About me
THE MAN BEHIND SHAKERMAN
Let me tell you a bit more about me. You’ll never believe it now, but when I was young, I used to be quite shy! However, several leadership roles at secondary school, along with a stint as an officer in the Royal Navy sorted that out for me. During my time with the Royal Navy, I always enjoyed being a host at the diplomatic cocktail parties that were held when we were in port. It meant meeting a whole range of different people and being able to “mix and mingle”; something that I quickly became accustomed to. That experience has always stayed with me and I thrive on being able to make guests feel welcomed, relaxed and comfortable, but I also love a good party and want everyone to share in the fun. So yes, you could definitely say I make sure I’m bringing the life to the party!
I like to have fun and I’m not shy in coming forward. Meeting people, making that party atmosphere fun and vibrant, and making sure everyone enjoys themselves is why I do what I do. After my time in the Royal Navy, I returned to Jersey and many years later I enjoy a senior role in the finance sector. Meeting and greeting clients is still an important part of my day to day, and has given me an understanding of what people want, and the confidence to be able to deliver on that.
How it all began…
My story with cocktails started about 6 years ago, when gin was enjoying global stardom and my daughters were setting out on their own adult journeys and starting to explore drinking. I’ve had a long interest in wine and spirits - my father-in-law previously had run a small wine import/sale business in Jersey and invited me to join in with his passion. I enjoyed learning about the complexities of wine, the tasting and understanding of different flavour profiles and how to work with them.
‘If you’re going to drink, drink properly’. That’s what I said to my daughters as they each started their adult journey and it’s now what I say to everyone. It’s a bit boring to just be drinking the same beer, prosecco or gin all the time! So to help them get inspired by the whole world of cocktails, I started making my own cocktail videos and sent them out on WhatsApp in the hope that they would learn something new.
They seemed to enjoy it, and so started my relationship with Instagram. That was in 2019, and since then it’s become an almost all-consuming passion, to the extent that I decided to launch my own side hustle as a cocktail maker. Cocktails are really my thing - I wanted to do something different and inspire people in the same way I’d been inspired to explore flavour, taste, fresh garnishes and the sense of achievement you get from creating a perfectly balanced drink that looks and tastes amazing.
Of course, a cocktail is more than just a drink, it’s a beautifully crafted experience that should be fun to create, and fun to enjoy together. That’s where my cocktail events come in - it’s about bringing people together to enjoy the entertainment of learning about cocktails, and then go away with the knowledge and the confidence to be able to add your own personality to your cocktail creations.
For every Shakerman event, I bring my energy, spirit of fun and friendly nature to make sure that everyone is thoroughly entertained and enjoys our voyage of discovery into the world of cocktails. My aim is for every single person to feel inspired, energised and empowered to go away and try new things for themselves.
Here are a few things I believe in:
MAKE IT FRESH
Well why would you want to drink anything else? From fresh ingredients to the fresh energy, spirit and passion of a Shakerman cocktail event, I’m all about getting new creativity in the mix for cocktails that taste as good as they look.
MAKE IT FUN
Energy, enjoyment and emotions are contagious, so let’s get you and your guests falling in love with the idea of creating beautiful drinks and sharing moments. A Shakerman event is an engaging, interactive adventure into the world of cocktails, where it’s always good spirits all round.
MAKE IT FLAMBOYANT
Life’s too short for dull drinks. So let me inspire you to put the personality back into cocktails, with the confidence to be able to add your own flourishes and make every drink an experience that puts a smile on your face. That’s the spirit!
BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME - LET’S HEAR MORE ABOUT YOU!
Already got an event in mind? Looking for an excuse to have a drinks party with a difference? Let’s chat and see how you can get some Shakerman fun, flair and flamboyance in the mix. I look forward to hearing from you!