Dear drinkers, Ramblin’ Rascal has taken over Australian Bartender this month; we’ve tried not to burn the whole thing down.
People
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Last month saw Asia’s number one bar, Singapore’s Manhattan, popping up for a two night only guest shift at Sydney bar Grain at the Four Seasons. Manhattan was awarded the title of Best Bar in Asia at the World’s 50 Best Bars last year, so we caught up with bar manager Philip Bischoff while he was in Sydney to get an idea of how he got to where he his today, and to find out what it is that makes Manhattan so special.
Opening a distillery seems like a great idea, a romantic one (for a certain type of person); opening a ‘moonshinery’ has even more illicit appeal if you ask us. That’s exactly what Melbourne Moonshine mates Ben Bowles and Andrew Fitzgerald did when they opened their urban distillery in South Melbourne in 2015.
We got in touch with Merlino last month to check in and see how things were going, and wanted to find out more about what he has been doing to address one of the big issues for the industry this year, namely, the wellnesss — both mentally and physically — of the people who work in this industry.
Steve McDermott is a bartender who has been around the traps, it’s fair to say. He’s also pretty good at spinning a yarn or two, having worked some of London’s more exclusive venues.
Restaurant Hubert’s Olivia Rockwell shares her service philosophy, shines some light on what it is that makes a good service hum, and points out that, if she’s doing her job right, you won’t even notice that she’s there.
The question that many Tales veterans have been asking is: is it all over? It would appear not. Last month it was confirmed that Gary Solomon Jr., a New Orleans businessman who has produced events for Tales of the Cocktail in the past, is taking over the event and making it a fully non-profit concern.
Cape Byron Distillery is owned by the Brook family, and world renowned master distiller, Jim McEwan, whom you may know from any number of award-winning whiskies and from the creation of The Botanist Gin. The distillery is set on the Brook family farm in the hinterland of Byron Bay, and they’re making gin with a sense of place.
Manhattan landed at number one on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list last year, and next week, as part of their Friends of Manhattan Series, bar manager Philip Bischoff and head bartender Cedric Mendoza will be behind the stick at Grain.
How did that #FebFast work out for you? Regardless of whether you lasted the distance or not, this month saw some new venues on the way as we got a sneak peek at Walter’s in Brisbane and The Doss House in Sydney; we got great advice on opening a bar from Sven Almenning, and we checked in with Mjolner’s Alissa Gabriel and more.
we spoke to Olivier Monin, whose grandfather is pictured on the MONIN label, and who joined the company at a tough time in its history in 1986. Below, he talks about how he turned the family business around, how MONIN embraced bartenders before it became popular to do so, and who developed a premium, quality-driven focus on natural ingredients when others were using cheaper, artificial ingredients.
Everyone can be a part of the fun and festivities of World Bartender Day by supporting their local finalist during the week of 19th Feb – 25th Feb.
Each finalist’s venue will be serving their signature creation that allowed them to make it through to their respective State Finals of The Perfect Blend Cocktail Competition.