Read more about Murray Anderson of @thewestmount to find out where this Scottish mixologist learned his stuff.

Name:
Murray Anderson

Location:
Sunny ol’ Scotland

Go-To Cocktail:
Either a classic whiskey sour, or for its simplicity – and more commonly consumed – a classic G&T!

Instagram:
@thewestmount

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into mixology? Who/what/where taught you what you know?

That’s a great question. I actually had my first ‘cocktail encounter’ when I worked in a small restaurant near my family home. No one was properly cocktail trained however and I’m not joking when I say – one cocktail order would take us at least ten minutes to make. So I guess that lack of knowledge made me want to understand mixology on a greater level. I then got a job in TGI Friday’s in Glasgow. From working there, I grew a fantastic base for the understanding of the cocktail scene, and then I just became pretty creative at home and self-taught myself to where I’m at now!

What are you excited about in the world of mixology right now?

To be deadly honest, there are so many innovative bars out there at the moment and I’m forever hearing about new bars that are opening up with these crazy ideas. In Glasgow, the innovative cocktail scene is only now becoming a little more recognized. So really, I’m just excited to see how Scotland can portray itself and (hopefully) become more recognized for its great cocktail scene.

What is one cool thing you’ve learned that you can teach our community?

To be honest, I have learned so much since I started the Instagram journey, but the one thing that I’ve noticed that has progressed massively is my cocktail photography. I notice that there a good few photographers that follow my page, so it would be cool to do a workshop on how I take my cocktail photos. I learn so much about photography from other accounts, so I’d enjoy showing the community tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way!

What is one recipe that you created on your own that you’re really proud of?

There is one recipe that stands out, and it was a cocktail submission for the Home Bar Award’s 2019 final. I was playing around with flavours that I wasn’t too familiar with, and I whipped up a herbal Manhattan riff in ode to Central Park in New York City. I just loved how it all worked together, and I put a lot of research into the flavours and the Manhattan cocktail itself. It was also proper tasty so that was a plus too haha!