila, everyone was very understanding. It was a clear expression of

But we’ve survived and managed to persuade importers to bring mezcal into Russia. We’ve now secured around 10 brands within 3.5 years. The spirits issue is not the result of prohibition or the literal banning of any spirits. It is a matter of the little profit and the tax rate attached to importing a product.

the loyal spirit of Saint Petersburg.

Often, you can’t find beverages that are

That was the situation with mezcal. Distance is an issue. Russian’s don’t know or aren’t educated on mezcal so, as a result, there was no demand. But after two years of struggling, persuading our friends, family and acquaintances to bring bottles in their luggage, we are reaching (I hope) the certain level of accessibility of these exotic products.

Another of our biggest challenges was sourcing raw ingredients and fresh products.

Saint Petersburg is the most northern city in the world, with the population well above one million people. You just can’t get a robust avocado here 365 days of the year, like Australia. So, we ended up resolving this issue by launching a new cocktail menu every other week.

This method ensured better flavours and made sense, cost and logistics wise. And the idea worked. We recently had our 196th ‘Menu of the Week’. It keeps our guests intrigued and presents a small, exciting challenge for us.

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IS EL COPITAS A MEMBERS BAR, OR HOW DOES IT WORK REGARDING CLIENTELE? We are open only Thursday, Friday and Saturday and you must call before coming in. That’s rule number one. You can book for a maximum of six people, and you need to arrive right on time. You will then be greeted at the gate by one of our staff, with your copita in hand, who will escort you inside and host you as best they can.

In the middle of the venue, we have a large concrete table- the centerpiece of our bar.

This is not something Russians are used to, as practically all the guests sitting around that table are forced to look at each other and engage in conversation.

You could say that no matter in which of the 33 seats in the venue you’re sitting, you just cannot avoid looking at someone. For Saint Petersburg, this is very uncomfortable.

Locals believe there is nothing more terrible for their melancholic and closed mentalities than to start talking to each other. The city is a landscape of granite, marble and, most importantly, leaden clouds that know no end.

This altogether creates a certain melancholic streak in its inhabitants that inspires solitary meditations. That’s why people in Saint Petersburg sometimes go to a bar not just to drink, but also to present something, either to the world or to themselves. Our bar promotes a non-standard approach – to come, chat, drink and leave. With the set up of the table and a bar station at one end, with an active and chatty bartender, you have to communicate at El Copitas Bar. 30

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For us, it was a bit of an experiment: will all these thoughtful and complex people sit opposite each other? In fact, many did not want to. But we made them do it with the reckless hope that sooner or later interaction and contact would begin.

We have adopted some things for the Russian consumers, like the traditional Mexican food we offer. We serve tacos, burritos, quesadillas, meatballs, a whole variety of soups and nachos.

We also have no managers, hostesses or waitresses. We have only bartenders that are flexible in their roles every night. Everyone does everything.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING THE FIRST VENUE FROM RUSSIA TO SPEAK AT TALES OF THE COCKTAIL 2018?

That was an extraordinary experience!

To be a young, immature bar representing a huge market and a great culture on an international level is humbling. What else could we dream of? It gets more exciting each day, if you keep in mind that our place is still only semi-legal and someone could already be knocking on our door to shut us down while we’re showing off on the stage!

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR EL COPITAS? Hopefully, El Copitas family booming in Australia!

WHAT DOES ‘FOLLOW THE RABBITS’ MEAN? It means to follow your dream like all the ancient tribes of Mexico were following their Gods.

FB page El Copitas Bar @ElCopitasBar.

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Luke Whearty - Operation Dagger (Singapore)

THE RISE OF

INNOVATION IN BARS Where to next?

WHEN WE CONSIDER WHAT INNOVATION IS IN MODERN DRINK CULTURE, WE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND JUST FLAVOUR DEVELOPMENT AND BESPOKE DRINK VESSELS. WORDS BY KURTIS BOSLEY When I think about current innovation in our bars, I think of the flavour exploration and menu creation by bars such as Singapore’s Tippling Club and Native or London’s Dandelyan.

When looking at innovation regarding experience and genuine hospitality, Above Board in Melbourne, Buck & Breck in Berlin and the now non-existent White Lyan all come to mind.

All of these venues exhibit the same innovative spirit, leading 32

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the industry to strive for further development in this area. I feel that we are, now, moving into a new age of innovation, and in this article I want to consider where we will go next with the rise of innovation in bars.

The latest innovative techniques in the bar world seem to revolve around the use of rotovap, centrifuge and alternate ways to carbonate or add acidity to beverages (cheers Dave Arnold for that!).

But when looking beyond this to the next generation of innovation in Australia, Maybe Mae’s Nick Corletto and Ollie Margan are good places to start with their key focus on sustainable techniques and their forwardthinking approach to hospitality.

I am still blown away by Nick’s pineapple paper menu, printed for last year’s The Perfect Blend Competition. Ollie and Nick go one step further and have formed relationships with the food and perishable suppliers to remove as

many bottles as possible as well as with surrounding restaurants to use their excess or discarded products. They also go directly to the source of produce to remove the additional trucks and packaging before getting to the markets.

Joe Schofield showed another example of new styles of innovation when he was at Tippling Club. Bartenders are increasingly looking to create a sensory overload, altering

Operation Dagger Singapore

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Tippling Club Singapore

preconceived ideas of what a cocktail might be and replacing them with new ideas. This is seen with his ‘Dreams & Desires’ menu made up entirely of edible gummy bears that have a nostalgic feel to them. Examples include ‘Revenge’ made with blood, carraway and vodka or ‘Success’ made with red wine, amaro, cognac and whisky.

This, for me, is the first step in the new age of innovation, where we turn our focus towards guest experience and the way we host others in our bars. As bars continue to look towards restaurants for ideas and inspiration, it’s evident that the way in which they curate their space and serve the meals will

Scout London

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rub off onto the bar world. The thirst for gustatory experiences by guests, in sync with restaurants, further highlights this shift.

Operation Dagger and many others, whereby the drinks are listed on the menu according to flavour rather than brands of spirits or, even, type of spirits!

In looking into these connections, Virgilio Martinez is one who comes to mind. He was one of the first to use indigenous ingredients gathered through foraging to create flavour based on geographic location.

This is a practice that is now commonplace in the bar world, as I’m sure many of you would have come across a drink using Australian Native ingredients by now or made one yourself. The structure of Virgilio’s menu has been adopted in the bar world by venues including Scout,

The drink and dining culture in Australia is shifting towards consumers shaping their nights out around a number of bars and skipping the restaurant experience altogether. As more bars include savoury drinks and structured menus reminiscent of restaurants, guests are more inclined to indulge their senses through drink rather than cuisine. Take PS40 for instance, with their ‘Thyme to Turnip the Beet’ with beetroot-infused gin, manzanilla sherry, turnip purée, thyme and egg white. You could

be forgiven for mistaking this for a food item. The PS40 team have long been leading the Sydney bar scene in menu creation and flavour development, a showcase of their ongoing pursuit of innovation.

If this is where the industry is moving, could we see more set menus and curated settings to serve drinks in? Will we be able to book a front seat at the bar of our favourite venue? Will we, as bartenders, begin to host our guests in new ways, guiding them through drink exploration and experience?

Only time will tell…

MORNING IN THE FIELD

BY KURTIS BOSLEY Glassware: Rocks glass Garnish: Davidson plum and finger lime dust Ingredients: 40ml Auchentoshan American Oak 12.5ml Ginger liqueur 10ml Beeswax and tonka amontillado sherry 20ml Fresh lemon 10ml Simple syrup 2 x Dash Hopped grapefruit bitters Method: Shake and strain

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BREAKING DOWN

BAR CONVENT BERLIN BAR ‘SHOWS’, CONVENTIONS, INDUSTRY EXHIBITIONS AND COCKTAIL WEEKS, ARE PRETTY MUCH IN EVERY MARKET NOW. JUST TO GIVE EXAMPLE OF A FEW: TALES OF THE COCKTAIL, MOSCOW BAR SHOW, BROOKLYN BAR CONVENT, AUSTRALIAN BAR WEEK, ATHENS BAR SHOW AND BAROMETER IN KIEV. THE LIST GOES ON... THIS ARTICLE SHARES BCB, AND WHY YOU NEED TO PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR RADAR FOR 2019.

WORDS BY HAYLEY MORISON

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“This is one of the biggest industry events in Europe where you can find anything you’re looking for industry related. Masterclasses, lectures, events, parties, presentations, new products and brands, new friends and contacts. Spend your time wisely, and it can be instrumental in building your career.”

- Artem Peruk, El Copitas

During my career I’ve been fortunate enough to experience Tales of the Cocktail, London Cocktail Week and, most recently, Bar Convent Berlin (BCB) and can confidently say BCB exceeded my expectations by a long shot. From an individual learning experience to brand engagement and a platform as a networking event.

BCB was founded over 10 years ago by bar and beverage experts Jens Hasenbein, Bastian Heuser and Helmut Adam.

Since then, Bar Convent Berlin has grown into a world leading international trade fair for the bar and beverage industry.

Each year, just after London Cocktail Week, approximately 14,000 people descend on Berlin for three days of exhibitions (and mayhem). Mostly bartenders, bar managers or owners, brand ambassadors and brand managers travelling from overseas to be immersed at one of the most significant

industry events. A whopping statistic of more than 68 percent of all attendees for 2018 were from abroad!

Bar Convent Berlin hosts countless international speakers as well as an extensive exhibitor portfolio of over 1,200 brands.

For a first timer, it can be overwhelming. Hearing about the exhibition prior as a ‘must see’ and then witnessing firsthand the brands, masterclasses, seminars, tastings and sensory experiences. Three days was simply, just not enough.

somewhat unassuming from the outside, you walked through the white clinical doorway and were transported into a Sipsmith tasting room, greeted by charasmatic Sipsmith founder Jared Brown making you feel gin-tastic.

A stand out was the Beam

Then progressing into the House of Suntory room. Here you were treated to a mini masterlcass session, ‘sushi train’ style. To which you were educated and immersed into the botanicals, individually matched with ROKU Gin cocktails, that were designed to break down the flavour profiles of the six

Suntory sensory experience;

botanicals in the Gin.

Then moving into the Whiskey room, created to mimic a distillery, as if you were literally in the rack houses. The Ambassador team offered an interactive workshop to help you create your own original bitters, topped off with a Maker’s Mark, barrel ageing tasting and some delicious whisky cocktails.

Each evening, after the show concluded, the parties kicked off, hosted by brands hidden in among the ‘underground ‘scene of Berlin. The schedule was never dull. A plethora of events to attend, providing unique experiences, hosted by many of the global influencers.

A recommendation is to lock this into your calendar if you wish to visit an overseas trade show!

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“The dream bottle to buy” -THE TIMES

“Stupendous gin” -TELEGRAPH

Sipsmith invites you to join us... at the 2019 Trade Exclusive masterclasses with the founders in Australia. Details to be announced shortly.

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SIPSMITH.COM | @SIPSMITH FEATURE

| THE SIPSMITH DISTILLERY, LONDON, W4 2LJ, UK Please sip responsibly

YOUNG BLOODS X LOLLA

NOTHING IS MORE NERVE-WRACKING THEN STEPPING ON THE STAGE FOR THAT MAJOR COCKTAIL COMPETITION. STANDING BEHIND THE BAR WITH THE LIGHTS BEAMING DOWN ON YOU, A LUMP RISING IN YOUR THROAT AS YOU FACE THE JUDGES TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION YOU’VE REHEARSED OVER AND OVER AGAIN. It’s a feeling that David Alexander Stucken knows all too well, having competed in competitions for quite a few years now. He remembers how intimidating it was, competing in the larger scale branded cocktail competitions and immediately facing off against some of the big guns of the trade.

This experience sparked an idea to create a competition that prepared up-and-coming bartenders for the competition circuit – a stepping-stone of sorts before the major leagues.

Together with fellow bartender

and designer Emma Crisp, he created Young Bloods, a cocktail competition inviting rookie bartenders to flex their skills in front of a panel of independent industry experts.

When female hospitality advocacy group Ladies of Liquor and Larder (LOLLA) heard about Young Bloods, they were keen to collaborate with Zander. The team thought the competition would be the ideal platform to show off some of their novice members. Focused on offering education, support and networking opportunities

to women in the hospitality industry, the newly formed group already has over 200 members.

The ensuing collaboration between Young Bloods and LOLLA saw Sipsmith Gin sponsor an all female cocktail competition, held in early August at Churchill Bar & Restaurant, Perth. Twelve, ladies, all Western Australian bartenders competed on the night. Entry at the door was free and on offer for $10 were LOLLA badges, designed

by Emma Crisp. Proceeds from the night went to White Ribbon to support women and children

suffering from domestic violence.

Additional funds were also raised by raffle tickets sold, with prizes on offer including items and services donated by local bars and restaurants.

The night was a roaring success.

Barfly spoke with David Alexander Stucken aka Zander from Young Bloods and the LOLLA team to find out about their unique ventures, how they came to work together and what went down on competition night.

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David Stucken AKA Zander

Tell us a bit about yourself?

How long have you been in the industry and what is your current role?

I’ve been in hospitality for just under a decade now. It started with me picking up glasses, and now I’m General Manager of Bar Lafayette & Churchill. I am also responsible for horrible, cringe-worthy banter that I keep exclusively for my team.

What is the concept behind Young Bloods?

I started Young Bloods with the help of fellow bartender and designer, Emma Crisp. We had the idea to setup local cocktail competitions to prepare the next generation for the bigger scale competitions, like The Perfect Blend, while simultaneously getting cool brands in front of them. As for the name itself, we decided to use the name ‘Young Bloods’ as an obvious nod to the young bartenders we wanted to help develop.

We’ve done six competition events so far, with talks of two more, currently in the works.

But the biggest and best so far was our collaboration with LOLLA. It was great to see the community turning up to support the next generation.

What motivated you to create this competition?

When I started bartending, James Connolly used to set up competitions along the same 40

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lines. Naturally, life and work get in the way, so eventually he stopped. After seeing this void, I thought I would carry on with a similar industry event. Looking over Connolly’s old competition stuff and Ryan Lane’s Greenhorn competitions in Brisbane gave me a good reference point to start from, and used this as inspiration.

Have you been in cocktail competitions before if so, which ones?

I’ve been in quite a few over the years. My first success was a competition about six years ago, and since then I’ve competed in about six. Needless to say, I’m into whisky, so most of them were whisky competitions.

What benefits do you feel cocktail competitions have on the community/individuals and why?

For me, it’s always been a fun, creative outlet, not to mention the networking benefits and connected experiences that follow. Presenting well in a

competition can open many doors to new employment opportunities with either venues or brands. Frankly, I used competitions to drive my career forward. After jumping into many competitions, I’ve made friends across the country. Competitions gave me a reason to visit more cities and an opportunity to have more conversations, be inspired and improve my drinks. Most importantly, they allowed me to develop my service skills and confidence.

Share with us what has been the highlight of running these cocktail competitions?

For me, seeing a young bartenders face when they win makes it all worthwhile.

Knowing that this could be a boost to their confidence and set them on a path to do great things – stoked is usually an understatement. After our recent event with Sipsmith Gin, I watched the ladies really come out of their shells, show confidence and inspire the community to support them and

grow with them. I’m hopeful that we can see more of these young women make their mark on the bar scene.

What advice can you give newbies for their first time competing?

Big one: talk about the brand.

Always remember that a brand is sponsoring the competition so, naturally, give them the props they deserve! The person before said the same fact as you? Say it better! Also, don’t overthink it.

Stay on topic and manage your time well. It’s easier said than done, and we all get flustered from time to time.

What does the future hold for Young Bloods/what are your aspirations for the competition?

For now, I’m not quite sure. I wouldn’t mind seeing it hit a few more states, such as Adelaide, ACT, Northern Territory, and then onwards and upwards from there! I need to iron out some kinks though – buy some better sound equipment and work on a viable strategy!

LOLLA Team Could you describe/define for us LOLLA and what it means to all of you?

Dhiva Thangathurai: LOLLA is a female hospitality advocacy group that provides networking, education and support for women in the industry.

Elise Godwin: I feel LOLLA is an excellent way for ladies to connect and put our heads together to try and address some of the issues we face in the industry as women.

Maria Marter: LOLLA for me is a network for women in the hospitality industry to connect, share ideas and support each other.

Claudia Morgan: LOLLA for me is a safe space where we can pull help and resources from each other and work together as females in the hospitality industry.

Who is the creative and entrepreneurial brain trust behind the creation of LOLLA? Claudia Morgan (Mechanics Institute), Maria Marter (Mrs Brown), Elise Godwin (Strange Company), and Dhiva Thangathurai (Blogger and Lifestyle Writer at Ginanonymous).

Can you briefly describe the members’ current roles and industry experience?

CM: My role with LOLLA currently is as director. I manage our private Facebook group and

members, organise events and collaborate with others, while also forming a vision for the future of the group. I have been bartending for four years now in Western Australia, while also gaining experience in marketing and advertising. I have been a core member of The Dominion League and Mechanics Institute for the past four years.

EG: My role within the group is a bit of everything – using my industry experience, event coordination and networking skills to benefit the group.

Although I have been in hospitality for over 10 years, I

didn’t start bartending seriously until I worked in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, I have immersed myself in the industry.

When I returned back home to Perth, I started working at the Halford Bar, then The Dominion League and now as the bar manager at Strange Company in Fremantle. I’ve competed in various competitions, taking me to New Zealand, Nicaragua, and all over Australia.

DT: Within LOLLA, I am the Media & Marketing Coordinator. My work history is predominantly in the fashion and social enterprise industries (Love Thread Project), with five years and two years’ experience respectively. In fashion, I have experience in show producing, FEATURE

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PR managing and styling. With the Love Thread Project, I was one of the founding members and the communications manager.

I am currently a freelance PR coordinator and use my website as a storytelling platform to combine my keen interest and passion for the creative, fashion and hospitality industries with my love of gin!

MM: Within LOLLA, I’m a bit of an all-rounder. I usually help with events, organisation and whatever needs to get done. I have worked in the industry for over 10 years, starting out as a chef and progressing into a front of house role in a pub.

I currently run Mrs Brown, which is a small bar in North Fremantle, and my primary interest and focus is wine.

What motivated you to create such a platform?

CM: For me, there was no platform where females in the industry here in Western Australia could talk or seek help for any of the issues in the industry that are, unfortunately, uniquely female. The idea behind creating LOLLA was to create a safe space for women in the industry to share thoughts and feelings, as well as foster an excellent networking opportunity. I was a bit sick of attending industry training sessions and being the only female in the room, customers not wanting to be served by me because they want a whisky or beer, feeling unsafe late at night leaving work etc. These are instances that most females in the industry have also experienced.

EG: After spending so much time overseas and working with some amazing women driving change (Lauren Mote, Kaitlyn Stewart and Kelsey Ramage to name a few), there wasn’t really anything happening here in Perth. We thought, why not do it ourselves? Between us, we have the skills and passion for making it happen and really making a difference.

What events or collaborations have you previously executed, describe them?

ALL: LOLLA x Young Bloods Sipsmith Gin event was our first significant collaboration, and we were pleased with how the night turned out. We are looking at hosting a few more social events along with unique training sessions and seminars for our members. We’ll also be running some more fundraisers in the New Year, such as a pop-up dinner where we involve female chefs and bartenders, raising funds for other charities that we are passionate about.

What does the future hold for LOLLA? ALL: We would love LOLLA to be the go-to advocacy group/ platform for creating change within the industry, especially with issues involving women.

We’d like this to be done through events and/or smart marketing strategies. We aim to keep collaborating with charities that align with our beliefs and ideas, and keep pushing for women in hospitality to be more vocal and involved in creating change for good. Females have this amazing ability to come together as a community without ego. This

gives them the ability to raise awareness in the industry and, ultimately, make changes for the better.

create change within the industry through regularly organised events like a cocktail competition.

You partnered with Young Bloods for this Sipsmith Gin cocktail competition – What did this evening mean to you all?

MM: This night was about showcasing ladies in this industry and raising money and awareness for a good cause in White Ribbon Australia.

Being able to collaborate with Sipsmith Gin and Young Bloods on this competition was amazing, and the support and feedback we received were incredible.

CM: Young Bloods is a competition giving young and upcoming bartenders a chance to gain experience in creating cocktails and competing in a fun, non intimidating way.

We collaborated with them to showcase the incredible talent that we have in upcoming female bartenders while raising money for a cause we believe in, White Ribbon Australia. Not only did we raise money for a good cause, showcase LOLLA to the public, and have a great time, most of the competitors formed a common bond and still chat and help each other out. It was amazing to see the level of comradery.

EG: Young Bloods is a fantastic local amateur competition and we thought it would be a tremendous first collaboration to get some of the younger ladies in the limelight. Having the support from Sipsmith Gin and Bill Bewsher and Hugh Thompson was beneficial too, as it gave us the support and resources to be able to make it a great event that stood out from the norm. People know what LOLLA is now, and this first event was pivotal in that. We’re super grateful to all involved.

DT: The evening was testament to how we can use a platform like LOLLA to successfully

What was the highlight of the event for you?

CM: The highlight of the event for me was seeing the incredible and talented ladies compete, as well as seeing the support from the audience. It was an incredible turnout, and I cannot thank The Exchange enough for supporting this event.

EG: As a judge, seeing how confident the ladies were on stage and how much energy they were able to bring to the room was really impressive. Especially since for most of the girls, it was their first competition.

DT: The camaraderie showcased by the competitors was incredible, as was being able to work with Sipsmith Gin from Beam Suntory to spread a positive message - #ginforgood!

MM: The legendary ladies who got up and competed on the night and showed so much confidence and skill within their industry were super impressive. Also seeing the amount of support everyone showed the ladies and the cause was astounding.

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The Cocktails PAULA GALVEZ Ronnie Nights

Gerro Sour GLASSWARE: Coupette GARNISH: Geraldton wax flower and lemon twist INGREDIENTS: 45ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 30ml Geraldton wax extract* 30ml Fresh lemon juice 20ml Sugar syrup 15ml Egg white (*Extract was made with: 30g Geraldton wax, 30ml Fresh lemon juice, 10g Galangal) METHOD: Dry shake, shake

LAUREN BLACKLEDGE Miss Chats Fremantle

Mango Con Chilli GLASSWARE: Mini coupette GARNISH: Two crystallised ginger cubes on a skewer INGREDIENTS: 45ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 20ml Fresh lime juice 10ml Lemon Oleo sacrum 1 Bsp. Mango chilli jam METHOD: Shake, strain

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LAUREN KRAFT Old Faithful

Cygnet Calling GLASSWARE: Tall GARNISH: Crushed juniper berries INGREDIENTS: 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 20ml Fino Sherry 30ml Cream 20ml Fresh lemon juice 20ml Fresh lime juice 30ml Orris root syrup 30ml Egg white Topped with soda METHOD: Dry shake, shake, strain.

Top with soda

JODY CARMICHAEL

Lolla Flip GLASSWARE: Coupette

Who’s Your Mumma GARNISH: Dehydrate the berries that were juiced for the reduction down to a dust and combine with a small amount of sugar. Sprinkle on the foam of the drink INGREDIENTS: 45ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 15ml Courvoisier VS cognac 30ml Moondog Black Lung reduction made with blueberry juice Coffee and cacao nib infused whole egg METHOD: Dry shake, shake, strain into absinthe rinsed glass

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CHARLIE HUNTER The Mechanics Institute

The Art of Bartending GLASSWARE: Crystal goblet GARNISH: Sifted dehydrated red rose petals INGREDIENTS: 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 30ml Acidified rhubarb and rose syrup 10ml Orange zest and cassia bark orgeat 10ml Fresh lemon juice Tiny pinch of salt Egg white METHOD: Dry shake, shake well, double strain

BELLE SMITH Tiki as FK

Lady Marmalade GLASSWARE: Coupette GARNISH: Dehydrated blood orange wheel INGREDIENTS: 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 1 Tsp. Blood orange and Triple Sec marmalade 20ml Hibiscus tea syrup (1:1:1 hibiscus tea, white sugar, water. three lemon peels) 30ml Fresh lemon juice 30ml Egg white 1 x Dash Orange bitters Bols Triple Sec (spray for glass wash) METHOD: Dry shake, wet shake, strain into Triple Sec rinsed glass

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JOHANNA WALKEMEYER The Moon Cafe

Gayviation GLASSWARE: Antique Shrimp Cocktail Glass GARNISH: Rainbow sour strap weaved on a cocktail pick with edible flowers

Winner

INGREDIENTS: 50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 30ml Fresh lemon juice 22.5mls Homemade orgeat infused with butterfly pea powder and salt 5ml Tempus Fugit Creme De Banana 2 x Drops of Bittermens Orange Cream Citrate 5 x Juniper berries METHOD: Muddle Juniper berries, add all ingredients, shake, strain

GRACE JUNIPER GOODWIN Strange Company

Ring Around the Rosie GLASSWARE: Balloon GARNISH: Pineapple and kaffir lime sherbet on mirror with fresh and dehydrated rose buds INGREDIENTS: 40ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 20ml Sweet Vermouth 25ml Pineapple and Kaffir lime shrub 25ml Fresh lime Juice 4 x Dash Chilli tincture METHOD: Shake, strain FEATURE

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JONI BAKER Varnish on King

Breakfast at Sweethearts GLASSWARE: Coupette GARNISH: Dehydrated citric acid-basted strawberries, processed to a fine powder for rim INGREDIENTS: 40ml Sipsmith London Dry 20ml Pampelle 30ml Fresh lemon juice 30ml Egg white 1 Bsp. Grapefruit, strawberry and Campari marmalade METHOD: Dry shake, shake, double strain

YESHE MONAGHAN Caballitos Perth

Bed and Breakfast GLASSWARE: Rocks GARNISH: Double lavender sprig entwined with two skinny orange twists INGREDIENTS: 45mL Sipsmith London Dry Gin 1.5 Bsp. Orange marmalade (sweet, homemade to sugar syrup ratio) 4 x Dash Peychaud’s Bitters 2 x Half pulls of lavender and wine rose bitters Cinnamon sugar toast METHOD: Stir and strain. Serve toast alongside the gin marmalade Old Fashioned

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SARAH WOOLHOUSE Bobèche

Cottesloe Peach GLASSWARE: Nick & Nora GARNISH: Basil infused salt sherbet INGREDIENTS: 30ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 45ml White peach oleo saccharum 30ml Peach sherbet (white peach poached in limocello, then sugar and citric acid added whilst hot) Pinch of basil infused salt METHOD: Shake, double strain

RHIANNON DICK The Flour Factory

Soul of Frost Fair GLASSWARE: Coupette GARNISH: Apple twist INGREDIENTS: 45ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin 70ml Ginger Tea (fresh ginger, star anise, cloves, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg) 30ml Green Apple sugar syrup METHOD: Put ginger tea into pot on hot stove, over flame. Add green apple sugar syrup, wait until warm add Sipsmith London Dry Gin. Turn off heat, pour into glass FEATURE

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FOR THOSE OF US W HO

HAVE A MATE OF A MATE’S BACK.

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DANDELYAN TOUR A Year In The Making

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WORLD’S BEST BAR* PARTNERS WITH THE BLENDS OF THE WORLD AND HEADS DOWN UNDER? TWO WEEKS, FIVE TRADE SEMINARS, FOUR CONSUMER COLLABORATIONS AND ABOUT... 4500 COCKTAILS... ALL WITH SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S LEADING VENUES AND MOST TALENTED BARTENDERS. BARFLY PROVIDES INSIGHT BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE TOUR. WORDS BY HAYLEY MORISON As you all know, on any given night behind the bar (or in a kitchen), hours of preparation go on behind the scenes. Some venues even have ‘prep ninjas’, dedicated within their roster to perform an entire shift prebatching cocktails, cutting ice or making garnishes for service.

The bar scene has changed dramatically throughout the last decade, and the cocktail game has intensified. Consumers are more in the know and expectations have increased, but this has allowed bartenders to become more experimental and more creative. Old techniques have been recycled and revamped into new techniques and we, now, have the ability for endless flavour opportunities, with fun and sometimes daring cocktail menus.

Each bartender who attended the ‘Bar In-Depth’ sessions was taken on a whimsical journey through the Dandelyan world of Modern Botany, minimal waste and effective service techniques.

Consumers that attended any one of the collaboration evenings between the World’s Best Bar and our very own talented, liquid magicians from some of Australian’s best venues also had their taste buds sent on a voyage.

You think your group chats are intense? Try putting 15 bartenders in one chat, all brainstorming concepts for this tour across varying time zones for four different events, three different menus and five trade seminars. This truly was a year in the making.

The tour started as a discussion at Tales of the Cocktail last year, to which was adamantly pitched to the Dandelyan boys that it be a “collaboration, not a takeover.”

The objective was to allow it to be a chance for the local teams in Australia to work with the Dandelyan team and bring a unique menu to each of their venues for one night only (well, two in Sydney).

Maybe Mae in Adelaide and Charlie Parker’s in Sydney, creating menu offerings specifically for each event and its guests. This was a concept never done before, uniting local flavours and minds with London cocktail culture.

The Blends of the World is about educating, inspiring and supporting the bar community, and this tour provided just that. Whether you’re new to the industry, or a veteran, there was something for everybody in the sessions.

Here, Barfly speaks with the talent behind the scenes about their individual roles and how it all came to fruition.

These passionate, like-minded individuals made this tour happen, and The Blends of the World thanks them all and everyone else who was significantly involved!

Over the two weeks, Dandelyan

The collaboration events saw just shy of 700 guests, with over 4500 cocktails consumed.

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Tiny’s x DANDELYAN DRINK #1 Glassware: Wine glass Garnish: Saltbush and white chocolate rice crisp Ingredients: 30ml Jim Beam Double Oak 40ml Aussie Milk Punch (cacao, passionfruit, apple, pear, peach, plum and Campari) *Milk punch is Clarified 75ml Soda water Method: Built and topped with soda water

PHOTOGRAPHY: Thomas Davidson

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DRINK #2 Glassware: Nick and Nora or Tasting glass Garnish: Moss distillate Ingredients: 45ml ROKU Gin 10ml Terroir distillate (mostly made up of different soils and earth) 15ml Lillet Blanc 10ml Sugar syrup 5 x Dash Hibiscus vinegar Method: Pre-batch and pre-dilute all ingredients except vinegar. Dash vinegar into chilled Nick and Nora glass. Pour measure table side into Nick and Nora from bottle. Colour changes from clear in the bottle to pink in the glass.

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DRINK #3 Glassware: Small coupette Garnish: Pineapple pulp crisp Ingredients: 50ml Canadian Club 1858 15ml Acidified pineapple pulp oleo saccharum (1.5% by weight of citric acid), 15ml ‘Down under’ falernum (falernum made with Australian botanicals and fortified with CC 1858) 15ml Fresh pineapple juice 1 x Dash saline solution (4:1) Method: Shake and double strain into a chilled coupette

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DRINK #4 Glassware: Old fashioned Garnish: Mint distillate Ingredients: 50ml Maker’s Mark 10ml Cocchi Americano 10ml Rich Wattleseed syrup 2 x Dash Saline solution (4:1) 4 x Dash Aromatic bitters Method: Stir and strain over a big rock of ice

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DRINK #5 Glassware: Highball Garnish: Whole dehydrated poached strawberry and mint sprig Ingredients: 50ml Strawberry gum butter fat washed Auchentoshan American Oak 20ml Acidified poached strawberry syrup (1% by weight) 20ml Peach invasion (peach NEIPA from Rocky Ridge Brewing) 50ml Soda water Method: Build and stir

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IAIN GRIFFITHS BAR OPERATOR, DANDELYAN, LONDON Your team collaborated with a few of Australia’s top venues.

It was a lot of work, so why did you opt for this format?

Dandelyan is about the modern exploration of botany through the eyes of bartenders. Given Australia’s unique flora and fauna, and how in recent years bartenders have taken hold of this, it would have been a genuinely boring and self-indulgent exercise to bring what we do in London to Australia.

We thought a collaboration would allow us to bring the Dandelyan ethos and mindset, along with some of our more #heapsmadshit ideas, to a new playing field.

By collaborating with the best bars in each city that hosted an event, attendees received indeed a once in a lifetime experience.

The objective wasn’t James Wheeler and Will Meredith simply showing up and slapping together some drinks. This has been the culmination of over a year of ideas, emails and calls at all hours of the morning, and what they’ve created has Ryan and I thinking we should open a Dandelyan Australia (jokes, kind of…)

What benefits do you see with collaboration vs a takeover?

Collaboration brings in the broader audience; it stimulates creativity and, often, the final product is something more interesting, well thought out and evolved.

Takeovers are a snapshot representation of something that happens elsewhere. I think the benefits speak for themselves, and when Dandelyan hit Australia that was undoubtedly the case.

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MARIO LA PIETRA

of preparation and cool stuff on the horizon!”

BAR MANAGER AT CHARLIE PARKER’S, SYDNEY

Each menu was created, and conceptualised via a WhatsApp group chat before the tour. What was it like working with Will and James to create a menu, without even meeting them yet?

Each of you played significantly different and unique roles during the recent Dandelyan tour. What was the part you played behind the scenes?

I was mainly involved in the idea formulation behind the Australian inspired bespoke ingredients that were the body of the drinks created for the consumer events. With the rest of the Charlie Parker’s team, I was in charge of the research and development of the prep and prebatch that had to be done for Dandelyan’s entire Oz tour.

I also worked on the creation of the bespoke menu presented for the consumer event hosted by Charlie Parker’s.

Have you been to Dandelyan prior, and what’s your understanding of the venue and its ethos was?

Yes, I’ve been to Dandelyan prior and my main understanding, and what impressed me with the venue, was there’s definitely a significant focus on making an unusual and exciting products that is both accessible and fun for the crowd. They focus on creating the product with the high-standard service of a luxury hotel bar, in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.

When the idea was first pitched to you, what was your immediate reaction?

“Nice! There will be a great time had by all. Definitely long hours 58

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It was great to have such a big brainstorming session via messages, but it was even better when we were able to translate concept and ideas into real drinks. There was a lot of back and forth of emails, messages, numbers and excel sheets, but in the end, it was all worth it!

How did the boys inspire you/ challenge you (or your team) during this collaboration?

As I mentioned before, the biggest challenge for the team and me was to translate the drink concepts into a liquid or create a variation on one of the Dandelyan classics, in particular, one that I did not have the pleasure to try in London, incorporating that Charlie Parker’s touch.

What was the highlight for you during this experience?

The highlight for me was the satisfaction felt towards the drinks we presented in our venue and the great feedback we received from other teams around Australia. To have played such a significant role in the success of the other events felt fantastic.

With your venues being significantly far away from one another regarding distance, what

L-R: Mario La Pietra, James Wheeler, Will Meredith and Tim Laferla

similarities did you see among the menu creation process and your way of working?

The main similarity we saw in our way of working was that we both utilise the ‘closed loop approach’ in our use of raw materials (fruit, veg, herbs etc). In terms of menu creation, Charlie Parker’s creative process is different from the one put in place by the Dandelyan team, since we have a smaller cocktail list and we change it regularly according to what’s in season and available on the market, or when we decide to use the byproduct of a specific ingredient and list that on the menu when the actual ingredient is out of season. This rotation is more affected by the size of the initial batch of a specific drink, which can lead to a faster rotation of the drinks on the menu.

Has your venue implemented any knowledge acquired from

the tour, in terms of service or recipes etc.?

The whole experience inspired us and gave us a lot more ideas, which will probably implement in our bar set up really soon.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Let’s do it again!

TIM LAFERLA VENUE MANAGER AT CHARLIE PARKER’S, SYDNEY Each of you played significantly different and unique roles during the recent Dandelyan tour. What was the part you played behind the scenes?

‘The prep guy’. Mario and I organised the re-creation of Dandelyan classics for all the states trade seminars as well as collaborated the ingredients for

the consumer events. We were required to do this for in the region of 5000 cocktails. It was pretty challenging, to say the least.

Have you been to Dandelyan prior, and what’s your understanding of the venue and its ethos was?

I’ve just moved back to Australia this year after five years in London, so I’ve been to Dandelyan many times and was quite familiar with what they were all about.

When the idea was first pitched to you, what was your immediate reaction?

We were super excited.

Regarding ethos and values, there are indeed quite a few similarities between Charlie Parker’s and Dandelyan. The best collaborations come from a shared vision with different

approaches. It was awesome to be able to work in that way to ensure that each and every drink was a unique expression of both what we do at Charlie Parker’s and what they do at Dandelyan, rather than just slapping together a menu composed of each other’s individual drinks.

their whole team in the creative process, from start to finish.

The product they deliver every day in Dandelyan is essentially a collaboration of their entire team, so taking it on the road and sharing that process with others is just an extension of what they already do.

Each menu was created, and conceptualised via a WhatsApp group chat before the tour. What was it like working with Will and James to create a menu, without even meeting them yet?

What was the highlight for you during this experience?

Has your venue implemented any knowledge acquired from the tour, regarding service or recipes etc.?

Sending that final esky of prep interstate after months of discussion and a solid month of physical prep. That was extremely satisfying and rewarding.

Like I said above, the way they engage their whole team was incredibly inspiring. We’re looking at strategies that we can implement at Charlie Parker’s to be better at that.

Did the collaboration provide any key learnings for you, on a personal level?

How did the boys inspire you/ challenge you (or your team) during this collaboration?

With your venues being significantly far away from one another regarding distance, what similarities did you see among the menu creation process and your way of working?

The thing that inspired me the

The similarities I see between

most is the way they engage

Charlie Parker’s and Dandelyan

The guys were fantastic. Super humble, down to earth, friendly and creative. Bouncing so many ideas off like-minded individuals was great.

is that both teams agree less is more. You can achieve complexity without being overly complicated. We, also, both place emphasis on taking inspiration from your locality and surrounds.

Be more organised. If you think you are organised enough, you’re probably not. Bartenders (generally) are really bad at this.

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OLLIE MARGAN DIRECTOR/GM OF MAYBE MAE, ADELAIDE Each of you played significantly different and unique roles during the recent Dandelyan tour. What was the role you played behind the scenes?

Maybe Mae was fortunate enough to play host to James Wheeler and Will Meredith from Dandelyan during the Adelaide leg of their national tour. Hosting a consumer event in addition to the trade seminar meant that a collaborative menu was designed over a period of six months.

During this time we to-and-fro over group chat, pitching ideas back and forth during this time to devise a completely unique six drink list to be presented on the night.

Have you been to Dandelyan prior, and what’s your understanding of the venue and its ethos was?

Yes, once. It is a phenomenal venue. The approach seemed like many of the things we at Maybe Mae aspire to. Drinks that read with intrigue and taste with ease. Smart serves, unique garnishes and smiles all around. They offer a really, really pleasurable drinking experience void of pretention. Their creative approach is unlike anywhere else in the world and they really are pioneering an approach to cocktails that will be emulated globally for years to come.

When the idea was first pitched to you, what was your immediate reaction?

Where do I sign? (Laughs) I was super flattered to have the opportunity for the best bar in the world to set up shop in 60

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our little Adelaide bar. For a young, ambitious team, this was profound.

Each menu was created, and conceptualised via a WhatsApp group chat before the tour. What was it like working with Will and James to create a menu, without even meeting them yet?

Super easy, given the circumstances. Looking at the final drinks, some of which were only finalised on the day. We couldn’t have been any more stoked with how it turned out.

They were incredibly trusting of my palate and seemed to be into the Australiana elements I suggested for the drinks, which made it easier. They were more interested in seeing our influence on their concepts/ingredients than dominating the creative process, which speaks volumes of Will and James. Incredible bartenders.

How did the boys inspire you/ challenge you (or your team) during this collaboration?

The notion of creating drinks that were going to bear the name of the best cocktail bar in the world next to ours was obviously a huge driving force for us to really impress. Other than that, being able to spend some time with them before the event put us in a similar headspace leading into the event, and got our teams working very well together service-wise.

What was the highlight for you during this experience?

On the night itself, it was incredible to see so many drinks cross the bar with such ease.

Everything was really well received. Beam Suntory and The Blends of the World, were incredible support logistically.

I really enjoyed the creative process leading into it also. While we definitely saw eye to eye on most things, they were some differences that challenged me to think about drinks differently, which was great.

With your venues being significantly far away from one another regarding distance, what similarities did you see among the menu creation process and your way of working?

Has your venue implemented any knowledge acquired from the tour, regarding service or recipes etc.?

Applying more transparent structure and conscious collaboration to our creative process for new drinks/menus etc. has been the biggest thing we’ve learnt.

Did the collaboration provide any key learnings for you, on a personal level?

There was a clear focus on unique ingredients; pushing the boundaries of how to implement garnishes; simple glassware housing visually striking drinks and narrowly focused, producedriven drinks with context by both parties.

Pulling together a collaborative event that relies so much on personality and creative input from a distance, with complete strangers, was undoubtedly a challenge made easy because the Dandelyan boys are such professionals.

James Pennefather (Middle front)

JAMES PENNEFATHER BAR MANAGER AT TINY’S PERTH Each of you played significantly different and unique roles during the recent Dandelyan tour. What was the part you played behind the scenes?

My role in organising The Blends of the World x Dandelyan event at Tiny’s mostly revolved around drink concept and development, service execution, liaising with Will and James, and, finally, prepping the drinks for the service.

When the idea was first pitched to you, what was your immediate reaction?

Pure excitement. It’s a team that I’ve wanted to work with for a long time.

Each menu was created, and conceptualised via a WhatsApp group chat before the tour. What was it like working with Will and James to create a menu, without even meeting them yet?

Working with people I’d never met, on the other side of the world, over an instant messaging app had its difficulties but we managed to make it work. The ideas we workshopped were strong enough that they came together relatively quickly. It helped that James and Will are both perfect gentlemen.

How did the boys inspire you/ challenge you (or your team) during this collaboration?

The collaboration, definitely inspired the team and me. They showed thoughtfulness in every serve, not only regarding the taste of the drink but also in how the drink could be presented and served in an interesting,

engaging or surprising way.

This reminded everyone to keep the customer interested and engaged. They also showed how each drink should have a reason behind it, whether that be a personal inspiration or an exploration of a theme, something I believe stems from the concept of ‘Modern Botany’, which encourages us to look thoroughly at what plants have to offer us.

so much to offer and who were so willing to share that offering was a big treat.

Has your venue implemented any knowledge acquired from the tour, regarding service or recipes etc.?

Their approach ultimately challenged us to be as meticulous as we can be with every element of the customer experience, as well as to be custodians of knowledge to be shared with those others coming through the industry.

The biggest thing, I think, that has been taken away from the experience and implemented is utilising inspiration to craft drinks. Don’t have a drink on a list that is there just because the flavours work and it tastes good, have a reason behind them. That way, the bartenders feel more connected to the drinks and the customers get a story with their drink, ultimately enhancing their experience.

What was the highlight for you during this experience?

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The collaborative efforts before service were the highlight for me.

Working alongside people with

It was bloody awesome. Bring them back!

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TWO

SCHMUCKS

Walk Into A Bar IF SUCCESS STORIES IN THE BAR INDUSTRY ARE TO TEACH US ANYTHING, IT’S THAT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR PERSEVERANT OPTIMISM AND SHEER HARD WORK. THE STORY OF MOE ALJAFF AND AJ WHITE IS A TESTAMENT TO THIS LESSON. FROM TWO BARISTAS WHO DREAMED OF LIFE UNDER THE BARCELONAN SUN, RUNNING THEIR OWN VENUE, TO BECOMING THE OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF ONE OF SPAIN’S MOST SUCCESSFUL DIVE BARS, TWO SCHMUCKS. THE PAIR HAS SHOWN THAT A LITTLE GRIT AND DETERMINATION CAN GO A LONG WAY IN THIS INDUSTRY. BARFLY SPOKE WITH MOE RECENTLY ABOUT HOW HE AND AJ CAME TO CREATE THEIR BOOMING BAR, THE IMPORTANCE OF INDEPENDENCE TO ENSURING CREATIVITY AND THE OBSTACLES THEY OVERCAME TO GET TO WHERE THEY ARE TODAY. WORDS BY MOE ALJAFF

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You’re quite the dynamic duo.

Could you share with us how you two first met?

Two Schmucks walk into a bar…

Just kidding (laughs). I first met AJ when I moved to Norway around 2014. I moved there thinking stuff it, I’ll find a job somehow. With little money and no contacts, I ended up sleeping on my buddy’s couch for the first month. I couldn’t get a job as a bartender, so I started going after barista jobs, thinking I might as well learn about coffee.

I worked in a place called Cafe Laundromat. The first day, I arrived at 7am, which is usually when I used to get home from work, and AJ was my trainer that day.

The other staff laughed at us the whole day because we accidentally wore the same outfit (not a staff uniform), and by the end of the day we were discussing music, coffee, beer… Everything we still talk about today. This was just the beginning.

A while after that job, I began working in a bar called ‘Himkok’ to start experimenting more with cocktails. Around that time, AJ lost his flat, so he got a room in the flat where I was staying, and we became roommates. I shared with him my plans for Barcelona and how I thought Norway sucked. Well, that was my opinion back then anyway. When I finally decided to move there, he said, “F**k it, I’m coming as well.”

Tell us a bit about your individual stories, and prior experience in the industry.

finding similarities. Firstly, we’re both from middle-eastern families – AJ is originally from Egypt, but he was raised in Hackney, London and I’m from Iraq but was raised in a small city in Sweden.

This, inevitably, has helped us make Two Schmucks into a bar with a great wide selection of liquids open from 10am to 2am.

every friend in the industry, every brand ambassador we knew – even people in entirely different markets to ours.

How did the name ‘Two Schmucks’ come about?

I left home around the age of 18, and have been in the nightlife industry ever since, in varying roles. I started off as a street promoter of clubs and parties, and also a doorman of a nightclub. Then I worked the graveyard shift at a hostel in the red-light district, before tending bars in Amsterdam, Thailand, Norway and Spain. I’ve worked in high volume bars, fancy hotel bars and everything in between.

Before I before I started working with AJ as a barista, I worked at a bunch of dive bars which helped me later secure the job at Himkok. Finally, we moved to Spain to open our very own bar, Two Schmucks.

Honestly, Larry David (laughs).

If you’ve ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm, you’ll know.

The idea behind it was pretty simple. We needed to create a brand that was 100% self-aware.

We had both worked a tonne of places before and felt that so many places required you not to be yourself.

The e-mail said that we, basically, already had a bar (which was a lie) and that we were promoting it throughout these ‘pop-ups’. We wanted to take over a whole space, however, we weren’t only bringing drinks, we wanted to change the atmosphere, the lighting, the music and, we agreed, that if they couldn’t help

AJ left his folks to do University in Wales around the age of 18. He studied some major while he hung out at the dorms and learned everything he could about photography and videography from friends around him. It was here that he developed a passion photography.

After University, he started as a barista in London and learnt a lot about coffee. He came to the point of entering competitions, which took his coffee knowledge to another level. After he moved to Oslo, he kept working with coffee but started focusing a bit more on the alcohol side.

We come from very different

I come from more of a ‘cocktail/ nightlife’ background, and he comes more from a ‘daytime

backgrounds, yet we keep

coffee and beer’ background.

As a result, when creating ‘Two Schmucks’, we wanted to produce a brand that was 100% us. That way, we only had to do was to wake up in the morning and we’d be our brand.

When we first started to hire people, we never went after skill or background. If they seemed like a person that would fit in with who we are and if, in being entirely themselves, they reflected the brand and what we stand for, they were hired.

You hosted ‘pop up’ tours.

How did this come about, and what were you offering/ communicating on these tours?

I had just moved to Barcelona after having finished competing in a massive global competition.

Where I did quite well, actually.

I got the advice from Shervene Shahbazkhani to ride the wave of that competition, so I did.

We were determined to open the bar, so in the meanwhile, we created ‘Two Schmucks’ as a pop-up tour. We created a template, and I sent it out to

us fund the whole thing, we’d be more than willing to cover half.

Some of the takeovers we did, we covered fully.

At the time of the pop-ups, you were lacking an actual venue space, did this add pressure before opening or were you more motivated than ever with the support you were receiving?

We effectively put ourselves in a position where we now had to go get a bar. During the trips, we’d often get asked about the space and told people that we had to keep it hush hush (laughs).

Whenever we were home, we would go cold calling for bars.

Every night, we’d go with a stack of business cards and knock on any empty bar in the areas we liked, saying something like, “Hey, it’s 23:00 and your bar is empty, would you like to sell?”

We must’ve done hundreds of these cold calls, we called back around 20 times and had five serious meetings until, finally, we found the one.

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expected, and now we actually had something to lose.

How did you come about finding the venue you have now?

On one of the days of us knocking doors, I took a coffee break in one of our favourite local dive bars, Bar Betty Ford.

I had a chat with the owner, telling him what I was doing, and he said, “Why don’t you go to the Mexican joint next door?

They just got shut down by the cops last night.”

I didn’t even finish my coffee and hurried over there as soon as I could. I walked in and immediately asked the owner if he wanted to sell and he said, “How did you even know?”We were there within 24hrs of him being, and this was the space, the neighbourhood and the opportunity we had been looking for.

The previous owner was an IT guy and had no business owning a bar or a restaurant. He had made his head chef in charge of the venue and his head chef had drug problems. Needless to say, he ran it into the ground and we were there at the right time to pick it up and run with it.

What issues did you face in the build, before opening?

So, old mate wanted 120k for the license to his venue – that’s literally selling food and drink from 6am – 3am. The thing about licenses in Barcelona is that they are on a supply and demand basis, as the council are not giving out any new ones. So, a lot of time they’re worth more than the space, but it becomes an investment that you can reap the rewards from down the line.

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Between myself, AJ & James, our third partner, (we call it ‘Two Schmucks, Three Opinions’) we had 45k… We decided to apply for a bank loan of 50k that they issue new businesses opening in the city.

They required a full business plan, projections and market research and, I can proudly say, we excelled in doing all of this to perfection. The banker we’d been speaking to claimed that it was one of the better proposals he’d received, and guaranteed us that the loan would be ours. But he also said that the loan required 90 days to process.

In the meantime, the owner of the venue had other potential buyers that had all the money ready for him.

It’s worth mentioning that he wasn’t from Spain, and in his time residing in Spain he had been hustled by a lot of Spanish people. So, when we approached him and said, “We’d like to buy your venue. We can give you 10k as a deposit now, and pay you 85k more in 90 days.”What he saw was a couple of young and eager guys about to start their first business and, so, he agreed. Before we signed the deposit contract, we doublechecked with the bank and, again, they ‘guaranteed’ that we’d get the loan.

After 90 days, I got a call from the bank. “Unfortunately, we won’t be able to grant you this loan due to a problem with...”

Something about one of us not having the right papers. I couldn’t really listen, as my ears started ringing and my legs went soft. Everything we had worked for, including ten thousand euros, would be gone. Not only were we

on square one, but we were there with a loss of 10k.

It was rough... So, I contacted the owner and asked him to meet me for a coffee. We met and I explained to him everything we’d been through; what we had done, the pop-ups, the bars we’ve worked in, why we were in Spain, everything.

I told him that we could only afford 45k, but that we’d pay him as much as we could every month until it was all paid off. I even offered to pay a little extra.

He looked at me and said, “Let me think about it. Let’s meet tomorrow.” Miraculously, he came back the next day and shook my hand.

It’s weird how people work sometimes, and how much value emotional intelligence can give you. We now had the

keys to our very own bar, a 60k debt and only 2k left to build the whole bar.

We built everything ourselves with the help of some tools that James had. Our bar was made with 4x4s, our bench is at least 30cm too high, our lamps are old, burned wok plates and our first bar station was a beer fridge you open up top. We couldn’t hire anyone because of the debt we were paying back, so the first six months it was only AJ and me working there six days a week.

The plan was to pay the owner back in six months – which was achieved – then take an investor or maybe a brand endorsement deal, and renovate and re-do the entire concept.

We told ourselves that Two Schmucks was a silly name for a bar, but that we’d keep it as long

as it was only AJ and I working there. Much like the pop-up tour, it went a lot better than expected.

How has the venue changed over time since opening? I.e. the team size, venue settings, cocktails etc.

After the first six months, we decided that we would carry on with Two Schmucks and that we would instead fund everything ourselves. The bar we had built for nothing was doing extremely well, and we saw room for tiny improvements.

Every month, we took what we earned and we put it right back into the business. We’ve actually never taken a salary until recently. Firstly, we installed new windows and lights to allow us to open the bar during the daytime; then, we installed a new A.C for better trade during the summer. We began to hire

staff; bought a few tables and barstools, now that we could finally afford them; and, now, we’re a happy little family of eight just trying to fix the plane as we are flying it.

Behind the bar, you have a sign that says,“F**k everyone, we’ll do it on our own.” Could you tell us about this and what it means to you?

HA! I didn’t know many people saw that! It was a personal thing, more than anything. I believe doing it on your own is a lesson you learn sooner or later while running a business.

After six months of running the bar, six days a week with only the two of us, we were tired, hungry and, quite frankly, about to run into a wall. We had approached every different kind of investor or brand endorsement deal and, at one

point, we realised, F**K that.

The business was doing well, we were earning a profit and then some. All we needed to do was to keep showing up to work and in 12 – 18 months, we could fund everything on our own and take full ownership. This meant full creative and financial freedom, which really was the reason we wanted to do this in the first place.

I believe that this is something that sometimes might get lost on people over time. Most initially would try to create their own business with the intention of having creative and financial freedom.

The moment we decided this, I remember, we sat around for a chat, and we just said, “F**k everyone. We’ll do it on our own.” After that, we intentionally put it behind the back bar to remind ourselves.

How would you summarise the offering in your venue?

In short, a ‘Five Star Dive Bar’.

We’re aiming to create a great product and deliver it with even better service, but not at the cost of the atmosphere or our own personalities. We believe in offering quality product and service in an all-welcoming, easy going environment. This is the soul of Two Schmucks.

How have the locals taken to your venue?

We have a tonne of one-star reviews.... (laughs). They’re mainly from Spanish locals who were disgusted by the fact that so many ‘guiris’ were in the bar.

‘Guiri’ is an insulting/racist term in Spanish for a foreigner, and that was actually written in one of our reviews...

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Aside from that, we believe that we’ve gained a lot of love and respect from the locals in our neighbourhood and the people around us.

Our neighbourhood is called El Raval, and we often promote it more than we promote the bar.

It’s a beautiful neighbourhood, filled with immigrants from all over the world. It is probably the most diverse and artistic area in Barcelona, and it just fits so well with who we are and what we’re doing.

Raval State of Mind!

How does it differ from other local venues?

When walking up and down our street filled with bars, you’ll see mainly dive bars. All are unique, but they all fit in and look like they belong. There’s no difference with Two Schmucks. However, we do differ from the moment you walk in. For example, we’re the only bar with table service on the street. We’re also the only bar where you get greeted at the bar and get a free water with your drink – which is a big deal in Spain, where you pay for water nearly everywhere. So, from the outside, it would look like just any other dive bar, but sh*t gets exciting as soon as you step inside.

What’s next for Two Schmucks?

“Be a part of the neighbourhood whilst adding something new to it,” Jim Meehan said in his book,

My, oh, my...

and it’s something I’ve held close.

revenue goal soon, which means

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A lot (laughs). We are hitting our

we’ll finally be able to create the space we wanted. We’re working on it right now to make sure that it all goes well. The fact that we’ll have already been in our space for one and a half years by the time of renovation gives us great insight into what will work in the neighbourhood and what our new space will provide.

We’re also going from 35 seats to 55 seats, which we believe is the perfect amount of seats for a bar.

We recently acquired a space the size of our existing bar that is right behind our current bar. We’re working on splitting this space into a storage/prep/kitchen space on one side, and a lab/library/ creative space on the other.

Like mentioned before, we’ve actually not taken a single salary so far. Money has never been

something that has driven AJ or me. Obviously, we understand the practical use and necessity for it, but what drives us is creating a platform for creative freedom, and we want to reflect that into our team. We don’t want to be using fortune and fame as motivators. Instead, we want to create an educational platform where every member of our team can spread their wings and be creative in their own fields. In providing that, we believe that we will get the best and, more importantly, most real version of everyone in our team.

Two Schmucks will hopefully continue just to be a bunch of degenerate misfits coming together to create, learn and evolve the greatest dive bar in the world.

We wouldn’t hand-dip bottles of 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

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COOL, CRISP AND UNDER CONTROL

MEET EMMA CRISP: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 2018 ELOQUENT, CONFIDENT AND EVER SO COOL UNDER PRESSURE, YOU COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR THINKING EMMA CRISP HAS BEEN BEHIND THE BAR FOR AEONS RATHER THAN FOR JUST ONE AND A HALF YEARS. IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE, THEN, THAT THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN NOVICE RECENTLY TOOK OUT THE PRESTIGIOUS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD AT THE 2018 BARTENDER MAGAZINE, AUSTRALIAN BAR AWARDS. BARFLY SPOKE TO EMMA RECENTLY ABOUT HOW SHE STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY, HOW SHE GOT TO WHERE SHE IS TODAY AND THE AMAZING EXPERIENCES SHE’S HAD ALONG THE WAY. Firstly, congratulations on taking out Rookie of the Year at the Bartender Magazine, Australian Bar Awards. What does this award mean to you?

Thank you! It still feels so bizarre and surreal…receiving this award has been incredibly validating. To have some of the most amazing people and bars across the country recognise a 68

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newbie, especially one from the west coast, is mind-blowing. I think it is difficult sometimes for us West Australians to get involved with the rest of the country because of the distance.

I think though, this award means more to me outside the scope of the industry. I don’t think a lot of people outside of hospitality perceive that what we do as a

‘real’ job. The awards night really proves that wrong, and to be nominated and then take out the Australia-wide Rookie of the Year (ROTY), it’s made my nonhospo friends and family realise that I don’t just pour vodka, lime and sodas for a living.

How long have you been bartending for and what inspired you to first step behind the bar?

I’ve been bartending for a year and a half now. My story is a little long winded, just like everything else I have to say!

(Laughs) I left Australia for Europe after a breakup and instead of doing the classic broken-hearted Contiki trip, I decided to undergo the fourweek European Bartending School’s Course in Barcelona. A lot of people stick their nose up

at the course, but for someone who had never done bartending before, it was a crazy intense experience that gave me a lot of knowledge and skills. I also met so many people from all over Europe, and I then proceeded to travel to all the hometowns of the new friends I’d made. It became my mission to visit as many of the amazing bars across the continent as possible, and to meet the incredibly passionate people behind those bars. It was then that I knew I wanted to move into hospitality and focus on bartending.

Who has been your biggest influence in the industry?

This is a tough one because it is honestly a culmination of a variety of people. I would have to say those that had the biggest influence on me were those that were there at the very beginning.

The guys running Bobeche when I first started out had a great deal of influence. James Pennefather, James Gentile, Lachlan Robinson and Liam Monk worked together as a really great leadership team and motivated us to learn and create as much as we could.

They encouraged us to attend all the trainings and meet everyone within the industry.

This really laid the foundations for my involvement in all that I do today.

think and perceive things can be totally different to Australians and provide a new perspective not only on booze, but also on our lifestyle as bartenders.

You were the Western Australian Apprentice Regional Finalist for The Perfect Blend 2018.

What was this experience like and would you recommend the competition to other bartenders just starting out?

I would 100% recommend this competition. This was my first ever competition and it was nerve-racking beyond belief, but I learnt so much from it. I think it’s one of the best competitions around, as it tests a bartender on a variety of skills, not solely on one facet. I had to brush up my knowledge on the many Beam Suntory brands, learn how to approach blind tastings and learn how to present to a room full of 100+ people. All of this has carried through to my everyday work and I’m a much better bartender because of it.

You also play a significant role in LOLLA, could you explain how you became part of this platform and what is your role within that?

Everything! Go to all of the tastings and masterclasses, no matter what brand it is, as I can guarantee you’ll take something away from it. This is particularly true with regards to international brand ambassadors

I actually came on board with LOLLA as a graphic designer.

During The Perfect Blend Grand Final, I became good friends with Claudia ‘Beryl’ Morgan who works in a marketing role as well as bartending. She explained to me what their goals were and I was excited to be a part of the creation of a platform where women could feel more connected to one another in a safe space without judgement.

I suppose my biggest role was the creation of a brand image and assets. We needed to appeal to women, but also needed the support from our male

and/or bartenders. The way they

counterparts and colleagues. I

For novice bartenders looking to take their trade to the next level, as you have, what training programs or resources would you recommend?

also had a lot of involvement in the LOLLA launch. I worked with the girls to design the merchandise and promotional material for the LOLLA x Young Bloods Cocktail Competition.

We really went all out for this.

We framed photos of all the girls competing with a short bio attached and posted them on the WA Bartenders Facebook group in the lead up to the event. It was really about introducing the rest of the bartending community to all of these amazing chick bartenders! It is also really heart-warming to now see so many of the LOLLA pins on bartenders’ jackets and aprons!

Thanks to a generous donation from The Exchange, we raised over $1,300 for White Ribbon Charity on the night by selling our LOLLA pins.

You were able to work alongside The Blends of the World, Dandelyan tour, when they partnered with Tiny’s earlier this year. What role did you play within the tour?

Yes! What an amazing experience! I was lucky enough to work alongside them for the three days they were here. I prepped ingredients and batches for the tour and the collaboration dinner. I definitely learnt a lot from just that alone! I managed to get my break during their presentation, so I could admire them from the crowd.

What did you personally take away from the evening working alongside James and Will from Dandelyan?

The event was amazing! We set up the bar similar to how they do over in London, with a team working on dispensing the drinks with the Dandelyan boys, and Max and I on the front bar interacting with guests

and explaining the Dandelyan concept and drinks. We had Will and James with us intermittently talking through the drinks with patrons too. It became very apparent that the guys are incredibly humble and patient with both staff and guests. I would love to work with them again one day, as they’re so passionate about what they do and it really sparked my creative drive.

What do you love about working in the industry?

The sense of community. I’ve never felt this level of support in any other industry that I’ve worked in. Everyone is always super welcoming and it’s like having a massive family. You can rock up to any event and feel totally comfortable, even if you don’t know anyone.

What’s been your highlight so far working in the industry?

Probably Bar Week! Holy sh*t you people are crazy! What an amazing week filled with so many great events! It was also really great to see all of the extended bartending family that I’d met at competitions and to see Jenna take out the title for Bartender of the Year at the awards!

What’s next for Emma Crisp?

It’s too hard to say what’s next.

I’ve just been taking everything as it comes this year and I intend to keep going that way. As long as I’m still learning new things and meeting new people, I’ll be happy! This industry has so much to offer, so who really knows where it will take me. I do hope that it will take me abroad at some stage though!

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Go to

BED TIRED OF FEELING TIRED? FIND YOURSELF HAVING TO LEAN ON CAFFEINE JUST TO GET THROUGH THE DAY? STRUGGLING TO FIND THE ENERGY OR MOTIVATION TO DO ANYTHING ON YOUR DAYS OFF? DON’T WORRY, YOU’RE NOT ALONE. LIKE MOST THAT WORK IN, OR WITH, THE DRINKS INDUSTRY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BAR, YOU’RE EXPERIENCING SLEEP DEPRIVATION, A BLIGHT ON MODERN SOCIETY THAT PITCHES SLEEP AS THE ENEMY OF PRODUCTIVITY AND A WASTE OF TIME. WORDS BY TIM ETHERINGTON-JUDGE

Sleeping is one of the core biological functions common to all animal life on earth, as essential to our survival as breathing and eating. The old adage ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ can come painfully true, as it is indeed possible to die from a lack of sleep in rare cases of extreme insomnia, for which there is no known cure.

Our industry has a terrible relationship with sleep. We wear tiredness like a perverse badge

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of honour, boasting of how little sleep we get between shifts like it’s some sort of competition to prove dedication to the cause.

A growing number of scientists think that sleep deprivation may be the world’s leading cause of death. In his groundbreaking book, ‘Why We Sleep’, Matthew Walker, one of the world’s leading experts on sleep, highlights the effects of not getting enough. A lack of shut eye can lead to an inability to

create new memories, an increase in the risk of a fatal heart attack, decreased fertility rates and testosterone levels, erectile dysfunction, poor mental health and weight gain.

As an industry, we’re never going to have perfect sleep patterns.

Our nocturnal lifestyles mean we’re operating against the will of our circadian rhythms (the 24hr internal body clock) and we naturally struggle to rest whilst the rest of the world is awake. We

can, however, make a conscious effort to improve the quantity and quality of the sleep that we do get.

The first step to improving your sleep habits is to prioritise sleep.

As one of our core biological requirements, it’s more important than watching cats on YouTube, mindlessly scrolling Facebook or binging the latest season.

What we do in the 90 minutes before sleep has a huge impact

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on our shut eye. 9-5er’s don’t go straight to bed when they get home from work, and neither should you. Instead spend some time preparing your body and mind for a period of good, restful sleep. Disconnect from the digital world, replicate the night outside and avoid artificial light where possible. If you need light, use candles. Try and declutter the mind through meditation, a gratitude diary or perhaps writing tomorrow’s to-do list and do some manual tasks that require little thought, such as the washing up or laundry. If you often struggle to fall asleep, try taking a hot shower, as a drop in temperature is one of the signifiers that it’s time to go to sleep.

There is no piece of furniture you spend more time in or on than your bed. Investing in the right mattress, pillows and bedding is one of the best investments you can make in your health.

Do your research, find the right

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combination that works for you and remember, that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean the better. If you can’t afford a new mattress, look into getting a mattress topper, which can give a tired old mattress a new lease of life.

As a species, we’ve spent the vast majority of our existence living outside in the natural world, only moving into small concrete boxes in the last few centuries.

Our bodies have yet to adapt to this new artificially managed environment. Replicating a natural cave like environment in your bedroom will aid the quality of your sleep. The rule here is cool, dark and quiet. Not damp, dirty and slightly creepy!

Our hearing is still extremely active whilst we sleep, a survival mechanism to protect us from predators, so if you live in a city then keep the windows shut and try a pair of earplugs or a white noise machine if you live in a particularly noisy area. Thick

dark curtains to keep the light at bay and replicate the night in your room are a must, and keep the temperature cool, ideally between 16.5°C and 19.5°C. Finally, remember that your bedroom is for two things, and two things only: sleeping and sex. There is no place for your phone, laptop or any other electronics when you’re trying to sleep. If you’re looking to improve your sleep, the simplest and cheapest first step you can make is to leave your phone out of your bedroom. Try it for a week and see what happens.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Improving your sleep is one of the most powerful forms of medicine you have and the easiest way to improve your mental and physical health, quality of life, hospitality and longevity. So, now that you’ve finished this article, close the magazine and go nap.

SLEEP SURVEY RESULTS: • 842 Total Respondents from 40 countries • 632 Respondents in the Bartender/Bar/Bar Manager & Brand Ambassador job titles • 62% Male 37% Female

www.healthyhospo.com

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MAYBE SAMMY NICK & NORA’S

The dynamic duo behind Sydney’s highly successful Maybe Frank Group, Stefano Catino and Vince Lombardo, have joined forces with their star bartender, Andrea Gualdi, to open Maybe Sammy, a high-end cocktail bar in the city’s CBD. The bar has aptly been named after the great Sammy Davis Jr., as just like Maybe Frank has been instrumental in the creation of Maybe Sammy, Frank Sinatra was key in launching Sammy Davis’ career. This is certainly no Italian pizza joint, however, Maybe Sammy is instead inspired by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and Vegas in the 1950s and will be focused on serving up Gualdi’s exceptional cocktail creations. There will be a few small plates on offer to complement the drinks offering, but both the food and drinks menus are yet to be finalised, so stay tuned to find out what delights will be in store.

111 Harrington Street, Sydney NSW 2000

It’s about time that Sydney’s Parramatta had its own cocktail bar to rival those on the CBD scene, and The Speakeasy Group has delivered just that. The group’s latest venue, Nick & Nora’s, encapsulates the opulence of 1930s America through the lens of Dashiell Hammett’s iconic crime-solving duo, Nick and Nora Charles. The expansive, art-deco space brings to life the couple’s famous soirées, awash with flowing cocktails, champagne and cognac.

Located on the 26th floor, the bar includes one of the city’s largest terraces, able to support 100 guests, with an incredible 270-degree view towards Sydney CBD and the harbour. The impressive 11m back bar stocks a unique collection of 900 spirits used to create an extensive cocktail offering. The cocktail menu is divided into drink categories, each named after the couples’ lavish and quirky party guests, for example, the alluring ‘Femme Fatale’ for martinis, the thrilling ‘Hollywood Starlet’ for Champagne cocktails and the acidulous ‘Snitch’ for sours. The food is predominantly small bites that match well with bubbles, such as caviar, fine Australian oysters and cured meats and cheeses.

Level 26, 45 Macquarie Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 T: (02) 8646 4930 W: www.nickandnoras.com.au Opening Hours: Monday-Thursday: 5pm-12am Friday: 3pm-12am Saturday-Sunday: 12pm-12am

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VENUE PROFILES

MR WATKIN’S Paying homage to the colonial explorer Captain Watkin Tench, Mr. Watkin’s is a café by day and a classic cocktail bar and restaurant by night. The first of its kind in Penrith, the 80-seater restaurant and bar opened last year to great acclaim, taking out Best New Business at the Penrith Business Awards and being nominated for the Timeout Bar Awards’ Best Neighbourhood Bar within seven weeks of opening.

Chef Rod Parbery focuses on serving quality share dishes, both classics and unique creations, while bar manager Wayne

Jenkins has fashioned a bespoke cocktail list as intricate and delicious as those found in the CBD’s high-end cocktail bars.

Wayne started his bartending career two years ago in Whistler, USA, training under bartenders from across the globe at the five-star Five Diamond Four Seasons Resort. After returning to his hometown of Penrith, he seized the opportunity to bring to the Western Suburbs its first high-calibre cocktail bar and restaurant. His bar menu also includes a range of craft beer, while renowned Merivale

sommelier Denis Roman has created a short yet delightful wine menu.

The interior design is modelled off Captain Tench’s library, with dark wood and stone fixtures dimly lit by library lamps and low-hanging lights.

1958

467 High St, Penrith NSW 2750 T: (02) 4708 0605 W: www.mrwatkins.com.au Opening Hours: Wednesday-Saturday: 4pm-12am Sunday: 11am-5pm

Glassware: Coupette Garnish: Flamed orange peel garnish Ingredients: 45ml Maker’s Mark 15ml Spezi Syrup (Coke and Fanta Syrup) Method: Stir and serve up with a Laphroaig rinsed glass

BOPP & TONE Located on Carrington Street, Bopp & Tone is the latest offering from Sydney renowned hospitality group Applejack Founders Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts say: “We wanted to create an intrinsically Sydney experience within a unique and distinctive setting. Bopp & Tone is a nod to our grandfathers, who symbolise and embody the iconic and nostalgic Sydney of the past, which is reflected in the venue. Food influences come from our chef’s passion for Mediterranean food and philosophies that translate so well with Australian ingredients and the Aussie way of life.”

The venue reflects the nostalgic and optimistic post-WW2 era the founder’s grandfathers lived in. The theme is lined in luxury and embodies a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The interior is consistent throughout the venue including heavy marbles, classic tiles and textures, dark and moody

timber furnishings, along with an alfresco dining terrace, private dining room and the groups signature love of greenery.

The cocktail list has been developed

by Group Bars Manager Lachy Sturrock and Bar Manager Craig Kerrison, with a focus on popular classic cocktails tailored with Australian ingredients and Mediterranean charm.

60 Carrington Street, Sydney NSW 2000 W: www.boppandtone.com.au T: (02) 9299 9997 Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday: 11:30am-11pm Wednesday-Thursday: 11:30am-12pm Friday - Saturday: 11:30am-1am Sunday: 12pm-10:30pm

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OLD MATE’S

thing, take flight up the stairs and gain access to a secluded rooftop terrace.

On the drink front, the bar doesn’t have one particular spirit in focus, you’ll find everything on the menu from vodka, gin, whisky and more. The staff are passionate, fun and know their drinks at this cosy venue.

When Dre Walters (The Lobo Plantation, Kittyhawk), wife Gabrielle Walters (Black by Ezard) and friend Daniel Noble (Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern) open a bar, you know it’s going to be good. Their stylish new venue, Old Mate’s resides

Level 4, 199 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000 W: www.oldmates.sydney Opening Hours: Monday: Closed Tuesday-Saturday: 5pm-2am Sunday: 2pm-2am

on Clarence St Sydney CBD. A little challenging to find, if you haven’t been given the lowdown beforehand but once you find the entrance make your way up the lift (or stairs) to level four.

Old Mate’s decor features brown leather booths with a

backdrop of bookcases, exposed brick and foliage accents adding an earthy touch to the venue.

This drinking den is full of character and life, and features a dimly lit interior and a wellstocked bar. However, if dark and moody isn’t your

THE BOOM BOOM ROOM

THAT’S HOW STRONG MY LOVE IS The latest from the Ghanem Group who brought you Black Bird, Lord of the Wings, Donna Chang and Byblós - comes The Boom Boom Room, a welcomed addition to the Brisbane bar scene. Occupying space on George Street, the opulent underground cocktail bar, offers live music and a sublime cocktail and whisky list.

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VENUE PROFILES

The cocktail menu is divided into three playlists, drawing inspiration from past musical eras and the great artists of our time.

With quality bartenders behind the stick, they are committed to producing classic cocktails right through to crafting a tipple suited to the consumers’ palate. In

addition to cocktails, The Boom Boom Room features a wine list representing the best international and local vineyards.

Basement, 171 George St Brisbane QLD 4000 T: 07 3242 4800 W: theboomboomroom.com.au

by Otis Redding Glassware: Terracotta highball Garnish: Fresh mint leaves dusted with icing sugar Ingredients: 45ml Maker’s Mark 46 15ml Tio Pepe fino sherry 60ml Ginger Mead 10ml Ginger honey 8 x Fresh mint leaves Method: Build and swizzle in a terracotta highball

BISTECCA Sydney has a new restaurant and bar, dedicated to the very best bits of Italian cuisine – incredible steak and even better wine. Hospitality partners James Bradey and Warren Burns were inspired by their recent journey throughout Italy to create a venue dedicated entirely to Tuscany’s famous cut of steak, bistecca alla Fiorentina.

Alongside the 50-seat restaurant, there is also a bar and a newly

opened wine store. Diners are encouraged to either select wine by the glass from wine director Alice Massaria’s (Uccello and Saint Peter) impressive 300-strong list of Italian and Australian wines made from Italian varietals, or leave their table and choose a bottle from the wine shop shelves. House wine is also available by the carafe. The dimly lit bar is open to all, offering a casual

yet stylish place to indulge in a drink or two. Nearly every type of Amari and Italian liquor is stocked, alongside a great selection of drinks on tap, including an exclusive Negroni, Spritz and a range of beers. Classic cocktails, such as the Garibaldi, Bellini, Sherry Cobbler and Cappelletti Amaro, can also be made to order.

3 Dalley St, Sydney NSW 2000 T: (02) 8067 0450 W: www.bistecca.com.au Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday: 4pm-2am Wednesday-Friday: 12pm-2am

TOSCANINI Glassware: Rocks Garnish: Lemon twist Ingredients: 45ml Auchentoshan Three Wood 30ml Real Rogue Lively White 10ml Zucca 1Bps. Laphroaig 10YO Method: Stir and strain over block ice

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HÔNTÔ Tucked away in the depths of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley lays a restaurant and raw dining bar completely reinventing traditional Japanese cuisine.

Hôntô creates classic and new

Japanese share plates with a contemporary flair using local, quality ingredients. ÔÔ, the attached small bar, serves wine,

beer and cocktails along with a number of rare and unusual Japanese whiskies and saké.

Alden Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 T: (07) 3193 7392 W: www.honto.com.au Opening Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 5.30pm-late

TIGER CRANE STYLE Glassware: Coupette Garnish: Flamed orange rind and crystallized ginger Ingredients: 50ml Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve 25ml Antica Formula 10ml Smoked Ginger Syrup* 5ml Campari 2 x Dash of Grapefruit & Oolong Tea Bitters Method: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupette

RUDE BOY Inspired by the rude boy rebels of 1960s Jamaican street culture, Hobart’s venue channels the spirit of non-conformism, passion and tenacity, core to this youth movement. The vibrant colours, muralled wallpaper and jungle soundscapes of this bar and restaurant evoke the intoxicating charisma of the Caribbean islands. There is, naturally, a focus on rum here, with the back bar stocking an impressive range of over 160 rums from across the globe. The cocktail list mirrors this offering, with a healthy selection of rumbased tiki creations alongside a 78

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few other classic and bespoke libations. Quality beer and spirits are also on offer, together with housemade tapped sodas.

The concise, constantly changing food menu consists mainly of share plates and flame grilled mains, including the signature Cuban sandwich.

130 Elizabeth Street, Hobart TAS 7000 T: (03) 6236 9816 W: www.rudeboyhobart.com.au Opening Hours: Tuesday-Thursday: 4pm-11pm Friday-Saturday: 4pm-12am

RUM & RYE OLD FASHIONED Glassware: Rocks Garnish: Orange twist Ingredients: 30ml Jim Beam Rye 30ml Dark Rum 8ml Maple syrup 2 x Dash Xocolatl Mole Bitters Method: Stir over cubed ice

*For the smoked ginger syrup, heat 200ML of strained ginger juice over a low heat and add 200G Muscovado sugar. Allow to simmer until reduced to a thick syrup. Remove from heat, allow to cool and store in a sterilized container.

FINNEY ISLES Finney Isles pays homage to the original company occupying the space Finney Isles & Co. What was once an old drapery back in the late 1800s, which later expanded into a women’s clothing outlet, and then taken over by David Jones sometime in the 1960s, is now a cocktail bar situated in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.

The decor is feminine, light colours and patterns throughout, lending itself to a more playful and vibrant atmosphere. This vibe is transported through to the service as well, by offering table service or having a seat at the bar, allowing guests to mingle and chat with the staff.

Their approach to cocktails is modern and influenced by the seasons, utilising the freshest produce available, but also considering the sugar content of seasonal fruit and its adaptability. High sugar content in fruits in season are fermented for syrups and juices. But it’s not all about bar buzzwords and block ice. The team want the cocktails to be fun, unique and approachable.

702 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006 Opening Hours: Monday-Tuesday: Closed Wednesday-Thursday: 5pm- 1am Friday-Saturday: 5pm-2am Sunday: 2pm-11pm

OLD CURRENCY Glassware: Rocks Garnish: Fresh peppermint leaf and lightly grated Colombian coffee Ingredients: 45ml Maker’s Mark Bourbon 15ml Amaro Nonino vacinfused w/ Colombian Coffee Beans 10ml Peppermint caramel Method: Stir

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EMPLOYEES ONLY One of the most anticipated openings in Australia’s bar scene is finally upon us. Multi award-winning global hospitality institution, Employees Only (EO), has opened in Sydney’s CBD. The Sydney instalment offers a mixture of classic cocktails and dishes, made famous by the original NYC bar, and Australian only offerings. Cocktails created for the Australian bar include Amelia, a blend of vodka, elderflower liqueur, puréed blackberries and fresh lemon; and the Provençal, made with lavender-infused gin, stirred with Herbs de Provence infused vermouth and Triple Sec. The kitchen is helmed by ‘the two French chefs’ Aurelien Girault and Leo Garnier who have

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created a menu showcasing a range of flavours, ingredients and cuisines as reflected in Australian food culture.

This also includes a selection of New York favourites, such as the famous steak tartare, with hand cut filet mignon, roasted tomato purée, parsley, Dijon, capers, shallots and Employees Only hot sauce. The exterior has the usual indications of an EO venue (the neon psychic sign and the Employees Only branded awning), but once inside the space is distinctly Sydney.

Acknowledging the history of the city, the EO team has opted for their first ever basement location, choosing a heritage-listed basement on Barrack Street as their home. Take a seat at

the curved brass bar and gaze in awe at the sprawling mirrored backbar, stacked with a vast collection of spirits and wine. Or nestle into one of the dining rooms intimate booths for a delicious dinner feast. Like all Employees Only, this venue is designed for and with the hospitality community. It is open late, so be sure to check it out after your next closing shift.

9 Barrack Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 5pm-3am Late night dinner: 11pm-2.30am Sunday: 5pm-12am

GLASGOW MULE Glasgow’s twist on the famous Moscow Mule, first created to make vodka palatable for the US market, the Glasgow Mule uses Auchentoshan’s American Oak for its smoothness and mixability to create a refreshing and accessible cocktail.

INGREDIENTS 50ml Auchentoshan American Oak 150ml ginger beer Garnish with an orange twist or wedge of lime METHOD Build in Collins [or similar glass] with ice Stir down and garnish as desired

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The Blends of the World presents

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR GIVING AND DOES BARFLY HAVE ONE HELL OF A GIFT FOR YOU. WE’RE PLEASED TO REVEAL THAT THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FANCY FREE TEAM WILL BE TOURING AUSTRALIAN SHORES IN 2019 FOR THE NEXT INSTALMENT OF THE BLENDS OF THE WORLD, BY BEAM SUNTORY.

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Four fanciful, free, genius (let’s be honest, somewhat mad but in a good way) legends of the industry are the masterminds that bring you Fancy Free. No bar just yet, the team are focused on building their brand and identity before brick and mortar.

In 2019, The Blends of the World will partner with the Fancy Free crew to share their stories and experience, and give you an exclusive insight into why they’re doing what they’re doing…

To give you some context, Matt Stirling and Chris HystedAdams, two of the principal architects of the Fancy Free concept, were instrumental in transforming Melbourne’s Black Pearl from a small neighbourhood cocktail bar to a leading venue on the international stage. This includes taking out Best International Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail’s 2017 Spirited Awards - the world’s most prestigious independent industry awards.

For those who don’t know, since leaving Black Pearl, Rob has run Sydney’s renowned whisky hub, The Baxter Inn, and was part of the team responsible for the groundbreaking cocktail

program at London’s old haunt White Lyan. Sister to the World’s Best Bar*, Dandelyan. White Lyan was free of brand name spirits, citrus and even ice. The last piece of the puzzle is Ryan Noreiks, who spent five years at much-loved Brisbane bar The Lark and is ex-Romeo Lane.

Fancy Free x The Blends of the World sessions will cover effective brand creation, (from growing and testing an idea to its full conceptualisation) and the strategies that must be put into place to ensure the development of a sound team with clearly defined roles and a strong drinks menu. They will also address how best to promote an event and brand without relying on the physical space of a bar.

The team will show how to run a successful pop-up, collaboration or takeover and the importance of planning before an event to ensure you can spend the maximum amount of time engaging your guests.

They will run through the strategies that worked for them as well as the issues they faced in concept creation and operations. Four unique individuals, with different career backgrounds, unite with one dream – Fancy Free.

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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GUYS

Chris Hysted-Adams Chris Hysted-Adams is one of Australia’s most awarded bartenders.

A three-time Australian Bartender of the Year, he was a leader at Melbourne’s iconic Black Pearl for the best part of the last decade, helping guide them to national and international acclaim. With a strong background in Australian wine, he brings an unrivalled palate to his drink creations.

Chris has had experience as a national spirits ambassador, competition judge, presenter and consultant. Combined with a degree in Creative Advertising, these experiences bring to his work attention to detail and inventiveness that is widely respected. His cocktails are broadly published and can be found on cocktail lists around the globe. He is the proud father of modern classic, The Death Flip, and a gorgeous baby boy. Chris firmly believes you don’t have to take yourself seriously to make seriously good drinks.

Ryan Noreiks Hailing from Brisbane, Ryan Noreiks made his mark leading the team at Brisbane’s nationally awarded The Lark Food and Drink. He has spent time working abroad in China, consulting for large hospitality groups, before returning to Australia and calling Melbourne home for the last five years. His time in Melbourne has been spent working for bars such as The Black Pearl and Romeo Lane, alongside running his photography company, Sabi Studios, which has merged in with creative agency Seven Ounce.

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Matthew Stirling With a hospitality career spanning 13 years, Matt Stirling now joins the Fancy Free team fresh from a five-year stint at the helm of Australian institute, the Black Pearl. During his tenure as general manager there, he drove his team to consistent high placings on many award and critic platforms, including ranking No. 10 and No. 22 (twice) on the World 50 Best Bars in 2015, 2016 and 2017, consecutively; and winning Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar 2015 and Best International Cocktail Bar 2017 at Tales Of The Cocktail’s Spirited Awards. Previous positions held were in varied food and drink establishments in Australia, including Greasy Joe’s, Cookie and The Long Room.

Rob Libecans Coming from Liverpool with a background of nearly 20 years in hospitality, Rob Libecan’s latest focus has been bringing Fancy Free’s pop-ups to cities all over the globe. Twinned with the creative agency Seven Ounce, Rob’s skill set lies in concept creation and delivery. Like the rest of the team, he worked at Black Pearl as a bartender and, then, general manager for four years before moving to The Baxter Inn in Sydney. For the last five years, he was an integral part of the game-changing White Lyan in London before becoming a spirits brand ambassador across Europe. He is a keen supporter and advocate for dairy farmers all over the world.

THE DETAILS: More information will be revealed shortly, but clear your schedules in February/March next year, as you won’t want to miss this.

DATES: NT | 25th February QLD | 4th March SA | 11th March WA | 14th March NSW | 21st March VIC | 28th March

RSVP: www.the-blend.com.au SPACES ARE LIMITED *Tales of the Cocktail’s The Spirited Awards 2018 FEATURE

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BAR BUZZ Masterclasses, events, workshops, trainings you name it we have it covered.

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YOU’RE INVITED

BE OUR GUEST THE PERFECT BLEND 2019 REGIONAL FINALS* NZ WA VIC/TAS SA/NT QLD NSW

MONDAY 25 FEBRUARY MONDAY 4 MARCH MONDAY 18 MARCH MONDAY 25 MARCH MONDAY 1 APRIL MONDAY 8 APRIL

*For more details www.the-blend.com.au the_blend 90

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W H I S K Y. S U N T O R Y. C O M

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CHARACTER TA K ES TI M E.

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