At Feels Botanical, we believe creativity thrives when unique perspectives come together. That’s why we sat down with Hayden John, Bar Supervisor at Melbourne’s renowned NOMAD restaurant, to dive into the art of cocktail creation. From his early days as a barback to crafting unforgettable experiences with drinks like the Feels Revel Espresso Martini and Feels Vivify Citrus Martini, Hayden’s story is one of passion, innovation, and a deep connection to Australian ingredients. His journey, much like Feels Botanical, celebrates the beauty of embracing creativity in its purest form.
Name: Hayden John
Where are you Living: Geelong
What you do: Bar Supervisor
Where do you work: NOMAD Melbourne
How did you start out in your industry, and what venues have you worked in throughout your career? Started out as a bussy in a pub before working my way up into the bar at the Telegraph Hotel. Then COVID hit and put a bit of a pause on things, I eventually ended up at Sailor's Rest where I spent the next 3 years falling in love with the hospitality industry. I eventually took the leap to work up at QT hotels in Melbourne before becoming head bartender at Nick ‘n’ Nora's. This all lead me to where I am now at NOMAD.
What did you feel, in a emotive sense, when you first came into contact with the Feels Botanical brand and product range? Confused. I was still relatively green in the industry so I had no idea what the term eau de vie was even what some of the botanicals were. This quickly turned into excitement once I actually tasted the product (I think Revel was my first one) because it was so complex and unlike anything I'd had before. That excitement is still how I feel to this day about the range given the endless possibilities that they can unlock within a drink.
What were the synergies between the Feels brand and your venues? I think everything about Feels and NOMAD synergise so well. We're all about championing Australian produce in both our kitchens and bars so having these unique locally made products that utilise local botanicals just makes sense. We also love straying from the conventional path (as good nomads do) and doing our own unique things which is just a match made in heaven with the Feels range.
How and why did you want to utilise Feels as a product offering to your clientele and which one are you currently using? I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting Australian products to showcase on our menu and in our drinks, so it was a real no brainer in getting the Feels range in and seeing what kind I could create for our guests. We currently stock the entire Feels range, with two listed cocktails, the NOMAD Coffee Martini utilising Feels ‘Revel’ and our Rumrunneri using Feels ‘Vivify’.
Tell us about the place you tap into when you work on bringing to life a drink within your venue? I tap into the mindset of what the guest would be experiencing when drinking in the venue. Particularly what flavours might pair with the different foods on the menu or even the style of drink that they would be leaning towards with each course.
How has working on this project inspired, challenged and pushed your approach to your work? In terms of drink creation the Rumrunneri was probably one of easiest drinks for me to make with just how quickly the flavour combination came together. I mean who wouldn't love a coconut and mango drink when the weather is getting so nice and warm. The Coffee Martini was a bit more of a challenge, trying to innovate a cult classic such as the espresso martini is always hard with so many variants available. But ultimately, I think we've created a unique interesting take. Both of these drinks really helped push the possibility of using something unconventional as a base for a cocktail (not your usual gin, vodka, whiskey etc.) and really allowed for a fun expression of these flavours.
During your creative process, what role does feeling and logic play? Is one more important than the other? I'd say during the initial stages feeling plays a large portion of my process. I find it's a more natural way of making drinks by going off feelings and instinct. But I do think that when you're pulling the final pieces together (especially for a menu) you have to call on that logical side to ensure that the drink will suit the menu and the venue. In saying that I'd say feeling is slightly more important for myself.
Is there a person or artist(s) that first inspired you? I think seeing all the amazing bartenders and their creations in this city, the way they can elevate what is essentially liquid into an experience and memory really inspired me to take my career in hospitality seriously and take it and my drink creation to the next level. I've been quite privileged to work with many of these minds but Melbourne and Australian hospitality in general is filled with great creative minds.
When do you feel most creative? I feel like my best creations have stemmed from moments when my whole life was just in pure chaos. I've always thrived under stress so I think it makes sense that when work, life, and the world around is on fire I channel that chaos into what I consider my art form which is drink creation. I'd say a large portion of this would be on those late night train rides home, headphones in, notebook out, all those ideas and everything gathered from the day just tends to all come gushing out and eventually I piece them together into a delicious libation.
When I’m feeling burnt out, I wind down and reset by? Grabbing my surfboard and hitting the water as the Sun comes up. There's something so freeing about being out there with nothing but the sound of the water around you that just puts everything back into perspective.
My favourite way to drink Feels Revel...I can't go past the Coffee Martini, it's a boozy espresso martini with charred macadamia foam, what more do I need to say!. Although I'm close to finishing a dirty martini riff with Feels Bask and a homemade honeydew brine so that could very easily become a favourite of mine soon.
When I’m drinking Coffee Martini, I set the mood with this song: I feel like the obvious choice is Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter.
The person (dead or alive) I’d most like to drink it with…My instant reaction to that will always be my brother, he lives overseas so it's not often I get to sit down and enjoy a drink together let alone one of my own creations.
What you may not know about me…I watch the Back to the Future trilogy all the way through at least once a year. One of the best trilogies and I'll die on that hill
Advice to those wanting to get into your field: The best place to learn are from the people around you. Everything I've learned in this industry whether it's about spirits, beers, cocktail crafting, or just being a faster bartender has all come from the people around me. Every bartender has their own unique well of knowledge so just tap into as many wells as possible and remember to have fun. It's a hard industry but it's also one of the most rewarding.