Andy has perfect mix for work/life balance

Raise the Bar is a cocktail events and consultancy company we run together. Gra works for Jameson and I also manage a bar in Cork called Cask.
It’s a hectic lifestyle but a lot of fun. The cocktail industry globally is an exciting business to work in and I’d love to have my own bar one day. The industry is just relentless and you can’t stop for one minute and get complacent.
In Cask I’ve put together this amazing team of bartenders and we plan on making it one of the best cocktail bars in the country. Cork deserves it.
Andy has perfect mix for work/life balance
In reality, this rarely happens on a Friday.
If I’m not in Cask I generally have an event somewhere. Weekends is our busy time in the bar game. It’s just the reality of the job.
I take them swimming and hang out for the day before work in the afternoon.
If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

Where I grew up we are surrounded by woods and the sea so I’ve always been drawn to it.
Walking the dogs with Gráinne and the kids at Ballybranigan beach is about as perfect as it gets.
Ballycotton, Inch beach, Ballymaloe, and Killeagh woods; I’ve lived all over the world but nowhere can offer the nature and hospitality of east Cork.
I’ll try and hang out with my mum and step-dad, especially in the summer when the kids are off school.
There’s a huge crossover between the food in Greenes and the cocktails in Cask in the way we source products.
The head-chef, Bryan, is an amazing character who I’ve learnt a lot from and in turn taught him a bit about flavour combinations in cocktails.
We’re both very passionate about traceability and we share our knowledge and contacts religiously.
We have so many places to eat out in Cork — where are your go-to spots for coffee/lunch/special meal?