The Most Influential List is a celebrated biennial industry initiative launched by Australian Bartender magazine in 2009 that aims to showcase the home-grown talent that makes the Australian bar scene what it is today – a thriving and developing culture, full of creative and passionate people that work hard for you.
This year’s Top 10 was whittled down from an original Top 50 that was announced in March, and the mix of bartenders, designers and bar operators that made it into the final count has left us assured that our beloved bar industry is in extremely safe hands.
Fraser Short
Keystone Hospitality (Sydney)
ADVERTISEMENTWhat are your five secrets of success?
- Persistence
- Look for solutions
- Praise the team and the individual
- Persistence
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“The real highlight has to been opening some fantastic places for people to enjoy and having fun energetic people involved in the businesses.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“Inspiration for life? Probably from my beautiful wife and kids. Inspiration on bars and the like is very much an individual thing to quote a great line, “that’s more about the vibe!” Ha Ha.
Mentors ?….I’m not sure I have individual mentors that come to mind, however there are a number of people that inspire me to not be anything like them!”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“By having some uniting factors continuing to work diligently together on solutions with councils, police and the state governments. Our industry has a legitimate place in our society.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“I definitely have plans. However at this stage they are rather fluid! So it’s probably a ‘watch this space’ sort of statement.”
Vernon Chalker
Collins Quarter, Gin Palace, Madame Brussels, Order of Melbourne (Melbourne)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Learning to build a great team
- Understanding the complexities of administration
- Love your product, and create venues that you want to go to yourself
- Delegate responsibility to your most eager and talented employees
- Know what you are talking about so people take you seriously
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Celebrating 10 years of Gin Palace and celebrating winning Bartender Magazine Most Influential List (2009) with such a great team.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“My inspiration comes from a passion to create great hospitality environments that suit the location and my taste that has evolved by my love of decadence. My mentor is my Aunt Jenny who has inspired and encouraged me all the way.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“More good training services for operators and a continued pursuit of professionalism.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“A new Café/Bar called Bar Ampère – it will focus on aperitifs and speedy simple food.”
Sven Almenning
Director of Behind Bars and Eau De Vie (Sydney)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Focus on delivering a great product.
- Exceed rather than meet expectations!
- Work with and hire the best.
- Never burn any bridges.
- Don’t overextend yourself or your business.
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Being honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2009 Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards was a definite highlight, as was opening Eau-de-Vie last year and seeing it win a number of awards in its first year including Best New Bar at the 2010 Bar Awards.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“I definitely have people whom I draw inspiration from and who help me out from a business perspective. I work very closely with my wife and sound her out on any ideas or concepts. I try to be open to input and ideas from everyone. I find a lot of inspiration in old books, the history and characters of our industry and of course the wonderful world of the internet allows us to stay on top of global trends. As we’d like to innovate and create new trends as well, rather than just adopting. We have to look for new ideas rather than re-hashing other peoples.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“I believe we need more formal skills recognition and accreditation for supervisors and managers. Learning on the job does, unfortunately, not give us all the skills needed to propel the industry to new heights.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“We’re opening a Behind Bars Bartender Academy very soon! – And there might also be another Eau-de-Vie on the cards – we are looking frantically for sites at the moment.”
Michael Delany Korabelnikova
Creative Director at The Prince, Designer Norfolk, Duke and Flinders (Sydney/ Melbourne)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Understand your market and match your product accordingly
- Teach and nurture staff
- Operate legally
- Never rest on your laurels
- Dress appropriately and be amusing
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Meeting my gorgeous wife Yulia in the toilets at my old club, Honkytonks.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“I draw inspiration from the world outside hospitality mainly. I have a million mentors but Vernon Chalker, Maurice Terzini and Camillo Ippoliti would be up there.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“It needs to become less regulated, more social, more fun.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… No.”
Mike Enright
Merivale Group Bars Manager (Sydney)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Be passionate about your profession
- Dedication
- Forever learning, evolving and gaining knowledge
- Integrity
- Strive for perfection
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Where do I start? Possibly the best two are: my first introduction into cocktail bartending and those colleagues I met at Planet Hollywood in London, and secondly the opening night of the Pool Club at ivy in Sydney – magic!”Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“Inspiration can come in many forms; it comes from travel, art, history, tradition and people. I have so many mentors from drinks writers, successful businessman to creative geniuses.”How can our industry continue to improve?
“The hospitality industry has become a recognised profession so hopefully it will retain its recognition from the consumer, which will help the industry grow and drive people to choose hospitality as a career.”Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“The Excelsior (Surry Hills) is going to be an exciting project and World Cocktail Week has been a great initiative to work on at Merivale.”
James Wirth
Norfolk/Duke/Flinders (Sydney)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Trust your instinct
- Pay attention to the smallest details
- Appreciate your staff
- Stupid ideas can be your smartest
- Be serious about not taking it too seriously
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Opening any of the venues I’ve been apart of – I think as all of them as my children.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“Anywhere and everywhere. Travel, the ‘inter-web’, old cookbooks, browncardigan.com, my mums cooking, eating junk food…anything really. Michael Delaney (number 5) is totes my main mentor. I like to think he is the ying to my yang. No one is more ridiculous than him. The kitchen team at Duke (Limbo and Mitch) have also had a big influence on how I look at food – I steal their ideas all the time.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“Later opening hours and bigger trophies at the bartender awards wouldn’t hurt.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“We have a new pub, The Carrington (Surry Hills), re-opening later this year and another one coming not too long after that – it’s going to be a busy year hopefully.”
Sebastian Reaburn
666 Vodka Ambassador and Cocktail Book Author (Melbourne)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Love your work.
- Never work with someone you don’t respect.
- Always use good booze.
- Surround yourself with passionate people.
- Don’t take anything too seriously.
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Winning the Australian Bartender of the Year in 2008 and also taking out Best Cocktail List in the World at Tales of the Cocktail in 2008.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“Throughout my whole career I’ve been lucky to have worked with some really excellent mentors like Dick Bradsell and Wayne Collins as well as modern impresarios like Francesco Lafranconi and Hidetsugu Ueno. Jacob Briars stands tall as a friend, mentor and best co-presenter around.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“Better service, open minds, and not too many big players.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“A few ideas, but like most bartenders, we hate the give away anything until it’s ready -then we tell everyone.”
Anton Forte
Co-owner Shady Pines Saloon (Sydney)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Sobriety is bad for business
- Respect the mint
- There’s always more space
- No crumb in the ‘no crumb zone’
- Take credit for the work of others.
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Ringing the cowbell for the first time!”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“The Bezler, DJ Rhinestone, Pizano, The Slug, Walrus, The Wolf, Fingers, Muffin, Lucas.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“By having a little more fun.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“We’re about to purchase a megaphone!”
Jason Williams
Keystone Hospitality Group Cocktail Manager (Sydney)
What are your five secrets of success?
- Hospitality
- Hard work
- Passion
- Humility
- Having a laugh
What has been the highlight in your hospitality career so far?
“Winning the Bartender Magazine Bartender of the Year competition in 2010.”
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you have any mentors?
“Like a lot of bartenders, I take some inspiration from classic cocktails, old books and more and more from other bars around the world. I am often inspired by cheekiness, a general sense of fun – serving drinks in shoes for example.
Some of the people I look up to and am inspired by are the guys at Black Pearl, Adi Ruiz, Sven and Amber Almenning, Jacob Briars and Joe Mammone.”
How can our industry continue to improve?
“By focusing on the experience guests have in venues, not just the transaction.”
Any new plans on the drawing board that you can discuss?
“Exploring the idea of Man v Bar. A bartenders survival guide to, well, bartending.”
