Bottoms Up

We hear you work in the alcohol industry—how long have you been in the industry?
Yeah, I do! It’s been a year plus. I work in operations, supplying bars with alcohol, but I used to work in marketing.

Why the switch?
Because I really love cocktails, so why not make it my job? (laughs) So here I am, and now I get to drink cocktails for free!

We love that for you! What’s your drink of choice?
An espresso martini with rum instead of vodka.

Yum! Which bar do you think makes the best one?
Ooo, that’s a tough one. I really like Employees Only, and Jigger and Pony makes a really good one too, but Bar Bon Funk is my favourite!

Have you always enjoyed cocktails?
Yeah, ever since I became legal (laughs). I really like the craft behind it. And the people behind it are also great, which is why I decided I would like to try to get into this industry.

What’s the best bar that you’ve been to last year?
I went to lot of places last year, but maybe Bar Termini in London. They’re well known for their Negronis.

We’ll add that to our itinerary for sure! So what makes a good bar or a good drink?
People—100% people, because anyone can make a drink. It’s about the hospitality you get, the service you get, and then I think the drinks come last, in that sense. Because I work in the industry, I think if you’re a cocktail bar, your focus is on hospitality. Drinks-wise, it’s mainly about being balanced. I think that’s most important.

Interesting! Do you make your own drinks?
No, I’m too lazy. All I make are high balls or I’ll just take a shot (laughs).

On the topic of hospitality, are there any kind of misconceptions that people might have about your industry?
Yeah, people think it’s really glamorous—they think it’s so enjoyable because you get to drink for free. But trust me, after a few months, you won’t want to drink anymore, which is where I’m at now. I used to go out every other day to drink, but now I only go out once a month. Too much of anything is not good. It’s not that glamorous. It’s really tiring actually.

Since your job entails you to supply bars, do you sample drinks a lot?
Yeah! Let’s say a bar has a new menu and we’re supplying them, they’ll invite us down for tastings. They usually have separate tastings for media and suppliers.

Is there anything that surprised you about the industry since you joined?
How there’s barely any work life balance. Honestly, I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by it. I’m working on the weekends, replying to emails and stuff. Even going out to drink feels like work, so I guess that kind of surprised me, but I do love it still.

Glad that you’re still enjoying it! How do you see yourself growing in the industry?
In the next five years I want to work for bigger brands like Moët Hennessy or Suntory. And just focus on one brand instead of a lot of brands.

So how do you unwind after work?
I game a lot. It’s actually all I’ve got. I game and I sleep. Yeah, that’s about it.

What games are you playing right now?
Right now I’m playing Battlefield 6, and I’ve been really enjoying it. I also play Counter-Strike but that’s about it. I play a lot of first-person shooter (FPS) games.

Did you get into gaming very young?
Yeah, I started getting into games when I was eight years old. It started from Maple Story and Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, and now I just really like FPS games.

Final question, since we’re at the start of a new year, do you have any goals for 2026?
To make more money—always to make more money. And I want to buy a house this year!