The Cocktail Lovers Magazine Issue 48 Spring 2024

Shaking things up

The changing face of bars and the people who own them

Widows peak

In praise of the widows who put the sparkle in Champagne

Role models

Leaders of the London drinks scene – then and now

CHANGE MAKERS

Key figures who have changed the way we think about how we drink

Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day, Women’s Month – that’s 33 days out of the year that celebrate women. We’re all about the remaining 332 (or 333 on this and other leap years).

Ten years ago we published our first themed issue and dedicated it to the amazing work being done by women in drinks. That was three years before the MeToo hashtag went viral and the world was forced to put gender imbalances firmly in focus.

So what has changed in a decade? Well, on the drinks front, there are more femaleled and run bars, more brands set up by women, and more women’s voices being heard on panels and in the boardroom. As there should be. But there’s more. The language is different, more inclusive. When we say ‘women’, we mean women+ (see p. 10), and there’s an increasing number of groups being set up by women+ in hospitality to champion equality and safety in the workplace.

Which is all well and good, but until there’s no need to make a big deal about women+ in drinks, there’s still plenty more to be done. On the following pages we highlight some of the incredible people, products and places flying the flag for women+ power. We look to the past as well as the present and future, champion the good as well as the way the industry can do better, and check in with some key male figures in the industry to hear about the women who have inspired them.

And while there are still imbalances, I wouldn’t swap being a woman for anything in the world. We’re bloody amazing.

, MS S

hello cocktail lover!

When I was growing up I was the youngest of a large extended family, which generated a lot of positive energy, especially from my mother, two of her sisters and my twin cousins. Between them these women all had successful careers including working on a Fleet Street newspaper, ascending to responsible positions in City companies, acquiring the licence for an iconic pub and performing as aspiring singers. Moreover, all of them raised wonderful families.

These women always made me feel loved, positive and that I could achieve anything.

During my early professional career I fondly remember a recruitment executive who took me under her wing when I was trying to get my first break in the creative industry. Financially she had absolutely nothing to gain by mentoring me, she simply believed in me and wanted to support my ambition. And later I can recall how I used to watch and learn from a boss of mine. Not only was she a supremely talented creative person but I took inspiration from how she handled people in an understated but firm way.

As for the drinks world, during the past 15 years I’ve met an incredible array of women across a range of disciplines and professions.

This ‘women+ in drinks’ issue is all about us celebrating some of the incredible people, past and present, who have been instrumental in the development of the industry. I hope you enjoy it. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to dedicate it to all the strong women who have inspired me throughout my life.

18

08

News, views, reviews and interviews, including cocktail books with a female focus, five amazing women in cocktail history, where they’re drinking in Madrid and whisky in focus with Becky Paskin

22

24

26

28

11 reasons to shop female-founded drinks brands

Our pick of brilliant bottles made with passion and purpose

In the hotseat

Mallory O’Meara, award-winning author of Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol

Sister acts

The brightest ways to up your glassware game

Role models

36

Looking back at our featured leading ladies of the London drink scene in 2014 – where are they now?

Widows peak

In praise of the inspirational widows who revolutionised the world of Champagne.

By

Claire Dodd

40

42

30

Shaking things up

Kate Malczewski hears from women+ calling the shots in their own bars

48

On top of the world

Talking women in top positions with global head of World Class and advocacy, Marissa Johnston

Changemakers

Five women who have been pivotal in changing the way we think about how we drink. By Laura Foster

Out of the shadows

Photo story: Revolutionary women in drinks in the spotlight. Photographed by Gary Smith

The Ada effect

Introducing The Ada Coleman Project, the brand new initiative by women, for women, inspired by Ada Coleman

50

Call to action

Anna Sebastian on what needs to be done to attract women to hospitality and how to retain them once there

In praise of inspirational women

58

54 Liquid intelligence/ Take 3 ingredients

By men in the industry they ’ve inspired

With Zoe Burgess and Esther Medina-Cuesta

ANNA SEBASTIAN

Call to action: page 50

As well as being a successful hospitality consultant for luxury hotels including The Savoy and the recently opened London Raffles hotel, Anna works on developing food and beverage concepts and brands. She is also is the founder of Celebrate Her, an online community she created in 2019 to elevate and celebrate women+ in the global hospitality industry. The platform continues to grow on a daily basis.

In this issue: Anna shares her thoughts on what needs to be done to make hospitality a more inclusive industry.

CLAIRE DODD

Widows peak: page 28

Claire is a freelance drinks writer with over 14 years experience, writing across both consumer and trade publications. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including The Spirits Business, Club Oenologique, The Independent, Elle, Esquire, National Geographic, The Guardian and much more. As well as writing about drink, travel and food, her repertoire extends to construction, architecture, music, film and fashion.

In this issue: Women working in drinks is nothing new. Claire sings the praises of the widows of Champagne.

KAITLIN WILKES & KRISTINE BOCCHINO

The Ada effect: page 48

Kaitlin is a former bartender who spent over a decade working in hotels including The Savoy and The Berkeley, before moving on to become a trade advocacy and brand consultant. Kristine meanwhile earned her stripes as beverage director, and hospitality and bar consultant, and now heads up global business development at The Compound Collective.

In this issue: Kaitlin and Kristine write about their brand new initiative, The Ada Coleman Project.

LAURA FOSTER

Change makers: page 40

Formerly deputy editor of Imbibe (UK) and bars & drink editor of SquareMeal, Laura is an award-winning freelance editor, sub-editor, journalist and copywriter specialising in drinks, food and travel. Her work has been published in an array of titles including The Daily Telegraph, Drinks Retailing News, CLASS Magazine, Waitrose, VICE, Club Oenologique and Decanter. When she’s not writing, Laura is a fully qualified acupuncturist.

In this issue: Laura highlights five key game changers who have shaped the drinks industry into what it is today.

APERItiVO

Opening up the palate for the spirited stories ahead…

THE PEOPLE

Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix, the creators of Speed Rack, a cocktail competition that empowers women

14

AMAZING WOMEN IN COCKTAIL HISTORY

Ada, Anne, Betsy, Betty and Valentine – five women who made their mark in drinks

SIX QUESTIONS FOR…

Whisky expert and founder of the OurWhisky Foundation

Becky

Paskin

ELEVEN REASONS

From gin to tequila and nonalcs, we highlight eleven bottles by eleven brilliant female-founded brands

9

MADE IN MADRID Diego Cabrera’s fun-filled Salmon Guru is a top spot to drink in the Spanish capital

The people

Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero

Lynnette Marrero and Ivy Mix: two of our favourite women in the biz. Not only are they incredibly talented bartender/ owners in their own right, they’ve spent over 10 years ensuring that up-andcoming women+ rise as they climb too.

Speed Rack, their speed-based cocktail competition, is one of the most fun-filled, energetic events on the cocktail circuit and showcases the talents and personalities of women+ bartenders

around the world, all while raising $1,000,000 for breast cancer research charities to date. Support the cause by following the Speed Rack journey – and while you’re at it, get yourself a copy of their new book, A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood, which features more than 100 recipes from over 80 women+ contributors around the world. speed-rack.com

WHERE THEY’RE DRINKING IN…

MADRID

Barcelona may be topping The World's 50 Best Bars list but Spain's capital has its fair share of cool drinking spots

SALMON GURU

You only have to look at the menu to know that this is a bar where confidence and creativity reign supreme: drinks like Mad Bunny (tequila redistilled with yellow chilli, sweet and sour carrot juice, Chinese five spice syrup and amontillado wine foam with coconut water and yuzu juice) are a case in point. It’s all down to the curiosity and skill of its owner Diego Cabrera, and why it’s on every cocktail lover’s must-visit list. salmonguru.es

LA VENENCIA

When in Spain, you’ve got to do sherry. And when you’re in Madrid, La Venencia is the place to do it. Established circa 1920, it’s everything you imagine a historical sherry bar should be – barrels kissed with cobwebs, cigarette smoke-tinged walls and more dusty bottles than you can shake a stick at. No photos allowed, no tips taken, nothing but sherry served. Happy days! lavenencia.com

1862 DRY BAR

Named after the year the building it occupies was built and the same year Jerry Thomas published the first ever cocktail book, this delightfully cosy bar owned and fronted by Alberto Martínez is a true gem. Go for the ambience as much as the wonderful selection of classic and contemporary cocktails. @1862drybar

DEL DIEGO

It’s not particularly modern or fancy but Del Diego proudly boasts an interior design award from the Madrid City Council. Go admire the 1990s décor as you sip on first-class Martinis – both get a thumbs up from locals and tourists alike. deldiego.com

SAVAS BAR

Every bit as unfussy in looks and feel as the one sheet displaying the cocktails on offer, Savas is a pull-up-a-seat-and-chillfor-a-few-hours kinda place, a real neighbourhood star. The drinks are equally inclusive and minimalist, such as the Milk & Honey – its version of a Whisky Sour made with milk-washed bourbon and a hint of honey. @savasbarmad

Women’s Libation! Cocktails to Celebrate a Woman’s Right to Booze

By Merrily Grashin

Written in 2017 by Brooklyn-based bartender and illustrator Merrily Grashin, this book is lighthearted in tone but deep in feminist history. New and twisted classics take in the likes of Whiskey Sour-fragette and are accompanied by notes on the events or women who inspired them, brought to life by Grashin’s artwork.

The place book club

Brujas

A Drink of One’s Own: Cocktails for Literary Ladies

By Laura Becherer and Cameo Marlatt

Another one honouring famous women – this time looking at ladies of literature. The 50 cocktails include recipes, quotes and literary profiles of exceptional wordsmiths, some high profile like Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen and Maya Angelou, others more under the radar such as Murasaki Shikibu and Louise Welch.

Drinking Like Ladies: 75 Cocktails from the World’s Leading Female Bartenders

By Misty Kalkofen and Kirsten Amann

“This little tome has been a dream of ours for more than a decade, and like so many of the women in this book, it’s one we were told wasn’t worth pursuing.” So reads the preface in this book, which features original recipes from female bartenders around the world and toasts to extraordinary women in history (p. 16).

NEED TO KNOW

Want to know what woman+ means but too embarrassed to ask? Don’t worry, we’ve got you. Or rather TC Consulting have got you. According to their site, spelling women with a plus sign is intentional to highlight different identities pertaining to gender. So, trans women, femmes, gender-fluid people, cis women and more. tanaishacolemanconsulting.com

Calling a woman a witch can be derogatory but when women do it themselves, we call that empowerment. And at Brujas in Mexico City, the all-female bar team – or ‘coven’, as they like to say – are proudly tapping into the power of their namesakes (bruja means witch in Latin America). The bar is dark and mystical, just right for the fabulous selection of potions on offer, all celebrating feminist writers and activists. @brujasmex

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SUBSCRIBE NOW!

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LIQUEUR

You’ll need:

2 ripe bananas

1½ cups light rum ½ cup water ½ cup sugar

Method:

Peel and slice the bananas and place in a sterilised glass jar. Add the rum, seal the jar and shake gently to combine. Place in a cool, dark place for three days to infuse. After the three days, strain off the fruit and filter the liquid through clean muslin or coffee filters until clear; set aside. Next, put the water and sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently and bring to the boil, stirring regularly to make sure the sugar is fully dissolved. As it heats the mixture will thicken slightly to a syrupy texture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Once cool, add the syrup and strained banana liquid to a clean, sterilised glass bottle or jar, shake thoroughly so the two are well combined and leave for at least 24 hours before using.

Simple sYRUP

You'll need:

3 bananas

½ cup sugar

½ cup water (optional)

Method:

Peel and slice the bananas and add to a mixing bowl. Pour over the sugar and gently toss to ensure the banana is evenly coated. Cover the bowl and leave to sit for 2-3 hours, then pour over the water if you want a thinner, less sweet mixture.

Using every bit – from flesh to peel

FIVE WAYS WITH bananas RUM

You’ll need:

1 ripe banana

2 cups white rum

MILK

You’ll need:

2 overripe bananas

4 cups milk of your choice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Method:

Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and whisk until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk for a thinner mixture, or more bananas to thicken it.

BANANA PEEL SYRUP

You'll need:

50g banana peels

50g sugar

Method: Dice the banana peels and place in a sterilised jar. Add the sugar, seal the jar and shake to combine. Leave the mixture overnight to allow the sugar to extract the moisture from the peels. When there are no more sugar crystals left, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth, then bottle,

Method:

Peel the banana, then muddle it thoroughly in the bottom of a large, wide-mouthed jar. Add the rum, seal the jar, then shake vigorously. Put the jar somewhere cool and dark for a week, shaking it twice a day. After a week, strain, filter and bottle.

AMAZING WOMEN IN COCKTAIL HISTORY APERITIVO

Diary DATES

The second quarter of the year and the calendar is started to warm up… Check these out:

TRADE EVENTS

APRIL

8th-10th: Edinburgh Bar Show, edinburghbarshow.co.uk

MAY

tbc May: North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024

13th-14th: Roma Bar Show, romabarshow.com

14th-15th: Lisbon Bar Show, CONSUMER EVENTS

MAY

13th May: World Cocktail Day

18th May: World Whisky Day 20th-22nd: London Wine Fair, londonwinefair.com

THINGS THAT MAKE US GO ‘OOH!’

5

Betsy Flanagan

Who do we have to thank for the name ‘cocktail’? According to folklore, that would be an innkeeper by the name of Betsy Flanagan. In 1779, Ms Flanagan served French military a drink garnished (or stirred, depending on what you’re reading) with rooster tail feathers. To which the soldiers proclaimed “Vive le cocktail!” – and the rest has gone down as cocktail history.

Ada Coleman

Let’s hear it for Ada ‘Coley’ Coleman, without doubt the most famous female bartender in cocktail history. From making boutonnières in Claridge’s flower shop to creating Manhattans behind its bar, she went on to become head bartender at the American Bar at the Savoy in 1903, a position she held until 1926 when Harry Craddock assumed the role. Her legacy? The Hanky Panky cocktail (see p. 46), created for actor and impresario Sir Charles Hawtrey.

Betty Friedan

The next time you’re in a New York bar, take a moment to raise your glass to Betty Friedan. Protesting bans on women in bars and restaurants, Friedan and three other badass women staged a sit-in at the Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel in 1969, prompting establishments to lift their male-only policies.

Valentine Goesaert and Anne Davidow

The year is 1947 and a law is passed in Michigan banning females from bartending unless they are the wife or daughter of the bar owner. Valentine Goesaert was having none of it. Not only was she a tavern owner but she was a feisty one at that, choosing to team up with the force-to-be-reckoned-with attorney and women’s rights pioneer Anne Davidow. The duo took their case to the Supreme Court and made the waves needed to get equality on the agenda.

We love us a bit of Cate Blanchett: she’s classic, she oozes confidence, she’s the epitome of cool. So when we heard that the double Academy Award-winning actor and producer has not only signed up as the face of premium saké brand, Toku Saké, but is fully on board as creative director, overseeing creative strategy and direction, we couldn’t wait to taste what all the fuss is about. Our verdict? As expected, Cate is no fool. Toku Saké is one class act. Find it at tokusake.com

CREATE A STIR!

Three cocktails by women, enjoyed by everyone

Old Cuban

22ml fresh lime juice

30ml simple syrup

6 whole mint leaves, plus extra to garnish

45ml dark rum

2 dashes Angostura bitters

60ml Champagne

Method: Muddle the lime juice, syrup and mint in a mixing glass. Add the rum, bitters and ice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and top up with Champagne. Garnish with mint.

Created by Audrey Saunders, 2004

Clover Club

45ml London Dry gin (Julie prefers Plymouth Gin)

15ml dry vermouth

15ml fresh lemon juice

10ml raspberry syrup

1 egg white

3 raspberries, to garnish

Method: Add all the liquid ingredients to a shaker and shake hard without ice for around 30 seconds to emulsify. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with three raspberries threaded onto a cocktail stick balanced on top of the glass.

Popularised by Julie Reiner, 2008

Golden Sprout

30ml Nikka Coffey gin

30ml Bols green tea liquor

30ml matcha green tea

Method: In a shaker, whisk gin and green tea liquor into green tea. Shake all ingredients and strain into a Rocks glass. Garnish with edible gold dust (optional).

Created by Sumire Miyanohara from Drinking Like Ladies, p. 10).

The bottle

Notable Nibbles

Looking for nibbles done right? Try Boundless Activated Snacking. Created by Cathy ‘The Kernel’ Moseley, the range of crisps and nuts are made using a centuries-old tradition where the raw ingredients are soaked in saltwater to draw out the bad stuff, then baked with herbs and spices for snacks that are good for your gut. And your tastebuds.

Dorothy Parker Gin

“I like to drink a Martini, two at the very most. After three I’m under the table, after four I’m under the host.” One of the many great quips by the late, great, unapologetically acerbic American poet and writer Dorothy Parker. We think she’d be rather partial to her namesake gin, created by the New York Distilling Company. Delicious in an array of cocktails including White Ladies, Daisies and of course, Ms Parker’s favourite Martinis. Hosts everywhere, be warned. nydistilling.com

DID YOU KNOW?

Only one in 10 women working in the beverage alcohol industry believe there has been a significant positive change towards women overall in the last five years.

Source: ‘Women raising the bar. Key findings from the 2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Beverage Alcohol Industry Study’ (Deloitte/Women of the Vine & Spirits)

Six questions for…

BECKY PASKIN

Whisky journalist, presenter and consultant, and founder of OurWhisky and the OurWhisky Foundation

one How did you and whisky become so inextricably linked?

Once you’ve fallen in love with whisky, there’s no going back. It’s a lifelong affair, much like any meaningful relationship.

TWO When did you start campaigning for gender equality in drinks?

I’ve been writing about spirits for a long time, and was editor of The Spirits Business, but I’d never really considered that there was an issue within the whisky or drinks industry when it came to gender equality. It was only when I became editor of scotchwhisky.com that I saw it personally. Speaking to other women, I realised just how widespread the issue was. We decided to do something about it, because I was in the position to be a voice for other women in the industry who weren't able to use theirs. It was a frustration that built inside me until launching OurWhisky as a social media movement in 2018.

THREE What is the OurWhisky Foundation?

It’s a non-profit that recognises and empowers women in the global whisky industry. The work that we do supports women on the ground level, and through our mentorship programme we provide opportunities for women to grow personally and professionally. We also work alongside companies and other stakeholders on initiatives that make the whisky industry more equitable and inclusive for everybody, not just women.

four What changes have you seen in the industry?

The attitude towards the work we’re doing has definitely changed. Back when OurWhisky launched, Georgie Bell and I spoke at various conferences and I remember that as we took to the stage

at one, half the room walked out. They didn’t think hearing about women in whisky was important or interesting. A lot has happened since then. We’ve had the pandemic, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter… as a result, there’s been a lot more focus on diversity and inclusion. I think what OurWhisky and the OurWhisky Foundation has done has revolutionised the whisky industry – but it’s just part of a global movement towards a more inclusive society.

five Any surprising findings from your ‘Do You Even Like Whisky?’ survey?

The responses weren’t surprising but what’s been heartening is the widespread media attention for the findings. It’s led to some really serious discussions within organisations about the extent to which women face harassment and bias within the industry. Findings such as 89% of women think that consumers still widely perceive whisky to be a man’s drink; two-thirds of

women in the industry think that makes their jobs more challenging; and only 16% think the industry is doing enough to change that image.

six What are you proudest of?

Two things. One is the Demeter Collection, which is an auction of whiskies that are made by women, to honour women. Some of the lots that we’ve had are incredible. It will run every two years, but I want it to become a legacy piece going forward because all the money raised will be ploughed back into the OurWhisky Foundation and our mentorship programme. And that’s the second thing. To date we’ve had 175 women and non-binary folk go through our mentorship programme. The amazing thing isn’t just the fact that they’re reaching their goals, that they’re being promoted and in some cases launching their own businesses, it’s the community that they’re building among themselves as well. That makes me incredibly proud.

ELEVEN reasons

…to shop female-founded brands (and do some good while you’re at it)

TWO

Rethinking wine

Single-origin wines brought to you from female-founded company Maivino, all packaged in stay-fresh, airtight pouches.

Good vibes: The vegan wines are made with organically grown grapes that are farmed responsibly and fermented with indigenous yeast. maivino.com

TALKING TEQUILA

If you thought all tequilas were created equal, sip on this! Smooth-as-you-like, this small-batch tequila is led by Bertha González Nieves, the first female Maestra Tequilera certified by the Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters. Good vibes: The company champions sustainable production. casadragones.com

THREE

Feeling the spirit

From grain to glass, the gin and bourbon from this women-owned and run distillery in Portland are crafted entirely in the Pacific Northwest. Good vibes: The monthly Freeland Free Spirits campaign celebrates women+ who are making a difference in their Oregon communities. freelandspirits.com

Mixing it up

Raissa and Joyce de Haas, AKA the Tonic Twins, launched their flavour-led tonics and mixers in 2015, with the award-winning duo now producing a 12-strong range. Good vibes: They’ve set up the Double Dutch Scholarship Programme to empower female bartenders in the UK. doubledutchdrinks.com

FIVE BREWING UP A STORM

Give it up for community advocate and beer pioneer Celeste Beatty of Harlem Brewing Company, the first Black woman to own a craft brewery in the US. Good vibes: Celeste is working on an initiative to get Black farmers growing grain for brewing and distilling. harlembrewing.com

Making the cut

Passion is at the heart of The Heart Cut, the independent single-cask and small-batch whisky and spirits company cofounded by whisky expert Georgie Bell (p. 26). Make this your first stop if you’re after one-off bottlings from some of the most exciting producers around the world. theheartcut.com

SEVEN APERITIVO

SEXING UP THE APERITIF

Watch out Aperol, there’s a new aperitif in town!

Co-founder Malin Spano’s Pomello is a delightful blend of zesty pomelo and floral elderflower, making for a beautifully balanced spritz. pomello.world

Championing style AND substance

Laura Giraudo’s eye for detail doesn’t end with her work at her Brooklyn-based design studio; it extends to the creation of limitededition, artisan mezcal that’s crafted in small batches and housed in exquisite ceramic vessels.

Good vibes: One agave is replanted in Oaxaca for each bottle of Batch 03 sold. oaxoriginal.com

PACKING A PUNCH

Chilean-born, US-raised, Catalina Gaete-Bentz made history when she launched her pisco brand in 2018. Hers was the first American pisco brand and she became the first femaleowned pisco company in Chile. Good vibes: 1% from each sale goes to fight water scarcity in Chile. catanpisco.com

eleven Breaking convention Light, fresh and fruity, Annabel Thomas’s organic single-malt whiskies and botanical spirits are as good in taste as they are in intention. Good vibes: The distillery is powered by renewable energy and is the first in the UK to be verified as net zero carbon for Scope 1 and 2 energy emissions. ncnean.com

Mallory O’Meara, award-winning author of Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol – described as the feminist history of booze

Describe Girly Drinks in three words. Feminist, informative, infuriating.

Why infuriating?

Because I was angry that the content of Girly Drinks wasn’t in other books. I had really gotten into cocktails and anytime I get into anything, I want to read about it, but there was nothing about women in the history of drink. If there was, it would be just one sentence or one paragraph.

So even though I had so much fun writing the book and I’m honoured that I was able to bring these stories to life, it makes me so angry that it took until 2021 for women’s place in drinks history to be told. These are fundamental things that have completely changed the world of drinking that were purposely left out.

What do you put that down to?

I think a big part of it is, until very recently, most big sponsor-paid historians of the cocktail world only considered things they thought were worth chronicling, things that were done in public. For so much of cocktail history people spoke about bartenders as people who worked in bars, while the fact is, these bartenders were getting their recipes from their wives who were working on recipe books that were 100 years old; women who had been doing these things in the home for so long. But because any sort of domestic labour isn’t considered ‘real work’, it hasn’t been deemed worthy of talking about. So, you’re left with this well-trodden, wrong idea of history that it’s only men who are doing things that are worth noting.

Despite your anger and the seriousness of the subject, the tone is really light, engaging and quite funny. Why did you choose to tell the stories this way?

Part of it is that I don’t know how to write any other way – what can I say, I’m just sarcastic! But, seriously, as a person who writes about women’s history, you either laugh or you cry. So, whenever I get the opportunity, I poke fun at sexism because it’s inherently very silly. I feel that if I can take some of the power away, it makes a serious subject easier to digest.

What about the structure of the book? That was down to Peter Joseph, my editor at Hanover Square Press. He’s also a big cocktail nerd and used to be a cocktail writer, so when I told him that I wanted to do this, he was so excited because nothing like this existed. He was the one who suggested that I had a main character for each chapter and time period, because he wanted me to really delve into the lives of these women.

Did you have much knowledge of women’s place in the history of drink before writing the book?

Absolutely none, but I refused to believe they didn’t play a part in it. I had just written a biography of a female artist who I really admired and was looking to tell more women’s stories, and this particular subject wouldn’t leave my brain. It really intrigued me.

What’s your appreciation of the part played by women, now that you’ve written the book?

It’s massive, it gives me an extra level of appreciation any time I’m in a bar or liquor store.

I feel a lot of women are intimidated by alcohol culture and walk into a space feeling like they’re going to look like a silly girl who doesn’t know anything about spirits, wine or beer. I definitely felt like that when I was in my 20s and first getting into cocktail culture. Now, knowing that women helped form the foundations of almost every type of alcoholic drink, and the way to serve it, makes me so happy and proud to be a woman – and proud to be a woman who has, in my small part, contributed to this industry. It really is special to me.

The book takes in more than 300 pages of fascinating facts and stories. How many times did you have to change the chronological order of it due to new discoveries?

So many times! I had to go back 1,000 years more than I originally thought. In my mind, it was going to begin in the ancient world, starting with Cleopatra, then I started delving into the history and the discovery of alcohol – women were involved even back then. The outline of the book morphed as I was researching and things just kept getting bigger. I knew that women had to be involved in the origins of drinks but I didn’t realise that they were crucial to the foundations of everything.

How long did the project take?

About a year and a half. We were in lockdown in Los Angeles so I couldn’t leave the house and I worked on this book eight to 12 hours a day, every day, for a long time.

How did it feel when you let your baby into the world?

It was a really strange mix of emotions because I was so proud

of the book, and I’m still so proud of it, but it was also a very weird time for the book to come out. It launched in October 2021, when we were really deep in the pandemic in the US, and there were a lot of articles coming out about women drinking during the pandemic. So while I was excited to talk about the history of women in drink, the only thing the news cycle wanted to talk about was whether women were drinking too much.

I remember my first radio interview in the US, and most of the questions were me having to explain and defend women who wanted to drink.

Who’s the most kick-ass woman in the book?

They’re all my best friends in my head. But if I had to pick one, it would be Bessie Williamson (above). I’m a big

whisky person and Bessie helped me and a lot of people who have read the book shift the idea that in order for women to like alcohol, they have to be one of the guys. I feel like Bessie is the personification of, ‘it’s cool to be a girl, it’s cool to do girl things’. And in fact, whisky is actually kind of a girl thing. Bessie did so many incredible things at Laphroaig. I honestly thought about writing a whole book about her.

Out of the people in the book, who would you most like to be, and why? Oooh, that’s a tough one. Sunny Sund would be great because I’d love to have a tiki empire. Then someone like the Widow Clicquot (p. 28) – imagine having your own Champagne orchards and beautiful mansion! But honestly, I’d be honoured to be any of these women

because they really built their own lives, and were so independent and innovative.

Who’s your favourite woman in the current drinks scene who you believe is moving the industry forward?

Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela – South Africa’s first female brewmaster – embodies the next wave of what alcohol can be. She uses hyperlocal ingredients that really have a meaning to people and I think that’s what consumers are looking for, particularly millennials and Gen Z-ers – they’re really thoughtful about where they buy their alcohol, what their alcohol means, and they want their ingredients

Whenever I get the opportunity, I poke fun at sexism because it’s inherently very silly

to be local. Apiwe really embodies that with her different lines of beer and making something that’s so decolonial.

Any female-owned bars or leaders in the industry who you think people need to know about?

I think people should focus on female-owned distilleries and breweries in their area. I’ve worked with a lot of great ones, including Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon (p. 18) – I feel a lot of women-owned bars and distilleries are much more community-minded and share their values.

And lastly, tell us about the book’s title. Why Girly Drinks? It hit me right from the start. It’s funny because some people, especially men, look at the book and are very turned off reading it, especially as the cover is pink and purple.

But I really wanted to challenge those perceptions. The book started with the idea of, ‘what is a girly drink, and how did drinks become gendered?’ It’s such a silly idea. Would you apply it to other things, like a girly type of bread, and then make fun of a guy for eating a girly bread?

Really, every drink is a girly drink when it comes down to it. There’s no gender in a beverage. So, the title just stuck, and I love it. Even though it turned people off, I am very, very proud to have a book that is so unabashedly feminine.

sister acts

Brilliant glassware designed by brilliant women

1. Vintage vibes

One of the key female designers of the 1950s, Dorothy Thorpe’s glassware was a staple in the chicest home bars, and can take pride of place in yours too.

Set of 10 Gold Fleck Cocktail Glasses, thehourshop.com

2. Bright sparks

Brighten up your cocktail cabinet with the colourful creations from this Latina women-led glassware company. Shot Glasses, saludiglassware.com

3. Earth shots

Beautiful to look at, a pleasure to hold and perfect for retaining the required temperature of any liquid. Hand-built Shot Beaker by Petra Steward, contemporaryceramics.uk

Purposefully repurposed

A beautifully designed smallbatch collection of glasses and tableware, crafted from recycled bottles and brought to you by Danielle Ruttenberg and Rebecca Davies. remarkglass.com

Leading ladies

Elegant artisan and heritage glassware, all named after females and gathered together by entrepreneur Rebecca Udall. Frieda Handblown Glass Tumbler, ebeccaudall.com

6. Grand designs

Stephanie Summerson Hall’s range of luxury hand-blown glassware is named after and inspired by her grandmother, Estelle. Pastel Decanters, estellecoloredglass.com

7. World glass

Anam Sadarangani set up her specialist company to showcase the creations of artists and designers around the world. Such as these petite Romantic Glasses by Margherita Rui, sprezznyc.com

Best in glass

The next big thing in glassware? Kate Gerwin’s limited-edition design, The Glitch. Kate, owner of Happy Accidents in Albuquerque, New Mexico, took the top spot in the recent Glassology by ONIS competition where bartenders around the world design a glass that will elevate the drinking experience. Her creation is based around the Collins glass, allowing the ice cube to slide down one side, “preserving the drink’s integrity and showcasing its vibrant colours”. The glass is currently in production and will be available in May this year. For more on the competition and to see ONIS glassware in action, visit @glassology_by_onis and @onis_glass

Monica Berg

Then: Bartender and consultant; co-founder, (P)OUR

Now: Co-owner, Tayēr + Elementary, and currently No.1 on the Bar World 100 list

Andrea Montague

Then: Diageo UK Whisky Ambassador

Now: Head of Advocacy, Edrington UK

Georgie Bell

Then: Luxury Malts Ambassador, Mortlach

Now: Co-founder, The Heart Cut

Ten years ago we published the first themed issue of The Cocktail Lovers magazine and dedicated it to our pick of fab females bossing it on the London drinks scene. We invited them to our photo shoot with a possession that meant the most to them, then after publication, showed the photographs in an exhibition in collaboration with Cointreau. Since then, these women have continued to shape and shine their respective lights across the industry and will forever be held in high esteem by us for the passion and commitment they bring to their work.

Photography Johnnie Pakington

Claire Warner

Then: Head of Spirit Creation & Mixology, Belvedere Vodka

Now: Head of Advocacy, Diageo GB; Board of Directors, Tales of the Cocktail

Metinee Kongsrivilai and Shervene Blackburn

Then: Bacardi UK Brand Ambassadors

Now: Metinee – Global Brand Manager, Dewar’s Whisky; Shervene – Regional Head of Marketing, Northern Europe & Nordics, William Grant & Sons

Camille Vidal

Then: St-Germain

Global Brand

Ambassador

Now: Mindfully Cami; founder, La Maison Wellness

Clotilde Lataille

Then: Bartender, Hawksmoor Spitalfields

Now: Creative Service Manager, The Mix, Pernod Ricard

Alex Irving

Then: Director, Bacchus PR

Now: Co-founder and director, LX PR

Emma Murphy, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne

Then: Emma – Festival director, London Wine Week; Hannah and Siobhan – MDs and co-founders, DrinkUp.London and London Cocktail Week

Now: Emma – Co-founder and MD, Mirror Margarita, and co-founder and creative director, Hacha Bars, London; Hannah and Siobhan – Co-founders, London Cocktail Week, The Pinnacle Guide and HANDS London

mousse, inventing vintages and rosé, creating the bottle shape, reducing the sweetness of the wine, marketing it as a luxury, and truly taking it international. Death created a cohort of arguably the world’s first businesswomen. What a peculiar concept.

“Back then, in the 1800s, the only way women could actually own a business [without the permission of a father or husband], was if they were declared widows. That was the loophole,” says Ethan Boroian, global grand vintage ambassador at Moët Hennessy, and a Madame Clicquot fan. (It’s hard not to be one.)

Born Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin in 1777, Clicquot was widowed in 1805, taking on the business founded by her father-in-law in 1772. She was 27, and went on to create the first known vintage Champagne, the riddling table to collect sediment and the first known blended rosé. All of which earned her the nickname ‘la grande dame’ of Champagne.

“When she said she wanted to take over the house, her father-in-law said, ‘you can’t, it’s against the law’. She proved him wrong,” adds Boroian, noting that when she took it on, Champagne was a regional product, and liquid-wise, quite unlike what we know today. Amid the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars, she refined it, and took it to the world stage.

In praise of the visionary widows who put the sparkle into Champagne.

By Claire Dodd

They had good taste. They had business savvy. They had death certificates for their husbands, and no one to stand in their way. It’s only a combination of those three specific things that gave them the ability to build the Champagne market we see today. In the undisputed ‘man’s world’ of the 18th century, the widows of Champagne not only refined and diversified the liquid itself, but arguably created the market for it. Among the bereaved matriarchs from the likes of Veuve (meaning widow) Clicquot, Pommery, Laurent-Perrier, Veuve Fourny and more, their many achievements include removing the sediment, refining the bubbles to a fine

“With barricades all around Europe, she can’t get her product out to the biggest markets which are at the time Russia and the States,” explains Boroian. “She positions her product in the Netherlands, on the borders, so it will be the first to get out once the barricades are lifted. Personality-wise, they say she had an iron fist in a velvet glove. She was a visionary, she did things in her own way. But she was super clever and aware that the odds were against her.”

Of course, other widows followed, blazing their own trails, moving outside of convention and writing their own playbooks. Actually, here’s an odd fashion trend for you – widowhood. So successful were they, many houses added ‘Veuve’ to their names, whether they could claim a widow or not.

But, so many young widows, I hear you say? All at the same time? “There were so many conspiracy theories of women poisoning their husbands so they could actually work,” adds Boroian. “Now, we don’t know if that’s true or not, but certainly in Champagne, there was a mystery going around.”

Beyond the intrigue, novelty and

Top: Ethan Boroian; Above: Madame Clicquot

Their many achievements include removing the sediment, refining the bubbles to a fine mousse, inventing vintages and rosé…

speculation, what stood the widows apart, businesswise that is? Without wanting to fall into sexist tropes, it seems their superpower was their ability to, say it with me, listen: to listen to what the markets wanted, and adapt the wine and marketing accordingly.

Visionaries

Take Louise Pommery for example. She took the helm aged 39 upon the death of her husband in 1858, moving the business and massively expanding the estate. In response to demands from, not least, the British market, she’s perhaps

most known for taking the wine from very sweet to dry, vastly increasing consumption moments.

“She was a visionary, and she never stopped,” says Florence Prévoteau, marketing product manager at Vranken Pommery Monopole. “She controlled everything from the vineyard to the merchandise. We still work in the buildings and cellars she created, making the wines she created.”

But we don’t have to look too far back for the widows. During the occupation of France in World War II, Madame Lily Bollinger took over the house on her husband’s death in 1941, aged just 42, continuing through to 1971.

Her firsts? Rebuilding the estate post-war, she launched the first wines made from old vines. She created RD or Récemment Dégorgé (recently disgorged) wines. And, again on the theme of international expansion, she established the brand in the US, launching marketing campaigns in New York in the 1950s.

During these war years, LaurentPerrier too was helmed by a widow. In fact, not to be outdone, the house can claim two. MathildeEmilie Perrier took over from her husband in 1887; and MarieLouise de Nonancourt, a widow with four children, poured all of

her savings into Domaine Laurent-Perrier in 1939, steering the company through the war years, before passing the business to her son.

The widow’s legacy

These women, by a quirk of law, may have created a category, liquids, packaging and brands that endure to this day. But in 2024, 220 years after Madame Clicquot took over her business, it’s striking that the question we have to ask is not if women are leading, but do they even have parity? Today, what’s women’s place in wine? And what’s their place in the wider drinks industry? Currently there are 412 Masters of Wine, of which, just over a third are women.

It’s sobering that all these years later it’s still considered a, albeit joyous, novelty or a point worthy of mention whenever we see a company that is female owned and run. We embrace them proudly. But when it comes to the widows, they were, and still are, starkly ahead of their time.

Louise Pommery and the new bottle celebrating 150 years

Left: Madame Lily Bollinger and the Bollinger Estate; Below: A bottle of Laurent-Perrier

Kate Malczewski gets the drinks in at her favourite female-owned bars

ulie Reiner is a leading light of the global bar scene – but when she started her career in hospitality 30 years ago as a cocktail waitress, she never imagined she’d even have the opportunity to be a bartender.

“It really was a very male-dominated industry,” Reiner recalls. “Women and people of colour were rarely hired as bartenders, and fewer were bar owners.”

In many ways, the industry has become a more welcoming place for everyone since then. “The strides we have seen over the past 15 years have been incredible,” she notes. “But there is more work to be done.” Reiner herself has put in this work by mentoring other women in the industry, and by creating venues that “are open and accessible to everyone”, from Clover Club, her Brooklyn bar with relaxed vibes, to Milady’s, the neighbourhood dive bar she helped revive in Manhattan in 2022.

She’s not alone in her efforts. There

are many women in the field who are consciously shaping their bars to be inclusive environments for both guests and employees, resulting not only in standout hospitality experiences, but also in a more equitable industry as a whole.

Chicago warriors

In Chicago, Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes recognised a dearth of venues with an intersectional focus, so they made their own. In 2021, they opened Nobody’s Darling in the city’s Andersonville district. As Black queer women themselves, they wanted it to be a place that champions women, people of colour (POC) and the LGBTQ+ community while welcoming all. “We understood the need for a POC-centred space, where queer people and everyone from the community could come in and just be themselves,” says Riddle. Nobody’s Darling takes a detail-oriented

approach to centring and celebrating women. The cocktail menu draws inspiration from Black female artists, and the back bar is stocked with women- and POC-owned spirits. (Another little touch that speaks volumes? The free menstrual products and toiletries in the bathrooms. “Those things make a difference, and people notice them,” Riddle says.)

The bar is named after the Alice Walker poem Be Nobody’s Darling, which is all about carving your own path. The message resonated with Riddle as a first-time bar owner. “It’s rare to have women in the industry, and definitely Black women in the industry, who have never really worked behind the bar,” she explains. “So this is something we’re taking on and doing our own way.” So far, so successful: Nobody’s Darling expanded its space last autumn to keep up with demand, and a second branch on Chicago’s South Side is in the works.

Across the pond, East London bar

Clockwise from left: The plush red velvet fittings at Doña; Nobody’s Darling; Renauda Riddle and Angela Barnes; Julie Reiner

Doña is another beacon for inclusive women-led hospitality – and for excellent agave spirits. Founders Lucia Massey and Thea Cumming opened Doña in 2019 with “empowered feminine energy” as their inspiration, embodied in the space through flamboyant accents like pink feather boas and red velvet curtains. But Massey notes the concept behind the bar is not strictly gendered: “It’s more that it informed the things we wanted to prioritise – making sure it was a safe space for women, but also members of the LGBTQI community and minority groups who might feel a sense of alienation in mainstream spaces.”

With this in mind, Doña hosts regular events including cabaret, comedy, live music, burlesque, drag shows and theatre. “When you don’t have a lot of budget or a big name, there’s not many venues for emerging creatives to present their work in a way that respects the craft behind it,” says Massey. Part of the venue’s mission is to nurture independent creativity, giving upand-coming artists the opportunity to perform in a supportive environment.

Mezcal is the tipple of choice here, and the team know their stuff

– Cumming even has her own mezcal brand, Dangerous Don. According to Massey, the spirit plays an important role in the bar’s atmosphere. “I feel like mezcal is a real heart-opener,” she says. “It creates a really lovely energy. That’s the romantic view of those of us who are obsessed with mezcal.”

For Tess Posthumus, co-owner of Amsterdam bars Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, Dutch Courage and recently opened Belly of the Beast, inclusivity

bars to be a safe haven for everybody, no matter your sexual preference, your gender or the colour of your skin.”

She acknowledges the bar industry’s progress over the years when it comes to equality, but emphasises there is still a long way to go. “Guys, mainly white cis straight guys, are still widely overrepresented in functions of power,” she explains. “It’s very hard to play on the top level if you are not part of the status quo. Women, queer people and

Reiner has put in this work by mentoring other women in the industry, and by creating venues that are open and accessible

is an ongoing process. “It should start [with being] aware of the flaws that are still in your organisation,” she says. Her venues continue to work towards an even split of women, non-binary folks and men, and she highlights that “there still aren’t enough female bartenders in the Netherlands”.

Posthumus sums up her hospitality philosophy in one punchy statement: “Don’t be a dick,” she says. “I want our

people of colour aren’t there yet. So we should definitely strive to have a diverse and inclusive group of people from the top down.”

Tokyo-based bar entrepreneur and drinks writer Holly Graham echoes this need for improvement. “I feel like lots of work happened pre-pandemic, but from the perspective of a woman, I can’t help but feel the industry has slipped a little,” she says, pointing to the

Clockwise from top: Lucia Massey and Thea Cumming; Tokyo Confidential interior; Holly Graham and head bartender Waka Murata; Tess Posthumus

MILLIE TANG

LUKE FULLALOVE / MILLIE TANG

MING CHAO

underrepresentation of women on guest bartending shifts and panels.

At her bar Tokyo Confidential, which launched last year in the Azabujuban district of its namesake city, Graham aims “to create a home for everyone”. This idea manifests in several ways, from the communal bar top – a layout which “invites guests to connect with one another” – to the thoughtful selection of no-ABV options for those who aren’t imbibing. The drinks list also features high-end wines and spirits by the glass at cost, so guests can try unique bottles without prohibitive prices. “We don’t have a concept, theme or vein, but it all makes sense when you walk in the door,” Graham adds. “And that in itself makes it inclusive to everyone.”

Meanwhile, in Sydney, Natalie Ng has shaped her hospitality ethos around her employees. Ng is the co-owner of Door Knock, a subterranean speakeasy in the central business district, and Now & Then, a new cocktail bar slinging modern favourites and retro classics.

“Your staff are the heart and soul of your venue,” she says. “They are the key to creating a positive work environment and a great overall guest experience.” She’s a proponent of hiring for personality over experience, and

has developed her bars to cultivate connection between staff and customers as much as possible – for instance, the menus are designed with minimal descriptions, fostering conversations between guests and bartenders.

Ng is optimistic about the state of the industry for women, and has noticed positive momentum in the past few years especially. “There is a more structured system of support between women in hospitality, and a healthy as opposed to destructive air of competition,” she says. “The solidarity is more prevalent now than ever between women, which is incredible to see.”

Top right: Natalie Ng; Below: Natalie's newest bar, Now & Then

This could be the first copy of The Cocktail Lovers magazine that you’ve picked up, or maybe you’ve been a regular reader since we first published it in 2011. Perhaps you also listen to our podcast. Or you’re someone who dips into our website, receives our newsletter or follows us on social media. Whoever you are we’d like to say ‘welcome’. And we’d like to tell you a little more about who we are, what we do and why we love to collaborate.

Who we are

Founded by husband-and-wife team Sandrae Lawrence and Gary Sharpen, we bring a wealth of experience from our previous professions (Sandrae as a lifestyle journalist and editor, Gary as an advertising copywriter and creative director) combined with an intense shared passion for the premium cocktail and spirits world – the clue’s in our name, we are The Cocktail Lovers.

What we do

We love sharing cocktail news and views, plus interviews with the amazing people in the drinks world. We love giving our views on the incredible products we try. And we also love talking about the inspiring bars and brand homes around the world that we’re fortunate enough to visit. That’s why we founded The Cocktail Lovers, originally as a website and blog, 16 years ago.

A magazine, a podcast, a website and a whole lot more

We’re proud to have an audience comprising both drinks professionals and discerning consumers. And through our website and blog we shared the cocktail love. Then realising the scale of our engaged audience, we launched the award-winning quarterly premium print magazine you’re holding right now (also available digitally by the way). And three years ago we also began producing and hosting an award-winning podcast (60 episodes and counting).

But if that little lot wasn’t enough to keep us busy, we’ve also found ourselves being invited to share the cocktail love in all kinds of other ways, from mainstream media to partnering with some of the most respected drinks brands.

Traditional media

We’ve had the opportunity to big-up the cocktail world we love in other media

Best Food & Drink Podcast: The Publisher Podcast Awards 2022

too, with radio appearances including Woman’s Hour and The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4, and as regular guests on BBC Radio London. We’ve also contributed to other publications, including Delicious, Observer Food Monthly and The Telegraph.

Partnering with brands

We’re especially pleased to have worked closely with some of the world’s most

Drop us a line at mail@ thecocktaillovers.com

or scan the QR code to get in touch right away!

Best Broadcast, Podcast or Online Video Series: Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2022

Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication: Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2016

respected spirits brands on a whole range of projects.

We create bespoke editorial-style partnership features with all kinds of brands for our magazine. Our podcast includes tailored brand segments. And our website is a handy hub for tactical and topical announcements.

Live events, videos and competitions

We’ve also been asked by brands to create and host live events. For consumers these have included informal and interactive workshops, and smart soirées for intimate tastings and sharing brand stories. In the industry world we’ve facilitated round-table discussions and given presentations at trade events at home and abroad.

We’ve partnered with brands, too, on video projects sharing our opinions on products and serves, and interviewing renowned bartenders.

And we’re honoured to have been judges on countless cocktail competitions. Around the UK and abroad we’ve tasted extraordinary cocktail creations, shared feedback and promoted the bartenders and brands that make these events invaluable.

Collaboration, it’s what we love

Whether it’s through our magazine, on our podcast or via our website; devising an event, producing a video or judging a cocktail competition; or, indeed, partnering on something completely new and different, such as curation or consultancy, brand partnerships are one of the things we especially love.

In short, we’re creators, curators and connectors for the cocktail world.

If you’d like to collaborate with The Cocktail Lovers we’d really love to hear from you.

Ms S & Mr G

The Progress 1000 – London’s Most Influential People: London Evening Standard 2015/17

Clockwise from left: Marissa Johnston; Kaitlyn Stewart; Fawn Weaver; Kate Nicholls; Eileen Wayner; Monica Berg; Jenna Ba

Being a female in any industry is challenging,” says Marissa Johnston. She’s not moaning, not really, she’s just telling it like it is. Yes, even in 2024. You see, if there is a drawback to all this chatter around women in the workplace, it’s that because things are being discussed people think that the issues are being dealt with. The truth is, while raising concerns and getting matters out in the open is always beneficial, there’s still a helluva way to go.

What the conversations have been good for in the drinks space in particular is that we’re now seeing more women and those who identify as women getting their dues as head bartenders and owners, having their voices heard on panels and taking on the top spots in corporate roles. Which is not to be confused with being fast tracked for jobs that they’re not qualified for, or as a box-ticking exercise. We’re talking about women who are getting the flowers they’ve worked hard for and well and truly deserve.

Women like Marissa. As Diageo’s global head of World Class and advocacy, it’s her responsibility to manage the mammoth World Class cocktail competition, which sees bartenders from more than 50 nations vie for the coveted title of World Class Global Bartender of the Year. If the intricacies of that weren’t enough (last year saw 1,000 guests decamp to São Paulo for the global final; this year it will be held in Shanghai with an equally impressive guestlist), she also manages a 10-strong team of global

brand ambassadors. In other words, she’s a very big deal.

“We’re not particularly well presented but we are definitely making progress,” she says when asked how well she thinks women and women+ are represented in the drinks world. “It’s fantastic to see some real innovators and people like Monica Berg [co-owner of London’s Tayēr + Elementary and, at the time of writing, number one on the Bar World 100 list] and Maura Lawrence Milia

their names. So, while we need more stories and people championing the industry on a global level, we need to do the same on a grassroots level as well.”

Marissa is doing her best to make that happen. Starting in the way she recruits and empowers her teams, transcending to the mentors and judges brought on board to judge the annual World Class competition. “I take to heart how I nurture relationships, both from a professional standpoint in how I manage my team and the role I want to play in developing them and pushing them beyond their comfort zone,” she says proudly. “I’ve also taken the challenges and positives of my experiences throughout my career and really tried to hone in on what I would have wanted in different situations and transferred those things into my team, and also into what I do around World Class and advocacy. I try to champion people who perhaps haven’t had a voice in the way that I would have liked to in my earlier days. So, when I recruit, I fight for people where I see potential – people who were in my position when I started out. I think that for a lot of jobs within any industry people think you have to be 100% qualified to do the job, when, actually, we need to give people a shot to prove themselves – and more often than not, we’re pleased with the results.”

Rise and climb

She’s referring to obstacles that she’s faced in her rise from conference coordinator, to media buyer, through to

“When I recruit, I fight for people where I see potential – people who were in my position when I started out”

[former bar manager at the Connaught Bar, now in Mexico setting up a bar group with her husband Alex Lawrence Milia] making waves. I think we’re getting more and more incredible leaders at a global level. But people wanting to enter the industry may not be following these people, they may not even know

marketing manager and brand manager, then on to her current position, which she describes as “pretty special and very unique”. “I’ve had times in my career where my experience hasn’t been valued or I’ve had to prove myself more than other people,” she confides. “But while that’s challenging, it’s made me

incredibly resilient. I also take pride in being able to turn around and say, ‘look what I’ve achieved!’ You know, like: ‘you didn’t quite think I could do that, but here we are!’ And that’s something I really take into my role now. I really try and encourage an environment where everyone can shine and everyone has space to collaborate and achieve. When one rises, we all rise,” she adds brightly.

Originally from Sydney, Marissa is now based in Amsterdam with the Diageo global team and her role sees her clocking up a considerable amount of air miles. “It gives me a chance to shine a light on global communities, and I really pride myself on trying to ensure that the talent we bring to World Class allows us to represent diverse communities geographically as well. That’s why we change the judging panel each year.” So, as well as big-name talent like Agostino Perrone from the Connaught Bar in London, Giacomo Giannotti from Paradiso in Barcelona and Benjamin Padrón, owner of Licorería Limantour in Mexico City, the line-up last year included lesser-known, culturally diverse talents such as Minakshi Singh, owner of Sidecar in Delhi (“our first judge from the Indian continent, which we didn’t realise at the time – she’s just been on our radar,”) and Carolina Oda, gastronomy expert from São Paulo.

The way ahead

On the matter of whether women are being held back or holding themselves back from joining her at the top, she pauses. “Holding ourselves back in some ways, but we’re also being held back,”

is the considered reply. And not just by men. “Some women can be challenged by other women too,” she adds, obviously talking from experience. “I think it comes down to the leaders within businesses – the bar and restaurant owners and managers – what are they setting themselves targets on? What are they doing to ensure that when they’re looking at allowing teams to participate in competitions or go on brand trips, they’re being fair with how they’re pushing individual teams? I think we’re certainly seeing an improvement in that space but perhaps there’s an opportunity for mentoring and coaching. They need to be considering these things in a way that we haven’t been looking at before.” As for World Class, while she does her bit by showcasing lesser-known faces on the judging panel, there’s still work to be done getting more women to take part in the competition itself. “We have a 60/40 split or worse on entries, so there’s a place for mentoring, coaching and playing a much more hands-on role than perhaps we would with males in the industry,” she admits. “Part of that is down to imposter syndrome, which is across any industry and impacts all of us. And although we haven’t had a female winner for a few years, those we do have, Kaitlyn Stewart [2017] and Bannie Kang [2019], play a huge role in inspiring others within the World Class community. But I think in order to get more women putting themselves forward it comes down to nurturing on a grassroots level. Like most things, it’s about building confidence, having belief and giving it a go.”

Marissa’s top five women in drinks

TASH CONTE, FOUNDER, BLACK PEARL, MELBOURNE

“Tash was one of the first women in the industry I worked with. She’s had her bar for 22 years or so now and it’s still such an institution.”

MONICA BERG, CO-OWNER, TAYĒR + ELEMENTARY, LONDON

“She’s a true innovator and I love sharing stories of people who didn’t win the competition but go on to shine. Monica is a huge champion for the industry.”

JENNA BA, TANQUERAY Nº. TEN

GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR & KARINA SÁNCHEZ, DON JULIO

GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR

“I’m lucky to have two wonderful female brand ambassadors in my team. The work they do in inspiring diverse communities around the world is amazing.”

KAITLYN STEWART, BARTENDER & EDUCATOR, VANCOUVER

“As a community, I don’t think we’ve properly tapped into the power of social media and what it can do for women.

Kaitlyn is a brilliant example of how to do it well in the way that she’s grown her community by making cocktails accessible and breaking things down on a consumer level. I think there’s so much opportunity to champion bartending through content.”

BANNIE KANG, BARTENDER/ OWNER, SINGAPORE

“Since winning the competition in 2019, the impact that Bannie has had in Singapore and across Asia in general has been phenomenal – she’s a real inspiration.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Eileen Wayner, CEO, Tales of the Cocktail Foundation

Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO, UKHospitality Fawn Weaver, CEO and Co-founder, Uncle Nearest

Maggie Timoney, CEO, Heineken

Joy Spence, Master Blender, Appleton Estate Rum

Emma McClarkin OBE, CEO, British Beer & Pub Association

Bannie Kang, World Class Global Winner 2019

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Celebrating five women who have shaped the drinks industry into the dynamic sector it is today.

By Laura Foster

Laura Willoughby MBE

Helping the sober curious to find the wagon and stay on it

“When I gave up drinking, I saw there was a gap for something that didn’t preach sobriety only, and that supported people through behaviour change, rather than AA, which was very much faceless, very old dogma,” declares Laura Willoughby, the founder of Club Soda, an organisation that promotes mindful drinking.

To this end, Club Soda is a multifaceted enterprise. It has a physical shop and website selling non-alcoholic drinks; offers courses such as ‘how to drink mindfully’; and holds events that aren’t centred around alcohol. Founded in 2015, it has been the vanguard of the movement towards sober socialising.

Behind the public-facing activity comes a lot of research into barriers to adoption of no- and low-alcohol drinks. “I call it the barriers register. Some of them sit within legislation, like VAT. And some sit in hospitality. There are some big things that need to change, and some are easier than others. Everything needs a different tactic. So I’ve got a map for societal change, and new things get added to it every single day.”

While Willoughby is a poster woman for mindful drinking, her modus operandi is to involve as many people as possible. “What I enjoy doing is empowering other people to take up the mantle and look at the things that they can do.”

Lucy Britner

The ‘catalyst’ behind The World’s 50 Best Bars

Nowadays she may be better known for her editorship of Drinks Retailing magazine, but Lucy Britner was instrumental in creating the structure upon which The World’s 50 Best Bars is based today.

When the awards were first created, the list was compiled by a market research company calling up bars to gather the votes. “The first couple of years it felt like we didn’t really have buy in from the whole industry,” Britner remembers. “So in 2011 we decided to make an academy of voters.”

As a young journalist out and about at events all the time, she had gathered an enviable contacts book.

“I said look, I think I know enough people that we can start to build this academy.”

She then met Camper English, and the duo teamed up, “hounding people on Facebook or the phone or email to get people to vote”.

In 2012, it was decided to make 50 Best into an event, holding it during London Cocktail Week and just after Bar Convent Berlin “because there’d be a lot of people in Europe, and they might come to our event”.

Dale DeGroff presented, the crème de la crème of the industry came, and the rest is history. Britner was also on the team for the 2013 awards before leaving.

“I really enjoyed changing 50 Best, that felt enough for me, making that change and seeing that it was successful.

Hamish [Smith] described me as the catalyst, and himself as the popularist – he did an incredible job after me of really ramping it up to the next level.”

Hannah Sharman-Cox & Siobhan Payne

Bringing a new approach to awarding excellence in bars. The bar industry has come a long way in the past 20 years. The quality of service and experience provided has arguably become so elevated that a recognition system is long overdue.

Chockie Tom

Educating the industry to respect Indigenous cultures, ingredients and communities

In an industry full of powerful voices, Chockie Tom’s resonates louder than most. An American Indigenous bartender who grew up in Los Angeles, Tom worked her way up in the hospitality industry, starting with her family’s frybread stall, before taking on New York’s bar scene, becoming a brand ambassador and eventually moving to London.

She felt she had to hide her Indigenous identity at the start. “There are a lot of myths around Indigenous people,” she explains. “We’ve always had fermented ancestral beverages that have been part of our religions. And then you bring in a bunch of Europeans, and you mix that with people who don’t have experience with distilled beverages, you’re going to have culture clashes. Saying that we’re all a bunch of addicts, or we’re inferior because we don’t digest distilled spirits as well, is part of that story.”

Five years ago, Tom started speaking out. Her work ranges from organising events to creating infographics, from consulting with brands to giving talks at bar shows.

“One of my biggest things that I’m working on right now is the misuse and appropriation of palo santo and white sage. White sage is so over-harvested that I can’t go to the places that my family has been harvesting from for thousands of years, pick the sacred plants and use them in my religion.”

Enter Siobhan Payne and Hannah SharmanCox. The dynamic duo – known throughout the industry as co-founders of London Cocktail Week – have now created The Pinnacle Guide, alongside Dan Dove.

“It’s a hybrid between Michelin and B Corp because you’re getting one of three ratings, but it’s an application process that is very in depth, that is designed to elevate your operation,” explains Payne.

Pinnacle was announced two years ago, and with the first round recently closed, they’re currently working through the applications. “Considering this is an untested model, we were expecting a lot of people to hold back. But the sheer weight of applications, it just shows that there is a need for additional recognition, or desire for it.” On top of this, changes are afoot at London Cocktail Week, which is being moved towards a not-for-profit model, “ensuring that we give back to the city that we love”.

So, with so much time spent together, do they ever get fed up with each other? “No! It’s been an evolution of our glorious relationship. We grew up together, really,” states Sharman-Cox. “It takes all the scary bit away because you’ve got a buddy with you all the time.”

Head bartender, bar owner, master blender, author and bootlegger. Meet five women who may not be household names but they’ve all significantly paved a way, radically changed preconceptions and made a big difference. Wherever or whatever we drink today, their presence is subtly there.

Photography Gary Smith Drinks stylist Troels Knudsen

THE MASTER BLENDER

Joy Spence

Some 16 years after joining Appleton Estate as chief chemist, 1997 sees Joy Spence become the first female master blender in the spirits industry. She is still at the helm today.

Jamaican Mule

50ml Appleton Estate Signature Rum

50ml ginger beer

3 lime wedges

Method: Muddle the lime wedges in a tall glass. Add the other ingredients along with ice and stir.

THE AUTHOR

Mary Virginia Terhune

Along with her daughter Christine Terhune Herrick, Mary Virginia Terhune published a mighty five-part domestic guide, Consolidated Library of Modern Cooking and Household Recipes, culminating in 1904 with a fifth volume dedicated to every kind of beverage including wines, spirits and an incredible showcase of popular fancy drinks and cocktails.

Champagne Cocktail

Champagne

1 sugar cube

1 dash aromatic bitters

Lemon peel, to garnish

Method: Add sugar and bitters to a flute. Top with Champagne and garnish with lemon peel.

THE BOOTLEGGER Gertrude ‘Cleo’ Lythgoe

Respected for her strong business acumen, the quality of her whiskey and her nononsense attitude, Gertrude Lythgoe earned the title Queen of the Bootleggers during the 1920s. Always maintaining hers was a legitimate operation, she ran her business until retiring in luxury and writing her memoirs.

Old Fashioned

50ml finest bourbon or rye whiskey

1 bar spoon sugar

1 bar spoon water

3 dashes aromatic bitters Orange slice, to garnish

Method: Stir the sugar, water and bitters, add the bourbon or rye whiskey and stir over ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and garnish with orange.

THE HEAD BARTENDER

Ada Coleman‘Coley’

In 1903, Ada Coleman became the first woman head bartender at the legendary American Bar at the Savoy, a role she majestically enjoyed for over 20 years, creating the equally legendary Hanky Panky cocktail along the way.

Hanky Panky

45ml London Dry gin

45ml sweet vermouth

2.5ml Fernet liqueur

Orange peel, to garnish

Method: Stir over ice and strain into a chilled Martini glass.

Garnish with orange peel.

THE BAR OWNER María Dolores Boadas

Following the death of her father in 1967, María Dolores Boadas took over the Barcelona bar he’d founded in the 1930s, honouring its legacy – including the theatrical style of cocktails being thrown rather than shaken or stirred – until her passing 50 years later.

Sofia Loren

50ml Cuban dark rum

25ml sweet vermouth

5ml Drambuie

2 dashes aromatic bitters

1 cherry, to garnish

Method: Throw over ice until chilled and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Women across all job categories, industries and regions often encounter barriers to career advancement, such as limited mentorship and networking opportunities, which can result in reduced confidence to demand fair salaries, pursue promotions and assert their voices. Specifically within the hospitality and drinks industry, this is evident in the disproportionately low percentage of women holding positions of power such as bar management and ownership and even entering cocktail competitions.

Over the past two years, we’ve engaged with bar and beverage experts, brand representatives and leading cocktail bar owners to address inequities in the industry. Our findings reveal a lack of awareness and access to talented women in the drinks sector. Some

Kristine Bocchino and Kaitlin Wilkes are on a mission: to build a community to foster the growth and success of women in the hospitality and drinks industry, inspired by Ada Coleman

overlook the importance of hosting diverse events, preferring to invite friends, while others struggle to connect with experienced women due to limited networks or discomfort in reaching out.

Building blocks for progress

Step one towards an equitable evolution is clearly to raise awareness. And step two: we must compel the decision makers to be progressive leaders and foster diverse representation. Whether it’s the brands holding the purse strings, or the prominent bar owners and bartenders holding the attention of the younger generation, both have the power to be leaders and evoke change.

Matt Magliocco, executive vice president at Chatham Imports and Michter’s Distillery, understands that diversity greatly enhances brand activations: “We strive to host events that are fun, creative and inspiring. That naturally entails featuring bartenders and industry experts with different perspectives and life experiences.”

Another area in the industry where we often see inequity on a global scale

is in the educational and recreational activities based around bar shows and cocktail weeks. Women play many key roles and, according to a global report* ‘make up 70% of the hospitality industry’s workforce globally, [however] they hold less than 40% of managerial positions, [and] less than 20% of general management roles, and are underrepresented, sometimes severely, at many regional and global bar shows, cocktail weeks and other industry-wide celebrations’.

While efforts towards equality and inclusion have been made in various regions, there persists an urgent imperative for continued progress. Nicola Riske, spirits educator, mentorship advocate and Tales of the Cocktail global education committee member, explains: “Equitable bar and cocktail conferences serve as vital platforms, ensuring diverse voices are not just heard, but celebrated, fostering an inclusive and innovative industry for all to thrive in.” Understanding this need, industry advocacy expert Roberta Mariani and the Roma Bar Show team

co-created the Balanced initiative “to raise awareness amongst the bar community about gender equality and inclusivity within the hospitality industry” – and taking it a step further, Roberta assists in the curation of educational content for the bar show.

Be part of the solution

and areas of expertise. Presented alphabetically to avoid ranking, it serves as a valuable tool for event organisers, competition hosts, bar owners and writers seeking to diversify their talent pool for collaborations and editorials.

STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY

Numerous organisations are already engaged in remarkable efforts to inspire and empower women. Here are just a few…

Celebrate Her, founded by UK-based consultant Anna Sebastian (p. 50), is a global platform that aims to elevate and financially support women in hospitality to progress their careers.

Los Angeles-based Babes Behind the Bar not only hosts initiatives to educate and empower women in the SoCal drinks industry, but each of its events gives back to a local women’s charity.

OurWhisky Foundation, founded by Becky Paskin (p. 17), has created a mentorship programme for women in whisky and provided a solution with a free, downloadable gallery of high-resolution photos showcasing women enjoying whisky in diverse settings, available for editorial use.

This platform aims to foster gender equality and diversity within the industry

While the prospect of addressing worldwide disparities in representation may seem daunting, we believe it’s crucial to not simply highlight inequalities but to also present practical and actionable pathways toward improvement. And so, we are proud to present The Ada Coleman Project, an advocacy initiative featuring a dedicated digital space focused on the support of women in the hospitality and drinks industry.

Launching in early April, this platform aims to foster gender equality and diversity within the industry while offering essential assets, including educational content, health resources and job listings. However, the standout feature of The Ada Coleman Project is its rotating database of accomplished women in the drinks industry. Updated biannually, it lists both veterans and rising stars from diverse backgrounds

Alongside this, and in addition to curating activations and events for others, The Ada Coleman Project will also host our own groundbreaking networking roundtables and educational workshops around the globe, to build confidence and further foster the education, mentorship and career advancement of women in hospitality. Lauren Mote, a member of the project’s board of advisors, says: “We learn through shared experiences – either together as a group, or listening to others and linking that to our own situation. I’m excited to see The Ada Coleman Project support the industry in this way.”

Through its advocacy for gender equality and the establishment of an inclusive digital environment, the project not only pays tribute to Ada Coleman’s legacy but also nurtures the advancement of women within the hospitality and drinks sector. It signifies a notable stride towards a more inclusive and equitable future.

Barcelona-based Ellas Empowerment, founded by Ginevra Castagnoli, boasts a team of talented ambassadors who aim to raise awareness while promoting inclusivity, empathy and creativity within the bar industry.

Headed up by founder Alex Jump and CEO Lauren Paylor O’Brien, Focus On Health provides health and wellness programming and training for the food and beverage industry in the US, and works with a collective of female massage therapists, acupuncturists and herbalists who provide pro-bono services during wellness events.

Produced by author, bar owner and journalist Holly Graham and published by DRiNK Magazine Asia, Asia’s Women in Bartending is an ever-growing list of women working in Asia’s alcohol industry, designed to help tackle the lack of female representation at bar shows and beyond. “This way, there is no excuse,” she says.

Though no single individual or entity can single-handedly overcome gender disparities in the hospitality and beverage sectors, it’s crucial to embrace the insight that ‘if you can see it, you can be it’. Collectively, we have the power to affect meaningful change.

Kaitlin and Kristine behind the bar

Alex Jump, Focus on Health

Anna Sebastian, founder of Celebrate Her, on the issues faced by women+ working in hospitality and what needs to be done to make it a more attractive industry to work in

For years, it has fallen on women to fix the issues that women face, whether they’re societal, related to safety or stem from working in maledominated industries. There have been many panel discussions, educational courses and self-defence sessions put on to raise awareness to try and drive change. But the vast majority of those attending would’ve been female.

Here’s the thing, we know what the issues are, we know how it feels to be scared, we know that sinking feeling in the depths of our stomach when someone approaches us on the night bus home or on a dark street. We know how it feels to be mocked in a meeting surrounded by men, or have comments made about what we wear. We know what changes must be made, however this is not something that we can do alone.

We have seen the power of sisterhood, female bonds and relationships all over the world. Cases such as the harrowing abduction and murder of Sarah Everard and the brutal assault documented in India’s Daughter sparked unity, as well as national and global movements to end violence towards women and girls. But our greatest allies in all this need to be men.

To bring this back to hospitality, we need to put the onus on men, the decision makers at the top, the management that have the ability to make the changes to

create a safer space, a more inclusive space. This, in turn, will create a space where women can thrive and not just survive.

Safety

Safety is key for any industry. Implementing policies and boundaries and putting crisis systems in place for teams is crucial to create a safe space for business and employees. Making it clear what support is available and making it easy for employees to access is also key. When reviewing policies, calling in experts to help make changes is a good way to get impartial advice. A recent report undertaken by Celebrate Her shows that 90% of women feel unsafe going home at night and 86% of women have experienced sexism and harassment in the workplace. The education needs to start with men and how they can help support the change.

Lifestyle

Especially in recent years, many women have found themselves leaving the bar industry for other jobs that provide more flexibility with working patterns and hours, giving more of a work-life balance. The operational part of the hospitality industry is particularly unforgiving for those (including men) who want to start a family, with women finding it hard –

Anna Sebastian

almost impossible – to get to work after giving birth. Policies need to be looked at, childcare options considered, and women nurtured into returning to work with great consideration and support.

Additionally, finding out what real impact businesses can have on their employees is important. The only way to do this is by in-depth market research to get cold, hard data on what people want and then see where funding should be going and what changes can be made. From my experience, things like getting taxis home after the tubes shut is one of the biggest perks that a company can provide. Other benefits like access to free healthcare and mental health support are also key things that have genuine impact.

Training and education

This is essential for people to really understand what it means when it comes to sexual harassment, stalking and so on. There is a distinct lack of knowledge when it comes to what these things mean, especially in the eyes of the law, and what to do if it happens in the workplace. It is a daunting subject, and managers need support and training when it comes to how to deal with these situations in a sensitive and confidential way. Everyone should be educated when it comes to this and know what is and is not acceptable. Only then can we start to create a safe and appealing space for everyone to be in.

Change takes time. In some cases it takes a generation to make real change, but it is our individual actions, no matter who you are, that will collectively allow us to create a more sustainable, safer and inspiring hospitality industry for all.

DIGESTIF

TIME TO SIP, SAVOUR AND CONTEMPLATE

IN THIS ISSUE

A shout-out to the women who inspire men in the industry; food from the heart, for the soul; Birmingham bars in focus

p. 65

A taste of the East in the

Midlands

The Lucky Gibson at Lucky7

IN PRAISE OF INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN

By the industry men they inspire

Ryan Chetiyawardana

Owner, Lyaness and Seed Library, London; Silver Lyan, Washington DC; Super Lyan, Amsterdam; and consultant and author

“The person who’s inspired me the most is my sister, Natasha. Not only as the most badass woman I know, but as the most inspiring person I’ve ever come across. She was well aware how the world stacks against women from a young age, but she used that information to fuel her and also as a map to navigate the world to show it could be so much more than it is – whilst retaining and celebrating her femininity.

Many can become cold from hardships but Natasha has used this to teach, guide and inspire a whole generation of thinkers and creatives. Her wild success is a tiny window into the impact she’s had, and it’s been so wonderful to observe, but I’m eternally grateful to have been someone she gives her time to, as it’s been a key factor in shaping not only how I work, but how I view the world.”

Ben Branson

Founder, Seedlip, Pollen Projects and seasn cocktail bitters

“Two wonderful women jump straight out, Emma Sykes [CEO of seasn cocktail bitters] and Claire Warner [currently head of advocacy at Diageo]. They’re both driven, give no f*cks and have taught me so much about the industry, resilience and speaking up.”

Rory Shepherd

Hospitality and drinks consultant; and founder, Avant_Hospitality

“Undoubtedly, my wife has been the most significant influence on my career. From the early days she inspired me and instilled the confidence that making sound decisions and having respect for my profession could lead to a flourishing life and career. Thank you, Kim.”

Erik Lorincz

Owner, Kwānt, London

“My first ever World Classwinning cocktail, before I won the competition, was served to my mum when she was visiting me at The Connaught. She is the reason why I continue to work hard. And my wife, she is the inspiration for always doing better and never giving up.”

Alastair Burgess

Owner, Happiness Forgets, London

“I am a man in a very maledominated industry. However, I was given my four main bar jobs by women. Twenty-eight years ago a woman called Karen gave me my first ever bar job. Three years later, Suzanne gave me my second job – they were both inspirational. Then there was Amanda, now owner of Scoop Ice Cream in South Africa; she gave me my first job in London, at the now long-retired Mook in

Notting Hill. The next person who had a huge impact on my career is Julie Reiner. She was the person who took my CV and passed it on to Audrey Saunders who gave me a job. Without these women giving me an opportunity, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Dan Dove

Founder and managing director, Global Bartending

“Many women have inspired me throughout my 20 year career in the drinks industry… too many to count. Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne, my business partners with The Pinnacle Guide (p. 41), are two people I have huge respect for. I have worked alongside them for the last 10+ years and they’ve shown themselves as thought leaders in the industry, running multiple

This page, clockwise from top left: Ryan Chetiyawardana; Ben Branson; Alastair Burgess; Erik Lorincz; Rory Shepherd

successful businesses. They have inspired me and many others to ‘get the job done’.”

Salvatore Calabrese

Owner, Donovan Bar and Velvet at the Corinthia, London; and consultant and author

“I have been a very lucky man with two wonderful women in my life. One is my mother, who encouraged me to leave Italy and travel my own road. The other is my wife, Sue, who has been my rock since I first came to London. She has encouraged me to take all the opportunities that have come my way and believed in me. Without her I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”

Yadney Fernandes

Head bartender, Sterling Bar, Manchester

“There are three women who inspire me, my ‘three pillars’: my mother, my godmother and my auntie. From a young age, I grew up with my godmother, who is my mother’s second-

oldest sister. I was lucky enough to watch her start her own business, see how she deals with people and how she manages to keep people together. She was a successful chef who always worked hard enough and never gave up. In my teens I started living with my auntie, my mother’s oldest sister. Also a chef, she was pregnant in her late 40s with twins and about to open a small bistro restaurant – it was truly inspiring to watch her manage to give birth to two beautiful young ladies and manage to open a restaurant a week afterwards. Auntie is one of the strongest women I have ever met, a true example of a leader. My mother also worked in the industry, as a waitress who then progressed to restaurant management and is now working in politics. She is still supporting me and reminding me why she

AUNTIE IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST WOMEN

sent me to live with her sisters! I have massive respect for all women, but those three remind me every day why women are as strong as they are.”

Shingo Gokan

Owner, Sip & Guzzle, New York; Sober Company, The Odd Couple and Speak Low, Shanghai; and The SG Club, Tokyo

“I don’t know her name but I was very inspired by a Japanese bartender I met in Kyoto many years ago. She was 90 years old but still working behind the bar every day, hosting guests, making cocktails and cleaning up the bar – all by herself, all while wearing a beautiful kimono. I thought she was incredible and immensely inspiring.”

Federico Pavan

Director of mixology, Donovan Bar, London

“Sophia Loren has inspired me most. Not only was she incredibly beautiful but she was a strong and powerful women who didn’t care what was said of her. In an interview she said, ‘Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.’ At the Donovan Bar, I created and named one of our most famous cocktails after her – the Madame Loren, a rosyhued cocktail made with a dash of tomato liqueur and topped with fried basil, which serves as a tribute to both this famous quote and her Italian origins.”

Steve Schneider

Co-owner, Sip & Guzzle and Employees Only, New York; Elysian Cafe, Hoboken, New Jersey; and The Odd Couple, Shanghai

“Charlotte Voisey [head of ambassadors at William Grant & Sons, USA] is someone I have respected for a long time. She’s known me since I was a young bartender and she’s someone I always try to make proud. On a more technical side, when the cocktail bar community was in its infancy, you could always count on Charlotte to host the best, most memorable events – whether it be at Tales of the Cocktail or anywhere else.”

This page, clockwise from top left: Salvatore Calabrese; Shingo Gokan; Steve Schneider; Federico Pavan; Yadney Fernandes

THE COCKTAIL GIRL RELISHES…

Drinking in the history of Campari in Italy

When in Milan, you’ve got to do the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. And when you’re in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, you’ve got to do Camparino in Galleria.

Not that I’m a fan of doing overtly touristy things. Particularly shopping or drinking in malls. But this one is different. It’s not really a mall, it’s too majestic for that. In truth, it’s a thing of drop-dead gorgeousness. Put it this way, not for nothing is it dubbed Milan’s drawing room.

Stunning architecture and drool-worthy designer stores aside (including the first Prada store in the world and the only place where you can still buy its handmade bags and luggage). I love drinking in its history. Literally. And the place to do that is Camparino in Galleria.

Established in 1915 by Davide Campari (yes, that Campari), it’s still one of the must-visit spots in town. Touristy tourists head straight for Bar di Passo. Of course they do! For one thing, it overlooks the mighty Duomo,

and another, it’s deliciously picturesque – all Art Nouveau and fab with frescoes, aged wooden bar, ornate chandeliers… in short, everything you want from a historic spot. To drink? Campari Seltz. Much like it was when the bar originally opened with its unique soda-on-tap system offering perfectly chilled Campari sodas every time.

Then there’s Sala Spiritello on the first floor for a different feel and experience entirely. Here it’s more streamlined, more modern, more ‘mixology’, with cocktails like the Bitter Paloma (Campari, Espolòn Tequila Blanco, 1757 Vermouth di Torino Extra Dry, agave and pink grapefruit) and Purosangue (Campari, Biancosarti, Vermouth del Professore and traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena). Of course, I make it my business to stop in both of the above but my new favourite spot is Sala Gaspare Campari.

Before I get into why it’s won me over, I have to prefix this by saying this part of Camparino

Camparino in Galleria

Piazza Duomo 21, 20121, Milan

isn’t open to the public. Well it is, but you have to book. And as it only seats 12, it’s perfect for a small group of friends. The room occupies the part of the building that was once Gaspare Campari’s lab, where he once created recipes for various cordials, bitters and vermouths. Now it’s been remodelled into a swish underground bar, and the creations are mixed by a team overseen by head of mixology Tommaso Cecca.

Before the drinks though, I have to give a shout-out to Vudafieri Saverino Partners, the design team responsible for the very chic, extremely cosy makeover. Rich, warming shades of brown, hunker-down-andchill-out leather Chesterfield sofas and clever lighting set the scene, while carefully selected items from the Campari archives dotted around make the room feel even more special. And talking of archives, the vintage books in the room’s library form the basis of some of the cocktails on offer; others are inspired by the aromas and rare ingredients that Gaspare Campari used in his recipes, while the final section is dedicated to iconic cocktails like the Negroni and Boulevardier, made with rare vintage spirits from the 1950s onwards.

If you and 11 friends are ever in Milan, I highly recommend it. camparino.com

THE COCKTAIL GUY FINDS HIMSELF…

Stopping off for a dram in London’s historic Denmark Street

Denmark Street is more than a little familiar to this cocktail guy. For far more years than I care to mention it’s been a regular shortcut of mine on the way to Soho. But it held little attraction in itself. A very short and largely unremarkable street, it’s historically been mainly about music. At one time there was an abundance of music publisher offices (earning it the name Britain’s Tin Pan Alley), then later mainly guitar shops.

The last few years, though, have seen changes on the street. While the guitar shops remain, they’ve been joined by a number of new bars. The most recent being Dram.

Given its name you’d think it was something of a whisky specialist. You’d be right. But it’s way more than that. And whether you’re a whisky geek, newbie or somewhere in between (like me) you’ll feel right at home.

Set within a 17th-century Grade II-listed building, it has several spaces creatively spread over various floors; two bars, a whisky

shop, an outdoor terrace and a private pool room.

The first of these, the groundfloor bar, sets the tone nicely. On the one hand, there are cocktails on tap. The Mezcal & Coconut (Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, coconut water and fino). An amazing drink. Super refreshing with hidden depths. On the other hand, a glance around the room reveals it also as a showcase for a seductive array of whiskies, from the familiar to the wonderfully obscure. Better still, you can try any of them in a 35ml measure. (They feel this is perfect sampling size: more than a normal 25ml measure, but not quite as overwhelming as a double.) And if something takes your fancy you can buy the bottle to take away.

The bar team, too, really know their stuff. Not in a fusty, crusty, old whisky kind of way. Instead, guests were enjoying a more ‘what’s your mood, do you like sweet or smoky, have you had dinner yet?’ sort of conversation.

The downstairs cocktail bar was equally informal but with a touch more sophistication. Looking around it clearly had something of the date night about it. The lighting was a little lower. The seating a little more intimate. As for the drinks, they were equally elegant. I loved the Beetroot & Raspberry Wine (cacao butter distillate, almond and Michter’s Rye). Although a long drink, it was appealing intense.

The pool room, too, lends itself to a date night. Barely bigger than the pool table itself, it’s a fun conservatory type of space. Forget how good you are at pool (I’m rubbish), the cool thing is its cocktail vending machine. Pay for your tokens in the bar downstairs then choose from a selection of ready-to-drink cocktails at the push of a button.

The terrace has an intimate half-inside, half-outside feel. On our winter visit it was a lovely area to kick back and enjoy a warming whisky. On a summer night it’ll be equally appealing for a refreshing highball.

Denmark Street will always be my Soho shortcut. But from now on it looks like I’ll be regularly stopping off en route for a dram or two. drambar.co.uk

ALIQUID INTELLIGENCE

Cultivating creativity with Zoe Burgess

s the founder of a flavour consultancy, I often get asked to comment on cutting-edge techniques that shape cocktail making today. The funny thing is, I find this more and more difficult to do.

I develop cocktails for my clients on a daily basis. While I worked in a drinks development lab for a good portion of my career and have an understanding of sensory science, it’s turned out that the science behind making cocktails is not what I fell in love with. I love the creative power of a cocktail, its ability to connect us to a moment in time and become a part of someone’s – the guest’s, or sometimes our own – story. So for this issue’s Liquid Intelligence, I’m going to do a little dig into creativity and how to cultivate it. Why? Because revolutionary techniques are only as good as the ideas we apply them to.

It’s a process

Creativity is a process, not an end product. Rather, the end product – in our case, the cocktail – is a result of that process. It’s very easy to fixate on the end product, as this is what gets judged by our guests. In contrast, the process is often invisible and not talked about, so we undervalue it. Your process is often driven by your curiosity, passions and values. The process involves asking a question and trying to answer it. Look at your process and invest your energy into building and refining that part of your work.

Where to start

Starting a new project, especially if you have been tasked with ‘being creative’, can be the most daunting thing. Creativity is subjective; there is no right or wrong here, so how do you deliver? Where do you start? Well, the best thing to do is just to start. Keep it simple and give yourself a structure to work within. Get pen to paper and get your thoughts out. I promise no one is judging this part of your process.

It’s a mindset

Get ready, because creativity is not a job; it does not stop at the end of the shift. Creativity is a mindset; it is not confined to a physical space or moment in time – although we can feel ‘more creative’ in specific environments. Our creativity evolves with us and is shaped by our point of view. It becomes a driver for how we spend our time and what we decide to explore.

Invest time, value time

I’m fascinated by time – it has value in more ways than one. Invest in and value the time you give to cultivating your creative process. When you are faced with a project that has a tight time constraint, it will be this past investment that supports you and helps you to ‘pull it out of the bag’. For more about Zoe and her consultancy, visit atelier-pip.com

TAKE THREE INGREDIENTS

By Esther Medina-Cuesta, Bespoke Hospitality & Beverage Consultant

Gin est Belle

2 parts gin

1 part ambré vermouth

1 part classic Italian red amaro with 3-5 silver skin onions, soaked

Method: Stir gin and vermouth over ice and pour into a cocktail glass. Serve with the amaro and silver skin onions on the side. “Drink as you wish. Soak an onion in the Gin est Belle, sip the amaro then the Martini, do it the other way around, mix it all together. I change the way I drink mine depending on my mood, the weather – every combination will add a new layer of flavour.”

PASSION PLAY

From a modern icon to twisting the classics, Passoã is the super-versatile go-to ingredient to add a touch of passion to your cocktails

As one of the world’s best-known and most-loved cocktails, the Pornstar Martini is a cocktail icon. And at the heart of its creation, 20 years ago, was the tropical sweetness and subtle tanginess of Passoã passion fruit liqueur. Order the Pornstar Martini today in any great bar and you’ll still see the bartender reaching for the distinctive black Passoã bottle.

But this is just the beginning. Made with real passion fruit and no artificial flavourings, it’s the world’s number one passion fruit liqueur. And with good reason. It brings a passion fruit twist, in the form of full-bodied sweetness and a burst of zest, along with a seductive red hue, to countless cocktails, whether they’re mixed up behind the bar or in the kitchen.

In a Margarita its distinctive sweetness plays nicely with the strength of tequila. While its appealing fruitiness finds a friend in mint in a Mojito. And it brings a hint of tropical sunshine to a very English Bramble.

“I created the drink in 2006 while working at The Player and Milk & Honey in London. One day after a prep shift at The Player, I went to M&H for a drink. I started drinking Negronis, moved to Gibsons and at that point I had an idea: deconstruct and reassemble the drinks together. The bartender thought I was mad when I asked him to make me what David Embury called a Sweet Martini but with ambré vermouth, a lemon twist discarded and silver skin onions soaked in classic Italian amaro on the side. But he made it. I loved it and he was pleasantly surprised with the outcome: the interaction of pickles with amaro resulted in a bittersweet symphony that raised the Martini to a completely new level. The drink was later christened by the fantabulous Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown.”

Daiquiris, Palomas, Mimosas and Sangrias… the list is endless. It even adds a whole new dimension to your favourite beer. And if you’re looking for invigorating low-alcohol options, simply mix with tonic, soda water or lemonade.

And with summer just around the corner, let’s return to that iconic cocktail and suggest an extra-cold and refreshing Frozen Pornstar Martini. Or how about a fruity, bubbly and simple to make Passoã Spritz?

Seriously delicious but delightfully playful. What will you try with Passoã?

Passoã Spritz

2 parts Passoã

3 parts Prosecco

1 part soda water

Lime slice, garnish

Method: Simply pour Passoã, Prosecco and soda water into a glass filled with ice. Stir gently to combine ingredients. Garnish with a slice of lime.

For more Passoã inspiration visit passoa.com or see Instagram @passoa

MAINS & MARTINIS

Three female-owned restaurants born from passion

Chishuru

3 GREAT TITCHFIELD STREET, LONDON W1W 8AX. chishuru.com (££)

The vibe: Snug, warm and lively, exactly what we hoped for from Adejoké Bakare’s much praised modern west African restaurant. It’s homey in the best possible way, with pops of African artistry and vibrancy coming from the light fittings and some of the textiles and ceramics bursting through the otherwise neutral, very pared-back space. Chishuru started life as a supper club, before gaining recognition as a pop-up, then branching out to a permanent outpost in Brixton. The move to Fitzrovia has brought with it increased footfall, lots of love and, wait for it, a Michelin star.

The food: ‘If you have no tolerance for spice at all, we recommend choosing a different restaurant, sorry.’ How’s that for a warning? It’s there on the menu and sets the scene for Bakare’s generously seasoned west African food. This is food from the heart, for the soul, with tastebud-tinglingly amazing dishes like Ukwa (grilled breadfruit, breadfruit seeds, kohlrabi, spinach and green chilli sauce) and Asaro (smoked eel, sweet potato cream, yams, pepper relish and purple sprouting broccoli). Thankfully,

only set menus are on offer – one at lunch, one at dinner – so no need to be bothering yourself with making choices. Just sit back, trust the process and focus on enjoying the accomplished flavours.

The drinks: Spiced Okra Martini anyone? You’re only allowed two here. With good reason. They’re punchy. Ògógóró (a west African palm spirit), vodka, brine and green chilli perk up the palate and dance on the tongue, much like everything on offer here.

Adejoké Bakare offers a taste of her native west African home in the centre of London

The very best home cooking and the ultimate homely atmosphere are always guaranteed at Asma Khan's award-winning Darjeeling Express

The vibe: If basking in the glow of warming ambers and terracotta with restful plantings dotted around the room doesn’t get you feeling all relaxed and mellow, the welcome from owner Asma Khan certainly will. She’s the matriarch, the ultimate host and she makes it her business to ensure that her guests are fed, watered and having the best time.

The food: This is real homecooked food, made with love by an all-female team of housewives. It’s food packed with flavour and made to be shared. There’s an à la carte

Apricity

68 DUKE STREET, LONDON W1K 6JU. apricityrestaurant.com £££

The vibe: Yes, this is Mayfair, but Chantelle Nicholson’s restaurant has none of the usual bling associated with the area. In fact, we’d go as far as saying it wouldn’t look out of place on the trendier side of town, like Shoreditch or even Peckham. They’ve gone for what the designers call a ‘restorative design framework’, which means everything has been either recycled or sourced sustainably and is designed so it can be taken apart, reused, donated or recycled. And the result is stunning: not only do the exposed walls, lime plaster and recycled floors make for the perfect backdrop to enjoy the food, the thoughtful fit-out resulted in 40% less emissions than other restaurants of its ilk.

The food: As you might expect, the same thoughtful approach goes into the food, not vegetarian but veggieforward. ‘Hyper-seasonal’, ‘sustainable’, ‘zero-waste’, ‘foraged’, ‘small-scale producers’ prefix all of the ingredients here and the dishes taste all the better for it. It’s hard to single out hero dishes in such a tight space but one has to be the London red butterhead salad with Kultured miso aioli and crispy peas starter – a revelation, particularly as meat-eaters; another standout, the Cheswell Grange short-rib main with maitake mushrooms and Old Mead arrow leaf spinach for two to share – just heaven.

The drinks: We love the fact that as much care and attention has gone into the cocktail list. We didn’t try it but they offer a Sproutini (sprout-infused gin and London Dry Vermouth) if you’re that way inclined. We loved the Peach & Fig Leaf Paloma (Vida Mezcal, peach and fig leaf, with celery bitters).

lunch with Asma’s childhood favourites, such as a Chilli Cheese Toastie starter (cheese, green chilli chutney, chopped onion and chilli) and Kosha Mangsho main (Bengali-style slow-cooked goat curry in a thick, clingy gravy). In the evening it’s a set Royal Thali, served on a copper platter and groaning with your choice of first and second katori (bowls), along with an array of sides and accompaniments including Aloo Mattar Sabzi (spiced potatoes and peas), puffed Indian bread, tamarind dal, beetroot raita, poppadom, chutneys, pickles and rice,

plus three absolutely banging desserts – yours for a bargain £65.

The drinks: The drinks list is created by wine, spirits and saké expert Ruchira Neotia. There’s the Three Carriages, a trio of gin-based cocktails (Phool Baagan, Lychee Surprise and Makaibari – a mix of sour, bubbly and short) that conjure up the taste of Asma and Ruchira’s native Calcutta. We liked the Darjeeling Old Fashioned (Paul John Nirvana Whisky, homemade cardamom bitters with Lucky Sod Liqueur and saffron-infused syrup).

Chantelle Nicholson, pictured, is all about beauty in nature, as witnessed in the décor, food and drinks at her much-lauded Apricity

BIG UP BIRMINGHAM

Watch out London, Birmingham's bars are vying for the cocktail capital crown. We head along to the Midlands to find out what all the fuss is about

The trouble with Londoners, okay us, is that we live in London. Which is code for saying we suffer from capital city syndrome, as in we rarely stray too far from our lane. We do travel but when we do, it tends to be to other parts of the world rather than exploring our own. Shame on us as it means that we miss out on some of the many gems positively thriving elsewhere in the UK.

Like Birmingham. We have been before but at the time, there was only one real cocktail destination, and that was the hotel that launched several careers, The Edgbaston. Five years on and the landscape has changed completely. Meet three independent bars run by partners, personally and professionally, who are getting visitors to make the two-hour journey from London.

THE ONE THAT’S GOT EVERYONE TALKING

Passing Fancies

30 GIBB STREET, THE CUSTARD FACTORY, B9 4BF

Within the first year of opening, Passing Fancies was named Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia and picked up the gong for Best New Bar, both at the 2023 Class Bar Awards. This would have been enough to make the team feel proud of all their hard work… but then Fancies, as they lovingly call it, went on to be shortlisted for Best New International Cocktail Bar in Europe at Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. And no sooner had that sunk in than one of its coowners, Matt Arnold, beat off hundreds of talented ’tenders and was crowned World Class GB Bartender of the Year. Now that, folks, is what you call quite the draw.

We’ll come clean: having judged Matt in the World Class GB competition, then being fortunate to witness him dazzle a stellar line-up of international judges and guests in São Paulo at the World Class Global Final, we’ve fallen hook, line and sinker for everything he does and represents. For us, he’s the real deal: a genius with flavour, a whizz at taking a brief and not only ticking the boxes but making completely different shapes with them, plus he’s an excellent storyteller. Add all of these things together, combined with the fact that he does it all in a calm, very understated, extremely personable way, and you’ll understand why we’ve become his biggest cheerleaders. If only we’d been half as savvy as Matt when we were in our early 20s, we would probably have taken over the world. Mind you, he came close, coming in at second place in the global competition.

The on-stage Matt isn’t so different to the Matt in his happy place, in his bar, the venue he opened with fiancé Eve Green and Tommy Matthews a little shy of two years ago. Obviously, there’s less of the sell that’s a given with cocktail comps but the engagement, the interaction and professionalism is still there. They’ve got the Carhartt aprons, they’ve got the Crocs, they’ve got the chat and, as befits the kitchen-at-a-house-party vibe they’re after, they’ve got an effortless way that makes you feel instantly at home.

Located in the former Bird’s Custard Factory in Digbeth, now one of the trendy spots in Birmingham, Fancies has an industrial feel that could be cold and unwelcoming in less capable hands – “this space used to be the car park,” Matt tells

us, pointing at the pillars and concrete floors that prove it. Under the team’s direction there’s a communal table/bar top that takes centre stage, with separate tables and chairs dotted around for those who don’t want to be part of the action.

“Fresh flavours forward is always our mindset but we try to push the drinks in a direction that could be a bit bonkers but still tasty and accessible for everyone,” he continues. Take the Adult Ribena (blueberry, cognac, kumquat and honey) for instance. On the one hand, it’s playful

– real, relatable; on the other it’s what the kids might call a ‘banger’ – it’s cool, clever and most of all, delicious. Not too sweet, not too sour, just right. Then there’s the Short & Stout (caramel stout, scotch and walnut), and Granny’s Apples (fatty apple, gin and blanc de blanc), all of which we tasted and, with our judges hats on, scored 10 out of 10.

One side of the menu is always dictated by what’s available in the market down the road. “Some weeks it’s really easy when you might have berries and juicy fruit on offer, other weeks it might be a cauliflower and carrot but that’s where it gets really interesting,” Matt tells us. The other side is what he refers to as their Spotify playlist, “very much what you expect PF to get across”.

And to prove that they are a community bar rather than a completely boujie one, they do a weekend Bottomless Brunch too. “Exhausting but heaps of fun!” passingfanciesbar.co.uk

Couch

1466 PERSHORE ROAD, B30 2NT

“You say Stirchley and no one ever has a clue where it is,” laughs Katie Rouse. Which makes it all the more surprising why Couch, the 24-seater bar that she co-owns with partner Jacob Clarke, has become such a big deal.

It helps that the two of them, together with fellow team members, including Courtney Francis, are regulars on the cocktail competition circuit. It also helps that they’re renowned for their use of local ingredients and the sustainable ethos they bring to their drinks.

Why Stirchley? “When it came to opening our own place, we knew we wanted to do a neighbourhood bar. We looked around our four favourite suburbs in the south of Birmingham but I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do something here. It’s where I grew up and my parents live up the road,” says Katie. “Where better to open than a completely independent suburb?”

The bar opened in 2019, “just a few months before Covid,” Jacob informs, rolling his eyes in a can-you-bloodybelieve-it way, but despite the dodgy timing, it’s had quite the success. Since surprising themselves by appearing at number 37 on the Top 50 Cocktail Bars

list in 2022, the bijou bar in the back of, well, not exactly beyond but definitely not in the beating heart of the action, has jumped up 33 places thank you very much and is now sitting at number 4, just behind their friends at Fancies. And a nice little bonus, they were also awarded Bar Team of the Year at this year’s awards.

So, why the big deal? If we have to pick one thing, it would be authenticity.

The room isn’t trying to be anything other than inviting. Charming even. Soothing green tones make for an instantly relaxing environment that anyone of any age would feel at ease in. There’s a cute paved garden out back for another 20 or so – all in all, the perfect neighbourhood spot to drop in for one, or spend the entire night in.

The drinks are minimal in style and absolutely spot-on, with the menu running from Highballs, such as their take on a Bamboo (fortified wine blend, banana and carbonic coconut), through to the On the Rocks section taking in the Mirror Mai Tai (Nusa Caña Rum, hazelnut and citrus leaves). We went for a Vesper Martini (Bombay Premier Cru Gin, buttered vodka, marigold vermouth) from the Straight Up section and White Grape Gimlet, layering three grape sources: pisco, dry port and verjus, from the Couch Classics, both delicious. couchbar.co.uk

Clean drinks and the pared back setting make Couch the perfect neighbourhood bar

Lucky7

53 FREDERICK STREET, B1 3HS

We’re sure he won’t mind us saying this, Rob Wood has been on the circuit for ages. In fact, we’ll go as far as saying that he’s a Brummie OG (never mind the fact that he’s originally from Manchester). Having worked at two of the city’s most notable hotels, of the cocktail kind anyway, The Kenilworth and The Edgbaston, he and partner Kyndra Vorster have paved the way for independent thinking and drinking in this part of the world with their former bars 40 St Paul’s, Smultronställe, 18/81 and more recently Atelier.

We hope Lucky7 is just that, the seventh venue that gets them even more accolades – particularly from outside of Birmingham. You’ll find it in the Jewellery Quarter, one of Birmingham’s most iconic neighbourhoods. Walk down

HONORABLE MENTION

When on the Birmingham bars circuit…

Check out Fox & Chance, your last stop before heading back on the train home. We didn’t manage it but have it on good authority that this one is well worth a visit.

foxandchance.co.uk

Frederick Street and keep your eyes peeled for Txikiteo restaurant – follow the Lucky7 signs up the stairs and you’re in.

Like Couch, it’s on the dinky side –just 16 seats in the dimly lit but intimate box-shaped room. The duo’s love of Asian culture is evident. It’s there in the signage, neon lights, manga comic strips, artwork and most of all, on the cocktail menu. And Rob and Kyndra’s years of experience and the confidence that comes with it, shows.

The drinks are a delight, celebrating esoteric ingredients from across east Asia but showcased in a familiar way. Like Yukinoshita (fermented red chilli, yuzu and shia koji), Jin Sakai (sansho, yakiniku and white sesame) and Kuro (okinawan black sugar, aged soy and mizunara oak). We plumped for Toast (pandan, coconut, buttered toast and kopi coffee) and Kimchi Party (Korean red pepper, koji mandarin and white rice) –exceptionally good, surprising and delighting in equal parts.

We also checked out the Konbini chicken – fried chicken offered three ways, including High Roller Chicken, chicken thighs served with black truffle hot sauce and 15g tin of Oscietra caviar, ‘for ballers only!’ lucky7bhx.com

THE ONE WITH THE ASIAN FLAVOURS

This page, clockwise from top left: Lucky Gibson, Rob and Kyndra; 'Toast'; Konbini chicken

LEADING LADY

Thanks to Paola Mencarelli, the bar scene in Italy is enjoying a renaissance

In a country where female bartenders are still referred to as ‘bar ladies’, not just by men we might add, but by each other, Paola Mencarelli has done wonders in raising the profile of bars and bartenders in her native Italy.

Since starting Florence Cocktail Week with one event in 2016, she’s grown her repertoire and international reputation by showcasing the cocktail creations in an array of hotels, historic caffes and bars in Venice, Tuscany and Cortina, with the Amalfi Coast soon to follow, all while showing off the history and culture in each fabulous location.

florencecocktailweek.it

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