He trots the globe mixing cocktails

Whereas you dreamt of becoming a pilot, engineer or lawyer, this fellow’s aspiration was to become a cocktail bartender. Tim Etherington-Judge gets to travel the world on someone’s bill and his password is his ability to mix cocktails.
What’s more, he gets paid for something that he loves. Any man would get a kick out of this. And as Etherington does this, he makes people happy- which is his satisfaction. He has been to 40 countries around the world mixing drinks.
The 30-something-year-old mixologist is Global Brand Ambassador for Diageo’s Bulleit Bourbon, brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey that has presence in a number of countries around the world. And unlike your conventional ambassador, Etherington is not ‘Your Excellency’. He likes it simple, being called Tim.

How it started
It all started in New Zealand where he had travelled in search for a job as a cocktail bartender. He had lost his mother and was looking for a means of supporting himself, so he left the UK. When competitions were held to find out who the best bartender was in the country, Etherington became second to none. He came out at the top.
His biggest kick and thrill as a bartender is when he gives someone a drink he has made for them and they love it. And asking Etherington what his favourite drink is, is like asking a deejay what their favourite song is or the chef what their favourite meal is. Even with all the drinks he has been exposed to at different bars, in different countries, he is yet to single out one.
“My choice of a drink is something that changes. I have different drinks I like on different days, occasions, mood or times of the years,” he adds. He is listed on the World’s Best Bartender’s website (worldwidebestbartenders.com).
The cocktail master is in Uganda courtesy of Uganda Breweries for a week during which he will be visiting different bars, training bartenders, to raise the quality of drinks particularly brands of the brewery.
Not to say that his work is fun and an easy fete. It calls for his attention and creativity. “There is no drink for everybody. Everyone has different tastes and flavour. It is about understanding that guest and making the right drink at that moment for them. I make individual drinks for individual guests,” the celebrated cocktail bartender explains about his work.
He describes himself as a passionate, light-hearted and very funny fellow. He is not married which he attributes to his extensive travels throughout the year as he experiences with new people and new cultures.
He is a vegetarian, so no meat or fish for him. He is contemplating giving up on dairy too. When not mixing cocktail, the mixologist enjoys spending much of his time cycling to raise money for charity.

Where he has been
Years before Etherington learnt about Uganda, he had always wanted to come around. He says in high school his email password was ‘Kampala’. He had heard so much about the Pearl of Africa and coming here is a dream come true. His impression is Uganda is blessed with calm, welcoming people. By the end of his visit he will have chance to compare homeland with other African nations like Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa.
He was born in Redding, in United Kingdom (UK) but he has lived all over the world. At university, he studied interior designing which he says he has hardly had time to practice. He likes the drinks’ industry, and reads a lot about it.

While in Uganda
Along with conducting exclusive bartending training sessions in the region, Etherington will also help launch the Sky Lounge in Entebbe and attend a high profile event for the Indian Association, to be attended by Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, in Kampala as well a special Johnnie Walker consumer dinner at the Capital Club in Nairobi.

Mixology

Mixology has become a more common used term in recent years and is generally accepted to be a refined, higher study of mixing cocktails and drinks than the everyday actions of bartender.

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