Alex Kratena knows a thing or two about creativity — check out his thoughts on creativity, bartending, and the keys to his success.
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“I was going through a phase of trying to prepare ingredients for the bar that are better than anything available commercially. I attempted vermouth, it was ok, but not as good as commercially available products, Vernon [Chalker] suggested I should meet his French winemaker friend Gilles Lapalus, which I did.” Shaun Byrne tells of the genesis of his brand, Maidenii vermouth.
Frenchman Nico de Soto owns two bars, one of which, New York bar Mace, landed at number 28 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list last year; we caught up with him on his visit to Australia, the place where he first began behind the bar.
Myriam Hendrickx is the Master Distiller at Rutte and a true expert in her industry — here, she talks about what drives her, and how she blends a true love for the past with a nose for the future.
Following on from a successful pop-up with Nico de Soto of New York bar, Mace, the team at PS40 is getting set for another collab, this time with Luke Whearty, the bartender-owner of Singapore bar, Operation Dagger.
Sydney-based bartender Kurtis Bosley is the group bar operations manager for the Public House Management group, with a considerable Instagram — his account, @cocktailsbykurtis has a following of some 39,000 people.
What does it take to keep Black Pearl at the top of its game? Well, Nathan Beasley gives us an insight into what is a typical Thursday in Black Pearl living.
Campari Australia is excited about introducing their new line of small batch 1757 Cinzano vermouths. Brand Ambassador Daniele Pirotta has a chat with Sergio Cocito, head of the Vermouth and Sparkling Wine division for the Cinzano Brand over in the Novi Ligure Plant (Piemonte, Italy) to find out a bit more about this amazing liquid and who’s behind its creation.
Jörg Meyer, multiple award-winning bar owner of Le Lion – Bar de Paris in Hamburg and inventor of the “Gin Basil Smash,” uses Rutte Dry Gin and Rutte Celery Gin for his very popular international drink. The interplay of sweetness and acidity in the Basil Smash is refined by a piquant note of basil and crowned with the corresponding Rutte Gin.
Varnish on King bar manager, Jamie Passmore, talks about the challenges of moving a sizeable US whiskey selection, and why their mise en place is key to a cracking shift.
Gin is everywhere at the moment. In Australia alone, there’s upwards of 80 craft gins that are being made locally and appearing on back bars across the country.
Designer Gemma Warriner has been behind some of Sydney’s best looking venues — here, get an insight into how she works, and what makes great bar design.