' I felt like dressing down today, as I usually wear a suit for work. The short definition of my job is to make Chivas Regal whisky more accessible and give it personality. And for this, I need to know the markets. For instance, New York likes flamboyancy and Russia has fairly restricted ingredients.
I'm here supporting the first ever Hong Kong Luxury Week [which was held earlier this month]. It's my first time in Hong Kong - I was here once before but in transit.
As well as representing Chivas in public and showing what cocktails can be made with it, part of my time is spent getting bar staff familiar with the brand through tastings and discussions.
I never get jet lag, as my day doesn't start or end at a set time. I travel a lot for my job. I often take bar staff or retailers to the Chivas distillery in Scotland. Chivas is the oldest blender of Scotch malt whiskys.
If I am at home [in Notting Hill, west London], I typically get up between 9am and 10am. I'm usually awake until one or two in the morning [as] a lot of my work time is in the evening, with bartenders or at events. After I get up I check my e-mails - I get a lot from abroad, from bars asking questions about serving or cocktail mixes.
In Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland, [whisky] is sometimes mixed with green tea and ginger ale, and that's absolutely fine. People should enjoy a drink however they want to. I add ingredients that bring out the characteristics of the drink, though I really only recommend this with the 12-year-old whisky. Flavours that you naturally find in the whisky are apple, pear, hazelnut, butterscotch, honey and herbs.