THE VANTAGE POINT

The Vantage Point is where I write about what I actually think.

Not tasting notes. Not brand profiles. Not the kind of content that reads like it was written to keep everyone happy.

I write about the guest experience; what works, what doesn't, and why most spirits events are designed around the wrong thing. I write about what it's like to taste spirits with synaesthesia. I write about the industry's tendency to confuse complexity with quality and price with prestige. And everything in between.

It's useful reading if you're thinking about booking an experience or working together. It's also just honest writing about a subject I've spent years inside.

Woman drinking gin in a goblet glass in front of the ocean

What I Learned About Gin When I Stopped Believing It Was Only for Summer

Gin tastes completely different when you taste it before the tonic goes in. Here's what the botanicals are actually doing and how understanding that makes every gin drink better, whatever season you're in.

Jul 98 min read

Man with a mustache in a black blazer stands before blurred liquor bottles in a bar, looking serious.

Memory is the product - Industry conversations with Matthew Anderson, Food & Beverage Manager, The Macallan Estate

Matthew Anderson has spent nearly a decade at The Macallan Estate — from tour guide to F&B Manager. Here's what his career reveals about memory, connection, and why the experience is always the product.

Jun 247 min read

three women enjoying drinks together in a group setting and laughing

Breaking Barriers: Addressing Sexual Harassment and Gatekeeping in the Spirits Industry

Women make up a growing share of spirits consumers and some of the most decorated makers in the business. The industry still hasn't figured out how to keep them. Here's what that costs.

Jun 115 min read

Kpop Demon Hunters Huntrix singing group

Stop Hiding the Colours: On Expression, Synaesthesia, and Spirits Education

Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters hides golden patterns on her skin her entire life, because in her world they make her the very thing she hunts. I built Vantage Creative because I know exactly what that feels like.

May 263 min read

Fraser Campbell stood in front of copper stills

What Fraser Campbell Taught Me About Going Independent, Building Community, and Why Whisky Needs More Honest Weird Tasting Notes

Fraser Campbell is the kind of person who will put in the work to help the drinks industry even when he'd rather go home to his dog or play guitar. When COVID hit and the UK government scapegoated hospitality with 10pm curfews, Fraser turned around Work From Bars in 24 hours. When Melbourne bartenders couldn't find staff in 2011, he created the Melbourne Bartender Exchange. It grew into the Global Bartender Exchange in 2012, reaching 150,000 members globally. But what stuck

Mar 109 min read

Beyond the Prescribed Palate: Why I Stopped Trusting Tasting Notes (And You Should Too)

Picture this: It's 2019, and I'm leading a whisky tour at The Macallan. I've just finished nosing a dram and I'm describing what I'm experiencing to the group. It's vivid, it's specific, it's true to what I'm getting from the whisky. The group stares at me for a beat too long. One person laughs nervously. I second-guess myself, laugh it off, move on. Fast forward to now: I own those descriptions. They're not weird, they're not wrong, they're mine. And more importantly, they'r

Feb 136 min read

Why Hyperphantasia and Synaesthesia Are Changing How I Think About Whisky Tastings

*A quick note before we dive in: I haven't been professionally diagnosed with hyperphantasia or synaesthesia. What I'm about to share comes from months of research, connecting the dots between scientific literature and my own experiences, and realising that "oh, so that's why I'm like this." If you're reading this thinking "wait, that sounds like me," you might want to explore it further too. I see colours when I taste spirits, including whisky. Not just colours, actually. En

Oct 28, 20255 min read

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