Perspectives
Season 3
Unlocking creativity
In this episode, we explore how to unlock creativity. Being creative is not just about coming up with new ideas – it’s the ability to execute those ideas, utilising systems and structures, and overcoming challenges along the way. We head into some of the most creative bars in the world right now, speaking to leading consultants, directors and bartenders on how best to channel creative ideas, and the people who can bring them to life.
Contributors
Alexis Belton
BEVERAGE DIRECTOR, METROPOLIS BY MARCUS SAMUELSSON, NYCOriginally hailing from from Northern California, Alexis is currently the Beverage Director & General Manager at the newly opened Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, inside of PAC NYC. In 2011, life brought her to New York City where she took a job managing a West Village haunt; it was also here she met her husband. After a few years, the two of them made the trek to Chicago where they spent over eight years under employment with The Alinea Group. It was during this time that she contributed to The Aviary’s beverage program as the Bar Director. Alexis is a volunteer in the Cocktail Apprentice Program, and will return again this year as a White Coat to help teach the 2024 class.
Alexis Belton
BEVERAGE DIRECTOR, METROPOLIS BY MARCUS SAMUELSSON, NYCOriginally hailing from from Northern California, Alexis is currently the Beverage Director & General Manager at the newly opened Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, inside of PAC NYC. In 2011, life brought her to New York City where she took a job managing a West Village haunt; it was also here she met her husband. After a few years, the two of them made the trek to Chicago where they spent over eight years under employment with The Alinea Group. It was during this time that she contributed to The Aviary’s beverage program as the Bar Director. Alexis is a volunteer in the Cocktail Apprentice Program, and will return again this year as a White Coat to help teach the 2024 class.
Brian Buirge
CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, GFDA, NYCBrian is an industry veteran with 15 years of experience working with a range of organisations from Fortune 100 companies to independent brands and non-profits. He co-founded multi-purpose agency Good Fucking Design Advice in 2010 while he was in grad school.
Brian Buirge
CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR, GFDA, NYCBrian is an industry veteran with 15 years of experience working with a range of organisations from Fortune 100 companies to independent brands and non-profits. He co-founded multi-purpose agency Good Fucking Design Advice in 2010 while he was in grad school.
Philip Bischoff
BEVERAGE AMBASSADOR, FOUR SEASONS HOTELS & RESORTS, APACFrom bars to nightclubs, Bischoff has worked in top bars from Berlin, to Amsterdam and Singapore. He now heads up the beverage programmes for the Four Seasons APAC, while also taking care of operations at the hotel group’s Bangkok outpost.
Philip Bischoff
BEVERAGE AMBASSADOR, FOUR SEASONS HOTELS & RESORTS, APACFrom bars to nightclubs, Bischoff has worked in top bars from Berlin, to Amsterdam and Singapore. He now heads up the beverage programmes for the Four Seasons APAC, while also taking care of operations at the hotel group’s Bangkok outpost.
Taln Rojanavanich
CO-OWNER, MESSENGER SERVICE BAR & BAR US, BANGKOKWith a background in design, Rojanavanich approaches her role as head of R&D at her bars with a fresh approach. She challenges traditional approaches with fresh concepts and bold design. For her and her co-founder, focusing on experimentation is important in their bars.
Taln Rojanavanich
CO-OWNER, MESSENGER SERVICE BAR & BAR US, BANGKOKWith a background in design, Rojanavanich approaches her role as head of R&D at her bars with a fresh approach. She challenges traditional approaches with fresh concepts and bold design. For her and her co-founder, focusing on experimentation is important in their bars.
Further Reading
Article
The future is yours to create: Tom GodfreyMeet Tom Godfrey, co-founder and owner of FOCO in Barcelona, one of the city’s most loved bars. He tells us where his passion for bartending began, who has had the biggest impact on his progression, and how listening more than speaking could be his legacy
Article
How a film director and illustrator approach their craftsHow can bartenders draw inspiration from areas of creativity that go beyond the bar? We asked to creative minds to share their insights.
Article
Shingo Gokan: Mentorship is the foundation of building strong bar teamsFrom Toyko to New York, Shingo Gokan has become one of the bar industry’s universal mentors, for his teams and individuals alike. He explains why it is so important for bar teams to have mentors
Article
Communicating creativity: From cocktail conception to consumer perceptionThe journey of a cocktail passes through many different people before it gets into the hands of the consumer. Who is involved in its communication process – and how can that impact the final outcome?
Article
Jason Richburg: 5 things creative bartenders need to knowThe writer and strategy director at NYC’s Good Fucking Design Advice knows how to use words to garner their followers. He gives us his top tips for generating creativity behind the bar
Article
The future is yours to create: Courtney FrancisThe first of our 2024 interviewees in this series is Courtney Francis, bartender at Birmingham’s Couch Stirchley in England. She explains how boundaries, feedback and here grandmother have had an impact on her career
Discover Campari Academy
With insight and knowledge from industry icon Monica Berg, we’re looking beyond the bar to educate and inspire bartenders at all levels of their careers on a global scale in a way that’s never been seen before.
