30/09/2026
Behind the Bar – Ben edition!
Financial trader by day. Bartender by weekend. Wh**ky and w**e obsessive somewhere in between.
Three years ago, Ben started working weekends at The Library Bar | Cocktails & Wh**ky. He could have left it behind when he started his career in financial trading, but…
He didn’t want to.
Working remotely during the week, The Library gives him something completely different – people, conversation, music and, naturally, plenty of wh**ky.
With more than 200 whiskies behind the bar and regular Malton Wh**ky Society tastings, there’s always something to learn. Although lately, he’s been going down another rabbit hole.
W**e.
“Wh**ky is complex, but w**e certainly beats that. The sheer volume of regions, grapes and year on year variables makes w**e so fascinating.”
He’s still got a favourite wh**ky drink, though.
The Old Fashioned.
“I’ve tried many over the years whilst learning about wh**ky, but it’s something I love to perfect for others to enjoy.”
And if you ask him to surprise you with a drink of his choice, there’s just one answer.
Andrew, another Library bartender, has his own wh**ky blend quietly evolving in a cask on the bar. What’s actually in it? That’s the secret…
And what he likes most about The Library.
The people.
Regulars. People who have just discovered us. Visitors spending a few days in Malton. Everyone brings a story, and from behind the bar, and the people-watching is something of an art form!
Then there’s music.
He and a friend originally got interested in trading through an idea for a platform for musicians. It didn’t quite work out, but it was the beginning of the career he has now.
And maybe there’s a little more crossover between the two jobs of this 21-year-old than you’d expect…
Trading demands focus, quick decisions and reading what’s happening around you. Behind a bar, you’re doing much the same thing – just with better music, more conversation, and considerably more wh**ky.
So, what happens when the trading week is over, the bar closes and the shift is done?
An Old Fashioned. Obviously. 🥃
Cheers Ben!
