How to Build a Bar for Bartenders

Last year, when Thames Distillers, the London distillery where Fords Gin is made, relocated from Clapham to a South London Victorian-era industrial complex, the brand’s founder Simon Ford knew he had an opportunity to build the bar of his dreams—one that bartenders actually enjoyed working in.

Ford noticed that distilleries tended to focus more on the production side of things; tasting rooms and bars were secondary considerations. He imagined the inviting details and decor of an upscale hotel bar, minus the high-traffic setting—a space designed to accommodate any bartender’s needs with an ergonomic, functional layout.

“When I’ve gone into other distilleries, the least amount of money is spent on the bar,” Ford says. “It’s not an afterthought necessarily, but it’s semi-functional because it’s not a bar that’s always used.”

Portrait of Simon Ford. Courtesy of Fords Gin

He brought on industry vet Leo Robitschek, partner and VP of food and beverage at Sydell Group, to envision a bartender’s dream bar.

“This isn’t a flavor lab. It’s not full of blast chillers, cryo-vacs, and centrifuges,” says Robitschek, who is the founding bartender at the NoMad Hotel bar in New York City. “This is a well-thought-out, ergonomically designed bar to produce classic craft cocktails.”

He opted for an “American-style” station, with an ice well, sink, rinser, cutting board, dipper well, and tools—all within reach. “There’s a cheater box for all your bottles and garnishes, and next to that is your freezer with specialty ice and frozen glasses, in one pivot, less than a step away,” he says. “We didn’t want a back-end, prep-heavy style of bar because those have limitations.”

A Luxurious Bar That Can ‘Take a Beating’

Taps in Fords Gin bar — Photo by James Riley/Ellipsis Creative Ltd

While Robitschek became the bar’s de facto designer, London-based architect Zoe Masterton-Smith, principal at Transit Studio, helped bring the vision to life: a “gently educational” cocktail bar in a modern apothecary setting.

“The aspiration was to [create] a world-class bar, pushing the forefront of mixology and all things cocktail-based,” says Masterton-Smith. “It’s quite hard to make warehouse spaces feel cozy, but we did our best to make it feel intimate.”

The bar’s doors opened last fall: first to the trade for brand education and events, then to bartenders for research and development. Opening to the public will come later.

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“I tried to create a bar that could take a beating. That’s a staple for bartenders,” Robitschek says. “Eventually Fords Gin will want to produce beverages quickly for big events,” and, most importantly, use the space for training bartenders.

He adds, “I wanted to create something that would allow you to learn the most basic building blocks of bartending.”

Fords Gin Martini — Courtesy of Fords Gin

Ford isn’t a fan of horseshoe-style bars— “You can see all the inner workings,” he says—so this one is butterfly-style, with two cocktail stations, left- and right-handed, centered around a central well area.

Envisioning the bar as a theater, Ford and co. spared no expense when it came to how beverages are made. Guests sip on ice-cold martinis served at precise temperature thanks to state-of-the art freezers.

“The two most expensive things in that room are the bar stools—because that’s where people sit—and the freezer,” Ford says. “That’s where the glassware is chilling, that’s where the ice is living, it’s where the batched martinis are stored.”

Pretty and Practical

Fords Gin bar detail — Photo by James Riley/Ellipsis Creative Ltd

Beyond all the practicality, the bar is simply a beautiful place to work. The homey reception area feels like a mix between a living room and modern apothecary, with still spices and botanicals housed in little drawers. Pops of Fords’ signature green are everywhere, and the space is furnished with a Tage Poulsen sofa, long oak wood dining table, and 200-year-old reclaimed wooden floors. The separate gin distilling area is just a room away from the bar.

With a green slab marble barfront and matching marble top and backsplash, the bar exudes luxury, right down to the brass details (handles, drip trays) and umbrella-shaped taps, serving cocktails like Negronis in one pour. The back bar is outfitted with European oak cupboards for glassware storage and surrounded by mirrored glass tiered shelves, hiding everything out of view. Typically, a working bar has all sorts of spirits bottles, but this brand-focused one can keep things minimal.

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Looking ahead, Ford is excited about eventually opening up the bar to the public, and possibly adding a culinary component—a real possibility, given that there’s a functional kitchen in the space.

“Here’s what’s brilliant about it,” Ford says. “If we wanted to turn it into a proper bar with bottles everywhere, we could. It’s modular and built for the future! For now, we lend it to bartenders doing research, so they can use it as an R+D station. This is for special guests and special occasions. If we were open all the time, it would be a different story. But Leo got us set up for the future.”

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