MEET: Andy Chu
In 2022, Andy Chu opened the doors to his first venue, a quaint 24-seater named One or Two. Operating the Melbourne venue marks the latest step in an already long and diverse career, which has included bartending stints in Melbourne and London, as well as time making whisky in Scotland
What personal experiences or life events have shaped your approach to bartending and influenced your style?
A lot, too many to count, to be honest. I’d say everyone I’ve encountered, whether serving me or those I’ve had the chance to serve. Back when I was at university (we’re talking blogging and Xanga days, definitely exposing my age here), I used to read and watch bartending videos until 2am every day.
Alcohol used to carry a negative image centred around intoxication, but bartenders were trying their best to show people a better way to drink. Names like Kazuo Uyeda, Hiroyasu Kayama, Sasha Petraske and Gary Regan certainly changed my perspective on what it means to be a great bartender.
Can you share a moment or experience behind the bar that made you fall even more in love with your craft?
From personal experience, being a bartender can mean having limited social connections with people who don’t drink or those you meet outside of work. I mean, when was the last time you had a Friday or Saturday night to yourself?
But throughout my career, I’ve been both humbled and chuffed on countless occasions. We get to introduce people to a better drinking environment, encouraging them to appreciate what’s in their glass just that little bit more. As a result, we’ve built a strong community and often catch up outside of work with like-minded people.
Four Roses has such a cult following among established bartenders, why do you think that is?
Four Roses has always been one of the bourbons I gravitated towards in my earlier drinking days. It has great complexity, with the right balance of grain and wood expression. It’s also incredibly easy to make a great cocktail with Four Roses, and those cocktails tend to attract repeat orders. After all, we love something that is both complex and delicious.
As a venue owner in Melbourne’s buzzing CBD, what advice would you give to anyone looking to open a new venue in Australia?
Keep pushing. I’d been dreaming of opening my own venue since 2011. I spent years on the ground learning as much as possible to understand how to run a venue. Even now, I still doubt myself, but there will never be a perfect formula for opening a venue. Just keep pushing and learning, be patient, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You won’t know if your concept is a goldmine or not until you commit to it. Either way, you’ve just got to keep learning.
What does success in bartending mean to you, and how do you measure it in your own career?
Be respectful and stay humble. I used to see success in bartending as a short-term achievement, but being a superstar doesn’t really mean much. In fact, it can reflect how aggressive you are and how quickly that can fall away. I feel extremely grateful and proud to be nominated by my industry peers and leaders for this year’s T25, but I also know there are thousands of hardworking people on their own journey. That’s exactly what I love about this industry, we are all always learning.
MEET
