In this episode of Drinks at Work, Sam Bygrave interviews Sebastian Soto, co-owner of Double Deuce Lounge. They discuss the bar's concept, its five-year anniversary, and the challenges of owning a bar. They also talk about the importance of staff retention and creating a positive work culture. The conversation touches on the bar's approach to drinks, including precise temperature control and technique-heavy methods, with insights into the journey of owning and operating a successful cocktail bar.

This episode we're talking to Jake Down, the newly crowned winner of the Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Australia for 2024.

This episode is a recording of a live interview with four top bar operators I held back in June at the Better Bars Summit during Bartenders’ Weekender in Brisbane. On the panel: Stefano Catino (Maybe Group and five time World's 50 Best Bars stalwart, Maybe Sammy), Martin Lange (Cobbler, Death & Taxes, Dr Gimlette, Antico), and Dani and Oska Whitehart (Bar Bellamy).

The panel discusses their experiences and motivations for opening their own bars. They talk about their age and experience when they first opened their bars, the challenges they faced, and the importance of creative control and owning their mistakes. They also discuss the importance of location and concept, the role of landlords and leases, and the financial aspects of opening a bar. The panel emphasises the need for research, planning, and seeking help from mentors and professionals.

Ahead of The 2024 edition The World’s Best Bars, which takes place in Madrid this October, head of content Emma Sleight talks to Sam Bygrave about how the World's 50 Best Bars list actually works and dispels a few rumours along the way, and shares some insight into what is one of the drinks world’s unique jobs — there really is nothing like it.

I’ve got a little bonus episode for you this week, I’n talking Sean baxter and George Georgiadis of the little Australian producer that got started in 2016, Never Never Distilling Co — and I’m talking to them because on May 1st the news broke that they had been acquired by Asahi Beverages here in Australia. It’s huge news and represents a big investment in the brand, it’s one that bartenders I think have been big supporters of since they got started, I’ve interviewed Sean before — he’s always great chat — but I wanted to talk to them to talk through what a deal like this involves, and I asked them a couple times to share the price of the deal — you can hear how effective that was or wasn’t for yourself. A quick disclaimer too, Never Never is the sponsor of the Best Bar award for the Boothby Best Bars events in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria this year, and they’re a sponsor of the Bartenders Weekender up in Brisbane which, yes, is kicking off on Sunday — Sean talks a bit about that as well.

Today’s episode is an interesting panel discussion that I hosted at Paramount Liquor’s Future Proof event in Adelaide back at the start of April, with writer, YouTuber, bartender and now co-owner of Melbourne bar, Goodwater, Cara Devine — and with Sean Baxter, the co-founder of Never Never Distilling Co., a brand based in McLaren Vale and one that has been in the news recently — more on that in a moment. It’s a discussion all about how they built their brands, and there are lessons in there whether you’re wanting to develop a booze brand, open a bar, or indeed boost your career and work on — for want of a better term — your personal brand.

Never Never was in the news last week, The Shout reported that the small gin-focused distillery, a favourite among bartenders, had been wholly acquired by Asahi Beverages here. That news came through after this panel chat, obviously, so we don’t get into that in this discussion, but I guess it just highlights that Sean and the folks at never Never have done a good job of building their brand.

https://www.bartendersweekender.com/

https://www.boothby.com.au/

Jamie Fleming discusses the five-year anniversary of Alba Bar & Deli and the key pillars that have shaped its identity: Sherry, jamon, and hip hop. He emphasizes the importance of creating a unique and memorable experience for guests, going against the grain, and standing out in a competitive industry. Fleming also highlights the challenges faced during the Covid pandemic and the opportunities that arose from adapting to the circumstances. He credits the longevity of Alba to taking advantage of opportunities, being part of the conversation, and building strong industry connections. The conversation covers topics such as the reception of the bar in the Brisbane scene, the evolution of the menu and offerings, the focus on Sherry, and the key elements of a great bar. The conversation ends with a discussion about the upcoming fifth anniversary celebration of the bar.

Bartenders' Weekender — early bird tickets to the better Bars Summit are now live at bartendersweekender.com.

I’m talking to Jordan Bushell, the global brand ambassador for Hennessy — perhaps you’ve heard of this plucky, young upstart cognac brand that has only been around for — oh, 259 years?

Hennessy of course is a well-known brand, one that for many people is synonymous with cognac, and for some people that’s all they know of the spirit. Obviously I think I know a fair bit more about cognac than that, but in talking to Jordan, I got to understand that there is so, so much more to learn about cognac than I realised. I really enjoyed this chat.

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A quick note too: this episode is sponsored by Hennessy, because they want to let you know about Jordan’s upcoming visit to New Zealand and Australia this month in support of the Hennessy MyWay 2024 Challenge. It’s the fourth year for this global competition, and the’re launching in Australia and New Zealand for the first time.

Jordan will join the Australian and New Zealand Hennessy ambassador Alex Zanarini for five masterclasses starting from Monday 15th April in Auckland, in Brisbane on Tuesday 16th, Melbourne on Wednesday April 17th, over in Perth on Friday the 19th, before finishing in Sydney on Monday April 22nd.

Bartenders are invited to come along to an event and participate in Hennessy MyWay, a quest to discover the most innovative and sustainable cocktail creations paired with spectacular serving rituals. On offer are cash prizes of €1000 for top 50 finalists with the top 10 invited to Paris and Cognac to compete in the live final in October.

To enter the competition visit myway.hennessy.com, and RSVP to Jordan’s events at https://www.eventcreate.com/e/hennessymyway/