Back in the day a portrait painter, Rob Scott was asked to design a tattoo for a guy who worked as a bar manager. Scott agreed on the condition of bar shifts as payment.
“I had a great time pouring beers for the oldboy locals,” says the Australian. “This was on top of discovering the spirits and liqueurs that were to become my new ‘paints’.
He ended up switching to a full-time career in bartending and moved to Singapore six years ago. Previous appointments that he has held here include group beverage director at Burnt Ends, Meatsmith, and Rogue Trader, and general manager at the now-defunct The Monarchy.
In his current role, he acts as a bridge between bartenders and Flor de Caña, a Nicaraguan premium rum brand that ages liquor at the base of the country’s largest and most active volcano. To encourage the use of Flor de Caña products, he fosters relationships with bars and bartenders by setting them up with guest shifts, recruiting for the brand’s cause and building a community.
“If you take the time to educate or share honest feedback, you build kinship. That is non-negotiable in deepening bonds with others.”
Rob Scott on openness as the foundation of trust
Scott also facilitates the brand’s ample sustainability efforts: Flor de Caña not only produces the world’s first and only carbon-neutral spirit, but also actively encourages bar communities across the globe to adopt more eco-conscious drinking practices. To incentivise the industry, the brand launched an annual Sustainable Cocktail Challenge that scours bars around the world for the most sustainable bartender. The campaign involves more than 200 bars from South-east Asia alone, with the grand prize US$10,000 (S$13,533).
It keeps him with his bells on. “This programme allows us to unite bar communities worldwide towards a common goal. Besides benefiting bartenders personally and professionally, it enables them to reduce waste and establish meaningful operations,” he says, adding that the perks of cultural immersion during the travels are the icing on the cake.
In his opinion, sustainability will soon be a mainstay of the F&B industry, particularly when a growing number of non-profit organisations seeking to make Singapore a zero-waste nation. These include Zero Waste SG, which provides an avenue for people to cultivate eco-friendly habits and mindsets; and the F&B Sustainability Council, which encourages using locally grown produce, repurposing discarded bits of food and cutting down on packaging.
In the meantime, some challenges remain, like persuading bars to continue incorporating sustainable practices into their daily operations. Scott typically suggests that they find a balance between creativity and feasibility as too many processes would be too much of a bother to execute regularly.
In addition to closing a gap, he also holds guest shifts around the region. One of his well-loved concoctions is Coco Caña, which comprises Flor de Caña Centenario 12 Year, but his go-to is a Flor de Caña and soda highball. If feeling fancy, a“generous pour” of the Flor de Caña 130th anniversary edition does the trick.
Art Director: Chia Wei Choong
Photographer: Mun Kong
Photographer’s assistant: RJ Teo
Videographer: Alicia Chong
Makeup: Weeming using Dior Beauty
Hair: Aung using Kevin Murphy
