Jack Connor is the owner and founder of Rosella’s Bar in Burleigh Heads, a venue that has become well-known for its cocktail creations and names and he recently spoke to the team at Feels Botanical, as part of its Individually Blended series, about pushing boundaries and creating drinks that make you want more.
Jack’s hospitality journey saw him start out at Elsewhere Bar, before a move to Fix at the Hilton, which is where he developed his love of hospitality and creating progressive cocktails and after a stint at Aloha Bar & Dining, he made the move to open his own bar.
The Feels Botanical range of Australian eau-de-vies, comprising Bask, Rouse, Revel and Vivify is something that Jack says helps build an emotive side to his cocktails.
“I’m all for pushing boundaries and creating things that people might question, where does this sit in terms of categories,” he said. “So, something like Feels Botanical definitely grabbed my attention straight away and lined up quite well with me.
“Feels is something that pushes boundaries, so it really works well in a place like Rosella’s, so we use it quite a lot.”
In terms of how and why he uses Feels in cocktails, Jack said: “It works extremely well in cocktails, when we use feels we either enhance the flavour of the particular bottle or we contrast and it’s a lot of fun. It says what it is on the tin as well which is great.
“A lot of gins/vodkas say they are something and you really have to go hunting for that flavour, sometimes you can’t even taste it.”
He added: “Feeling probably plays the biggest role [in my creative process]. With a place like Rosella’s where we pull on those nostalgic memories we have as Australians, it’s pretty important to try to recreate flavours that remind us of the little things, it essentially transports you back to find memories (hopefully).
“Logic comes after, where we have to be able to make it quickly in the bar. I believe anything is possible to be made fast during service, so I just try to make it as yummy as possible first.”
Jack also explained how he brings ideas to life, giving some insight into his creative process and the inspirations he has for his cocktails.
“A lot of the time it’s quite random, you should see my notes app on my phone,” he said. “It has a lot of ideas in there. It will either start with a flavour and then the name after or it will start with a name and then the drink after that.
“Sometimes it’s inspired by others, but a big thing I’ve been working on lately is to just try and think of what would make something yummy and go from there.
“I get a lot of inspiration from a lot of amazing Australian chefs and venues. There’s so many at a stone’s throw and then so many around the country. A big place that has a super interesting style and do very intriguing flavours is Babas Place in Sydney.”
He also explained when he feels most creative, saying: “Most of the time it’s late at night after work which is weird. But I guess my brain just absorbs everything from the day and subconsciously is doing its thing. I think it’s super important to trust your subconscious.”
You can find out more about the Feels Botanical range and its Individually Blended collaborations on the Feels Botanical website.
