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Who | Thomas Svensson
Where | Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia
Current Bar | Boston Shaker Bar
Past Bar(s) | –
Favourite Spirit | Cognac
Favourite Juice | Peach
Favourite Classic Cocktail | De La Louisiane
Favourite Part of the Job | My favourite part is connection. I love inviting guests to enjoy drinks at the bar. The bar is a second home, so it’s important I can create moments and completely lose myself to the flow and conversations surrounding me. I love when guests are genuinely curious about my identity, and want to learn more, and it’s exciting to show people how creative queer bartenders are. We are so strong and vibrant and I love showing us off.
Favourite After Work Drink | Grasshopper (one with Branca Menta)
Favourite at Home Drink | Manhattan
Favourite bar in the world | Bar Planet (Sydney)
Best known for | I think I’m best known for my unique glassware. Nothing is ever in a common glass and I love searching for something unconventional for glassware. I create drinks expressing myself, and through this I hope it shows the gradual confidence I’ve gained as someone who is non-binary. I love when I can express my fluidity and femme with the concepts I work on. It is so sentimental to me. I hope I am known for my heart first.
Favourite “at work” memory | Recently, during my last call, I had two guests recognise my pansy brooch on my vest. To me, it is a symbol I use as a code to initiate conversation, and I had a couple kindly ask me about who I was as a person. This is something that never happens in a regional bar. I love that I gained their trust with cocktail recommendations, so we could get past that and talk even further about our dreams, passions and our futures. This is why I love my job.
What do you collect? Brooches, belt buckles, vinyls, old Tennessee Williams plays.
Favourite thing about your city? The freeness of it. Sunshine Coast is calm. A lot of beaches, so there is always something to take your mind off of things.
What was the last photo that you took? Page number for Pageboy by Elliot Page.
Where is one place that you have never been but would like to travel to? New Orleans, what a dream.
Any claims to fame? This year was my first year bartending and I managed to fortunately be apart of the Top 25 The Blend Scholarship by 50 Best Bars. I also was a part of Australia’s National Finals for the Elit Masters 2023 comp!
Prosecco or Cava? Prosecco
Angostura or Peychaud’s? Angostura
Singapore or San Francisco? San Francisco
Grapefruit or Pineapple? Grapefruit
Are you available for freelance gigs? Yes
Find them: Instagram
Media: The Blend Top 25 50 Best Bars
The Blend article
Elit Masters Martini Comp 2023