Hayden Wood, aka 'Woody', is the leading authority on flair, bartending and mixed drinks in Australia. He was born in New Zealand and has lived in Sydney since 1995.  Hayden has mixed drinks since he was a kid and has always taken a light hearted approach to his career. An expanse of inspirational knowledge gained from over 15 years in the business he is an entertainer, an educator and author of what is now regarded as the benchmark for cocktail and mixed drinks books.   He has won numerous flair and bartending awards, culminating in the title of World Flair Bartending Champion in 1996/97. Woody has also presented over 600 workshops to more than 20,000 bartenders and industry people worldwide. From 1998-2000 he toured Italy three times teaching over 5000 students his craft. He also runs regular workshops for hospitality students and industry professionals throughout Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies.

'I felt that there weren't any drinks books out there that were character driven. Most drink books are simply a list of classic drink recipes. I wanted to produce a book that used some of the classic cocktails but including some new, innovative drinks. The idea behind The Liquid Kitchen books is that they are more practical than the average drinks book, more hands on - just like a cookbook. I'm hoping that after reading The Liquid Kitchen you will become more creative with matching mixed drinks with food, rather than just drinking the obligatory bottle of wine and couple of beers. The Liquid Kitchen books are designed to inspire you guys to experiment with different flavours and methods.' - Woody, on The Liquid Kitchen