“Having spent more than four decades working, collaborating, travelling, drinking, learning, having fun, getting into trouble, fighting, losing friends, gaining new ones and most of all sharing the Agave Love around the world with this amazing human, I am heartbroken.” – Phil Bayly
We’re working hard with suppliers to reduce the financial pressure on bartenders by having complimentary and lower priced events, to make it easier for people to make it to town this year.
So, it’s nice to be able to report that the highly anticipated basement bar, Apollonia, is now open with Alissa Gabriel (of Mjolner and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fame) in charge of the drinks and Alex Thorn in the role of Head Bartender.
“I’m humbled to join the ranks of industry legends who even held the position in the past; Mike Enright, Paul Mant and of course Sam Egerton. As Group Bars Manager, I’ll continue to deliver Merivale’s leading standards across our 80+ venues.” – Ollie Stuart
From South West Rocks to rock ‘n’ roll dive bar; we meet this man who would have a drink with The Rock over anyone else, living or dead.
‘If you roll into a country pub or classic dive bar and order a Vieux Carre, they’re not a bad venue because it doesn’t come out on block ice with a perfectly manicured twist – they’re just a venue that doesn’t excel in that sort of experience.’
Here is our second Bartender of the Year quiz for 2021. It’s just a sample of Round 1 in the comp to determine who will be crowned Australian Bartender of the Year. So find out your score now!
The Wild Rover in Sydney’s Surry Hills is known for being a belter of a whiskey bar but they don’t just mix up whiskey drinks. Here Luke De Bono shows us one of the house specialties, the Dancing with Rosie, a thirst quenching hi-ball featuring tequila and Aperol.
“I’m organising a night where many bars and restaurants across Sydney are donating their tips to provide clean drinking water to rural Uganda with my charity 663toZERO. I would love to encourage the general public to tip big on Friday April the 16th.” – Mitch Horrocks
RE – the regenerative bar by Matt Whiley & Maurice Terzini opens today and boasts a stellar bar team
Joining Whiley behind the bar are some of the city’s best bartenders, including Evan Stroeve (Bulletin Place), Jake Downe (This Must Be The Place; Scout London) and Ho Song (Cantina OK; PS40). Apart from the exceptional level of service they will bring, the crew have creative license to work on the “Re- search” drinks…
This role involves leading the consultancy department across a number of projects for Sweet&Chilli, collaborating across a number of departments; Atypical (Hotel and property consultancy), Diageo Bar Academy, Diageo Brand Ambassadors, Cocktail Porter and S&C Studio.
“People are what make a bar great. It’s always the people. Whether it’s the staff looking after you, or the people you are with, it’s always them that make an experience amazing, or on the flipside, shithouse.”