Doctor Phil Gandevia : Eau de vie (Sydney)

Dr Phil Gandevia is a bartender from Eau de vie, Sydney. He shows us 2 cocktails, one is gin based and the other one rum based

Phil introduce yourself
My name is Dr Phil Gandevia from Eau de vie Sydney and I’ve been bartending for over 15 years now. I first became a bartender, because my girlfriend at the time told me I needed to get a job! She liked nice things, and I needed to pay for them. I also needed to pay for my university studies, so bartending initially started out as a means to an end. But I dislike mediocrity in anything and believe you should strive to be the best in whatever it is you do, so I remember thinking if I was going to do this, I was going to do it well. I chose cocktails, as it allows you to make something truly unique and special for a guest.
The classic you want to show us
Cold drip Negroni
25ml of gin
25ml of sweet vermouth
25ml of Campari
25ml of cold drip coffee

The bar or party you dream of
I’ve done it here with the Eau de Vie Apothecary (it is just before the entrance of Eau de Vie). It’s similar to here, but with a very limited cocktail list. I use lots of beakers, test tubes, liquid nitrogen and smoke. It’s very theatrical, unusual and unique, with music and ambience to match.

The spirit you like the most
I’m always interested in different liqueurs. I know base spirits inside out and back to front, but for me it’s about the modifiers and how we can use them in classic drinks and interpret them in new ways. Learning how to use these more subtle flavours is when you can paint interesting canvasses.

What makes a good cocktail and which product do you want to highlight at this moment
It’s very simple… a good cocktail is one I want to have another one of. At the moment I am obsessed with using vegetables in drinks, I think they give unique flavours. I’m always looking to chefs like Alain Ducasse for inspiration.

The signature cocktail you want to show us
A cocktail made especially for us with only french products. Thanks Phil
Cure and Cause
30ml of agricultural rum
10ml of Maraschino
10ml of Green Chartreuse
10ml of Suze
10ml of Gentiane
30ml of lime juice

Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender
You have to go to Tokyo and visit an interesting bartender called Gen Yamamoto. He serves degustation cocktails using only Japanese and seasonal products.

3 Comments

  1. Agricultural rum? Agricole rum you mean? Also, quite curious; Does Dr Phil Gandevia have an actual doctorate or attained qualification as a medical practitioner? Genuinely curious.

    • Hi, both words are possible agricultural or agricole. And as far as we know, no he doesn’t have any PhD, that’s just a nickname.

  2. Pingback: Cyan Wong: Mint Gun Club (London) - Le Cocktail Connoisseur

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