Since he arrived several months ago, he has been intimately involved with the project every step of the way. Samuel can tell you every little detail about it; the lore of John Clough, the fun house element at play in the décor, the choice of music, lighting, the South American style tapas on the menu and their impressive line up of drinks and cocktails.

Named the second best Sommelier in Quebec in ’02, Samuel was recently invited to move to Abu Dhabi to offer his skills abroad. Good news for us, he chose to join up with his longtime friend Martin Rivard, General Manager at Clough Club and proprietor at Dominion Barbers. “Now I’m mixing it all up and making amazing cocktails, using all that experience.”

Learn his story below.

Where did you grow up? Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

What did you do before you were a bartender? Sommelier/Beverage Manager in fine dining establishments.

How long have you been in the industry? Ten years.

What was your first bar tending gig? Queue de Cheval, Montreal.

Name something every great bartender should have? Good ice.

What is your bartending pet peeve? What might happen at work that really grinds your gears? Misplaced equipment by co-workers!

Do you have a go-to cocktail or beverage for at home? Tell us about your favorite personal recipe. Islay Scotch with one cube.

What do you drink when you go out? What's your usual order? Old Fashioned.

We keep hearing that Gastown is such a great place to be a bartender right now. Why is that? Full of passionate people!

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read the following: "BCLDB"?  Weird Laws on this side of the country!

What are some of the most unlikely ingredients you have used in making a cocktail? Remy Martin Louis XIII, beef jerky.

If we pressed play on your iPod right now, what would we hear? Johnny Cash.

And if we opened up your web browser history, what page would we be on? Facebook.

Favorite bar to sit at in Gastown besides your own? I haven’t lived here for long enough (only 3 months) to have a chance to try all the places, but I really liked Boneta.

Do you have a favorite beer or wine? Tell us about that. My best experience would probably be a bottle of Château Haut-Brion 1989 that I drank with a sommelier friend. AMAZING!

What is a must-have on your food menu? Crispy rice and corn cakes with prawns.

If you could pick anyone to be your bartender wingman/woman for one night, dead or alive, who would it be? Colin Field, Head Barman, Hemingway Bar, Hotel Ritz, Paris.

What would you be if you weren't a bartender? A winemaker.