Friday recipe inspo: 6 more bartenders’ advice on creativity, recipes, and more

In partnership with Espolòn Tequila's Afterlife Underground

Where does inspiration come from? And once it strikes, what can you do to make the most of it?

We tend to think creative bartenders are the ones who come up with out-there recipes, or those who push the boundaries in terms of technique and flavour combinations — but I think there’s more to it than that. I think the best bartenders work creatively to find ways of making the guest feel something memorable; it’s not just about the bartender’s ego — it’s an outward-looking thing. Now, it might be the drink that carries the weight of some of that experience, but it never happens without the bartender working to make the guest feel something, and inviting them into their world.

With that in mind, we’ve got a series of interviews with some rather creative bartenders for you here.

In June, Espolon Tequila gathered 11 likeminded and creative bartenders together in Hobart to attend Dark Mofo, the winter festival of arts and culture known for being a little subversive and provocative. They discussed creativity, swapped ideas, and found inspiration in the depths of winter — and now they’re sharing what they found.

We published the first batch of those stories last week — you can find them all at the dedicated Afterlife page here — and in today’s newsletter, you’ll find five six more of those stories.

Take a look below.