Our favourite bartenders: Tristan Stephenson
Tristan Stephenson, co-founder of Fluid Movement, Purl, Worship Street Whistling Shop and Flat P at Dach and Sons
Where did you learn your craft?
I started as a chef and bartender in the pubs and restaurants of north Cornwall.
Name a few of the places you’ve worked
Fifteen in Cornwall. I also worked as an ambassador for Diageo for a while.
Who’s the most inspiring person you’ve worked with and why?
Too many to name, but some would be Dave Broom, Nigel Barden, Wayne Curtis and Professor Tony Blake.
What makes a good bartender?
Attention to detail in everything.
Which bartenders do you admire and why?
Dave Arnold. He brings a lot of sensible science into the profession, some of which answers a lot of questions of which the answers have been wrongly assumed over the years.
What’s your proudest moment as a bartender?
The opening night at Purl… Or, winning CLASS Bartender of the Year 2011.
Shaken or stirred?
Thrown. Just kidding. It depends on the drink.
What’s your favourite drink?
To mix:
The last one.
To drink:
The next one.
On your menu:
That would have the be the Mr Hyde’s Fixer Upper at Purl.
What’s your definition of a bartender and a mixologist and where do you fit in?
I don’t really see them as being different. People associate the term ‘mixologist’ with a certain type of bartender, but it’s just a word and it’s been used for a lot longer than most people recognise.
What’s your favourite ingredient?
Bob’s Abbots bitters
Where do you drink off duty?
The Langham, The Savoy and a whole bunch of pubs.
What’s your essential piece of bar kit?
Scales – bartenders don’t use them enough, but a decent set is essential for good prep.
What’s your failsafe recipe to mix at home?
Absinthe. It’s quick, easy, doesn’t go off, and above all else – really, really tasty.
If you could mix a cocktail for anyone alive or dead, who would it be and why?
My father.
Find Tristan between bars at Flat P at Dach & Sons, 68 Heath Street, NW3 1DN. T: 020 7444 8139. dachandsons.com; Purl, 50-54 Blandford Street, W1U 7HX. T: 020 7935 0835. purl-london.com; Worship Street Whistling Shop, 63 Worship Street, EC2A 2DU. T: 020 7247 0015. whistling shop.com.
