Teandra Tuhkunen is a master of many disciplines — and now Never Never ambassador

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I often feel that there are two routes available to bartenders looking to become consummate professionals. You can focus on one particular subject (a cocktail technique, or a certain drinks category for example) and become a comprehensive expert on that, or build a well rounded but less detailed understanding of all aspects of the bar: the jack of all trades, master of none approach that I myself adhere to.

It’s rare that you see someone who is equally passionate about and educated on manifold aspects of bar and booze. Enter Teandra Tuhkunen, master of many.

“I'm an absolute nerd who wants to know everything about anything, so any learning opportunity that comes my way, I jump on it. Never say no to learning something new!” says Teandra, and she certainly follows through on that.

She got her start in hospitality through nightclubs: “I was at university studying to be in the STEM field so needed an after school gig, and it suited my night owl tendencies and fondness for dancing the night away.” After deciding university wasn’t for her, she moved to London and this is where she found her calling in hospitality, getting drawn into the world of cocktail bartending. 

Who will make the Top 50 this year?

Entries into the third annual Boothby Drink of the Year Awards close this Friday! The Awards celebrates the best cocktails our bartenders have been making across the last 12 months - to enter visit boothby.com.au/drinkoftheyear now.

After some more travel, mostly in Europe but even a brief stint in the Pilbara “shaking cocktails for the outback community”, she landed in Melbourne in 2015 and found a home at Gin Palace, where many of us will have had the pleasure of being served by her. “I was lucky enough to be mentored by, and eventually take over the reins from, the fabulous Trish Brew and worked alongside unbelievably talented and passionate people there.”

[Editor's note: Trish Brew took out the title of Person of the Year at the Boothby Best Bars Victoria Awards on Monday night.]

Manager of Gin Palace is a weighty title – not only are you responsible for running the day to day of one of Melbourne’s most iconic institutions, but you are expected to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things juniper. For Teandra, though, this was not enough of an undertaking, and she enrolled in WSET training alongside it, coming out with the extremely impressive Level 4 Diploma in Wine & Spirits (usually only pursued by the most serious of sommeliers, and winemakers themselves).

Given this achievement, “in 2020 it came as only a mild shock to some that I pivoted completely out of gin and Australia itself and moved to Singapore to run a natural wine venue, working alongside chef Keirin Buck and sommelier Jos Kjer at Le Bon Funk.” Here, she cemented her theoretical training through practical application.

But, Teandra’s quest for knowledge did not stop there. “After a few very hot years in the Singapore sun, I decided to take yet another turn and start from the start again – I asked to be a brewer's apprentice with the team at Good Land Brewing Co and learn the brewing trade. I then moved to Sweden and worked at a brewery over there too.” She learnt not only the technical aspect of brewing, but other lessons from the beer world.

“The main one: beer is just as creative as cocktails and the beer nerds are just as passionate about the product as any whisky geeks or wine lovers,” she says. “The second [lesson]: female-identifying brewers and staff are few and far between in the sector, and Pink Boots Society are absolute legends in supporting female-identifying people throughout it. Don't let anyone tell you you can't be a brewer or a cicerone just because you're a girl (which someone at a beer festival did once tell me actually).”

New skills and experiences are something that Teandra encourages everyone to seek out. “My favourite thing about doing anything that is outside of your norm is that it completely opens up your perspective to a new angle. Inspiration can strike anywhere, you never know where your next best cocktail idea or technique is going to come from — it might just be in the back of a brewhouse.

“You don't need to become an apprentice to learn. Go to your local brewery and do a brewery tour, ask questions, or ask your local distillery if you can come by and ask them about distillation. This industry is incredibly open, friendly, and giving. They are proud of what they do and usually incredibly receptive to answering all questions.”

And answering questions is next on Teandra’s agenda, as she has just taken up the mantle of brand ambassador for industry favourite, Never Never Distilling Co. 

“I first tasted Never Never back in 2017 at Gin Palace and fell in love. These guys put out our beloved Triple Juniper back in a time when a lot of gins were moving into more contemporary styles that had less of a focus on juniper, and Never Never was a bit of a rebel. It was unashamedly juniper driven and bold – which I loved! 

“Never Never and I share more than just a love for our favourite conifer. We share a lot of core values such as being fearless, enormous respect for hospitality and the people who give us their time to try our products, and showing your true self and being proud to show that.”

Given this recent development, I had to ask: gun to her head, would it be beer or gin? 

“A truly impossible decision!” she exclaims. “But ok, ok… gin. My heart has always led me back to gin.”

At the end of the day, she just loves this industry. “I started in hospo because I have a genuine passion for filling peoples’ experiences at my venues with joy. There is nothing more satisfying, as a bartender, than hearing a room full of laughter and glasses clinking with Martinis that you've made. However, I am extremely passionate about giving back to the industry and teaching the next generation of bartenders and am excited to evolve into a more behind the scenes role.”

If there’s anything to learn from Teandra, it’s to never stop learning.

Around the Bars

• Melbourne farewelled one of the greats yesterday at Bad Frankie’s ‘Last Hurrah’. It is hard to overstate how important this bar has been to Melbourne and the entire Australian spirits scene, pioneering the all-Australian back bar that has since become a mainstay of the industry. Seb Costello was back behind the bar with a roster of familiar faces from over the years – tinnies were cracked, shots were downed, and a lovely time was had by all in true Bad Frankie fashion.
• Hats and Tatts is hosting a Chairman’s Reserve masterclass followed by a bar takeover on Tuesday 22nd October - RSVP to scott.au@amberbev.com for some tasty Saint Lucian rum.
• We had a small taste of summer this week and I think I’ve found the perfect beer for it – Gweilo’s Rainbow Sherbet Sour is a grown up Wizz Fizz and I’m here for it.

Who will make the Top 50 this year?

Entries into the third annual Boothby Drink of the Year Awards close this Friday! The Awards celebrates the best cocktails our bartenders have been making across the last 12 months - to enter visit boothby.com.au/drinkoftheyear now.