“I realised I wasn’t just a whisky guy, but a creative guy.” Ross Blainey takes The Questionnaire
The podcasts, tees, and experiences that make his 150 days on the road each year memorable and rewarding.
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Ross Blainey is no stranger to drinks travel. He’s the creative collaborations lead and ambassador for Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, and he estimates he spends some 150 days on the road each year. That’s a lot of time away from one’s home. In The Questionnaire, he talks to us about the things that bring him comfort and inspiration throughout the year.
I think hospitality is empathy, understanding what people around you might like or need and finding a way of making it happen. It should be the basis of any business — not just bars and restaurants.
The last purchase I made that really meant something to me? I bought 16 Tennents lager totes in Glasgow for our Glenfiddich ambassador team and a few others — I love that they’re being used all round the world and serve as a little memory of our time in my hometown.
The best book I’ve read this year is Relentless by Tim S. Grover — shout out to Matt Whiley for the recommendation.
On a trip to Glasgow this year, I learned that my hometown is way better than I had thought. And I thought it was great! Showing people from around the world the sites, culture, pubs and food was such an eye-opening and heart warming experience to see how much they loved it.
My favourite pair of shoes are maybe our most recent custom AJ1s which I don’t own, but I worked with Chase Shiel and ABC Bullion to create a pair inspired by our Glenfiddich Grande Couronne. They had about $40k worth of gold beautifully crafted on to them and we sold the package for $100k, which all went to building a new children’s hospital in Sydney. An amazing creative project that adds to society.
I listen to podcasts when I’m travelling because I have some that are just good comedian chat (Off Menu, SmartLess) that are easy listening when I want to switch off, or I have some that are more inspirational and either creative or business based to make use of all that time sitting on planes.
The last podcast I listened to that inspired me is about Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why, on the High Performance podcast. Incredible chat on finding your own personal purpose, understanding why you do what you do or what you should be doing.
I’m on the road 150 days each year, and it feels like I’m the luckiest guy ever. To travel the world experiencing things I never thought I would is never lost on me even after a while doing it. Some life changing events, people and places over the years.
My airport playbook is to charge your headphones (the one thing I absolutely need for travel), pack a comfy hoodie, outfits packed based on what events are happening plus at least one Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern tee shirt.
The strangest place my job has taken me is the Daintree. Growing up near Glasgow I never thought I’d find myself standing in the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree, with the Kuku Yalanji people who have lived there for 50,000 years, helping them claim back their own land from the government after making a pair of sneakers inspired by Glenfiddich Grand Cru that raised money to buy a plot of land back.
When I’m not drinking whisky I’m drinking Tennents lager (when I can get it), gin Martinis or champagne. Give me crisp, fresh, bright and tasty any day, any time.
The collaboration I’ve been involved in that spoke the most to me was… this is hard. All of them, big or small mean so much to me, each of them shape my way of thinking more. But the Glenfiddich x Jordan Gogos collab really got me out of my comfort zone, dropped into the world of fashion and it taught me amongst many things that I am way more creative than I previously realised, and that its uses spanned outside of whisky. I realised I wasn’t just a whisky guy, but a creative guy.
You’ll always find in my fridge hummus, multiple types of tomatoes, Guinness.
The most expensive bottle of whisky I’ve bought for myself is probably not that expensive. I tend to buy whisky like a photograph or artwork — it’s from a time or a place like Feis Isle 2019, DramFest 2022 or a jaunt round Edinburgh with some mates. They mean more to me than expensive bottles.
The last playlist I listened to was This Is White Stripes on Spotify.
The bar I always return to — it has to be one Aussie and one Scottish. Double Deuce Lounge in Sydney — the best hospitality, drinks and party times. And The Pot Still in Glasgow — pints of Tennents, drams and Glasgow banter.
The bar I wish I could visit more often is Scarfes Bar in London. I could spend all night in there every Friday with a few Martinis, live jazz and a real luxurious, homely and fun feel.
If there’s one hotel I always come back to, it’s The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder. It’s absolute top notch, classic Scottish luxury with an insane beverage program and restaurants. It’s grand, it’s comfortable, it’s got all the outdoor activities, fresh air and whisky you could want.
If you look at who I follow on Instagram, you’ll see a lot of food and drink, fashion and art, Scottish or duck/goose based meme pages.
I think a great bar is made of people. The core of any bar comes from the people serving. Whether it’s the best cocktails in the world or a basic pint it’s the people that make it worth going back.
My favourite place for late night eats is Ling Nan Chinese restaurant in Melbourne. XO noodles with pippis or crab and a Tsingtao is the perfect end to a night — thanks to [Burdekin Rum distiller] Jason Chan for the heads up on that one.
If I’m not working, you’ll find me enjoying a bit of exploring with good mates — gigs, bars, restaurants, art galleries or dinosaur exhibitions.
The work of art I keep returning to is Windows in the West by Avril Paton. I saw it first when I was a kid in the dentist waiting room and always remembered it. A beautiful Glasgow tenement building with a glimpse into the lives of people living there. It got me curious as to all the possibilities of life and it just looks beautiful.
The app I use most on my phone is Instagram, unfortunately — followed by Duolingo. That app can make me go stand at the toilet at 11.55pm in a bar just so I don’t lose my streak. That’s power. — B.