Andrea Gualdi

The Climb

At Ovolo Group Australia, the role of Group Creative Beverage Director from 2021 placed Andrea Gualdi at the point where creative direction meets repeatable standards. That kind of brief suits a bartender working beyond the one-off serve, where a cocktail has to carry a point of view, hold consistency and answer to changing expectations around how people drink. From 2023, the scope widened again. As co-founder and Creative Director of Maybe Group, and Beverage Manager of Merivale Group, Andrea Gualdi moved between building concepts and running beverage operations. Co-founder signals hands-on investment in the shape of the business; Beverage Manager at Merivale Group places him inside a large, exacting hospitality setting where execution matters as much as ideas. Across those roles, Andrea Gualdi’s path reads as a steady move into larger responsibility without losing focus on the drink itself. Cocktails remain the centre of the work, but the category is used here as a tool for refinement, surprise and service that people remember.

Today

He said that he looks forward to working with the talented teams at Merivale Group to create new beverage offerings that rival the world's best. The emphasis sits on collaboration and standards: beverage programs built with enough clarity to compete on any stage. For Gualdi, the measure is not only what lands in the glass, but whether the broader program can stand up in a serious room.

In Their Words “He said that he looks forward to working with the talented teams at Merivale Group to create new beverage offerings that rival the world's best.”

Recognition

Andrea's honors include Top 10 International Bartender of the Year (2020), Australian Bar Team of The Year (2019), World Class Australian Finals winner (2017), and Australian Bartender of the year (2017). Read in sequence, the awards show momentum: each one adding weight to a reputation built on precision, creativity and the ability to deliver drinks with polish and personality.