Meet Alasdair Shaw...
Alasdair is currently the General Manager at The Gate in Glasgow where they celebrate all things whisky, toasties & cocktails.
Alasdair Shaw’s first experience of hospitality was at 15 when he started in the kitchen of Glasgow’s iconic Italian restaurant Eusebi’s. It was while studying at Glasgow University that his passion for bartending was realised, working in some of Glasgow best bars including Bath Street Pony, Drugstore Social and Porter & Rye.
In 2012 Alasdair won The Bar Apprentice of the Year, a bartending competition that see’s young bartenders from across the UK go through a month long training programme to find the next bartending star in the UK. The next chapter in his career saw him move from behind the bar to become Scotland’s first Arbikie Brand Ambassador in 2016 then climbing to the Head of UK Sales by 2019. Now Alasdair is now General Manager at The Gate in Glasgow where they celebrate all things whisky, toasties & cocktails.
Where’s your favourite secret hangout spot?
El Bandito in Liverpool, its an awesome tiny tequila bar but you also can’t beat a half & half at the Ben Nevis in Glasgow.
Where do you go to for cocktail inspiration?
I can’t wait to get back to Edinburgh and see the team at Nauticus to see what they have been concocting throughout lockdown.
What's your top bartender tip for making cocktails at home?
Everything is so much easier when using a measure & don’t be afraid to use ingredients that are sitting in the cupboard like jams & chutneys to add an extra flavour to your cocktail.
Where’s your next holiday / travel destination going to be and why?
Anywhere hot! I’d love to get back to Malaga as their food & drink scene is excellent.
What's your desert island 5?
Movie – Top Gun
Album – Graceland by Paul Simon
Book – His Dark Materials
Cocktail – Sidecar
Meal – Tacos, Tacos & Tacos
Man walks into a bar... Whats the most bizarre, eye opening or interesting customer request or experience you’ve had?
The strangest one has to be someone asking for a glass of water to put his teeth into while he was having his soup…
Try the Calton Club Cocktail by The Gate today. Nc'Nean Botanical Spirit, Raspberry & Honey Shrub, Sweet Vermouth, Elderflower. A perfectly balanced, Scottish inspired take on The Clover Club. No shaker, ice or tongs required. View the Calton Club Cocktail here.
