Meet your Manager - Justin from Clayfield!
HOW DID YOU GET INTO HOSPITALITY?
I started at McDonald’s when I was 17. From there I bought a couple of bakeries. After that I worked with local burger chain Burger Urge, becoming their training and development manager. Now I’m here.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE SENSE OF TASTE CONCEPT?
It’s not your normal bottle shop, it’s boutique. We specialise in the hard-to-get things. I’m a bourbon man and I love being able to access better bourbon for myself, and procure it for everyone else. We’re pushing that mindset into other categories too, different rums and tequilas for example. Queensland doesn’t get a lot of allocation for limited things, so it’s nice to be able to contribute to Queensland getting an allocation or a larger allocation.
WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING NOW?
Bourbon. I have about 30-40 odd bourbons open at the moment at home and rotate through those. These include 1792, Old Forester, Makers’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, Evan Williams. I drink it neat and I always make an Old Fashioned with everything I open.
FAVOURITE LOCALLY MADE PRODUCT?
Morris Single Malt whisky is really nice and the 23rd Street Single Malt was also surprisingly nice. While I find a lot of Australian stuff too young, the market here is very promising. A lot of American bloggers are talking up where Australian whisky is heading, Archie Rose in particular has been mentioned very positively. In another decade Australian whisky will be something to be reckoned with.