Drinks At Work with Sam Bygrave

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...

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...

Gin Palace owner Ben Luzz talks about the recent renovations of the bar, the wear and tear that comes with running a bar for almost 30 years. Ben also talks about becoming the custodian custodian of Gin Palace after the passing of Vernon Chalker, and how he keeps a balance between preserving the bar’s legacy and embracing the future. Ben also talks about adding Bijou and Black Kite Commune to his portfolio, the challenges of managing multiple bars on the same street. He also shares his thoughts on the business climate for hospitality in Melbourne, and what makes a gr...

In this episode I’m talking to the three owners of Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern — Sebastian Cosmo Soto, Charlie Lehmann, and Dardan Shervashidze. When they opened the bar in 2014, they’d come from the best training school for new bar owners at that time: The Baxter Inn. They opened the bar with around $350,000 cobbled together between the three of them and an investor, which they talk about in this episode. And they steered away from the Americana that was a big trend in bars at the time, focusing more on a homegrown culture — but that Swillhouse emphasis on quality was front and...

We are living in some interesting times for hospitality, with what seems like a conflicting narrative out there at the moment. On the one hand, it seems like every week there’s a notable venue closing. On the other hand, there's been a bar opening boom in the last few months.

The Rooster Rojo Rumble is looking for six bartenders to fly to Sydney — and one to Greece.

Abbie Weir is a memorable, compelling human. The agave specialist for Amber Beverages Australia is a big personality in an industry where there that’s a prerequisite.

“This industry is all about personality,” Abbie says in this week’s episode of Drinks At Work. “A bartender can make or break your experience.”

I’m talking to Abbie this week because she’s also the ambassador for Rooster Rojo, and together we’re hosting The Rooster Rojo Rumble — entries ope...

I’ve got a different episode of Drinks At Work this week — I’m calling it Drinks At Work — The List.

It’s about how Jay Gray’s Singapore bar, Sago House, got onto the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2023. It’s a bit of a different format for Drinks At Work, one I’m hoping to roll out from time to time; it’s more of a narrative piece than the conversational episodes that I usually make on Drinks At Work.

It’s all to answer this big question: what does...

I met Stu at the Four Pillars Lab on Crown Street in Surry Hills to chat about his experience with Four Pillars, how and why spirits competitions like this new one from the RAS matter, the state of the Australian distilled spirits industry right now, storytelling, and whether, knowing just how many distilleries are out there right now, he would start Four Pillars today if it didn’t exist.

If you’ve met him, you’ll know that Stu is a quote-generating machine, and I could fill a weeks’ worth of stories from the hour-long chat we had (alt...

The Drink of the Year Awards is my favourite event of the Boothby events we do each year, and it’ll be back again in November 2024 for the third year. For this episode of Drinks At Work, however, I’m talking to the bartender behind the drink that took the number one spot on the top 50 last year. That is of course Samuel Thornhill, he’s the head bartender at Melbourne cocktail bar Byrdi, and we talk about how he developed the drink, Bad Apple, why it took over a year to get right, and why he almost walked away f...

It’s a new year, which means that the next instalment of World Class Australia is about to get underway. I think it’s fair to call it the most influential cocktail competition going around at the moment, and the experience of entering, and potentially make the Top 100, can help grow one’s career behind the bar and in hospitality. 

So I’m talking today to Diageo Trade Advocacy Manager and Australian World Class Ambassador Kate McGraw, along with Eduardo Conde who is last year’s World Class Australia winner and the guy running El Primo Sa...