The bartender

Corby Small

The Gresham

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A BARTENDER?

The Gresham was actually the first bar I ever visited when I first turned 18, I remember sitting at the corner of the bar and ordering a pear cider being so captured by everything on the back bar and menu and not being able to stop watching the way the staff worked. Every time I’d go out in my early days of drinking I would always watch the bartenders and be jealous that they always seemed like they were having more fun than anyone else in the venue.

As someone who has struggled a lot with mental health I reached a point in my life where I looked around and realised I wasn’t happy with my current job and wasn’t applying myself to uni so something needed to change. With that I decided to move into hospitality full time with the intention of doing something that made me happy and to feel like I was working towards a goal I had chosen.
The second I fully stepped into this industry I was greeted with open arms into a community of insanely talented and kind people who wanted nothing more than to see other people thrive. I later realised that those people behind the bar were having more fun because they were a part of a community pushing each other to be better and bolder.

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE?

Without a doubt Millie Tang has been the biggest rock, friend and influence in this industry. Her constant support and encouragement is the reason I’ve pushed myself this year to take my career further than behind the bar, something I had never thought possible for myself. Along with Millie all of the team at The Gresham (past and present) have been some of the best human beings I’ve ever met and have taught me so much over these years, I am forever grateful for these people and wouldn’t be the person I am without them.

The hero cocktail

Without Wax

An accessible milk punch for all walks of life, lactose and vegan friendly based off of the term “Without Wax”. This term stems from the time creating sculptures were a big part of life and having to fix imperfections in the stone with wax, to have something without wax meant it was of a high calibre. The term later moved on to be used for anything that was authentic or flawless. Authenticity is something I truly value in my career and this drink was one way I was able to show that.

Ingredients

• Hennessy VS

• Hibiscus & Geraldton Wax syrup

• Dry curacao

• Lemon juice

• Coconut yogurt

• Dash of Peychauds

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

The Gresham

I’ve been able to call The Gresham home now for almost three years. The Gresham is an award-winning heritage-listed bar in the middle of Brisbane’s CBD and although we have everything you could ever want, we are first and foremost a whiskey and cocktail bar. This venue has reached her 10th birthday this year which is an incredible milestone for any bar and something I’m proud to be a part of.

The Gresham is a place of yesteryear, but also of tomorrow. It is a place that toasts to vits history but is focused on the future, holding its Heritage Bar License proud but is always experimenting with something new. With four Gresham bartenders placing in Drinks World’s Top 116, this is a place that will undoubtedly leave an impression.

Arriving onsite is an experience upon itself. Picture red-leather barstools, chesterfield couches and cream-coloured walls covered in old, framed photographs. While walking across old rugs, floorboards creaking underneath, your gaze will eventually become transfixed on the centrepiece: the bar.

It is a site that will stir a fire in any spirit-lover. 10 shelves high, spreading the length of the counter; there are enough bottles on display to both intimidate and excite even the most seasoned spirit drinker. A sliding ladder rests idly in the centre, ready to help a bartender retrieve the higher drops.

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday,
11 am – 2 am

Saturday,
5 pm – 2 am