4 minute read
THE GoodBar
In the heart of the Brookvale Arts District, Goodradigbee Distillers has arrived and opened the doors to The GoodBar, one of the coolest establishments to hit The Beaches in a very long time. Looking for top food, new drinks and total charm? Get yourself down there, pronto!
Welcome to The GoodBar.
Thanks to Founder and Chief Distiller, John O’Connor, the brand-new gin, whisky and cocktail bar in Brookvale is one of a kind.
From comfy Chesterfield lounges and stylish interiors, to smooth acoustic tunes and unbelievable spirits that are uniquely aged in native hardwood cubes, John has launched a hot local bar and a cool new drinks category to Australia.
“Goodradigbee is the only distiller in the world using Australian hardwood cubes to make whisky and gin,” he says.
Ordinarily, spirits are matured in French or American oak barrels with traditional Scotch-whisky production methodology –a process that can take up to 10 years to achieve a flavoursome result.
John was on a ski trip drinking saké out of square wooden cups when he realised the surface area of a cube, compared with a barrel, is vastly significant. Amazed it hadn’t been done before, he began the trial and error process in 2018.
Wanting to make something distinctively Australian by ageing spirits in native hardwood cubes for months, not years, he created a sweet and complex taste that is anything but conventional.
“What we’ve uncovered is a new spirits category through how we mature our single-malt spirits. Our business is not set and forget; we monitor and stir the liquids in cubes, a process that’s unique to Goodradigbee Distillers.”
A FLASH OF INSPIRATION
John’s journey to spirits pioneer has been an amalgamation of fateful moments. As a young lad working on a sheep station in the middle of Western Australia, he was pleasantly bewildered by the scent of cinnamon while burning a Jarrah railway sleeper.
John had a similar experience when he went fishing on Goodradigbee River in the Snowy Mountains district of NSW – the smell of chocolate became present when burning Ironbark. And these critical moments went on to influence the reaction of John’s Australian hardwood malt spirits.
While their malting, mashing and distillation remains the same, from fermentation onwards the Goodradigbee process is in a class of its own.
And the Australian hardwoods they use come from the alps and high country including Jarrah, Ironbark Yellow, Ironbark Red, and Tasmanian Blackwood.
“Due to the extreme weather conditions they grow in, the wood is very heavy, hard and dense,” says John.
The hardwoods interact powerfully with the spirits, causing them to crack open and imbibe the liquid – resulting in exceptional malt spirits. And while there was a little pushback at first, everything changed when the critics dared to try it!
“The malt spirits win everyone over,” he smiles. “Unlike the traditionalists, using Australian hardwoods provides an unparalleled taste profile.”
Speaking of taste, The GoodBar’s menu features some sophisticated dishes designed by Head Chef Rob Phillips who’s known for his work at local haunts The Cumberland, Donny’s, In Situ and Garfish.
Standouts include the kingfish sashimi, cured in Goodradigbee’s Freshwater Gin, smoked duck breast cooked with their own Ironbark Malt Spirit, and the chocolate tart, made with Tasmanian Blackwood Malt Spirit.
Goodradigbee’s product range also extends to wood-infused gins and vodka. The gins incorporate Indigenous bush ingredients such as native juniper and Kakadu and Davidson plum, ethically sourced through partnerships with 100% Aboriginal-owned social enterprises. The vodka is also meticulously aged in Grey Ironbark and subjected to a double distillation process.
GET AMONGST IT
So, if you’re after an exceptional night out full of good vibes and brand-new flavours, book an evening excursion to The GoodBar – you won’t regret it. •
