Story by Kurtis Bosley @cocktailsbykurtis
This article features in our November issue which is landing now. Since going to press, Eros Pedone has moved on from Maybe Sammy.
The most amazing creative minds have a way to materialise thoughts in the way Barman Scarselli stirred his first negroni. As a bartender and business owner, the desire to get inside the minds of those who seem to step outside the norm and stand out from the seemingly basic crowd has long been of interest to me.
Noticeably, the most influential in our industry, all share a common trait, with a natural ability to ask the right questions.
In no way am I saying that skill, outlandish working ability and hours spent behind the stick, online or head in books hasn’t assisted them. What I do believe is that if you ask enough of the right questions, you’ll find the paths that lead to these amazing places.
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As a bartender, you learn how to research technique, ingredients and methods from old and new books, but if they are removed from the ability to ask the right question to allow their minds to step outside of the norm, they wont be able to progress further than what others already know.
For those who have recently been following Neighbourhood Foraging online, the idea was simple, combine knowledge and techniques with forgotten wild ingredients native to NZ. With an ethos to educate bartenders and enthusiasts about native ingredients, they’re asking the question of how to further a bartender’s breadth of ingredient knowledge and to drive a new drink creation technique with a SSD approach (seasonal, sustainable and distinctive).
Likewise, the team at Maybe Sammy is a great representation of how a bunch of incredibly talented and creative minds have come together to become one of the best bars in the world. Speaking with Eros Pedone (who has since left the venue), again he mimics this notion that often creative thought comes from outside of the bar, allowing originality to shine.
As Eros has said, to ‘live a continuous brainstorming life’ will allow us the opportunity to continually find ways to do things differently.
It’s important to not only continue to ask yourself these questions, but to stop, slow down and let your brain have time to navigate its way to an answer. (Have you ever woken up in your sleep with answers to a thought from days gone by?)
Throughout the COVID lockdown world, the increased creativity, thought provoking work, and general amazing ideas and business driven work done by so many has been so noticeable. I’m hoping that on the other side of this crazy pandemic time, we continue to see the value in slowing down, letting ourselves give thoughts more time to flourish and hopefully give ourselves more time to free our creative selves into the world.
Ask more questions. Slow down and let yourself think. It’s ok not to always be so frantic over work tasks.