Joe Schofield from the head bartender to the prestigious “International Bartender of the Year” award
In July 2018, Joe Schofield was awarded with one of the most prestigious honors’ an individual can receive in this industry, the International Bartender of The Year in the Tales of The Cocktail Spirited Awards. This was shortly followed by an equally as prestigious title, Bartender’s Bartender at The World’s 50 Best Bars 2018. He is the only person in history to have both awards.
Joe Schofield here won the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award, what did you do to become the best bartender in the world?
It’s really humbling for me to receive that award, but to be completely honest, it’s hard work so it’s nice to see all that hard work get recognized. But it wouldn’t have been possible if not for my business partner Ryan Clift and the whole team at the Tippling Club.
Why and when did you stop working at the Tippling Club?
About 3 month ago, I worked there for 2 and a half years. My brother and I always wanted to open our own bar, and when we felt the time was right, we went for it. We decided to keep to close to the hart and home and we opened it in Manchester. Schofield’s opened early in 2019.
What is the cocktail offer like in Manchester, is there any good bars beside yours?
Of course, there are some great bars in Manchester, currently the city is dominated by Tiki bars and Party bars.
What is your favorite cocktail, something you enjoy?
I love classic cocktails. I love a good Martini, a good Negroni and a good Gin&Tonik.
What is your favorite gin, if you have one?
I have to nominate my own gin here. Ryan and I have our own gin brand, we’re relaunching soon in Singapore. It’s very traditional in style, nothing to wacky. It’s a gin that we believe in and one we actually want to drink.
Do you plan to expand or is your plan to keep your gin Asian based?
Yes, we’ll definitely expand. We will start in Singapore, but we have a local distribution in the UK and Australia.
What are some of your favorite bars around the world?
I love American bar Savoy and Mac’s Club Deuce. The only bar I haven’t been to yet, but I’m excited to go see is The Schumann’s in Munich. And I also love Attaboy it’s in New York, Brooklyn.
Looks like America is in your hart, but as you travel a lot what do your assignments usually consist of?
Oh yes, definitely. For the traveling part, I do a lot of seminars and guest shifts. That’s kind of been my main focus.
What’s your stand on today’s trends and the need for social media?
I really like the new trend of wellness, and that people are taking better care of themselves. It’s great to see brands emphasizing it. I think social media is important as you can create awareness for what it is you actually do, and that’s very important for the business itself.
Do you have any wise words for young bartenders or the ones who are just starting in the business?
Always work hard! Try to improve yourself and your work ethic. And remember, the most important thing is the guests that are right in front of you.
