How long have you been employed at the Soho House Group?

I started at the opening in Miami so it’s almost a year now.

What trends are you seeing in bars at the moment?

We do a lot of classic cocktails and I would definitely say that trend is coming back. Especially putting new twists on the old classics.

What is your signature drink?

We have something on our menu called a Café Romana. It’s chilled sambuca in a martini glass and we make an espresso foam and that rests on top of the sambuca.

What is your favourite ingredient/spirit to work with?

I like to work with rum – you can do a lot of different things with it.

What can you not live without behind the bar?

Fresh ingredients. Anything fresh that we need to make the cocktails: lime, mint, all that. When I go behind the bar and I see ingredients that aren’t fresh then it all needs to be restocked – everything needs to be absolutely fresh.

What is your favourite bar in Miami?

One of my favourite bars is actually an old place I used to work at called Sushi Samba. It’s more of a restaurant bar but they have a DJ inside and it’s pretty cool: Brazilian culture and flair meets Japanese food. It’s very colourful! The DJ creates a party atmosphere and so no matter what night you go it’s always got a good vibe.

What’s one of the funniest things you’ve witnessed as a bartender?

The amount of old guys trying to pick up young girls all the time in my bar is one of the funniest things I ever see! When they walk up to the bar we sing the Jaws music: “Der dum, der dum, der dum…” And the girls swing round and ask us what we’re doing and we say, “The sharks are coming!” So we have a good time with that.

What is your most memorable drink/place to drink?

If I had to pick a place that was out of my country then it’s definitely Night Jar in London. I had a great cocktail called Dusk Til Dawn there. It had some cognac, with a little bit of an orange kick and a powdered sugared rim. It was very zesty, very flavourful and smelled great. Everything about the drink was perfect.

What are the classic mistakes that bad bars make?

Probably not hiring the right people to work in them to make them better bars.

What’s the secret to getting served quickly at the bar?

To make yourself noticed without being an asshole! If you come up to the bar nice and polite and I make eye contact with you and you understand that I’m busy and will be right with you; you’re the next person getting served. If you come up to the bar obnoxious and snapping your fingers: you’re going to be the last guy.