I was fortunate to meet Wayne Collins at the Imbibe Live trade show back in 2015.
It came as quite a shock to hear that he had passed away aged just 52 in February 2023. He was already a titan of modern bartending and mixology but I first saw him on ……….
Saturday morning kitchen
Sometime in 2010. The show finished in 2012. There was a cocktail making slot at 11ish and this was my favourite part of the show. The show presented by Tim Lovejoy, Simon Rimmer and Louise Redknapp was a must watch for many of us. And that is a real compliment as I don’t watch daytime TV. Ever.
Wayne was inspirational showing us how to make cocktails – often with unusual ingredients and with bucket feels of ease. A true craftsman at work. There are many articles about his background and his lifetimes work. One of my favourites was a piece written by Ian Cameron many years before Wayne’s passing which appeared on Difford’s Guide website.
So, what did I talk to Wayne Collins about?
You always want to be engaging and witty and sparkling if you meet one of your heroes off the telly. And to be honest I don’t remember much of our conversation which probably lasted 5 minutes or so. I do remember though the bit about using syrups to add flavours to your cocktails. Slightly surprisingly, he agreed that using pre-made syrups such as the range from Monin which I was a big fan of at the time helped achieve consistent cocktails.
It was an honour and a privilege. He was one of the key movers and shakers of the cocktail world going back to the halcyon days of the 80s. He will be missed by the industry.