Alex Clark, Gilt Lounge

Drinks, chat, being social and hospitable: “It’s in my blood,” says Alex Clark, who is eight months into his job behind the bar at Gilt Lounge. “My folks always had people round when I was growing up and I learnt from an early age what it means to look after people and make them feel welcome.” Alex has created a meaty twist on the Bloody Mary, using a chorizo fat-washed mezcal, which has been in his recipe book since he was living in London. “Meat washes were the craze there, almost every venue sporting a bacon bourbon,” he recalls. “I had experimented with jerky vodka and duck Cognac but nothing comes close to the marriage of chorizo and mezcal: sweet, smoky and rich. This spirit had to be put into a Bloody Mary.”