The first gin cocktail I ever drank?

I didn’t drink gin until I was a bartender. In the early days of my career I was obsessed with sweet drinks, usually blue ones, but sometimes bright green too. The first gin cocktail I drank was a concoction of gin, Midori, which is a melon Liqueur, pineapple juice, lime Juice and garnished with a strawberry. It was named 'The Twister' after the Ice Lolly and created by a bartender I was working with at the time (don’t judge me).

First gin cocktail you ever made?

The first gin cocktail I ever made was a classic Tom Collins. My first ever bartending job was on Circular Quay, Sydney Australia, almost 10 years ago now. My first day of work was an extremely busy one as it was Australia Day and I was thrown in at the deep end with absolutely no experience. At the the time it felt as if every order included at least one Tom Collins, I remember thinking who is this Tom Collins guy everybody keeps asking for!

Favourite gin cocktail at 7pm?

I like to start my evenings with a Martini. I think they are a great way of exploring the real characteristics of individual gins and I love to experiment by pairing them to different vermouths. There’s no need to be shy with the vermouth either. Winston Churchill’s method of merely glancing at an unopened bottle of vermouth while pouring the gin will still be delicious, but after gin, vermouth is one of my favourite liquids and the two mixed together are a match made in heaven.

Favourite gin cocktail at 10pm?

One of my all time favourites is The Communist cocktail. I discovered this cocktail whilst reading through 'Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails'. The recipe dates back to 1933 but unfortunately there’s little affirmation on the name of this drink. It’s an easy cocktail to create and consists of 1 oz (old measures in an old book) of gin & 1 oz of freshly squeezed orange juice with ½ an oz of Cherry Heering and another ½ oz of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shaken hard and served straight up, the red hue to this cocktail could well be an indication to its name.

Favourite bar in the world?

That’s a real tough one. I love to travel and explore new places, so the answer to this is always changing, can I have a top ten? Recently though on a trip to Hong Kong I visited Employees Only. The hospitality here is outstanding and the drinks are great. This place quickly, it became my 'home away from home' and is the best starting point for a night out exploring the Lan Kwai Fong district of Hong Kong.