Thomas Hart is a cocktail bartender, venue manager, and certified sake sommelier based in Sydney since 2015. After working at acclaimed venues such as Door Knock, Burrow Bar, and Nick and Nora’s, he transitioned to liquor retail in 2019, training under John Gauntner and becoming the Sake Buyer at The Oak Barrel.
His passion for sake led to involvement in the Australian Sake Awards and Festival from 2022 onwards. In 2023, he completed the Sake Sommelier Association’s course, and in 2024, he was named NSW Sake Educator and joined the Advanced Sake Sommelier Course at Watanabe Shuzo in Gifu. That same year, he launched Kuraguchi, a platform focused on sake importation, distribution, and events.
Currently, Thomas manages operations at Burrow Bar and hosts sake and shochu events across Sydney, aiming to make Japanese drinks more accessible, educational, and fun.