Bars are where fashion, music, art (and food and drink) come together for Ross Blainey
If we bring little elements of other fields into the bar, then it heightens the whole experience, he says.
When it comes to bars, the guest experience is more important than ever. That’s because the landscape for bars is more competitive than ever: there’s more bars, with more skilled bartenders producing drinks at an ever higher standard.
It takes a lot to stand apart from the crowd.
My guest on Drinks At Work today knows something about standing apart from the crowd. In a world where five new whiskies are released every other day, Ross Blainey — the creative collaborations lead for Glenfiddich and The Balvenie — spends a lot of his time working with collaborators in a range of fields, to make sure that the products in his portfolio get noticed.
“The point of collaboration is making something neither of you can do on your own,” Ross says in the chat here, which was recorded on day one of the Better Bars Summit in Brisbane during the Bartenders’ Weekender in June.
In the chat, Ross talks about collaboration, how he conceives of it and how bars can work better with brands and other collaborators to create something unique.
You can listen to the full chat below.
Whilst I have you, too — the Drink of the Year Awards are back for their third year and they are open for entries now. We’re looking for the best drinks from Australian bartenders across the last 12 months — it’s my favourite event on the calendar, because it puts bartenders and the drinks they make night in and night out, front and centre. To find out more, visit boothby.com.au/drinkoftheyear — entries are open now, and close October 11.
