TONIC TALKS

Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - HAYDEN SCOTT LAMBERT

Tucked down a laneway in the suburb of Collingwood, Melbourne, is the multi-award-winning cocktail bar Above Board. This island-style bar features space for 16 seats, with no standing allowed, creating an intimate atmosphere. We spoke with Above Board owner Hayden Scott Lambert to discuss his background, the bar's unique concept, being nominated for awards, and what life was like during lockdown.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - STEFANO CATINO

Stefano Catino is a prominent figure in the Australian bar scene. He co-founded the Maybe Group, which owns several renowned bars, including Primo Sanchez, Maybe Frank, Dean & Nancy, and his latest venture, Little Cooler. We sat down with Stefano outside the multi-award-winning bar, Maybe Sammy, to discuss his background, his move to Australia, how he feels about winning awards and whether he has a career in construction.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - THE HEART CUT

The Heart Cut is an independent whisky bottler founded by husband-and-wife duo Georgie Bell and Fabrizio Leoni. The company specialises in releasing limited-edition single-cask and small-batch whiskies sourced from distilleries around the world. Their mission is to spotlight innovative and lesser-known distilleries, providing consumers with unique tasting experiences while educating them about the whisky-making process and the stories behind each bottle. We asked the couple what inspired them to start the business, how they choose the distillers they work with, their plans for the future, and what it's like to work with your other half.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - Amanda Schuster

Amanda Schuster is a Brooklyn-based freelance drinks writer with over 17 years of experience in the industry. In this video, we interview Amanda about her background and her latest book, Signature Cocktails, a collection of 200 iconic drinks from around the globe. We also chat with her about Duran Duran.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - STANISLAV HARCINIK

Stanislav Harciník is a prominent figure in the bartending and hospitality industry, renowned for his expertise in cocktail creation and bar management. He currently serves as an ambassador at the Mirror Cocktail Bar Carlton in Bratislava, Slovakia. Stanislav has also plays a significant role in organising industry events, notably co-founding the Mirror Hospitality Expo in Bratislava. Additionally, he is the author of "The Cocktail Balance," a book that shares his insights and techniques in cocktail creation. In this video, we talk about all of this and his plans for the future.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - PETER HOLLAND

That Boutique-y Rum Company is an independent bottler specialising in sourcing and bottling unique and high-quality rums. As a part of the Boutique-y family, which includes That Boutique-y Whisky Company and That Boutique-y Gin Company, this rum-focused venture aims to introduce delicious and unusual rums to a broader audience, including confirmed enthusiasts, adventurous newcomers, and the rum-curious. We sat down with Global Ambassador Peter Holland at a busy Master of Malt World Dram Day event to learn more.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - TOM GODFREY

Nestled in Barcelona's vibrant Gràcia neighbourhood, FOCO has quickly become a must-visit destination for cocktail enthusiasts. Opened in 2022 by English bartenders Tom Godfrey and Theo Quinn, the bar has already made its mark on the city's thriving nightlife. I got to speak with co-founder Tom Godfrey, who shared insights into FOCO, including its name, decor, the local area, and their plans for the future.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - DAVE WORTHINGTON

That Boutique-y Whisky Company is an independent bottler of whiskies from around the world. It's known for its creative approach to bottling and labelling. Dave Worthington is their Global Brand Ambassador. We caught up with Dave at Dram in London to talk about the company's origins, its distinctive labels, plans for the future and what Dave did before going full-time into whisky.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - JOANNE MOORE

Joanne Moore, the Master Distiller at G&J Distillers has been at the forefront of the gin industry for nearly two decades. Since 2006 she has held the position of Master Distiller, becoming the seventh person to do so since the company's inception in 1761. In our interview we spoke to Joanne about her journey into distilling, being one of the first female distillers, the recent gin boom, staying ahead of trends, and how she likes her gin at the end of a long day.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - GRACE GONZALEZ

Grace Gonzalez is a fourth-generation distiller and brand ambassador at El Major Tequila. While in London, we talked to Grace about her family's history with tequila, the brand, and what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated industry.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - IMME ERMGASSEN

Imme Ermgassen is the co-founder of Botivo, an aperitif-inspired, slow-sipping botanical drink. I met her at Botivo's shiny new office bar to talk about where it all began, the genius of Botivo's co-founder, Sam Paget Steavenson, and her thoughts on the non-alcoholic category.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - MR LYAN

Ryan Chetiyawardana takes great pride in his business being a family affair. Despite his busy schedule Ryan, aka Mr Lyan, met me at his latest bar The Seed Library. During our conversation, Ryan shared insights on how he started, the challenges he faced along the way, his experience collaborating with other brands, the advice he would give aspiring individuals looking to venture into the hospitality industry, and how he maintains his motivation

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - MALMSEY RANGAKA

Malmsey Rangaka is the co-founder and CEO of M'hudi Wines, a pioneering family-owned wine farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Alongside her husband, she founded M'hudi Wines in 2003, and by 2005, they released their first vintage. M'hudi Wines is the first wine tourism farm in the Stellenbosch Winelands to be 100 per cent owned and managed by a black South African family. We talked with Malmsey to discuss her story so far.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - SIMON FORD

Simon Ford is the founder of Fords Gin. In this interview, Simon tells us how he started the business, how he came to work with 11th-generation gin distillers, why bartenders are at the heart of the brand and why he made an album with the Handsome Boys Modelling Club.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - ILSE RUTHFORD

Compagniesdrift is not your average wine company. It is a black-owned business with women at its heart. It was launched in May 2015 by farm workers striving to be the best in a sector with little black representation.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - HENRY JEFFREYS

Henry Jeffreys is no stranger to TONIC magazine having written articles for us. We sit with him to discuss his latest book, Vines in a Cold Climate: The People Behind the English Wine Revolution. Henry tells us how he came to write the book, the characters he met along the way and why he's happy the book has swearing in it.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

Tonic Talks - DIISTIL

Diistil is a company at the forefront of modern-day distillates and bespoke spirits. We spoke to Diistil's founder Raj Batra about the journey so far, working with some of the best bartenders in the world, his small but passionate team and plans for the future.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - ANTHONY GLADMAN

Tonic contributor Anthony Gladman talks to us about his new book - Gin: A Tasting Course. We find out how he came to write it, what it's like to taste 300 gins, how Old Tom Gin got its name and what his favourite Gin cocktail is.

Read More
Rob Ellison Rob Ellison

TONIC TALKS - VENICE COCKTAIL WEEK

Paola Mencarelli is the founder of Venice Cocktail Week, we sat down with her to hear how Venice became the home of one of her newer Cocktail Week events.

Read More