Bartender

The bartender

Luke Whearty

BYRDI

Luke’s influence on the global bartending scene is immense. This includes two top-4 nominations at the TOTCF in New Orleans, successfully opened two venues in Singapore, and performing countless guest shifts globally via his enigmatic LIKE MINDED CREATURES project. More recently, Luke launched BYRDI with partner Aki Nishikura, which, in just five short years, has already developed an impressive trophy cabinet.

What personal experiences or life events have shaped your approach to bartending and influenced your style?

The biggest influence, I would say, has been that of dealing with the negative effects of alcohol first hand growing up with a parent that struggled with it. It shaped the way I look at drinks and alcohol in general and I think forced me to look at it from a different angle and treat it more as an art form rather than a lifestyle.