Behind every great bar experience is a team of professionals shaping what, where and how we drink – from bartenders and venue managers to brand ambassadors and drinks consultants.
In this series, Bars and Clubs sits down with the people behind the scenes and behind the bar to celebrate their careers and their craft. Each week, we’ll talk drinks, service, culture and community, and dive into the real conversations happening behind the bar.
Today we’re joined by Leah Dunnigan. For many years, Leah helped to shape Sydney’s bar scene, but these days you’ll find her behind the bar at Savile Row in Brisbane.
Bars and Clubs: What inspired you to become a bartender?
Leah Dunnigan: Well, I became quite isolated after I lost my dad, I worked all the time (retail) and studied but didn’t do much else, I was very socially anxious at that time of my life. I remember going to my local bar and just watching how much fun the bartenders were having with each other, they were almost like performers. I remember thinking I wanted a job where I could have that much fun and come more out of my shell!
In terms of wanting to become a career bartender, I saw a challenge of pushing myself to learn as much as I could and be able to educate others – whisky was what really captivated me that way.
B&C: Can you tell us about your current role and what it entails?
LD: I am currently the Bar Manager at Savile Row, however I do have a funny combination of tasks under my umbrella. As the Bar Manager, I lead the intensive training program we have here at Savile Row, ensure standards are met across service and drinks, get to maintain and order for our sexy back bar, but best of all I get to work in this beautiful bar.
We work as a team creatively, we all contribute to our cocktail list and weekly specials, we mentor eachother and it honestly is so great to see such a strong creative team. I do also have a creative role here at Savile, I do graphic design for the bar, assist in their marketing and help with the logistics and execution of all of our events – and boy are there a lot!
B&C: What’s a drink trend you’re loving right now and one you wish would go away?
I love and adore ‘tacky’ or ‘gimicky’ drinks, I love Espresso Martinis, I love bright blue and green drinks – if you see me with a Midori and milk, look away! I love when we aren’t afraid to play with texture and colour, pushing formats and pairings that shouldn’t really work – I love seeing challenges.
A trend I really wish would go away is the arrogance that there is a wrong drink – a good drink is whatever you want, whatever you feel like and whatever tastes good to you or your guest.
B&C: What’s your process for maintaining quality and consistency in drinks?
LD: Honestly, it is focus, accuracy and meticulousness, when you do that for long enough it does become autonomous. Training is key within your team to achieve this and the one thing I always see slip is roundbuilding, you should always be aiming for every single drink to be put out at its absolute prime – prime temp, prime taste, prime dilution, prime aesthetic. It’s like learning a language and they do vary from bar to bar (which can cause fun debates!) but I truly believe that is what elevates a good bar team to a great bar team.
Very hot take here, but depending on the bar you work at I don’t believe you need to know 200+ classics – I think it is much more valuable to understand the cocktail families and structure of those cocktails. This paired with roundbuilding helps you execute high quality drinks and great consistency with your bartenders having a great understanding of why they need to be made that way and how to do it efficiently.
B&C: What makes a good bartender a great bartender beyond just making drinks?
LD: As I mentioned, roundbuilding is huge but also some core basics like heads-up bartending – say hello and acknowledge every single guest, engage with conversation, a guest is always so much happier if there is a wait time if they are being engaged with.
The ability to work in a team is huge, your ability to work alongside someone and be able to not say a word but build your separate rounds together always feels amazing! There are a bunch of small things that make a great bartender but truly the difference is loving the interactions with your guests, no knowledge or technique can make up for authenticity.
B&C: What other three things do you think make a successful bartender?
LD: The three things I think make a successful bartender are a genuine care for the guest experience, acceptance that your journey of learning will never hit its ceiling and respect for your community and colleagues.
Care for the guest experience: It’s often forgotten that the entire point of this is hospitality, and the guest is your number one priority. Once you lean into that and find joy from that, you gain so much more from this career.
Endless learning Journey: This industry evolves and grows so much, there is an endless amount of knowledge and techniques to learn and wrap your head around, your mentors and idols are still learning too! Accepting that this is bigger than you makes the learning process more enjoyable and less of a race to the finish line. Having a true passion for learning and growing is essential.
Respect: There has to be respect due to the history and years of growth within this industry and its leaders, but more than that, respect for those who enter your venue, respect for the people you work alongside with and respect for safety, boundaries and comfort of any individual. Respect for yourself, your mental health needs and work-life balance – success comes from taking care of yourself when you often forget to.
B&C: Can you tell us what your favourite bar is and why? What’s your go-to drink when visiting?
Honestly, it is always Old Loves, Sydney. The warmth of that bar is embedded from the service right down to the ambience and the love of the craft. Dre, Corky and Jay are some of the best in the bizz and they do what they do because they genuinely love what they do, and you feel that every single time you enter the bar. Plus, the knowledge they provide is absolutely captivating and nothing feels better than watching them juice the sugarcane fresh! Honestly, I always let the bartenders take the lead for me, there is something great about being able to trust a bartender to take the lead.
