Name: Ewan Grieve
Pronouns: He/Him
Job title: I don’t really know, I make drinks, occasionally make some decisions; talk a lot of waffle
How long have you worked at Lab 22: About 2 and a half years now
Awards & accolades:
Ultimate Bartending Champion 2023
Hennessy My Way Global Winner 2022
Glenmorangie Highballers Winner 2022
Cardrona Global Finalist 2022
Emerging Bartender of The Year Nominee - Class Bar Awards 2023
Key skills: Pub quizzes, forgetting names
What got you into cocktail bars?
I grew up around bars and restaurants so they were always there calling for me I think. I’d worked around a load of other places before I settled in cocktail bars. When I got there, I knew it was the right kinda thing for me.
How many years have you worked in the industry?
It’s been about 10 years now. Pubs, clubs and automobiles basically. Bars are the most fun though.
What makes a great cocktail bar?
Good drinks are good but somewhere isn’t worth staying in if the vibes aren’t exquisite. Unreal bangers; great chat; comfy seats is really all you need. The closest it gets to a pub, the better.
What do you enjoy most about the industry?
I get to do a job where I talk to people for a living. How can you not just love that!
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into the industry?
Be ready for anything. I’ve seen absolutely everything I think at this point, it’s kinda what makes it fun. You’re never 100% sure the same shift is going to happen again.
Embrace loving people. It’s such a unique job where you get to deal with people in a relaxed setting more than any other job. Nothing confuses me more than people who work in hospitality that don’t like people. Just enjoy witnessing people existing; be happy when they celebrate or sad when they’re sad.
Always be learning. You’re only as good as your last drink or plate of food. There’s always avenues to be better as there’s so many aspects to improve.
What does being a Top 50 Cocktail Bar mean to you?
It’s always cool to be recognised for anything right? It always feels silly that people come in here, look at us and rate us that highly. Sometimes all I see is a group of people that just like what they do and act like morons half the time.
Favourite drink?
Guinness or Aperol Spritz. It’s all about spanning a spectrum.
What is the best cocktail bar you’ve ever visited?
I think it has to be Salmon Guru in Madrid. Everything just felt right. Spent 4 days of a 6 trip to Madrid there. Even ended up drinking with some of the staff after they finished so got to see more great gaffs.
Close second is The Swan, my local back home… It counts! They serve cocktails! I try to compare every place I go to it as there’s almost nowhere else I want to drink. Give me a piece of paper and I could probably draw its floor plan.
What do you enjoy most about working at Lab 22?
It’s so cliche but it’s spending time with a group of people that are so lively and unique. By that I mean, very, very, very strange. Nothing feels out-of-bounds or too much because we’re all dialled up to 11. We’re all so passionate about what we do, it gets so infectious. You get a sense of doing it for the person next to you, rather than yourself which just pushes it all even further.
What’s a signature drink of yours?
One of my favourite ones we’ve worked on recently is the Pornstar Martinez from our new Moonshine menu. It’s what it says on the tin: Drinks like a Martinez tastes like a Pornstar, absolute slamming bev.
What does the future hold for Lab 22?
Just keep driving I guess. I’m the type of person that’s never really satisfied anyway so there’s always a push to do more. There’s space to grow with anything so it’s really about filling the cup to the brim and getting a new one if needs be. I really want to have a team of people that we can look at and go ‘Yeah, you’re all absolutely class, you could do anything’. I think there’s something so special about having friends succeed, so creating an environment to do that is so important.
OH! And to continue to shout about WAYYYYYELLLS and why it’s the best part of the British Isles
