Q&A with Steve the Bartender

How did you discover your passion for bartending? 

I started working as a backbar when I was 17 and was able to begin bartending as soon as I turned 18. The place I worked at was a lounge bar that made frozen and disco cocktails. It was this role that got me excited about mixed drinks although looking back on it I realise how little I knew about cocktails!.

You’ve had a huge year with the birth of your son, starting a new business and writing a book. What does the next year look like?

I would love a holiday with the family! And, I would also love the opportunity to meet many of the people that have supported me and my YouTube channel over the years so traveling to the US and a few other countries is high on my list. I’d also take the opportunity to experience some of the influential bars that are featured in the book.

We (Threefold Distilling) still have plenty of work to do in order to get the second half of our bar open so 2023 will be focused on finishing this project too.

What is your favourite spirit to work with and why?

That’s a tough question to answer! I often find myself reaching for rum lately as it’s such a unique spirit with varied flavour profiles depending on methods of distillation and maturation. It’s flexible too - able to be mixed into spirit-forward drinks, refreshing classics and tropical cocktails.

What did you set out to achieve when you started your YouTube page?

I had never filmed anything or been in front of a camera but I thought it would be a great idea to set myself a challenge. I set a goal to film, edit, upload, share and promote a video every day for an entire year although I fell short after successfully uploading for 200 consecutive days. I continue to upload videos because of the passionate cocktail community that grew as a result of the YouTube channel.

Who is your book for?

The book is suitable for beginners to intermediate bartenders. If you are completely new to making cocktails and don’t know where to begin then you can discover how to get started with what tools you need, which bottles to buy, how to make essential syrups and how to ensure your drinks are balanced. And on the other hand, if you love making cocktails, or perhaps you work in a bar, then you’ll discover countless cocktails that you may not have come across before and learn about cocktails in an easy-to-follow and approachable way.

What can your followers expect from this book? Do you have a favourite recipe?

My favourite and most unique feature of the book are the videos that connect the book and my YouTube channel. Each and every recipe has a full-page photo and a scannable QR code that links to a short, step-by-step video making it incredibly easy to learn new cocktails.

I often get asked what my favourite cocktail is but it’s always dependent on where I am, what the occasion is and who I’m with. In saying that, my go-to cocktails are always classic cocktails or simple riffs on them. I’ve been knocking back quite a few Gold Rush lately!