World Bartender Day is later this month, so it seemed only right to speak to some amazing bartenders from all over Scotland to find out a bit more about them and get their top tips of the trade.
First of all – let’s meet the bartenders.
Marquis Smith – Stravaigin, Glasgow. Marquis, is originally from the Bahamas and moved to Scotland in 2003. He recently won the Schweppes Bartender of the Year at the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.
Finlay Whitton – The Physician, St Andrews. Finlay has been a bartender for four years whilst attending university in St Andrews.
Finlay Paterson – Scott’s Port Edgar, South Queensferry. Finlay has been a bartender for over three years and last year won the Campari Bar Apprentice at our Scottish Bar and Pub Awards.
Anna R. Syktus – Black Mamba, Dundee . Anna has been a bartender for four years and has been at Black Mamba for six months which she says now feels like a “second home”.
Shaun Murphy – Delmonicas, Glasgow. Shaun has been bartending for 14 years and recently joined the team at Delmonicas in Glasgow.
Ruaridh Mcintyre – Tigerlily, Edinburgh. Ruaridh has been bartending for three years now and says the first cocktail he learned to make was a French Martini!
Joe Aiwan Soba – The Tree House, Ayr. Joe has been working with Buzzworks since he was 16. After finishing a Sport and Exercise Science degree at university he now works at The Tree House.
Marcus Gordon – The Ivy Lodge, Aberdeen. Marcus has been a bartender for 10 years and joined The Ivy Lodge in 2023. He is also a magician!
Rhys Langley – Hey Palu, Edinburgh. Rhys has been a bartender for eight years and joined the team at Hey Palu in 2024.
Sarah Coleridge – The Old Workshop, Aberdeen. Sarah has been creating great cocktails at The Old Workshop for 18 months.
Branford Edgar – Kelvingrove Café, Glasgow. Branford has been bartending over three years and is now a popular staff member at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Café.
What do you think makes a good bartender?
Marquis Smith: Being a good bartender is about knowing who your customers are. The skill is not making the fancy drinks, it’s about generating repeat custom through great customer service.
Finlay Whitton: A genuine desire to learn. I’m constantly looking for other bartenders who I can learn something from. Things like little tricks of the trade, flavour pairings and nuances in dealing with customers.
Finlay Paterson: A good bartender should be friendly, organised, prepared and work cleanly.
Anna R. Syktus: I would say mental strength. This job can get quite stressful at times, so it’s essential to keep your head screwed on tight. Every day is a school day and being able to take criticism and run with it is also essential.
Shaun Murphy: A good bartender is someone who possesses a good range of skills. For me customer service is always number one – being friendly, approachable and making the customer feel they are being listened to. You should also always be looking to pick up new tricks and skills along the way to constantly develop yourself.
Rhys Langley: The ability to portray confidence in your work without the need to scream and shout. The best bartenders I’ve met will become a part of the experience, rather than the focus of it.
Sarah Coleridge: I’m always more impressed by a bartender’s people skills than I am by their drink-making skills. You can completely change someone’s experience by how you interact with them and if you can show that you enjoy your job then it can transform an atmosphere.
Branford Edgar: Being able to work fast and consistently under pressure. If you can mix high quality drinks to the same standard and taste every time, then you’re golden. Crafting and balancing a drink is also massively important as well as providing top-notch, efficient service to guests.
Ruaridh Mcintyre: To me the perfect bartender is someone who has all the know-how of their craft but at the same time has the right attitude for the job. Good patter is always a bonus as well of course!
Joe Aiwan Soba: You need to have a good personality to speak to people, you need to have flair and a good knowledge of drinks. I also think it’s also important to get along with your colleagues as it definitely makes work easier.
Marcus Gordon: Learning how and when to apply different styles to suit a customer. Sometimes guests want to engage with you and learn and sometimes they just want a round as quickly as possible with minimal chat.
Who inspires you?
Marquis Smith: My father. He had his own business, and I worked with him when I was younger. Also, Jan Johnson from the Bahamas. She was amazing at her job and worked up from being a secretary to assistant director at the hotel where I worked. She had a lot of time for me and gave me opportunities.
Finlay Whitton: The bar staff I work with. Within our team we’ve created an environment of love and support – getting to make drinks and spend time with them is what keeps me coming back to work.
Finlay Paterson: Friends and colleagues in the industry as well as certain online creators such as Chris Leavitt and Jordan Hughes. The people from DRAM provided me with great opportunities to meet more people in the industry such as Andy Gemmell from The Gate in Glasgow.
Anna R. Syktus: In every bar that I’ve worked in thus far, it has always been my coworkers who inspired me. No matter how bad the day, they are always able to be a comfort and have a laugh. I always aim to do the same for them.
Shaun Murphy: Quite a few of my old managers inspire me. I have seen a lot of them thrive in the business and move on to do great things. Some of them have even opened their own venues.
Rhys Langley: Everyone who has mastered the ability to transfer their skills and experiences between the bar and their personal life. I love tasting drinks inspired by people’s wacky and wonderful life experiences and I admire everyone who uses the skills picked up from the industry to excel in other facets of their life.
Sarah Coleridge: I’ve always looked up to my General Manager, Milo Smith, even before I worked with him. He’s also taught me a lot in terms of product knowledge, cocktail development, customer service and he’s helped me with my confidence as a bartender.
Branford Edgar: My dad. I grew up with him making margaritas for my mum at home. There’s a photo of me somewhere with a Boston shaker aged about ten or eleven and that was probably the first cocktail I ever made. So, I definitely have him to thank for this career path.
Ruaridh Mcintyre: Throughout my career as a bartender, I’ve worked with so many amazing people. I’ve been taught so much over the years, and they all take their places in inspiring me.
Joe Aiwan Soba: I’ve always been a sporty person and listen to a lot of podcasts for inspiration and motivation. I’d also mention one of my bosses, Grant Cameron, who has worked his way up to Assistant Manager. He’s a smart guy and really dedicated to his job.
Marcus Gordon: Industry greats such as Remy Savage, Monica Berg, Tess Posthumus and Iain McPherson – they are all constantly pushing the industry forward. Also, as a history buff I’d have to add Dave Wondrich to the list as well!
What’s the best advice/tool you’ve ever been given in your job?
Marquis Smith: The best advice I received was from Andy Webster who told me to always keep my eye on the door to see who’s coming in. That way you can start pouring their drink. It gives you an advantage and shows great service.
Finlay Whitton: The best tool I’ve been given is an appetite for reading books on cocktails and bartending. My old bar manager gave me some books to read when I first started, and I’ve been working my way through similar books ever since. The best advice was that everyone’s role in a bar is of equal importance. The bar back who works quietly and diligently is just as important as the bartender.
Finlay Paterson: The best advice I’ve been given is to treat guests that come into your venue as if they were guests in your home. Guests are much more appreciative when there are problems if the service feels more personal and leaves a lasting impression.
Anna R. Syktus: To be perfectly candid, the best advice I’ve ever received was “sometimes all a manager wants to hear is a yes.” It has become so much easier to get along with managers since applying that to my day to day. The best tool I’ve been given was a high-quality waiter’s friend; made opening wine such a breeze!
Shaun Murphy: The best advice I have is to make sure that you take care of yourself and eat. Too many of us rush about all day without eating properly and then on days off try to fit in 101 things. It’s important to take time for yourself and take care of your mental health.
Rhys Langley: “We’re just making drinks.” – I always think back to it when I find myself getting wrapped up in the pressures of this industry. Bartending is like a sport, if you get the basics right the rest follows.
Sarah Coleridge: Learn how to read the room. This allows you to anticipate what people want and means you can deliver quality service.
Branford Edgar: 5ml of Sugar can change a drink. Apart from that a handy tool I use is “Different is Dominant”. So, if I’m making two drinks, whatever one is less common, I will make in my dominant handed shaker/mixing tin. It’s such an easy trick and it means I don’t ever have to worry about mis-pouring ingredients into either tin.
Ruaridh Mcintyre: “We’re not saving lives. We’re making drinks”. This phrase was said to me during a busy service at my first bar job and it’s stuck with me ever since. It really grounded my perspective as a freshly 18-year-old bartender facing a full bar and restaurant for the first time.
Joe Aiwan Soba: When I first started at Lido Troon I was given some advice by Lauren Quinn. She taught me not to panic and how to cope with the stress. When it’s busy you can get overwhelmed, but sometimes you just need to take a breath.
Marcus Gordon: Over the years I’ve lost track of who has giving me advice and what conclusions I’ve arrived at myself! I think the best advice I can give would be to take your own well-being seriously. We all get burned out at times and it’s important to recognize that and take time off when you need it.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Marquis Smith: Meeting people and from different walks of life. I love meeting new people as it refreshes your motivation and drive.
Finlay Whitton: As St Andrews is a university town we see quite a lot of fresh faces. I love training newbies, making them feel at home and then seeing them excel, growing into confident skilled bartenders.
Finlay Paterson: The opportunity to be creative, especially with cocktails. It’s a great feeling creating a drink for weekend specials that tastes nice and is widely enjoyed by all. I also enjoy the opportunity to meet and speak to new people every day and to give them an experience to remember.
Anna R. Syktus: There are too many things to choose from! Whether it be meeting people from all over the world and hearing their stories, or the creativity that comes with making and designing cocktails, or just the satisfaction of resetting the bar at the end of a busy night.
Shaun Murphy: I love hearing customers stories and finding out about their experiences in life (even if some of them sound made up!). I also enjoy learning new things so different training opportunities are also important to me.
Rhys Langley: As cliche as it sounds, the people. We work in an industry that demands passion to succeed and that draws people from all corners of life together over one common interest.
Sarah Coleridge: The people I get to meet from loyal regulars to the other trade staff that come in. I quickly realised that the bartending community was really tight knit in Aberdeen and the friendships and connections I’ve built from my job are really important to me.
Branford Edgar: The fact that every shift is different, and anyone can come into the bar. This creates an ever-changing social environment as you meet loads of new people every single day. That’s something I find very unique to bartending specifically.
Ruaridh Mcintyre: My favourite part is always going to be menu creation. I love going through the process of creating different drinks, whether it’s a twist on a classic or something completely new. My fool proof method for this process is just staring at the back-bar until I see a bottle I never pick up or hardly use. This method landed me and one of my drinks at a UK final for a cocktail competition not too long ago!
Joe Aiwan Soba: The people I work with – everyone is different, but they all get along. I also love hearing about customers lives and making new contacts.
Marcus Gordon: The creative aspects. Menu creation, competitions, planning and presenting tastings. I am also a magician so I have an inherent creative and performative side to me
If you could do a guest shift at any other bar in the world, where would you pick and why?
Marquis Smith: I’d probably go back to my Bahamas roots and say the Atlantis Hotel Bar. You get to meet so many different people there, even famous people. I’d love to make some drinks and have some banter with them.
Finlay Whitton: The American Bar in Gleneagles. I would love to pull a shift there and see what goes on behind the scenes. I’m sure I would learn a lot. I would do it for free, of course, but a room to stay in after the shift wouldn’t be turned down!
Finlay Paterson: I would love to do a guest shift at Schofield’s in Manchester one day. I’ve never been to a bar like it before – classy old interior, 10/10 service and the best drinks I have ever had.
Anna R. Syktus: It would be Tay r + Elementary in London. The beautiful modern decor, and the fact that they have a seasonal cocktail list that changes weekly. I would love to take part in that process!
Shaun Murphy: Play in Nashville. I visited it on holiday, and I loved the vibe, plus the entertainment that they have is top class.
Rhys Langley: Flying Dutchmen in Amsterdam. I love the vibe of this bar – the space is beautiful, and their style of service strikes the balance between approachable and knowledgeable.
Sarah Coleridge: Buck and Breck in Berlin. I visited back in 2024 after seeing a little bit about it online and it exceeded all my expectations. The drinks were outstanding; but most importantly they made us feel so welcome.
Branford Edgar: Death and Co. in New York – it’s iconic and home to so many modern classics. Or Dukes London, as making one of their martinis would be legendary. It’s also where I had my first Last Word which then became (and still is) my favourite cocktail.
Ruaridh Mcintyre: The first bar that comes to mind is the Engel bar in London’s Royal Exchange. I just love the style and creativity they add to every drink they make.
Joe Aiwan Soba: Be At One in London – it was so different and upbeat. They have crazy lights, a smoke machine and when the beat drops they throw ice in the air. It’s a bit mental but it’s really different.
Marcus Gordon: There are so many it’s hard to narrow down to one, but if I had to choose, I would say probably ARGO in Singapore.
