As a former beer brewer (Zac) and gin sales rep (Brenden), you’ve both spent a lot of time in the alcohol industry. What are the biggest changes you’ve witnessed over the past five years?
Zac Wright: I think the biggest change has been the massive resurgence of crafts – there are so many amazing craft breweries and small distillers popping up in Australia now. It’s a really exciting time. People are now leaning towards small-batch, locally owned, hand-crafted type products, rather than the bigger names.
Brenden Yeo: And that’s kind of the same with venues now too – a lot of them are smaller, locally owned venues with a more select target market. People don’t really want to sit at a pub with hundreds of others anymore. There’s no intimacy. That’s kind of been our drinking ethos here for so long though. When you go over to Europe you see small little alleyway bars where people can actually sit and chat and eat good food … as opposed to cramming hundreds into a venue.
Lockwood bar is a fairly unique concept. It’s a bar, but at the same time you’re also trying to shift attitudes toward alcohol. How are you creating the shift?
BY: Education is a big thing. We’re trying to change the drinking culture from the inside out. It’s about educating people on how to drink good spirits and why we drink good spirits. Alcohol was always seen as a medicine and over time it’s blown out of proportion in terms of the way people consume it and don’t really respect it. We’re really trying to get that respect back and get people to enjoy the essence of crafted beverages.
Do you find it difficult to educate people on the changing culture?
BY: Well, no. But in saying that, some people don’t want to be educated. Like, my Dad will never stop drinking VB … and that’s okay. But I think it’s more how we consume. Like, you can buy a $60 glass of whisky, but if you’re going to knock it back in two seconds, then you’re not appreciating it. But, most people are open to learning about what they’re drinking – people are generally curious in nature. There’s a reason we don’t have a list for our whiskies here, or a list for our rums and the wine. It’s all hand-sold, it’s very personal. We find out what people do and don’t like, and craft it around them. Most people are happy to try something different and appreciate it.
What do you think is driving people to seek out small-batch spirits, beers and wines?
ZW: I think people are just more aware now that you actually can get amazing products that are produced locally. It’s definitely building. In saying that, some of the world’s most amazing whisky distillers have been operating for more than 300 years, so no one is going to replace that immediately. But, the industry itself is certainly leaning more and more towards small-batch, crafted and artisinal products.
BY: It’s like food – people want to know where their food comes from. And it’s the same with the whiskies and the gin and other spirits. It gives people something to relate to – generally there is a great story behind them too.
Spring has sprung. What are you loving working with behind the bar at the moment?
BY: Gin will always have a strong place in my heart. Given it’s warmer now, you want things to be light and fresh, so citrus, native ginger, different botanicals and rosemary always great to work with at this time of year.
ZW: We’re playing with barrels at the moment, and I’m loving it. We’re barrel-ageing some stuff ourselves. We’ve cured the barrels with whatever we want, and then we get see the flavour profile change over like three or four weeks. It’s pretty cool.
What’s your favourite bottle on the shelf Lockwood right now? You can only choose one, sorry.
BY: The Caol Ila Distillers Edition.
ZW: Um, how blue is the sky? The Argerb Keplie. It’s pretty rare in Australia, there were only like 90 bottles in the country.
BY: It’s only his favourite because he’s not allowed to drink it because it costs too much!
You already have arguably the best job in the word, but, what would be your ultimate profession?
ZW: A scuba instructor.
BY: Professional surfer. I am certainly not qualified to do it.
Where will we find you on a day off?
BY: In the ocean.
ZW: Tinkering with my motorbike.
Keen to check out Lockwood? You’ll find the details in our Stumble Guide.