Leah Dunnigan on making the bar you work at work for you

Last week was the Bartenders’ Weekender, and while there were many things to celebrate over the few days in Brisbane (for Melbournians, actually seeing the sun at this time of year for one!), the thing that struck me most was the sense of camaraderie amongst the non-males of the bartending community.

At the start of my career, I was often the only female bartender in my team. There is still a long way to go, but the hard work of women, non-binary and queer people in our industry (including, but not limited to Mix Haus and the Sorry Not Sorry collective) is creating a safer space for all to express themselves, and we are seeing new role models emerge – and they don’t all look the same.

Both nights of the trip there came that conversation: “where to next?” On both of them we ended up at Savile Row, a bartender’s dream – dim lights, great drinks, impressive back bar and a 3am license. The person at the helm here is Leah Dunnigan, whose dedication to the hospitality industry fits perfectly with the vibe of the venue.

Leah, at the age of 21, decided to write a book about spirits and cocktails and self-published it; this tells you a lot of what you need to know about their drive and passion. Starting out in Sydney, they worked their way up in a pub but would make pilgrimages to The Baxter Inn to ask for classic cocktails — “I would be that really annoying person,” Leah says – before ending up behind the bar there. After that came Mucho Group.

“Bar Planet really pushed me out of my comfort zone to be the big and bubbly ‘come on in guys’ personality, which is weird because that’s what people know me for now,” says Leah. It was during this time that Leah welcomed a daughter into the world. 

But while Leah loved Bar Planet, they missed whisky. “It was a bit random, I did a little takeover at Frog’s Hollow Saloon in Brisbane,” Leah says. “I walked into Savile Row and I just fell in love. 'Cause it was like all the big, bright, wonderful service and a little bit of a party, but with all of the things that I love, like knowledge, classic cocktails, spirits galore. It was like I didn't have to pick.”

Leah couldn’t get Savile Row out of their head, and decided to make the move. “ It's funny because when I told everyone in Sydney that I was moving to Brisbane, it was never like explicitly said, but the vibe that I always got was like, oh, you're relaxing now 'cause you've got a kid,” says Leah. “And my career has never been more hectic or more busy or more intense! It just showed me the level of talent up there,  Brisbane has this really beautiful vibe for hospitality.”

Showcasing this hospitality is a big part of Leah’s approach as they have travelled around the country hosting takeovers. “ I love to absorb as much as possible,” Leah says.

“ I like to not showcase myself as a super technical or advanced bartender. I'm definitely a weird and wacky person and I like to push that with my drinks. I always try to think of combinations that shouldn't work, and I think about that with the events as well and how we can make this event so different that no one else will think of that.”

Thinking outside of the box seems to come naturally to Leah, and they felt the same when they found out they were expecting. “ Becoming a parent, I definitely felt it's like you have this choice or this choice and I didn't really like that,” Leah says. “And I had just been nominated for Rookie of the Year. So I was like, I feel like I'm gaining technique and education and my service is now getting recognised. I can't stop now. I need to keep pushing myself. But I knew what I wanted to do.

“A lot of people were like, oh, so you're gonna leave the industry, but without me even prompting it. And I was like no, I won't be. I'm a very stubborn person.”

While they don’t downplay the difficulties of being a parent in the hospitality industry and attribute a lot to their support system and supportive employers, Leah and their family have made it work for them. “I have her the entire day. If I start work, it's at five or 6pm so I maybe just miss bedtime a couple of days a week. Whereas if I worked nine to five, I would miss her all the time and just get bedtime. And I was like, this is really working for me.”

And it is – Leah was recognised as the number one bartender in Australia at last year’s T25 Awards as a crowning achievement. 

“ The most rewarding thing after T25 was coming home. I'd never shown her how to do it, but she [Leah’s daughter] grabbed my little shaker trophy and she was like, ‘mama shakes, shakes mama’. And it was just like a really emotional moment. 

“I feel if you can believe in yourself to do it, nothing's gonna stop you. Right now my only goal is working with venues that I really love, and I'm proud to be working there, making people's days better, because one thing that I feel like people always forget is that the bar has to fit you as much as you fit the bar. 

“Everybody goes for their dream bar and they're like, I'm just gonna be exactly like the rest of their team. Without realising that bar has to fit who they are and what they need and what they provide. So I've been really focusing on making sure I choose the right place where I can flourish as myself without changing who I am.”

Please don’t change who you are, Leah – we need more of you.

Around the Bars

Tomorrow, Wednesday 25 June from 1pm to 3pm sees two high profile women in spirits in Melbourne at the same time: Dr Anne Brock, the master distiller for Bombay Sapphire, and Angel’s Envy global brand ambassador Angel Teta. They’ll be hosted by Bacardi-Martini national ambassador Kayla Grigoriou for an open and interactive discussion around the industry and career longevity at Nick & Nora’s in Melbourne — RSVP to Kayla at kgrigoriou@bacardi.com ASAP to confirm your attendence. There will be drinks and snacks!