Story by Cara Devine. Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks writer. She is the manager of Bomba in Melbourne and the face and talent behind the cocktailing youtube channel Behind the Bar. You can email her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com
Love can make us all do crazy things, but decamping from Florida, US to a small island off the south coast of Australia is a big move. That’s exactly why we’re lucky enough to have Rachel Mynczywor bartending amongst us now though. “I moved to Tasmania directly from the states because my partner, TJ, is from here. We met in America and had to do a stint of long-distance which absolutely sucked, so I came here on a working holiday to see if it was a good fit for me! Clearly it’s worked out (we’re engaged now) and I’m just in love with my job and the Hobart hospo community.”
Mynczywor is a force of positive energy who has quickly become known in both the Hobart hospitality scene and more broadly in Australia. Being served by her is always a pleasure – she has certainly retained the warm Southern hospitality honed working first as a hostess and busser, then waiting tables in Florida. It has been in Tasmania, though, that she has turned her attention to the bar.
“After working for a few months at Lark Distillery’s cellar door, I fell in love with gin and started thinking about moving into the bar scene. I got the chance to really start bartending at the end of 2020 when I worked at The Story Bar at Macq01 Hotel and within a few months got the chance to become a team leader there. I later moved into a supervisor role when opening Mary Mary at the Tasman Hotel, and then bar manager at Rude Boy. I’ve found my new home at Society Salamanca a few months ago as their venue manager – so it’s really been a whirlwind!”
Being served by [Rachel] is always a pleasure – she has certainly retained the warm Southern hospitality honed working first as a hostess and busser, then waiting tables in Florida. It has been in Tasmania, though, that she has turned her attention to the bar.
An active participant in cocktail competitions and cheerleader of her peers, Mynczywor credits the Hobart scene with cultivating and inspiring her. “Everyone is so supportive of each other, and because it’s so small you feel like you know everyone and are really part of the action instead of just an onlooker. As people grow and move on from in-venue roles and become brand ambassadors or distillers, they’re supported by everyone in the industry and it creates a really uplifting environment.”
Her biggest influence, though, has been Mateo Ortiz, who first took a chance on her and hired her for the bar. “He was my first mentor and pushed me to become the best version of myself, both professionally and personally. Mateo’s drinks focus a lot on sustainability, foraged ingredients, and local products – all of which are things I try to add into my regular bartending style as well. He loves to tell a good story, and shifted my focus from just making good drinks to conveying a story or a theme with them, while also making something delicious. I quite literally wouldn’t be where I am today in bartending without him, and I’m very grateful that I’m able to learn from him still, even though we don’t work together anymore.”
Mentorship is something which has always been important to her – the environment at Rude Boy allowed her to learn and grow as a manager, and in her new role at Society (which is female-owned and now female-run) the owners are hands-on, working with the team a few times a week to drive everything forward. Mynczywor returns the favour, spending days off trying new drinks her friend Anna is creating at Rude Boy. “They’ve recently started bartending and won the first competition they’ve ever competed in (I’m so proud, I cried a lot) and have such a good palate for flavours and balance. They’re working on some new things for a huge upcoming menu, and it’s been really exciting to be their taste-tester!”
It’s perhaps unsurprising then that her five-year plan contains getting a bartender training programme up and running in Hobart (as well as a wedding and working towards eventual venue ownership!).
“I’ve been wanting to use my time out-of-venue to take new bartenders on distillery tours and encourage them to try new ingredients and methods. There’s so many incredible bartenders in Hobart who have been doing this for so long, and have such a wealth of knowledge, but newer bartenders like myself get overwhelmed and don’t know where to start or who to go to. I’ve been working on a program where we can hear from these bartenders and strengthen the Hobart hospo community, and I hope that in 5 years time that’s well and truly underway.” If anyone has the enthusiasm to make this happen, it’s Rachel Mynczywor.