By Leigh O’Connor.
During one of his first shifts behind the bar, mixologist Adam Lau shook a Mojito and soda water in a cocktail shaker – it exploded all over him. Needless to say, he hasn’t done that again!
Canadian-born, Adam now finds himself concocting creative cocktails at Grain Bar on George Street in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.
Nestled in Four Seasons Hotel, this trendy venue celebrates the fine craft of drinking in a neighbourhood vibe, showcasing passion, produce and people in moody surrounds, ideal for lingering over a cocktail and share plates.
"I used to work in a restaurant - I saw a bartender working and said to myself ‘I want to be that guy behind the bar’. I started learning cocktails and bartending, working to nail classic cocktails first before I became creative and innovative,” he tells AGFG.
"As my family always tells me, learn to walk before you run.”
Adam loves to experiment with different grains, exploring their potential and that is evident in Grain Bar’s drinks menu, which is designed to celebrate the fruits of labour, showcasing humble grains, oats, buckwheat, spelt, triticale and quinoa, to name a few.
‘Our style is to have a big focus on classic cocktails – a Martini must be perfect, no excuses!”
Obsessive-compulsive about the details of guests’ bar experience, Adam says everything must be just right from the moment someone walks in until they leave.
"The temperature, music, vibe, product, service…everything. Grabbing a cocktail is more than the drink itself; it’s the vibe and service that make an everlasting impact.”
Acknowledging bartending is a business, Adam still revels in the fun side and the versatility it allows.
"The set of skills I have learnt along the way are very practical, transformative and adaptable.”
Sharing his recipe for Grain Bar’s signature In Like Flynn cocktail, he says the drink took almost six months to put together while staff tried to come up with the perfect garnish that was impactful and epic.
"We wanted to create a very classic, approachable and unique cocktail with an Australian influence, hence the koala print on the top of the drink.”
A combination of gin, Amaro Montenegro, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, eucalyptus and egg white, there is nothing this cocktail won’t fix!
"People come to our hotel bar and expect a little luxury, but luxury doesn’t mean intimidating,” Adam explains. "We still want our guests to feel comfortable and that’s when the intangible aspects of hospitality come into place – authenticity, genuine care and personality.
"People make the experience special – you can have the most beautiful bar in the world, but without hospitality, the place just feels cold and without soul.”
Most of the time, we won’t remember what we had to drink in a bar, but we will always remember how staff made us feel.
Cheers to more creative cocktails and good times at Grain Bar!
