Jägermeister recruited six of Sydney’s finest to create a drink that best compliments this German favourite. Here are the results.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your bartending background.
So my name’s Ryan Snedden and I’m currently working down at PS40 in Sydney. Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, I got into hospitality at a pretty young age. My old man’s a head chef, so hospitality’s always been in the family; even if it is the angry chef side of the industry! I started off waiting tables in his cafe then eventually moved into being a host at Hard Rock Cafe and just like a lot of people in the industry, the bar were short staffed so they threw me behind and just said ‘make some drinks and chat to people’. I instantly fell in love with the bar. From there I moved onto a bar called 99 Hannover Street, then onto Tonic in Edinburgh. This is where I really got into making cocktails and trying to have as much fun as humanly possible. After a year or so there, I decided to jump ship and move to Australia where I spent 18 months down at The Lobo Plantation before moving onto PS40.
What do you most love about the industry?
The thing I love most about the industry is the acceptance from fellow hospitality members. It’s not in many industries that a Scottish ranga, with a love to dance, drink beers and makes an idiot of himself is accepted and often encouraged! The bar team you work with become your family, you spend more time in the bar than in your own home. To find people that you’re happy to do that with is hard, but within hospitality it just seems to happen, no matter where you are in the world. I mean, c’mon, I managed to move 10,477 miles from home not knowing anyone, and simply due to the industry, managed to walk straight into a home and job within two weeks: that’s pretty dope!
Can you give us one piece of advice to new bartenders?
Be yourself, experience helps but it’s not crucial. I was taught that when looking for staff find someone you’d go for a beer with after work, that’s going to be the key to getting through 12 hour days 5 days a week. Make sure you have fun and have interests outside of the job, it’s very easy to make the job your life and lose creativity and love for your craft because you’re working too much. Oh, and also, dance. Dance heaps! if your bar allows it, ask the people in the venue what they’re favourite songs are, trust me, this makes for the best sing alongs and incredible memories, and they customers will come back, it’s like having a personal DJ who makes you drinks.
What was your first experience of Jägermeister?
My first experience of Jäger was at Download music festival in the UK! They had a big truck slinging out ice cold Jäger’ for thousnds of rock and roll metal heads, unfortunately at the time I couldn’t drink alcohol, but I did wanna have as much fun as everyone seemed to be having so as soon as I could have a drink. I certainly gave it a red hot go.
Why did you choose this style of drink to match with Jägermeister?
I choose the style of drink I did as I wanted to showcase the mouthfeel that Jäger can produce. Adding whites to accompany that, combined with vinegar as my citric components, a beer and pretzel syrup as my sweetener and it all just seemed to fit and work harmoniously. Plus, coriander, who doesn’t like coriander eh?
Any mad stories involving Jägermeister?
I have many a fond memory of Jäger, a lot of which are at music festivals and music gigs, most of them I probably shouldn’t talk about here so maybe pop by PS40 and I’ll share them with you. Clothing optional.
Winters Solace
35ml Jägermeister
10ml Jack Daniel’s Rye Single Barrel
15ml Green Mango & Coriander Shrub
15ml Beer & Pretzel Syrup
5ml Coconut White Balsamic Vinegar
Whites
Method:
Dry shake/wet shake
Strain into chilled coupette
Garnish with Pretzel dusting and coriander.