Keane to develop cocktail gastronomy

IF Adam Keane's dream comes true, 'cocktail gastronomy' will soon enter Perth's social lexicon.

The man behind the idea, behind the bar, is the founder of mobile beverage catering service Perth Bartender, a small business specialising in premium cocktail events.

While mobile drinks catering is not a new phenomenon, Mr Keane believes offering cocktails with cuisine - in much the same manner wine is married with certain dishes - will be the next big thing.

The entrepreneur recently brought in a partner, Kevin Clark, to help grow the business and further his goal to develop cocktail gastronomy, matching cocktails to canapés and meals such as a lemon morang martini matched with sashimi salmon.

"There's no-one doing this at a premium level; there are caterers out there doing food, but no-one's doing drinks too and originally I was doing this as a bit of a hobby. But with the growth we've had in the last year, it's really taken off quickly and I'm trying to tap into that market," Mr Keane told Business Class.

Having spent 15 years in the hospitality game in Australia and overseas, Mr Keane hopes to grow his team of 10 mixologists and bartenders (think chef versus cook) in the next year, to cater for a growing corporate client list, which includes KPMG, Lavan legal, Rick Hart and David Jones.

At the other end of the spectrum is BarsRus, which offers a full mobile beverage catering service for corporate or private functions.

Services range from bar hire only to keg packages, marquee and equipment hire, drink supplies and bar staff, including setting up a fully equipped stainless steel bar, and cleaning up afterwards.

Other players in Perth include boutique bar catering company Bartenderz - which offers bronze, silver and gold services including flair bartenders, cocktail makers and wine waiters - and slushy machine specialists Cosmic Cocktails, which has a large portion of market share, offering food, cocktail machines, fully equipped bars and bar staff.

Lavan Legal partner Ian Curlewis, who has specialised in catering liquor licensing for 22 years, says while mobile bartending appears glamorous, the sector is becoming more regulated.

"Whether it's at your dad's 50th or a 21st, it becomes a licensed venue once that business goes on the premises," he says.