Daniel Schofield : 69 Colebrook Row (London)

Daniel is a bartender at 69 Colebrook Row in London. He makes us two cocktails, one is Bourbon based and the other features Prosecco.

Daniel introduce yourself
Hi I’m Daniel Schofield and I’m a bartender at 69 Colebrook Row in London. Like most of the guys in this industry, I began my career by chance seven years ago. I started as a barback in Leeds at Jake’s Bar (a proper cocktail bar), where I met great people who taught me a lot. Beginning as a barback is the best way to learn everything about how a bar runs, how to make a drink and how to make guests feel comfortable and have good time. I then moved to Manchester to work in a Tiki Bar called The Liars Club for two years. I decided to move to Paris where I worked at Little Red Door which was incredible, then I moved back to London and for the last seven months I’ve been here at 69. I’ve moved a lot and I am sure there will be more destinations in the future, like Berlin or Stockholm. It’s great to have the freedom to move where I want and I love to see how different countries manage their bars in different ways and use local products. You are always learning in this industry, it’s a never-ending job… it’s great.

The classic you want to show us
Manhattan Steel Corp
50ml of Distilled Sweet Manhattan (Bourbon, Sweet Vermouth, Angustura bitters bottles)
2.5ml of Sugar Syrup
2.5ml Luxardo Maraschino
10 Microns of Dry Essence

The bar or party you dream of
It will be a really small evening venue in Europe that I’ll run with my brother Joe who works in the industry as well. The design would be minimalist, with only 10 to 15 seats around the bar for a more intimate service where you can interact with each guest because you are not too busy. We would have a few snacks because it’s important for people to be able to nibble whilst they are drinking. The music will be northern soul music, nothing too heavy or aggressive as music obviously affects how you perceive your drink.
I have two days off, so the first is generally spent relaxing at home, doing the washing and that kind of stuff. The second day is more about visiting friends in bars with my girlfriend or going for a nice walk and taking photos, as architectural photography is my hobby.

The spirit you like the most
To drink, I have liked rum since I worked in a Tiki Bar and Daiquiris and Pina Coladas are my favourite drinks. Rum is very versatile and great even for shots or after a meal as a digestive. To work with, I would say Gin, as it’s very versatile and you can use it in many cocktails, from a Martini to a Tom Collins. My favourite Gin is Beefeater as I think it’s one of the best in the world. It’s a good price and you can use it in any drinks.

What makes a good cocktail and which product do you want to highlight at this moment
A good cocktail is something you keep coming back to and it’s still perfect every time. Something which challenges your senses and pushes you out of your comfort zone. Something that makes you discover new flavours, but of course it must be well balanced.
I love flowers for more floral flavours, thanks to Tony C and his factory. At the moment I am into rose petals as an ingredient. It’s easy to distill with vodka because it’s quite neutral as a base. Rose evokes so many memories for people because it’s in a lot of perfumes. I hate to think there are gender based cocktails, so I encourage everyone to try cocktails with floral notes or ingredients that they would not normally consider.

The signature cocktail you want to show us
Rose Bellini
50ml of Homemade Rosé Purée
100ml of Prosecco

Where do you think we need to go to interview another bartender?
You should go to Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green, they do incredible drinks and the place has a great atmosphere. When I went to Copenhagen I really liked Strom, you should go there too.

We are taking a break for the summer holidays. Thanks to everyone who has been involved with our blog this past year. We’ll be back with a new interview to highlight Geneva Cocktail Week on Thursday the 25th August. Hope you all have a wonderful summer! Stay safe, stay fabulous and keep drinking and making cocktails.