The bartender

Shirley Yeung

Edward & Ida’s - (WA)

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A BARTENDER?

Bartending was still a side job to me for a long time, up until covid really hit us. When I was 19/20 years old I wanted to try bartending because I wanted to see what all the hype was about and it felt cool being a bartender behind the bar. But over time the passion for learning and growing into the community really embedded itself in me and when I stopped thinking about ‘looking for a real job’ to ‘this is my job’ everything kind of just fell into place.

But the more I grew, the more opportunities there were, the more joy I felt and the more I cared about this industry. That’s when I knew I loved what I was doing.

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE?

There are so many inspirational people I have met during my time in this industry, but my biggest influence is my mother. Her hard work ethic has always instilled in me and that’s always pushed me to keep going and do my best at whatever I’m doing.

The hero cocktail

Afterglow

I have partnered up with Michter’s (distillery), specifically Michter’s Rye. This was exciting because its actually one of my favourites!

The inspiration behind my drink was to make something different to my usual style is. For the past few years I’ve been so refined to making boozy delicious stir down style cocktails and I wanted to shift that a bit and make something fun and juicy and bangin’ that wasn’t my usual style. This drink is fun and light. It screams summer in a glass, sunburnt kisses and endless sunsets. It’s delicious and juicy, filled with flavour and a bit of a zing. Inspired by the Tiki era of juicy bangers.

Ingredients

• Michter’s Rye

• Roasted mango & basil syrup

• Pineapple juice

• Lime juice

• Orgeat

• Zucca

Like this cocktail? The full recipe can be found in this year’s copy of the Top 25 Bartenders. Get your copy by clicking the button below.

The bar

Edward & Ida’s

I currently work at Edward & Ida’s (alongside our other two venues, Foxtrot Unicorn and Nieuw Ruin).
The building itself was built in 1922, our unassuming two-story venue on William St, Northbridge was once home to The Patch Theatre, founded by Edward & Ida Beeby in the late 1930’s and named after their namesake, adding a bit more history to such a cultural and community driven area. A lot of us have worked in the area at some point in our career and it was very fitting to come back to the area with a new venture, made for the community. I’ve been with the group since 2019 opening up Foxtrot Unicorn and have been along for the ride ever since. The new venue is a homage to the 100-year old corner pubs you find in almost every other city in Australia but lacking in Perth. The ground level sparks nostalgia and comfort for the punters, Guinness on tap, Irish coffees and Midori splices on the go and Chicken Schnitty and Beef & Guinness pies on the pass. Downstairs in the basement is Ida’s cocktail den. It’s intimate and welcoming, filled with large collections of miniature bottles and taxidermy.