ALMA BOYS
Praia da Luz is a beautiful place with a draw so strong that those who find it often return, those who return often become regulars and some of those regulars become residents. There is an unquantifiable energy about the place, a special kind of ‘soul’, or in Portuguese, ‘Alma’...and for the few who were fortunate enough to grow up here calling it ‘home’, this magical place truly becomes an integral part of who you are.
By age 16, all three found themselves in the food and drinks industry , shining in different areas. Joao excels in the kitchen, his keen palate and creative mind thrives under pressure and his pursuit of new flavour profiles and techniques has taken him from gastropub kitchens to his current profession of super-yacht chef. Jodi also found himself in customer service, his first jobs being in restaurants and bars, picking up some retail experience along the way. With his positivity and fun-loving nature he makes friends wherever he goes and where Jodi is, the party follows. He inevitably found himself most comfortable behind the bar, happiest when experimenting with craft cocktail making, seeking out local artisanal spirits and making sure his cocktail menu is always fresh, always updated and always represents everything Algarve. Carl thrives when he is working with people, his charisma and humor has propelled him through a career in sales, where his ‘gift of the gab’ is unmatched, to a seasoned barman. He too, like Jodi has a passion for creating and mixing cocktails, and both are now adept mixologists.
Despite world travels, they all concur that the rustic cooking and fresh ingredients used in the cuisine here will always be the flavours they gravitate towards and after a couple of decades of recreational research, the three further agree that their preferred tipple to sip on, and their favorite spirit to create cocktails with, is undoubtably gin.
With their aim being that one compliments the other, they were inspired to showcase an artesanal gin that not only tastes incredible as it stands, but that also elevates and highlights the food flavours they are so fond of.