Daniel Mehigan - Mixologist Of The Month

Bio

• Date of Birth: March 1993
• Height: 5'10"
• Birthplace: Reading
• Eye colour: Brown
• Nationality: British

"I started working behind the bar at my Poppa’s Hotel as soon as I was allowed. My bartending journey has taken me all around the world from Nottingham to Cambodia to Dublin.

With a brief pitstop in my career working in professional football, I always seem to end up behind the bar. With it being a great opportunity to travel the world, meet new people and explore different cultures why would I want to do anything else?"

Signature Cocktails

Dirty Martini 0

Milo Negroni 0

Uncle Boy 0

Obey the Ube 0

Calamansi Daiquiri 0

List of your awards, accolades, trophies

Outstanding Student Prize - University of Leeds. Tony the Tiger 50m backstroke badge.

Your Claim To Fame

One and Half star rating on Football Manager.

Q & A

What do you as a mixologist think about beer? Any brews of note for you?
London Pride is a personal favourite, there is as much to play with with beer as there is with cocktails these days.

If you could offer a couple of short pieces of advice to the average bartender, what would they be?
Ask for advice.

Surely you have some pet peeves about bartenders -- care to share?
Laziness and talking bollocks.

As a mixologist/consultant, you work directly with many restaurants on their drink menus -- describe the parts of this process.
**Know your brief.

How did you get started?
Through the family hotel business.

How were you trained in bartending?
I was stuck behind a bar and told to get on with it.

Did you take any courses?
European Bartender School.

What are some trends you’re seeing in the market?
Classic Cocktails are having a resurgence!!

What’s your process for creating a new cocktail? And what inspired you in the first place?
Playing with the classics, you’re never going to invent a brand new drink nowadays, it's already been done. It's almost like how hard can you hide a classic.

What is your favourite cocktail To make?
Negroni or a Boulvardea.

What are some of your favourite tools?
A good mixing glass.

What is your favourite mixology resource?
People.

What does success mean for you?
Enjoyment and happiness.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
No Idea.

If you weren’t in the drinks industry, what do you think you would be doing now?
Travelling.

Your biggest career influencer?

Laurence Henry.

First drink you ever tried?
Corona at Centre Parcs 2007.

We’ve all had a bad experience with at least one drink. What drink do you most avoid?
Ouzo.

Your hangover cure?
I don’t get hangovers.

£10m comes to you. What do you do next?
Take the Boys on Holiday!!!

Bar or cellar at home?
A spirits trolley, a bar.

Wine?
Santa Rita - Chilean Merlot.

Spirit?
Tanduay - I love the Philippines.

Cocktail?
Negroni.

Fav Bar?
Pier Bar, Mad Monkey, Koh Rong Sanloem.

Restaurant?
Kushi-ya.

World location?
Vietnam.

Fav film?
Bad Boys 2.

Book?
The Hungry Caterpillar.

Album?
Definitely Maybe.

Singer/band? Liam Gallagher.