Drinks At Work with Sam Bygrave

In this episode, Rohan Massie shares insights into Hobart's vibrant bar scene, the secrets behind Rude Boy's success, and the innovative spirit of Punch & Ladle. Discover how local produce, community engagement, and continuous evolution keep Hobart's hospitality scene thriving, and get Rohan's recommendations for drinks in town.

Sam Bygrave talks to Peter Chua, the bartender/operator/influential industry figure in Singapore, where he owns Night Hawk, a small, stylish, and creative cocktail bar. In addition to a glittering bartending career and stints as a bar consultant, Pete is also one of the founders of Singapore Cocktail Crossover, which took place earlier this year, and was a different way of doing the guest shift bar festival thing. He’s a busy guy, clearly thinks deeply about the industry, and has some great recommends for where to go in Singapore.

Holly Graham shares her journey from food and drink journalism to opening unique bars in Japan, including Tokyo Confidential and Niseko. She discusses bar design, menu concepts inspired by Japanese culture, and the evolving Tokyo bar scene.

This episode features Lachy Harrison, co-owner of Bar Bar in Adelaide and part of the Cantina group, talking through what makes his tequila-led neighbourhood bar work and what he's building next with No. 6 East. Sam Bargrave also steers the conversation into Adelaide's wider hospitality scene, with recommendations for where to drink, eat, and take out-of-towners.In this episode, Lachy shares how Bar Bar became a tiny but high-energy tequila and agave bar in Adelaide's CBD, why the venue is built around interaction rather than privacy, and how the team is shaping a new house-party-style space upstairs on East Terrace. He also gives a practical tour of the city's best bars, restaurants, and pub stops for bartenders and visitors alike.

The Suntory Cup is back for 2026, celebrating bartending talent with a $40,000 prize pool. Here, we talk to last year\'s winners Reuben Beasley-Palmer and Tom Smith, and together with Suntory Oceania group advocacy manager John Galiatsatos, they talk about this year’s brief, how to approach the competition, and share plenty more tips that just might help you get across the line and win the competition for yourself.

In this episode Sam Bygrave talks to Brian Kinsman of Glenfiddich and William Grant & Sons, and delves into the intricate world of whisky, focusing on the importance of aroma, the role of technology in whisky analysis, and why the human nose can't be beat. We talk about the significance of the human nose in identifying whisky characteristics, the innovative use of trained dogs for quality control, and the techniques for tasting and assessing whisky.

In October, I visited Melbourne to speak to Linus Schaxmann, one of the original Australian brand ambassadors and someone who has been at the gig for 18 years now.We caught up to discuss the latest addition to the portfolio from The Glendronach, which is a trio of whiskies: Ode to The Valley, Ode to The Embers, and Ode to The Dark. They’re all non age statement whiskies, and they show a different side of The Glendronach than you might normally see (they’re also rather delicious).But I also spoke to Linus about whisky more broadly, why the barrel finishing process some brands use isn’t his cup of tea, how bartenders can talk about The Glendronach to punters, and loads more — you can hear the full chat on Drinks At Work this week.

Dre Walters, owner of Old Mate’s Place and Old Love’s in Sydney, talks to Sam Bygrave as they conducts a SWOT analysis of his bars and the broader bar industry. Walters attributes the enduring success of his venues to a “timeless” atmosphere and a relentless focus on humble, attentive customer service rather than just cocktail complexity. He discusses significant industry threats, specifically the rising cost of goods and alcohol excise taxes, which forces operators to forecast extreme price increases over the next decade. Finally, he offers advice to aspiring bar owners, emphasising that rent is the most critical factor in site selection and that robust operational systems are essential for survival and scaling.

Today's guest is Paul Aguilar Voza, the R&D Manager at Himkok in Oslo, Norway. The bar has been around since 2015, and has picked up numerous accolades along the way. Himkok is also the Norwegian word for moonshine, and the venue is part bar, part distillery and part cocktail lab, as Paul talks about in this interview in Hong Kong during The World's 50 Best Bars. He talks about their menu development process — it takes between 8 months and a year for their menus to come to life — and about how they’ve structured the bar and their roster for high volume but innovative cocktails. He also talks about their approach to collaboration through their menus, which has exposed the bar to new audiences despite the bar being 10 years in.

This episode of Drinks At Work explores the dynamic relationship between bars and brands in the bar industry, and features Glenfiddich and The Balvenie ambassador, Ross Blainey, and his discussions with Monkey Shoulder & Sailor Jerry ambassador Rachael Bartlett, ALM’s Shawn Elliott, and Brisbane bar owner (and former brand ambassador) Pete Hollands — it's all about how bars can get the most from their interactions with brands.