Story by Cara Devine. Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks author. She is the supervisor of Bomba in Melbourne and the face and expertise behind the cocktailing YouTube channel Behind the Bar. You’ll be able to electronic mail her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com
Within the Melbourne CBD, a heat yellow orb hovers on Russell St. Do you have to select to comply with the sunshine and duck via the heavy black curtains, you’ll end up in a mecca for malt fans – Whisky & Alement. This small bar has lengthy punched above its weight as a hub for the whisky group, sourcing uncommon drams and holding tastings and masterclasses that cater to everybody from the novice to the connoisseur. You probably have bellied as much as the bar right here then you might properly have had the pleasure of being served by their bar supervisor, Lachlan Watt (trace: he was most likely carrying a paisley print shirt, tartan trews, or each).
Whisky & Alement is celebrating its ten-year anniversary, with Watt having been there for seven of them, however he’s not resting on his laurels. Earlier this 12 months he was named International Bar Supervisor of the 12 months on the prestigious World Whiskies Awards (the bar itself additionally took out Bar of the 12 months), and he has simply launched a podcast, Spirited Discussions. So, how did he find yourself right here?
“An excellent bar supervisor is an individual who helps make folks higher, in no matter facet which may be. You’re there to information, to tell, to show, and supply a cushty and secure atmosphere to your staff and patrons.” – Lachlan Watt
“I initially received interested by bartending by being an everyday patron of Whisky & Alement. I additionally had at all times been interested by flavour, as my father had been a chef for over 40 years. I managed to get a job in a lodge bar initially, the place I labored for round six months.
“One evening, I used to be sitting in Whisky & Alement chatting with Kelvin Low, and he talked about a pal of his on the lookout for employees at a brand new whisky bar in Hawthorn. So, I despatched in a resume and had an interview with Joey Tai. She took an opportunity on me as I had little or no data. After two years on the Kilburn, I ended up getting a job at Whisky & Alement,” and the remaining is historical past.
Watt has been the supervisor there since 2019 and has labored arduous to proceed the educated staff ethos and welcoming atmosphere the bar is thought for. “An excellent bar supervisor is an individual who helps make folks higher, in no matter facet which may be. You’re there to information, to tell, to show, and supply a cushty and secure atmosphere to your staff and patrons.”
Whisky is, undeniably, his one real love. “I’ve at all times discovered the romance and historical past attention-grabbing in whisky. Whereas a whole lot of spirits have an attention-grabbing historical past, there’s something thrilling about whisky that simply sings to me. From how it’s made, by whom, to the sense of provenance, and the way in which it has advanced over the centuries, from a group spirit to this spirit that’s prized the world over.” That stated, Spirited Discussions takes a wider scope. There’s already an episode on agave spirits, and different episodes look via the lens of provenance (Australian spirits) or distillation strategies (rustic spirits).
Watt takes the same strategy each within the bar and on the airwaves – he desires to decrease the barrier of entry and be certain that individuals who would possibly simply be beginning on a journey of booze discovery don’t really feel intimidated. “[At Whisky & Alement] our strategy to whisky is kind of utilitarian, our service is about reducing whisky off the pedestal and making an attempt our greatest to make it accessible. We do that by educating our staff… we maintain one another trustworthy and this helps us kind a degree of belief with our patrons. Everybody via the door is greeted with a smile, and we attempt to present everybody with one thing they need.”
When developing with the imaginative and prescient for the podcast, Watt and his staff (Eos Artistic) realised that a whole lot of drinks media suits into one in all two camps: “both produced by folks within the [drinks] trade, for folks within the trade, with very area of interest terminology and data – which we discover attention-grabbing however which is likely to be too dry for most of the people – or produced by individuals who don’t know an entire lot and are attempting to be taught extra, however they get sponsored by firms and share these tales, which are sometimes despatched by a 3rd get together advertising and marketing staff.” They wish to bridge the hole, with entertaining however high-quality info. “It’s for the one who could have simply began discovering booze attention-grabbing and eager to be taught a bit of bit extra, to assist them discover the fitting info from the fitting folks.” This checks out; his dream podcast visitor is whisky trade heavyweight Dave Broom, however, “we’d chat about one of the best whisky and coke he has ever had.”
This lack of pretension is what makes Watt a fantastic chief and communicator, and it’s good to see it being recognised and rewarded. Maybe he’s greatest summed up by his favorite whisky: “whichever is in entrance of me at that cut-off date. It’s extra concerning the expertise, much less the liquid.”
Slàinte to that.
