explore DRINKS Summer 2016

SUMMER

Summer Cocktail Recipes VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE CELEBRATIONS $7.99 (INC. GST)

R E B R E G & CLOONEY

A L I U Q E TALK T

D R I N K S • T R E N D S • T R AV E L • B A R S • E N T E R TA I N I N G • M E E T

RAISE THE BAR

Stephan Hinz

We can all be a little classier. Dress better. Drink better. Raise the bar. So Spiegelau asked the world’s leading barman to create the perfect cocktail glasses. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Perfect Serve Collection. You’re welcome.

MIX Mix 500 years of expert knowledge in glass production, with one internationally award winning bar manager. The result - Spiegelau’s Perfect Serve Collection, a beautifully designed set of ten classic cocktail glasses that unite aesthetics, function, and the sensory experience. All this, yet tough enough for the requirements of on-premise.

SHAKE IT UP When you need something better, why not make it yourself?

Stephan Hinz, owner of Berlin’s famed bar “Little Link” and revolutionary bar literature author, was getting frustrated with the lack of great cocktail collections.

“I wanted to create the perfect collection, a comprehensive range of practical and well-designed glasses. As a bar owner and bartender, I was never one hundred per cent satisfied with the existing offer on

the market. Of course I needed a partner who had the same vision.

With Spiegelau, I have an equal partner, with a great deal of knowledge and experience.

SERVE IT UP Of course it looks stylish but how does the collection perform?

Each glass is designed to hold the perfect volume for classic cocktails.

Their elegant shapes are designed specifically to work with the unique character of drinks, such as aromatics and carbonation. The distinctive lines on the tumbler indicate a measured pour for quick reference, and have the ideal dimensions for pre-cooling in all standard freezers.

The glasses are scratch-resistant, robust and dishwasher safe.

ENJOY At last, the perfect collection for on-premise or at home, for the discerning modern stylemaker. You’re very welcome.

Spie Spiegelau_Drinks Trade_Small Long DPS.indd 2

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:52 PM

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TIP #

ICE CUBE: ALWAYS IN YOUR AMERICANO, OPTIONAL ON YOUR PLAYLIST.

The Perfect Small Longdrink Glass

spiegelau.com.au/perfectserve

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30/11/2016 3:52 PM

2017

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CONTENTS TRENDS 10 Drinks & Venues 94 Gifts & Gadgets

DRINKS 14 Peter Nixon's Top Picks for Summer 24 The Ultimate Drinks Cabinet

MEET

34 How to Enjoy Jägermeister

16 George Clooney & Rande Gerber

35 What Temperature Should Your Wine Be?

22 Neil McGuigan - McGuigan Wines

42 Vintage Champagne

66 Cameron Mackenzie - Four Pillars

50 Pinot Noir

68 Charlie Ainsbury - This Must Be The Place

54 Seasonal Produce 56 Summer Cocktail Recipes 62 Gin-spiration 70 Summer Ales

VISIT 84 Bar Hop Around Australia 87 Hotel Bars

74 Cider Cocktails by Sydney Brewery

EXPLORE

76 Mick Cameron & Red Proudfoot from Pirate Life

78 Tour Tasmania

91 Sommelier Tips

ENTERTAINING

92 To Do & Not To Do 96 Myths & Trivia

26 Summer Soiree – Entertaining at Home 38 How to Run a Wine Tasting at Home

exploredrinks.com 5

WELCOME

If you’re anything like me, then you’re always on the look out for recipes, easy ways to entertain and new ideas that show you’ve made that special effort (without having to do the hard work). The foodies among us appreciate that everyone’s a potential contestant on MasterChef, MKR, Iron Chef or even Cupcake Wars, but how much attention are we paying to making quality drinks which can make or break a good evening. And that’s just at home. This is where explore DRINKS can help.

This summer season we bring you 100 pages of quality drinks and entertaining ideas you can enjoy and blend into your summer BBQs, poolside drinks and Australia Day backyard parties. You’ll find food matches (and recipes) and inspiration for home entertaining. There’s

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It’s also good to know what everyone else is drinking, and who better to ask for our first edition than George Clooney and best friend Rande Gerber who, while vacationing, decided to make a small batch tequila for themselves, plus some friends. When you have as many friends as George and Rande (we all do right?) the small ‘personal’ batch turns into a quantity that requires a more formal approach – read Mexican Tax Man – and hey, it was always meant to be shared among friends. Now we can all enjoy Casamigos, which loosely translates to ‘House of Friends’, turn to page 16.

SUMMER

And if drinking out is your thing, though they don’t have to be mutually exclusive of course, then we’ve got you covered there too. The team behind explore DRINKS are all industry insiders; we’ve worked behind the scenes reviewing Australian and regional restaurants and bars, producing guides and cocktail books, beer reviews and whisky magazines – so this is your inside scoop on all things drinks. This edition you’ll find our top spots not only in Australia right now, but also the latest openings in Singapore, Seoul and Hong Kong. If you’re travelling that way soon, then take this with you and hit the best spots in town.

even that special occasion looked after, think Valentines Day, with our review of vintage Champagnes. There’s nothing like the pop of a cork on a special occasion for all the romantics out there.

Please explore the following and let us know what you think. As this goes to print we’re working on the autumn edition, so if you’d like to read more, get on our subscription list ASAP. Visit www.exploredrinks.com and get your issue delivered right to your door.

Cheers

Summer Cocktail Recipes VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE CELEBRATIONS $7.99 (INC. GST)

CLOONEY & GERBER

TALK TEQUILA

D R I N K S • T R E N D S • T R AV E L • B A R S • E N T E R TA I N I N G • M E E T

Ash

SNAPSHOT OF THIS EDITION

Travel

Summer Cocktails

Asia is quickly climbing the ladder to become the cocktail hub of the world. For those of you traveling there, we’ve put together a list of the best hotel bars to get you started.

But be warned, and don’t take this caution lightly…some are so good that you’ll have a hard time leaving the lobby!

Turn to page 87 for all the details.

Beat the heat with our refreshing summer cocktails. The recipes are easy to make and will have your friends in awe.

Turn to page 56 for the details.

exploredrinks.com explore DRINKS is your guide to the latest trends, venue openings, rare finds and entertaining at home. From your morning caffeine fix to your final nightcap, we’ve got it covered.

GIN-SPIRATION

ENTERTAINING

Feeling apprehensive about entertaining your guests? Fear not, we’ve got tips on food and drinks to make your party one to remember.

Turn to page 26 for your guide to entertaining at home this summer.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, gin is in! Whether you’re a novice or a self-proclaimed expert, we’ve pulled together everything you need to know about the clear spirit; even the fact that it was once considered a herbal medicine.

Turn to page 62 for more.

EXPLORE US exploredrinks.com 7

exloredrinks.com

CREDITS

EDITORIAL Managing Editor | Ashley Pini ashley@hipmedia.com.au

ADMINISTRATION General Manager | Melinda Virgona Office Manager I Jose Martins

Editor | Sasha Falloon sasha@hipmedia.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHY Asia Upwards, Anson Smart

Associate Editor | Hannah Sparks

CONTRIBUTORS Champagne & Sparkling | Ashley Pini Wine | Ben Canaider Wine | Ken Gargett Wine | Peter Nixon Beer | Lukas Raschilla Cocktails | Ben Davidson Travel | Winsor Dobbin

Assistant Editor | Lukas Raschilla Online Editor | Rachel Tyler Editorial Assistant | Mary Parbery DESIGN Art Director | Evelyn Rueda Senior Designer | Racs Salcedo

DRINKS Drinks Curator | Ben Davidson

SALES I ADVERTISING National Sales and Marketing Manager | Chris Wheeler chris@hipmedia.com.au

FOOD I STYLING Shared Affair, Catering | www.sharedaffair.com.au Copper Beech, Florist | www.copperbeech.com.au

explore Drinks is published by Hip Media

Other explore titles include: explore Whisk(e)y explore Rum explore Gin, Tequila & Vodka explore Beer explore Cider explore Champagne & Sparkling explore Wine explore Cocktails

169 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point, NSW 2060 Ph: 02 9492 7999 www hipmedia.com.au ABN: 42 126 291 914

To order your copy of explore visit: The views expressed in explore DRINKS are of the respective contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine or Hip Media.

Copyright is held by Hip Media and reproduction in whole or in part, without prior consent, is not permitted.

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exploredrinks.com Hip Media was the winner of Small Publisher of the Year at the Publishers Australia Awards of 2010

SUMMER OF CRICKET

ON TREND

ks as much as We like to explore the wonderful world of drin than knowing that you do. And nothing gives us a greater kick with discovering our readers are up-to-date on anything to do shelves or the a new beverage, the latest product to hit the thing, then read hottest bars. So if being in the know is your of drinks. on to find out what’s happening in the world

EVENT: BALLARAT BEER FESTIVAL MARK JANUARY 21 DOWN IN YOUR CALENDER. THAT’S RIGHT, THE BALLARAT BEER FESTIVAL IS BACK! SHOWCASING OVER 40 BREWERS, INCLUDING COOPERS, PIRATE LIFE AND TWO BIRDS, ATTENDEES WILL BE TREATED TO 20 NEW RELEASE BEERS, NEVER BEFORE SEEN OR TASTED IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A BEER GARDEN, MASTERCLASSES, AND A HUMAN FOOSEBALL TABLE AS PART OF THE ‘BEERLLARAT’. OLYMPICS.

VISIT: BREW BAR Enmore will be buzzing all summer with the addition of this new coffee hub.

A four-month pop up, Brew Bar has been organised by Collective Roasting Solutions, and features beans and roasts from members including Circa Espresso and Skittle Lane. Pop in for a pastry and a pick me up, or purchase a take-home bag for something more sustainable. The try before you buy policy will ensure you leave smiling.

177 Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW

VISIT: URBAN WINERY SYDNEY Urban Winery opened in March, Australia’s first large-scale winery in the city. Owned and operated by experimental winemaker Alex Retief, the idea for the project came after a brief stint in France. Located in St Peters, members of the public are invited to visit from near and afar to participate in tours, tastings or to rent the space for private events and functions.

VISIT: THE ATHLETIC CLUB BREWERY

Suite 601, Precinct 75, 75 Mary St, St Peters, NSW

Ballarat already has a rich brewing heritage, but it just got richer with the opening of the Athletic Club Brewery.

Owned by the Parry Brewing Company, this immersive venue invites locals and visitors to stop in for a tour, tasting and self-brewing session. Whether you are a beer novice or self-proclaimed expert, try your hand at using the professional brewing technology to produce something new (and drink it all after!).

NEW PRODUCT: THE ABEL GIN COMPANY

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Think traditional gin and then prepare to be blown away by an intense blast of citrus. That’s what The Abel Gin Company has to offer with two new products, Essence and Quintessence.

The first is vibrant and fresh, and the second dark and broody. Pair them with your mood, whatever that may be. Keep an eye out for Abel on bottle shop shelves.

VISIT: BALLSY WILD KOMBUCHA Ballsy Brewing has opened a venue in Leichardt where you can purchase something that’s all the rage…Wild Kombucha. A naturally energising and detoxifying drink, Kombucha is produced by the aerobic fermentation of green and black tea and organic raw cane sugar. With less than 1 per cent alcohol, this new brew is taking the town by storm due to its believed health benefits. Head on down and try yours at the Kombucha Bar and Collaboratory space, which fuses a passion for food, art and medicine.

495 Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt, NSW

TRENDS

NEW PRODUCT: CHIVAS REGAL ULTIS Chivas Regal has released its first-ever blended malt Scotch whisky, Ultis, which honours both the Speyside region and former and current master blenders. The whisky is a blend of five signature malts from across the Speyside region. The Australian launch took place in November, with Asia Pacific Ambassador Chris Evans, also known as Captain America, attending the event.

VISIT: STOKEHOUSE Stokehouse Melbourne is back. The new building features a five-star restaurant with overlooking views of St Kilda Beach. Executive Chef Richard Ousby and Head Chef Ollie Hansford have designed a menu with a focus on seafood and an overarching philosophy of fresh, clean, zesty and light. Head Sommelier Gavin Cremming will guide you through the list of 500 wines.

30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, VIC

VISIT: JACOBY’S Named after Dr Jacoby from Twin Peaks, a new Tiki bar is set to open in Enmore early next year. Brought to you by the team behind Earl’s Juke Joint, Jacoby’s will be open until 2am, serving up rum packed tropical cocktails. And as per Twin Peaks, there will always be pie and “damn good coffee.”

VISIT: THE ELYSIAN WHISKY BAR MELBOURNE Fitzroy has been graced with yet another fantastic venue. The Elysian Whisky bar is small and cosy, with a focus on seasonal and classic cocktails.

Bartenders Yao Wong and Kelvin Low have also stocked the bar with over 300 whiskies, many of which come from Scotland. A haven for those enthusiastic about the liquid sunshine, this sounds like the type of place we want to spend our Friday nights!

VISIT:

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RARE FIND:

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VISIT: CHARLIE PARKER’S The Merivale Group has done it again…this time with Charlie Parker’s, the newest and hottest bar on Oxford Street in Sydney.

Taking a chef ’s approach to cocktails, bartenders Sam Egerton and Toby Marshall have created a menu that focuses on freshness and quality. Serving drinks to order, with a high attention to detail, you are sure to be blown away by what they produce.

See full profile on page 84. exploredrinks.com 11

MUST TRY:

PEANUT BUTTER SCHNAPPS

Kindred Beverages’ Vizor Schnapps range is Australian made and owned, and produced using custom built extractors to deliver a premium product. In a world first, the company has launched Peanut Butter Schnapps. Yes, you heard right, Peanut Butter Schnapps.

The Vizor Schnapps range also includes Apple, Butterscotch, Chocolate, Coffee, Peach, and Raspberry.

BATCH AROMATIC BITTERS

Batch Aromatic Bitters from Kindred Beverages have been carefully macerated in customised extraction tanks using more than twenty ingredients. The result is a strong, intense, deep and rich flavoured product with layered herbs and a bittersweet lingering finish. Batch Aromatic Bitters are Australian made and include natural Tasmanian mountain berries and hops.

BATCH ORANGE BITTERS

Batch Orange Bitters features a cluster of orange flavour including pith, peel and juice to provide a tartsweet bitterness.

These can be used in drinks or as a perfect addition to desser ts and ice cream. Batch Orange Bitters are Australian made with the integration of Australian naval oranges.

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VISIT:

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t 60s ion after a nigh some classic recovery sess a r fo g in n dine-in with ok ca Lo u yo re he w i, tarian and ast Bar in Bond ve vegan, vege ha ey Th Mr Topper’s To . ch brun na, re talking bana your teeth into r the sun. We’ music and sink de un gs in y pp e to might ast, and all th behold, the al gluten free to er and, lo and tt bu t ad nu co co to set your he monds, honey, jam, al an iced coffee ith w n w do l al ado! Wash it t on the town. smashed avoc r another nigh fo ht straig

VISIT: QUEENS HOTEL

NEW: BROOKIE’S BYRON DRY GIN

The recently revamped Queens Hotel in Sydney’s inner west suburb of Enmore offers great cocktails and food options from its restaurant, Queen Chow, which serves up a range of dishes inspired by the flavours of Hong Kong’s famous street kitchens.

Upstairs at the Queens Hotel you’ll find the Smelly Goat cocktail bar serving classic cocktails with a twist.

The two-level venue features a décor of dark stained timbers, rubbed back finishes and a long timber bar with a zinc top. The ground floor has bar seating and leather banquettes and opens into a courtyard shadowed by a canopy tree and greenery.

The new Cape Byron Distillery has launched Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin, the first to be produced in Byron Bay. The gin captures the flavours and tastes of sub-tropical NSW, with the distillery nestled in the Brook family’s macadamia farm, surrounded by a lush rainforest.

Brookie’s is a dry style of gin, balanced with a combination of traditional and local, native botanicals and trickle distilled in a custom, hand-made copper pot still.

Brookie’s Byron Dry gin retails for $75 and is currently exclusively available via the Australian crowd funding platform Pozible.

Address: 167 Enmore Road, Enmore NSW

Check out www.capebyrondistillery.com for more info.

EAT: MUNCH ON THESE NEW PRODUCTS FROM KETTLE The famous Kettle brand now offers two new products - popcorn and sweet potato chips.

The range of popcorn is a healthier alternative, 100 per cent natural with no artificial colours or flavours. The Kettle Popcorn range is available in Honey & Butter (110g), Salted Caramel (110g), and Sea Salt (80g). Kettle Sweet Potato Chips are available in two flavours, Sea Salt and Rosemary & Sea Salt. They are 100 per cent natural and slowly cooked in sunflower oil.

SCULPTURED BY THE SEA WWW.SYDNEYBREWERY.COM

NIXON’S PICKS Unsure of which wines to drink this summer? Peter Nixon, a member of the Dan Murphy’s Wine Panel, picks his dozen of the best wines to try over the warmer months.

PETER NIXON Dan Murphy’s Wine Panel l Range Development

BLANC DE BLANCS CHAMPAGNE Made entirely from the chardonnay grape, this relatively recent addition to the Champagne landscape has become the fastest growing style in the region over the last few years. Loved for its pure freshness and citrusy appeal, this is the perfect aperitif or the ultimate match for freshly shucked oysters.

VALUE CHOICE: Charles Orban Blanc de Blancs Non Vintage It’s hard to believe that you can get any Champagne of this quality for so little money, let alone a critically-acclaimed, award-winning ‘grower’ Champagne.

NO-EXPENSE-SPARED: Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Vintage This wine comes from an ancient 17th-century vineyard; the most exalted chardonnay plot for sparkling wine on earth. An expression of Krug’s legendary power and complexity, together with the finesse of blanc de blancs. A genuine icon.

DRY, PALE, SAVOURY FRENCH ROSÉ Dubbed ‘white wine for red wine drinkers’, it offers the freshness of white wine with the tannins (aka texture) of red.

Dry style rosés have taken the world by storm over the last decade. France is undeniably the global epicentre for the style, in terms of both diversity and value, with those from the warm Mediterranean south, the most famous.

VALUE CHOICE: Reserve de Fabregues Rosé Costières de Nimes FRANCE - Grenache Shiraz Lightly coloured, fresh and elegant with aromas of peony roses and wild strawberries. A crunchy fresh palate with hints of summer berry and spice.

NO-EXPENSE-SPARED: Domaine du Gros Noré Rosé Bandol FRANCE - Mourvèdre Grenache Cinsault This brings next-level complexity and minerality. A textural edge, together with dusty dried garrigue herbs and orange rind aromas and flavours. It gives an almost negroni-like appeal. The palate is expansive, intense, and very, very long.

MODERN AUSTRALIAN CHARDONNAY Forget those overripe, high alcohol and excessive oak styles of the 1980s, modern Australian chardonnay can still be equally full-flavoured, complex and powerful, yet now also possesses a whole new level of freshness, vibrancy, and drive.

VALUE CHOICE: MadFish Gold Turtle - Margaret River WA - Chardonnay Margaret River produces a genuine, crowd-pleasing style of chardonnay. Its maritime climate with warm dry days and long cool nights delivers a style of chardonnay full of flavour reigned in by fresh acidity.

NO-EXPENSE-SPARED: Giaconda - Beechworth VIC - Chardonnay Considered by many critics to be Australia’s finest chardonnay. No expense is spared in producing this powerful, complex chardonnay. Low-yielding, single-estate, minimally handled fruit, fermented and matured in the finest quality French oak. The palate could be described as the classic iron fist in the velvet glove. So much power and complexity, yet also tightly coiled, confident of many years, even decades. Would be fantastic with sustainable WA marron pan-fried with artisanal butter.

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DRINKS CHILLABLE REDS As a generalisation, in Australia, we tend to serve our whites too cold and our reds too warm. In short, serving white wine too cold subdues the aromas and flavours, serving red too hot accentuates the alcohol (heat), which also masks the character of the wine. A fresh, young red can look deliciously vibrant at around 12-16c - or what the French call vin de soif (which loosely translates as refreshing wine), a style that is rapidly becoming popular in Australia. France’s Beaujolais (aka gamay) is the original chillable red, however, Australia also now produces some so-called slurpable examples.

VALUE CHOICE: Z Wine Rustica - Barossa Valley SA - Grenache This is a lovely expression of modern Australian grenache. Unhindered by oak, it’s bright, crunchy and breezy.

NO-EXPENSE-SPARED: Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages - Burgundy FRANCE – Gamay Not expensive, more priceless. This is the godfather of chillable reds; a global success story for almost half a century that does not rest on its laurels. It is still a truly brilliant example of the genre. The fruit is gorgeously pure, the wine utterly slurpable. Like liquid summer pudding.

TEMPRANILLO TOUCH-DOWN Tempranillo is to Spain what shiraz is to Australia, producing a dynamic range of superb styles in a wide number of regions and climates across the nation. Like shiraz, tempranillo can also be enjoyed young as a juicy, minimally oaked wine or appreciated as a more serious, savoury expression, with more age, tannin, and oak. Not surprisingly, given our similar diversity of climate and wine regions, tempranillo has found a home in Australia in recent decades with some outstanding examples being produced in a number of premium regions nationally.

VALUE CHOICE: Brown Brothers 18 Eighty Nine - King Valley VIC – Tempranillo A terrific local, minimally oaked example, with juicy, pure pastille-like fruit, generosity and supple tannins. The cool King Valley nights ensure that the wine’s acidity is preserved, resulting in maximum freshness and vibrancy. A genuine crowd-pleaser.

NO-EXPENSE-SPARED: Remírez de Ganuza Fincas - Rioja Alta SPAIN - Tempranillo Graciano From Spain’s oldest and most significant premium wine region. This is a superb and seriously concentrated example.

This is a no-expense-spared wine, each berry hand-sorted, via gravity-fed, 100 per cent top-quality French oak. The fruit is sourced from some of the finest higher altitude, low-yielding vineyards in the region. The balance of this wine is faultless, ensuring it will live for decades in the cellar. If you drink it upon release (at already a handful of years age) it still requires a healthy aeration in a large volume decanter - preferably hours before, even overnight. Drink in a large quality glassware. Eggplant lasagne or gelatinous beef daube.

THE MORPHING OF MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC Marlborough sauvignon blanc is one of the most, if not the most intense regional wine expressions on the planet, however, can be unfairly criticised for being one-dimensional and all too similar. We know from the best examples, many produced in Loire (France) that sauvignon blanc can also be complex, minerally, textural and even age-worthy.

VALUE CHOICE: Stoneleigh Wild Valley - Marlborough NZ - Sauvignon Blanc A great value example of minimal intervention winemaking; this wine is wild fermented by the microflora of the local Rapaura sub-region. The result is a wine that doesn’t lose its signature passionfruit and citrus appeal, yet brings a richer, more textural palate and generous mouth feel that well balances out the crunchy acidity.

NO-EXPENSE-SPARED: Giesen The August 1888 - Marlborough NZ - Sauvignon Blanc The August sees the combination of low yielding vines, barrel fermentation with wild yeast and extended maturation on lees to deliver a wine of interest, excitement and downright enjoyability. A complex and mouth-filling wine.

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CASAMIGOS

‘HOUSE OF

FRIENDS’ WORDS ASHLEY PINI

This is a story about adventure, passion, friendship and Mexico; it’s about being free-spirited, not playing by the rules and just doing what you love - what makes you happy.

Away from the limelight, George Clooney and Rande Gerber are just two guys looking to kick-back, get away from the hustle and bustle and have a good time with family and friends, enjoying great-tasting tequila and creating lasting memories.

The Academy Award-winning actor turned tequila-maker joins the man behind some of the world’s best restaurants and bars to inspire more of the good times in life “with a smile.”

I guess you could say that Casamigos is now the house of friends all over the world.

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MEET

“CASAMIGOS LOOSELY TRANSLATES TO HOUSE OF FRIENDS, WHICH IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT” exploredrinks.com 17

Ashley Pini: How did your love of tequila come about?

Rande Gerber: We were spending a lot of time in Mexico, and as you do when you’re in Mexico, we were drinking a lot of tequila.

We would go to different bars and bartenders would suggest different tequilas, some really expensive, some not so expensive; some good, some not so good, but we never found one that was perfect for us. We wanted the best-tasting, smoothest tequila, one you didn’t have to cover up with salt or lime. We wanted to be able to drink it all night long and not be hungover in the morning. So we started working with a great master distiller to develop the exact profile that we wanted. Two years and 700 bottles of samples later, it was perfect.

AP. What came first; your love of Mexico or your love of tequila?

RG: I have always loved them both the same, but Casamigos makes me love Mexico even more.

AP. Do you spend more time in Mexico now that you have a tequila?

RG: I spend more time in Jalisco, MX where our distillery is located.

AP. Has owning a business in Mexico changed your perception and enjoyment of the country? Is it more work than play?

RG: The Mexican people are hardworking and their passion and love of tequila really comes through in the quality of Casamigos.

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MEET

“IF WE FIND THAT WE ARE DISAGREEING ON SOMETHING, WE WILL USUALLY HAVE A CASAMIGOS…THEN ANOTHER… THEN ANOTHER, AND AT THE END WE HAVE SOMEHOW AGREED.” exploredrinks.com 19

“THE DAY WE RECEIVED BOTTLE NUMBER 700, GEORGE AND I DRANK THE ENTIRE BOTTLE WITH A SMILE. THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF WHAT TURNED INTO THE GREATEST JOB OF MY LIFE.”

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MEET

AP. Considering an Australian audience, do you have any ‘inside’ advice on what to do and see in Mexico?

RG: There are many parts of Mexico; if you’re a surfer, try Puerto Escondido, Cabo, or Todos Santos. Don’t forget the local cuisine and most importantly, Casamigos.

AP. Who came up with the name Casamigos?

RG: George and I came up with the name - Casamigos loosely translates to “house of friends,” which is what it’s all about.

AP: Was reducing your production ever an option when considering the challenge of having to go commercial?

RG: Casamigos is a small batch, ultra-premium tequila made with only the finest, hand-selected 100 per cent blue weber agave. We will never speed up the process in order to reach demand. What’s most important is the quality of what we drink, not the quantity of what we sell.

AP: Starting a business can be stressful, especially with friends. Have there been any disagreements when starting Casamigos?

RG: We made Casamigos strictly for us to drink and share with friends. It was never intended

to be a company. Now that we are sharing it with the world, the company has grown. We are fortunate to have become the fastest growing ultra-premium tequila in the country. If we find that we are disagreeing on something, we will usually have a Casamigos…then another… then another, and at the end we have somehow agreed.

AP. What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome when creating Casamigos?

RG: It’s a very different business and because we made Casamigos for us, we had to learn the business as we built it. We don’t follow any rules or look at other brands; we do everything in-house and do things our own way. So far it has worked out.

AP. And what level of contact / influence do you have at the distillery?

RG: Nothing goes into a bottle until George and I taste it first. George and I sign off every batch and then the bottles are numbered.

RG: Casamigos is a big part of our life and lifestyle. It just flows naturally into our everyday life and definitely adds to the good times and great memories.

AP. You’ve mentioned you wanted a tequila you can drink straight or on the rocks. For a lot of people, tequila is best mixed. Do you have a signature serve or suggested way of serving Casamigos mixed?

RG: It mixes well with anything, but we like to drink our Casamigos neat or on the rocks.

Casamigos is so refined and smooth; we prefer to sip it all night long. You can hide a lot of bad tequilas with margaritas, but Casamigos actually enhances it.

AP. Out of the whole experience of creating your own tequila, what’s the most memorable for you?

RG: The day we received bottle number 700, George and I drank the entire bottle with a smile. That was just the beginning of what turned into the greatest job of my life.

AP. You all wear so many hats and have busy lives. How do you find time to manage all the projects you’re working on and keep a work-life balance?

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AUSTRALIAN WINEMAKER

LEADS THE PACK

NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER WON WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR FOUR TIMES

When you think of the word ‘great’ or ‘world-beaters’ what does it really mean to Australians? We prefer to be an unassuming bunch but, deep down, we all love to be parochial when it comes to our homeland. How many times have you heard returning Aussies say: “Europe was awesome, I had such a great time, but there’s no place as good as here?” We are indeed the lucky country. And now, our world beating beaches, inventors, sports heroes and actors can be joined by winemakers – and one in particular, Neil McGuigan.

McGuigan Wines was named Winemaker of the Year for a record fourth time at the 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London, recognised as the world’s leading wine and spirits awards. Having previously won the title in 2009, 2011 and 2012, the fourth award puts the Australian winery into new territory – it’s the first time any winery has won the award four times in the competition’s 47-year history.

WORDS ASHLEY PINI

Ashley Pini: Congratulations on such a fantastic accolade, did you ever think you’d take home this trophy once, let alone four times? And how does it feel?

Neil McGuigan: It is wonderful to be able to represent Australia on the world stage. It’s very exciting, but humbling at the same time. We had a purple patch from 2009 to 2012, and you’d think it wouldn’t happen again, but if you commit to making great wine you can get lucky.

AP: Can you explain to our readers how the overall Winemaker of the Year decision comes about? How do the results of your

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individual wines affect the overall result?

NM: The way this is tabulated is not revealed, so I believe the system is about strike rate, with wines that don’t win medals given a negative number. Plus, I believe gold medals and trophies are highly awarded.

AP: What is it about Australian wines, and McGuigan wines in particular, that is winning over the public in the UK? NM: For Australian wines, it is generosity of fruit because of the climate in which we operate.

With our wines, we have the same generosity of fruit but with cleanliness and varietal definition.

Plus, we have a maturation program in the business which allows us to release and show mature Australian wines at their peak.

AP: When did all the hard work start? What have you put in place to achieve these goals?

NM: The hard work started when I began in the wine industry. It has taken a lifetime to reach this level of performance; some may say that I am slow.

AP: What do you think it is that sets Australian winemakers apart and contributes to such success?

MEET

NM: A total commitment to quality, tenacity, innovation, patience and persistence.

AP: This must be even more satisfying considering the challenges all Australian wineries are facing following the Brexit decision?

NM: The UK is a huge market for Australian wine. One in four to one in five bottles of wine consumed in the UK is Australian. Devaluation of the UK pound is difficult in the short term, but we are committed to the market and this recent win will continue to help us increase our sales footprint.

“MAKE THE WINE THE HERO.” “OVER DELIVER ON QUALITY AT EVERY PRICE POINT.” ABOVE: Neil McGuigan, Winemaker of the Year

AP: What are the key attributes that you can point to that makes Australian wine so good?

NM: Purity of the variety – most Australian vines are on their own roots not rootstock – plus clean air, water and abundant sunshine. Our raw materials (the grapes) are arguably the best in the world.

AP: When Brazil won the world Cup in 1970 they got to keep the trophy forever. Do you have to give the IWSC Winemaker of the Year trophy back?

NM: The trophy is super glued to my desk.

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The Drinks Whether it’s a quick refreshment or the ingredients to create a delicious cocktail with, the explore DRINKS Cabinet is your one stop shop for every beverage you’ll need this summer.

CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING

LIQUEUR

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WHITE WINE

RED WINE

WHISKY & BOURBON

VERMOUTH

DRINKS

Cabinet BEER & CIDER

GIN, TEQUILA & VODKA

BRANDY & COGNAC

RUM

MIXERS & BITTERS

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Summer

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Entertaining

ENTERTAINING

HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER

PLAN AHEAD WITH THESE SIMPLE RECIPES Whether you’re hosting a barbeque or throwing a pool party, entertaining at home this summer has never been easier. The key is planning ahead and with these simple recipes, you’ll be able to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests.

PHOTOGRAPHY ASIA UPWARD GLASSWARE SPONSOR RSN AUSTRALIA FLOWERS COPPER BEECH FOOD RECIPES SHARED AFFAIR COCKTAIL RECIPES BEN DAVIDSON

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We love to catch up with friends and family over summer and what better way than to invite them over to enjoy a great glass of wine or even better, cocktails.

Entertaining is meant to be enjoyable, but planning and preparing food and drink for multiple people can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve created a menu consisting of easy share plates and delicious pre-batched cocktails that combine fresh, seasonal produce in a matter of minutes.

Rosé sangria batched cocktail

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Batched cocktails are really popular in Australia right now and allow you to make impressive drinks for all of your guests without taking up too much effort or time. By mixing and chilling the ingredients in advance will not only help you to create great tasting cocktails but also to serve different batches with each course, worry-free.

(LEFT - RIGHT) Batched blood orange and espresso negroni’s

ENTERTAINING BATCHED COCKTAIL RECIPES A great idea for home entertaining is the ‘prebatching’ of cocktails so they are ready to serve when your guests arrive.

This can be done out of a Punch Bowl or by using a large glass water dispenser with a tap to serve a Rosé Sangria on arrival. Rosé wines are made for summer and the Rosé Sangria recipe is deliciously refreshing and easy to prepare about an hour before guests arrive.

Another alternative is to mix a cocktail in advance and decant it into swing top bottles and keep in the fridge until needed. Flavoured Negroni’s are perfect for that mid-afternoon cocktail by the pool. Just pour it over ice and enjoy!

stir well. Decant into three swing top bottles.

Serve over ice in a tumbler glass. Garnish with an orange peel twist or wedge.

1 tsp. Sesame Oil 1 tsp. Butter 2 x Shallots (finely sliced on an angle)

ESPRESSO NEGRONI

METHOD 1. Remove scallops from the shells and arrange shells on a serving platter 2. Heat soy, vinegar, sesame oil and ginger over a low heat. Simmer for five minutes 3. Melt butter in a frying pan over high heat. Add scallops to the pan and cook for 30 seconds on one side and 30 seconds on the other 4. Remove from the pan and return each scallop to a shell on the serving platter 5. Drizzle with a little bit of hot dressing and garnish with shallots

SERVES: 10

GLASSWARE: Tumbler GARNISH: Coffee beans INGREDIENTS 500ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin 500ml Campari 500ml Sweet Vermouth 500ml Espresso Liqueur

GLASSWARE: Tumbler or Small Wine Glass

METHOD Add ingredients to a large measuring jug and stir well. Decant into three swing top bottles. Serve over ice in a tumbler glass. Garnish with coffee beans.

GARNISH: Strawberries and apple slices

OYSTERS MIGNONETTE

INGREDIENTS 2 x Bottles Le Petit Rosé 1 x Bottle Lillet Rosé Aperitif 500ml Cloudy Apple Juice 150ml Elderflower Cordial 100ml Fresh Lemon Juice 500ml Soda Water Sliced Strawberries and Apples

SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: 30 MINS

ROSÉ SANGRIA SERVES: 17 - 18

METHOD Add all ingredients to a glass water decanter or punch bowl and gently stir. When ready, serve over ice in a tumbler or small wine glass.

INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar 2 tbs. Eschallot (very finely diced) 1 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper 3 doz. Oysters (freshly shucked) Ice

BOTTLED BLOOD ORANGE NEGRONI

METHOD 1. Mix together vinegar, eschallot and pepper 2. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes 3. Arrange oysters on a large platter of ice 4. Drizzle oysters with mignonette dressing

GLASSWARE: Tumbler

GINGER SOY SCALLOPS ON THE SHELL

SERVES: 10

GARNISH: Orange wedge or peel INGREDIENTS 500ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin 500ml Campari 500ml Sweet Vermouth 500ml Blood Orange Juice METHOD Add ingredients to a large measuring jug and

SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: 30 MINS INGREDIENTS 3 doz. Scallops 4 tbs. Soy Sauce 1 x piece of Ginger (thumb size, roughly chopped) 1 tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar

SLOW ROAST GREEK LAMB WITH TZATZIKI SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: BE PATIENT – THIS ONE TAKES A WHILE BUT SO WORTH THE WAIT. YOUR GUEST WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT. ALLOW A GOOD 6 HOURS INGREDIENTS 1 x Leg of Lamb 4 x Lemons 1 x bunch Lemon Thyme 1 x knob of Garlic 2 cups Dry White Wine 3 tbs. Olive Oil 500g Greek Yoghurt 2 x Lebanese Cucumbers (seeds removed and finely chopped) METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 150°C 2. Place lamb in a large baking tray 3. Using a small knife, make 2cm incisions in about eight places evenly spaced over the lamb 4. Peel eight cloves of garlic, halve and press into incisions. Scatter remaining cloves (skin on) around the lamb (reserve one clove for tzatziki) 5. Pour in wine and a cup of water. Scatter over lemon thyme. Juice two lemons and add juice to the pan 6. Drizzle lamb with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper 7. Slice another lemon into rounds and arrange

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CLOCKWISE: Slow roast greek lamb, rustic caprese salad, herbed couscous with pomegranate jewels, whole snapper with summer vegetables

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ENTERTAINING

SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: 30 MINS INGREDIENTS 1/2 kg of Ox Heart Tomatoes 1/2 kg of Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes 3 x Buffalo Mozzarella Balls 1 x bunch of Basil 2 tbs. good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tbs. good quality Balsamic Vinegar

over the top of the lamb 8. Cover the tray with a piece of baking paper, then cover everything tightly with foil 9. Roast in the oven at 150°C for five hours 10. Meanwhile to make the tzatziki, juice and zest one lemon 11. Add juice and zest, one garlic clove crushed and cucumber to yoghurt 12. Mix well and season to taste with salt and white pepper 13. When lamb is ready to serve, transfer to a serving platter 14. Place pan over a medium heat on the stove.

Use the back of a spoon to mash garlic cloves into pan juices 15. Allow to reduce for a few minutes 16. Serve lamb drizzled with pan juices and tzaztiki

SNAPPER WITH SUMMER VEGETABLES SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: 2 HOURS INGREDIENTS 1.5 kg Snapper (scaled, gutted and cleaned – ask your local fish monger to do the dirty work for you) 2 x large Carrots (peeled)

2 x large Zucchini 6 x baby Potatoes 1/2 bunch of Parsley (finely chopped) 1 x Lemon (sliced into rounds) 4 x Garlic Cloves (peeled) 2 cups Dry White Wine 2 tbs. Olive Oil METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 200°C 2. Slice your vegetables into very thin rounds (Use a mandolin if you have one) 3. Scatter 2/3 of the veg in a thin layer over the base of a large baking tray 4. Season well with salt and pepper 5. Score fish three times on each side to allow for even cooking 6. Place fish on bed of vegetables. Pour over wine and a good drizzle of olive oil 7. Place lemon slices and garlic into the cavity 8. Arrange remaining veg over the top of fish in a rough “scale” pattern 9. Season again with salt and pepper 10. Cover with baking paper, then cover tightly with foil 11. Bake in the oven for 55 minutes 12. Baste with pan juices and scatter over parsley before serving

RUSTIC CAPRESE SALAD

METHOD 1. Slice oxheart tomatoes into roughly 1.5cm rounds 2. Roughly chop your heirloom tomatoes in rounds and quarters. Different shapes create texture 3. Arrange ox hearts on a serving platter 4. Drizzle with half of the olive oil and vinegar 5. Season well with salt and pepper 6. Tear two mozzarella balls into quarters 7. Arrange over tomatoes and tear over half of the basil 8. Arrange heirlooms on top of ox hearts, repeat process with oil, vinegar, seasoning, mozzarella and basil 9. Serve immediately

HERBED COUSCOUS WITH POMEGRANATE JEWELS SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: 1 HOUR INGREDIENTS 1 x box Couscous 1 x bunch Mint (finely chopped) 1 x bunch Coriander (finely chopped) 1 x bunch Parsley (finely chopped) 5 x Garlic Cloves (crushed) 1 x small Red Chilli (finely sliced) 1tbs. Massel brand Powdered Chicken Stock 3 tbs. Olive OilMETHOD 1. Prepare couscous to packet instructions adding chicken stock to water 2. Heat a lug of olive oil in a large pan 3. Fry garlic and chilli for one minute until fragrant

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Forest Berry Mini Pavlova’s

4. Stir olive oil, garlic and chilli mixture and chopped herbs through couscous 5. Season to taste with salt and pepper 6. Transfer to serving platter 7. Halve your pomegranate and tap out seeds with a wooden spoon, removing any white membrane 8. Scatter pomegranate seeds over your couscous

FOREST BERRY MINI PAVLOVAS SERVES: 8 – 10 LEVEL: EASY TIME: 2 HOURS INGREDIENTS 150ml Egg Whites (approx 4 eggs) 1 cup Caster Sugar 1 tsp. White Vinegar 600ml Thickened Cream 1 x punnet of Strawberries (halved) 1 x punnet of Raspberries 1 x punnet of Blueberries 1 x punnet of Mulberries 4 x Passionfruits METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 150°C 2. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form 3. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, waiting 30 seconds before adding more 4. Whisk for five minutes or until stiff and glossy 5. Add the vinegar and whisk for two minutes or until glossy and combined 6. Spoon eight rounds of meringue onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Using a spoon, make little peas on top and an indent in the centre of each meringue. Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C and bake for 30 minutes or until crisp to the touch 7. Cool in the oven for one hour 8. Whisk the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form 9. Top your meringues with cream and berries, then drizzle over passion fruit

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DRINKS

ENTERTAINING TIPS

PREP Preparation is key. Write a list of all your ingredients and prepare as much as you can the night before.

FOOD Fresh and local produce is key and also a great conversation around the table about where you sourced your food from. Select food that is designed to share, so you aren’t in the kitchen preparing individual plates. Antipasto platters are ideal to start with and can be pulled together in a matter of minutes. And they look great too.

DRINKS A glass of Champagne upon arrival is always a great way to start and all depending on the session, a summer ale or crisp glass of pinot should always be on offer. Batched cocktail are on trend, so try our selected batched cocktail recipes – you wont be disappointed.

SETTING Dress your table all according to the season and your taste. Flowers are always a great touch.

Also have a range of glassware available to suit the wine, beer and cocktail drinker.

MUSIC Have background music on and when you’re ready, clear the deck, crank the music and have a good boogy.

Herbed couscous with pomegranate jewels

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SPONSORED

JÄGERMEISTER: BEST SHARED ICE-COLD Everyday, someone falls in love with the mysterious taste of Germany’s most famous drinks export.

PHOTOGRAPHY ASIA UPWARD

The secret is the 56 botanicals that go into it. Every botanical is 100 per cent natural and must meet the approval of the master distillers before it is added to the final recipe.

6 5 T O O R

While many other herbal liqueurs are processed and bottled immediately after maceration, Jägermeister undergoes an unusually extensive maturation process.

445 mighty oak barrels rest in the ‘Krauterkellerei’. Each one is carved from wood grown in the Palatine Forest and in these vessels Jägermeister is given time to ‘breathe’ for almost one year at a time.

Jägermeister is complex, spicy and soulwarming. You will discover well-balanced flavours of citrus, ginger, star anise and a gentle, pleasing herbal bitterness.

Our famous liqueur is best served ice-cold or you may want to try it in a refreshing ROOT 56 - mix Jägermeister with ginger beer in a glass full of ice and add a wedge of lime.

ROOT 56 GLASS: Highball INGREDIENTS: 45ml Jägermeister Top with ginger beer METHOD: Add all ingredients to a highball glass packed with ice. Stir gently and garnish.

GARNISH: Lime wedges

Fifty-six different herbs, blossoms, roots and fruits are used in the production of Jägermeister, including star anise, cinnamon, ginger roots and the rest remains a secret.

STAY CHILLED. DRINK RESPONSIBLY JÄGERMEISTER 35% ABV. PRODUCED AND BOTTLED BY MAST-JÄGERMEISTER SE, WOLFENBÜTTEL, GERMANY

DRINKS

Neil Hadley, Master of Wine

Taylors Optimum Drinking Temperature Sensors

WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD YOU BE

SERVING YOUR WINE?

When there are around 7.5 billion people in this world and only 354 who hold a Masters of Wine (MW) qualification, you feel pretty special when one crosses your path. To hold one of the most respected titles in the world of wine is no easy feat. Through years of passion, dedication, studying, and enjoying a fair amount of wine, Neil Hadley is one of the few who hold a MW. We caught up with Neil, based at Taylors Wines, who gave us some friendly advice on how to control and determine the temperature of both white and red wine.

There are broad areas from which you can approach wine temperature. Quite simply, you don’t want to drink your white wine too cold, or your red wine too warm. This is because wines are liquids full of volatile compounds. What that means is when they get cold, they become less likely to vaporize, and as they get warm, they

become more likely to vaporize. The challenge in getting the temperature right then is pitching it such that enough of the vaporizing flavours go on to make the drink more pleasurable.

Fundamentally, we’re all well-equipped to pitch wine and subsequently determine if it’s the right

temperature. All you need is a little common sense and guidance. In Australia, chances are the wine is going to be too warm when served at room temperature. So a little bit of cooling, even for reds, will benefit them. A trick with red wines is to put the bottle on the side of your neck or cheek, which is much more sensitive to

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The swatch will change colour and will register a certain shade when the wine is at the right temperature for drinking

Taylors Estate Chardonnay, best served between 10-12°C

temperature than your hands, and if the bottle feels cool, than it means it’s cooler than the temperature of the room. If it feels the same temperature as the room however, then it’s probably too warm. This means the alcohols are going to be lifting a lot of flavour in a great big splurge, giving off different messages to your taste buds and spoiling the drink. In an ideal situation, before opening the bottle, you’d take the wine and put it into an ice bucket or in the fridge and let it stand for 20 to 30 minutes to cool down by a few degrees. This will tighten up the flavour, making it more enjoyable.

When it comes to white wine, you want to avoid over chilling varieties that are structurally

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dependent on bitters and oak. In following this philosophy, I recommend chardonnays to be chilled to no less than 10-12 degrees.

And if you’re intending to pour chardonnay at some point during the meal, pull it out of the cooler 20-30 minutes before you drink it so that it doesn’t have that brutal firmness. This will allow those richer, silkier, softer flavours from the fruit to come back into the balance. If you are a little pressed for time however, you can always drop a few ice cubes in the glass to cool the wine down. This works particularly well for Clare Valley rieslings, and although I often hear people fretting about how this will change the wine, I have never had a disastrous result.

If after reading all this you are still worried

about wine temperature, then fear not, the labeling industry has your best interest in mind.

What we’ve done at Taylors for example, is use thermochromatic inks to create a swatch on the back of the bottle that changes colour and will register a certain shade when the wine is at exactly the right temperature for drinking. On the bottom of the bottle there’s a spectrum of colours that indicate “too warm” through to “too cold”, with the ideal colour being in the center. Having worked in the industry for 25 years, I’ve found consistently that what people want is useful information. And this is a great example of providing something fun, engaging and marketable, which was founded on useful information.

BREATHING IMPROVES YOUR WINE. THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE TAKES IT TO A NEW LEVEL.

Discover the difference for yourself, take the Taylors Temperature Challenge.

Find out more at taylorswines.com.au

TAYLORS TEMPERATURE

challenge

Tasting wine.

At home...

Now that wine is as comfortable with people as people are with it, wine has been largely normalised. It is no longer snobbish. As a result, confident and natural wine drinkers often like to conduct wine tastings in private homes. Good intentions are often ruined by poor execution, however. So if you are considering investing in a wine tasting at home, here are some hints.

WORDS BEN CANAIDER

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ENTERTAINING A TASTING ROOM: ENVIRONMENT AND FACILITIES. Of course, in proper houses in proper postcodes, proper people wouldn’t host a proper wine tasting without first engaging a proper architect to design and build a proper tasting facility, or tasting laboratory. Ashamedly, I’ve known people who have conducted a wine tasting and have not done this.

They’ve just put a white tablecloth over the dining room table and put a few glasses around. It’s up to you.

HOW SERIOUS? Beginners, wine geeks, or professional sommeliers, it matters not who is invited, but the tone you settle on. Is it informal (AKA people just have a few drinks and end up discussing politics rather than the wines) or do you lean more towards a formal tasting atmosphere? The latter is the only choice. And this level of seriousness is set by your attitude and manner, by the way you’ve got the tasting organised, and by the literature you furnish your tasting victims with, such as photocopied tasting sheets.

Certainly you need some space so clear the table and put a white cloth or white butchers’ paper down. White? You need a white background in order to see the wine’s colour (more on this below).

Turn off the TV and the music, the iPods and the lava lamps, and ask everyone to put their toys - I mean portable phones on to “mute”.

And eschew aftershave or perfume.

You want to smell the wine in front of you, not the estate agent to the left of you. Time of day is another important consideration. Just before lunch or just before dinner is the best time to assess wine, as this is when you are more than likely to be hungry, hence your senses are at their most attentive and pert.

“TASTINGS OF RED WINES ‘FOR CELLARING’ WILL GET YOUNGISH MEN ALONG, BECAUSE ALL YOUNGISH MEN WANT TO DO IS CELLAR WINE FOREVER. THEY ARE USUALLY IN FINANCIAL SERVICES” exploredrinks.com 39

WINE. Be thematic. Stick to one variety; say chardonnay. The keep-it-simple approach.

Or stick to one region; say the Yarra Valley.

Do it by vintage; say McLaren Vale 2015 shiraz. By price isn’t a bad idea if your victims are keen on QPR - quality price rapport. So six whites under $15, no matter what variety. There’s a good chance they’ll hate them all. Tastings of red wines “for cellaring” will get youngish men along, because all youngish men want to do is cellar wine forever. They are usually in financial services.

But I find the best way to conduct a wine tasting at home is to use the following six wines: a sauvignon blanc; a chardonnay; a rosé; a pinot noir; a shiraz; and then a cabernet sauvignon.

And the reason is simple: this is the quickest way to trick people into learning about wine. The varieties are all remarkably different in the way they smell and taste, hence people remember them by their differences. They are struck by the way they can discern the difference between sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. The former is pungent and sharp; the latter is more peachy and more textural. The only trick to this trick is getting wines that are from regions where varietal definition is strong. So New Zealand sauvignon blanc, Margaret River chardonnay; rosé from anywhere because it is pink and that’s enough for anyone to learn on one night, pinot from the Yarra Valley, shiraz from the Barossa; and cabernet from Coonawarra.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR A TASTING • White table cloth or white butchers paper • Pour into carafes or decanters prior to guest arriving • Marker to number the bags • Wine glasses (this will all depend of how many wines you’re tasting and how formal the tasting) • Spittoon or buckets to spit • Tasting sheets and pens for your guests to take notes

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ENTERTAINING DRINKS

“HAVING MASKED BOTTLES ON THE TABLE CAN GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION, TOO. A RIESLING BOTTLE IS DISTINCTIVE, EVEN WHEN WRAPPED IN ALUMINIUM FOIL TO HIDE THE WINERY’S NAME” TUTORED TASTING OR UNTUTORED? Do you lead the tasters through the wines, wine by wine, or do you let them taste them all and then discuss? For beginners, which is about 99 per cent of the population, go for a very structured and tutored tasting. Taste and compare the two whites before revealing which is which. Taste the rosé unthinkingly. Then taste the three reds and focus on the power or weight of the wines. Pinot through to shiraz, through to cabernet.

THE MECHANICS OF THE TASTING. If you can pre-pour the wines into glasses labeled by number: 1, 2, 3, and so on, this eliminates a few potential problems. Letting tasters pour from masked bottles themselves is fraught with difficulty, as someone will end up pouring bottle # 4 into glass # 5… Having masked bottles on the table can give away too much information, too. A riesling bottle is distinctive, even when wrapped in aluminium foil to hide the winery’s name.

As you discuss each wine stick to the following points, and include them as prompts on the tasting sheets you provide:

DOWNLOAD OUR TASTING SHEET ONLINE AT EXPLOREDRINKS.COM

Colour: Pale colour in whites suggest youth; browning in red wine suggests bottle age.

Aroma: Aroma is primary. Fruit. The smell of the grape. In sauvignon blanc it is passion fruit and gooseberry and cut grass. It is a natural smell.

Bouquet: This is a secondary smell, made by the cruel hand of man. Or woman. Oak is this smell. In cabernet and shiraz it will smell like Bundaberg Rum, like coconut, like aftershave, or like rum n’ raisin ice cream.

Palate: Acidity, fruit, alcohol, tannin, sweetness… Gosh, the palate, or the taste of wine. Flavour meets texture meets acidity and tannin. Some simple and very primary wines taste like they smell: sauvignon blanc tastes like cut grass and passionfruit. Chardonnay can smell like peach and apple, but tastes like custard. Cabernet can smell like blackberries and cassis but tastes like a black cup of tea.

Why? Wines high in acid - like sauvignon blanc - are driven by that acidity. They are fresh and fast. Wines high in fruit - like chardonnay - are driven by the marriage of that fruit with winemaking artifact. So peach and apple fruit meet yeast lees and oak. And wine high in tannin - like cabernet - are destined to be dry and long-lived. Dry like sucking on a tea bag.

Seriously, if all you can do in one wine tasting is make your friends see these fundamental principles in each wine variety, and to drive the point home by effective comparison, you’ve done more that most people ever do when they recommend a wine to the person next to them at a dinner party.

Oh, and remember: don’t be afraid to spit the wine out during the tasting. It adds to the seriousness and keeps the faculties sharp.

There’ll be drinking later on.

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Vintage 42 exploredrinks.com

DRINKS

Champagne

THE BEST YEARS Pick up a bottle of vintage Champagne and you are holding something special. It’s the ultimate expression of that house from a particular year, and often contains the best grapes available to the producer, but in a region such as Champagne, where so much focus is on the NV (non-vintage) and the blend that creates the ‘house style’, one can argue that the much-revered concept of ‘vintage’ is far less important here than in other great wine regions. But dig a little further and we don’t believe that to be so.

WORDS ASHLEY PINI & KEN GARGETT

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“IT IS OFTEN SAFER TO STICK WITH PRODUCERS AND STYLES YOU KNOW AND LOVE”

By way of a definition, a vintage Champagne is a wine in which all the grapes were harvested from that particular year – usually in September, and a NV (non-vintage) Champagne is a blend of any number of vintages / years.

Assessments of vintages begin the moment the harvest commences these days – in Champagne as in most every region. The difference here is that the method used to make Champagne means that final decisions are delayed, and should a vintage not prove worthy for release as a ‘vintage’, it can be considered for inclusion in the non-vintage wines.

This, however, does not make it inferior in any way, just that, without the benefit of blending, a singular year may over index in certain characteristics that do not reflect the house style. For example, a Champagne house such a Champagne Jacquart is chardonnay prevalent (not through a percentage of blend, but in style)

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and therefore a year in which they produce a vintage needs to provide quality chardonnay to fulfill that need.

Some years are seen as pinot vintages, while others are considered as advantageous for chardonnay – some, of course, are good (or possibly poor for both varieties). A recent example is 2005, not seen as a great year, but one that does favour chardonnay. In 2002, the angels were on the side of pinot noir.

We are seeing far more ‘good’ years than ever before and there are two reasons for this; in all regions of the world, expertise in both viticulture and winemaking has greatly increased (there have been commensurate improvements in associated technology as well). Secondly, climate change might be a concept that strikes fear around the globe, but in those winemaking areas, which are on the viticulture cusp, such as Champagne and our

own Tasmania, climate change is looked on with a great deal more fondness. The increase in regional temperatures might be slight (at this stage), but they have resulted in considerably more vintages of quality. So much so that a really poor vintage is almost a thing of the past.

Vintage charts/assessments should always be taken with a grain of salt, and the larger the region, the more saline. Vintage conditions will vary across any district, meaning some wines will exceed any generalisation, while others will fall short. It is often safer to stick with producers and styles you know and love. Also, the older the wine/vintage, the more opportunity chance has to randomly ‘interfere’. With cork as the stopper for Champagne, there will always be variation between individual bottles. Storage conditions will be crucial and the longer a wine has been denied good cellaring, the more chance it will fail to meet expectations.

DRINK

TAKING ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT, HERE IS A GENERAL LOOK AT RECENT YEARS, AND SOME MORE DISTANT.

2013. Right from the start, the hype has been massive for this vintage. Some compare it to 1995 and 1996, others 2002 and 2008 (though we are really still to see anything from ‘08) and yet others, 1982 and 1988. All of these are exceptional years. What will be interesting in time is comparing 2013 with 2012, as both have strong supporters. 2013 was a late harvest and hail had done some earlier damage.

2012. Too early for all these vintages for any certainty, but few have ever been hyped quite as much as 2012. Some were very quick to declare that it would be a vintage year for their house, while a few were not quite so excited and have held back. A few others have said that they will not release a vintage, as they want the material as reserves for their non-vintage wine.

The likelihood is that, in the decades ahead, this will be considered one of the best vintages of the early part of the century.

to declare a vintage. Not a great year, or even a good one.

2010. Careful selection of berries was needed in what is seen as a largely difficult year, with rot causing problems. Most houses are likely to use 2010 as a year to bolster reserves, rather than release a vintage.

2009. The word is that there will not be a great number of vintage wines released, but those that are, will be generous and approachable. The strength lies with the pinot noir. Probably the pick of the years 2009 – 2011.

2008.

It seemed difficult early conditions might mar this vintage, but a dry August and warm September saw many brilliant wines.

They have the classic balance of freshness and ripeness.

2007. A variable year with some rather

2011. Considered as a stronger pinot noir

unappealing weather mixed in with lovely days. The level of acidity is considered above average. The consensus seems to be that pinot noir outperformed chardonnay. There will be vintage wines, though how many remains to be seen. The style of wine is likely to be quite powerful, needing time.

year than it was for chardonnay, but overall, it seems unlikely that many houses will be rushing

2006. Hot in summer, a little miserable in

August, but a warm and pleasant September saved the year and we are seeing many fine examples. The feeling is that they may not be truly exceptional, but will provide good drinking in the shorter term. Pinot noir tends to get the nod over chardonnay. As always, there are numerous opinions on every vintage. I’ll confess to being a fan of the many 2006 wines I have so far encountered.

2005. There are some strong critics of 2005. 2003. Perhaps the most controversial year I’m no great fan, but I do think that there are plenty of releases from this vintage, which will provide much enjoyment over the shorter term.

Chardonnay is considered the superior variety this year. The wines tend to the riper style with lowish acidity, as a generalisation, meaning that if care was not taken, they could offer a touch of coarseness, but, like every year, there will always be some wines which transcend the limits imposed by the conditions.

That said, not a year to go overboard. I have seen some reports that this vintage exceeds 2006. No doubt it will be a house to house proposition.

2004. Now we are talking. A large vintage, larger even than 1982 and 1990, but also one of excellent quality – a rare combination – though not quite as good as 2002. Structure and balance are the hallmarks. The chardonnay is especially good. Some find the year lacking charm, though I struggle to see that as an issue.

Many houses either have, or will, release a vintage from this year. Close to first class.

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in many decades. Some see it as utter trash, which should never have been put in a bottle.

Others find hidden glories. There are certainly a number of releases from 2003. Krug is probably the pick.

2002.

One of the best. Ideal conditions led to superb wines. They deserve a place in every serious cellar. Power, balance and finesse. If a house did not release a vintage wine from 2002, questions should be asked (Charles Heidsieck has announced that they needed the fruit for their reserve wines, which will help ensure the superb quality of their non-vintage in coming years). 2002 has been compared with 1982 – it is surely as good.

2001. Very rare to find a vintage wine from this disaster of a year – a rotten vintage in every sense. Philipponnat’s ‘Clos des Goisses’ is an exception, but that unique vineyard always proceeds to the beat of a different drum. The poorest year since the dire 1984.

2000. A solid year but hardly a spectacular one. Serious hail did not help things. Many of the wines will provide enjoyable drinking in the early term. In other words, drink up. There are a lot of houses which declared a vintage – some for the quality of their wines, but a cynic might think that there was a strong desire to have a release from such an auspicious year as “2000”, especially for marketing amongst the Asian markets.

DRINKS

“2013, RIGHT FROM THE START, THE HYPE HAS BEEN MASSIVE FOR THIS VINTAGE”

Champagne Taittinger chalk mines in Reims

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POL ROGER VINTAGE BRUT 2006

MOËT & CHANDON GRAND VINTAGE 2008

Elegant and refined with great style and purity, the 2006 vintage has an enviable depth and complexity of flavour. It has duly received rave reviews.

The N.V. (non-vintage) is exceptional Champagne, so why not give the vintage a try.

RRP: $130

Probably the most recognisable name in Champagne, the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2008 spends seven years in the cellars plus an extra six months resting post disgorgement.

If this is your first foray into the world of aged Champagnes, you’ll see the wonderful development that comes with fruit from this region. RRP: $100

PIERRE GIMONNET & FILS CUVEE FLEURON BRUT 1ER CRU BLANC DE BLANCS 2009 Rose gold with a mature nose and a touch of sweetess. A lovely balance of freshness alongside a full and mature palate. This is an example of a blanc de blancs (white from white) that shows the ability of chardonnay from this region to mature beautifully.

RRP: $95

VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE

What better way to celebrate than with a glass of Champagne. Bubbles have long been associated with those special times, and while we here at explore DRINKS are keen advocates of Champagne any time, when the moment calls for something special you may want to look at something vintage. Here are our picks.

PIPER-HEIDSIECK VINTAGE BRUT 2006 A pale, crystal-clear yellow with a touch of green.

Aromas of dried apricots, notes of little red and black berries (raspberry, blackberry) and a hint of spice. Intense and enticing.

A structured wine with a generous and plush mouth feel; candied orange peel, highlighted with a touch of smoked tea and toasted almonds. An incredibly long finish and the freshness of the chardonnays tame the pinots noirs’ vigor. Balanced and elegantly charming.

RRP: $100

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VEUVE CLICQUOT VINTAGE ROSÉ 2008 A bright pink colour with light copper hues. A gentle and persistent string of very delicate bubbles forms, exploding on the surface.

The nose is frank, fine and pure. It begins first with the aromas of fresh red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherry) combined with citrus fruit fragrances (grapefruit) that match perfectly with the lightly spiced notes of cinnamon and vanilla revealed once allowed to breathe.

RRP: $130

BOLLINGER LA GRANDE ANNÉE 2005 Bollinger La Grand Année is one of the greats of Champagne, and the choice of none other than James Bond. The current vintage displays exceptional length and depth – with a ‘moorish’ finish that is testament to the quality fruit sourced by the Bollinger house. A full wine with a long finish. RRP: $200

Taittinger Brut Millésimé 2009 Taittinger is one of the oldest Champagne houses still owned and operated by the family whose name appears on the label. Today, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger surrounds himself with a team that is passionate, brilliant and hard working. It is these qualities and many more that are both used to produce, and are reflected in some of the world’s greatest wines.

Taittinger Brut Millésimé 2009 is no exception.

An exclusive blend, it is made from 50 per cent chardonnay and 50 per cent pinot noir grapes.

The year began with extreme weathers. A cold winter and frequent snow. And just as the vines escaped the frost, rain and low temperatures took its place.

It seemed as though this would never end; the Taittinger team had to remain patient, refusing to give up on the crop and in August the sun did shine and the nights were cool, providing the perfect conditions for the grapes to ripen.

Harvest took place from September 8 - 21, and after two rounds of temperature-controlled fermentation and blending, the wine was left to mature for several years.

The resulting product is one of elegance and finesse. A pale straw colour, the Taittinger Brut Millésimé 2009 is mellow and fruity on the nose.

In particular, it gives off the scent of William pears and Mirabelle plums. With good acidity and remarkable freshness, the palate is rich and generous, dominated by fruit syrup, and followed by the slight sweetness of honey.

As for how best to consume the Taittinger Brut Millésimé 2009, we recommend you try it as an aperitif to stimulate the palate. And for such a special vintage, this Champagne should be celebrated with friends; New Year’s Eve and Valentines Day are looming, Taittinger Brut Millésimé 2009 will be the perfect Champagne to celebrate with.

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PINOT NOIR SHOULD IT BE TOP OF YOUR LIST? There is simply no other grape quite like pinot noir. No variety fills more column inches and fewer glasses.

Some wine lovers think of it as an overrated, wimpy, wannabe that - at its best - is a pleasant warm-up to cabernet (or something best used in fizz). Others are convinced that they should love it (I have a good friend who claims it is his favourite grape and yet, unless it tastes like shiraz, he is inevitably underwhelmed), while others have no doubt that great pinot noir reigns supreme as the finest, most sensual, most thrilling wine on the planet and that it is simply a matter of time before all wine lovers see the light and bow down before this glorious grape (and yes, I belong firmly in this latter camp).

WORDS KEN GARGETT

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WINE

AN ASPECT ON WHICH THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT WAS THAT PINOT NOIR IS IMPORTANT FOR EXPORTS BUT NOT, AS ONE MIGHT IMAGINE IN TERMS OF VOLUME OR VALUE, BUT RATHER IN ENHANCING THE INTERNATIONAL PERCEPTION OF AUSTRALIAN WINE.

A genuine interest in local pinot noir kicked off in the 90s, though try as one might avoid the syndrome of the ‘Emperor’s New Grapes’, it was not easy to find much that was decent. Too much of it was made like shiraz and cabernet and lacked the finesse, texture, perfume and elegance that are the hallmark of good pinot.

As the vines gained age, better clones were introduced; the most likely regions were identified and winemakers gained overseas experience, especially in Burgundy. The wines improved out of sight. Yet Aussie pinot has long had some sort of cultural cringe about it.

Wine lovers from offshore will know and love our shiraz, cabernet, chardonnay and much more, but they are often surprised to learn that we ‘do pinot’. Does anyone who has drunk a fair bit of both Kiwi and Aussie really think that New Zealand’s efforts are superior to ours?

Sure, they are different (and very often very good), but both nations are producing superb examples. The Kiwis are prepared to shout about theirs from the rooftops but, despite all the blog debate and wine-nerds navel-gazing about pinot, we seem determined to keep ours a secret, at least beyond our borders - there are no such inhibitions locally.

Pinot is grown in most wine regions, though there has been a move to reality with some of the warmer regions giving up the pretence.

There are around 5,000 hectares grown in Australia - less than 5 per cent of the nation’s vineyards. The Yarra Valley and Tasmania each have approximately 13 per cent of the total; the Adelaide Hills around 10 per cent; Mornington Peninsula just fewer than 8 per cent, and the rest is spread about. As well as still table wines, pinot is a key component of quality sparkling, especially in regions such as Tasmania.

In talking to a range of pinot noir producers around the country, there is no question that the variety is considered as important both to them as winemakers and to their respective regions.

Mike Symons of Stonier Wines identified its importance to Mornington Peninsula by describing how it has “helped build recognition of the region, being the core focus variety of the region in hectares and message.” He sees Mornington as “one of the more consistent areas for pinot noir in terms of quality, year on year,” and notes that it is “always the headline with any marketing of the region.” As he points

out, “Mornington pinot noir is a category on many wine lists.”

Tom Carson of Yabby Lake confirms the link between pinot noir and the Peninsula: “It is more than 50 per cent of the vines planted in the region and represents about 50 per cent of total production. It is our highest priced wine and what most customers expect to find at our cellar door is a really compelling range of pinot.”

Steve Webber of De Bortoli Wines in the Yarra Valley confirms that it is the “most important variety in the region. [Pinot] goes three ways – rosé, fizz and red (rosé and red in serious growth). [Pinot] makes 30 per cent of what we make.” It is the same story, with slightly different versions in all serious pinot regions, and a few aspiring ones too.

Jim Chatto is the Chief Winemaker at Mount Pleasant Wines in the Hunter Valley and yet his personal vineyard is world’s away - a small patch of pinot in Tasmania’s Huon Valley. Those alone sum up the fascination winemakers have with this variety. Also from Tasmania, Conor Van der Reest of Moorilla Estate acknowledges

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the importance of the variety but from a slightly different angle. He says, “I think it’s been the rise in popularity of pinot noir that’s done more for spreading the Tasmanian story than Tasmania spreading the word on pinot noir. I think pinot noir for Tassie represents the chance to build a critical mass that will let us be more understood and have more influence on the whole of the Australian wine scene.”

In New South Wales, Daniel Shaw from Philip Shaw Wines in Orange notes that pinot is their third largest planting.

Western Australia might not be the first place one thinks of for quality pinot, but several producers are taking it very seriously. Burch Family Wines (BFW) has the Howard Park Flint Rock, the MadFish, and they are also involved with the Marchand & Burch from Burgundy. If there was ever any doubt about how serious winemakers can be about this variety, consider this from BFW: “We looked at sites all over southern Western Australia, analysing temperature, gradients, rainfall, soil type, drainage, weather patterns, the wind etc. We finalised on a site east of Mt. Barker that had all the correct conditions and altitude from 200m to 300m, which was an added bonus. We initially planted pinot noir clones 115, 114 and 777 in a range of planting densities and altitudes.

We recently added three additional clones, imported directly from Burgundy through quarantining ourselves to increase the clonal diversity in the vineyard.”

Rob Diletti of Castle Rock and 3 Drops also in Western Australia believes that the “Great Southern produces some great pinot noir, but it is isolated to some unique sites in certain sub-regions.” Rob sees his site as “unique, as it has an easterly aspect so we don’t get the afternoon sun; there is about 300m of elevation and it gets a cooling effect from the prevailing easterly which comes in off the Great Australian Bight. These factors help keep it quite cool and an ideal site for growing pinot noir. The soils are gravel over the hard clay, so they are not vigorous, and are well drained.”

Most winemakers agree that pinot noir has never been better in this country. So what

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“AUSSIE PINOT NOIR IS A DIVERSE AND OFTEN THRILLING VARIETY WITH AN IMPORTANT, IF NICHE, ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE.” has caused that and what will bring about even further improvements in the future?

Steve Webber believes the wines are better today, with more perfume; they are more age-worthy, slightly riper; there is a more considered use of whole bunches; there are better vineyards with more vine age, increased vine density and cane pruning; the use of hand harvesting and sorting, better selection of oak, new clones and finally, an understanding and acceptance by winemakers that we are not trying to make Burgundy. And what will bring about further improvements? Better clones and site selection.

But half the fun of this grape is the widely divergent opinions it brings forth. Mike Symons is less convinced about clones, but agrees in respect of sites: “I am not sure clones have made much of a difference really, despite it being a favourite topic among wine glitterati – at the end of the day I would be very happy if all of our vineyards were MV6, the oldest clone in Australia. I would prefer a great site over a clone any day.”

David LeMire from Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hills acknowledges that there “are dozens of variables…A lot of the improvements have come from the vineyard, but the winemaking has been important too. Vineyard site has been the key to our improvements. But then there is the vineyard management, the interaction of clone and site, and different handling of each batch in the winery to complement the fruit. In the winery, the sorting table now plays an important role, as does increased use of the whole bunch, but that use of the whole bunch is related to the site, the clone, the season, and so

on. Certainly taking a flexible approach that reacts to the fruit from each parcel is paying dividends.”

Tom Carson believes that the potential for improvement lies primarily in the vineyard, and that we have some way to go still. “l just think that we are a way behind the rest of the top pinot noir regions in the world when it comes to viticulture - closer planting, rootstock/clone interaction and general vineyard work and attention to detail. It’s time that we lifted our game. On a recent trip to Oregon, the top producers’ vineyards were immaculate and extremely well-tended, really detailed site selection with regard to soil changes and subtle slope changes.”

Daniel Shaw is one who believes in the importance of clones and has been progressively grafting his vineyard to the preferred options. “I feel that Orange is too cool for us to see these older clones express themselves. The newer clones from Burgundy, however, are really changing the wines we make.” He has also reduced the amount of new oak in use and is bottling earlier to “make sure that the fruit remains expressive.”

An aspect on which there was general agreement was that pinot noir is important for exports but not, as one might imagine in terms of volume or value, but rather in enhancing the international perception of Australian wine. Pinot has come a very long way from those tentative early days where it seemed that the wines were judged only on how close they came to Burgundy.

Aussie pinot noir is a diverse and often thrilling variety with an important, if niche, role to play in the future.

DRINKS

NEW ZEALAND PINOT NOIR Some years ago, when it became obvious that New Zealand sauvignon blanc was the grape that would represent the country in vinous Olympics for decades to come, some cruel souls felt that perhaps the divinities did have a sense of humour, giving our neighbours what was seen as very much a third-tier variety as their flagship. They were decidedly more stonyfaced when it subsequently became apparent that the Kiwis were also able to make first class pinot noir.

While nothing quite matches the sauvalanche, there has been massive growth in pinot noir plantings. There was a time, a decade or two ago, when Montana Estate (as it was then) went from not having a single pinot vine in the ground to the largest vineyard area under pinot of any winery in the world. Most importantly, the proliferation was paralleled by excellence, and while pinot has proven itself a most pernickety variety, very particular about where it will succeed, in New Zealand, it seems to find favour almost everywhere, especially the cooler regions. Production is set to reach 37,000

tonnes in 2016 - 15 per cent of New Zealand’s total harvest and second behind sauvignon blanc.

The key regions are Martinborough (part of the greater Wairarapa), Nelson, Marlborough (though part of the harvest is used for sparkling), Canterbury/Waipara, Central Otago and even Hawkes Bay. Canterbury/Waipara is well down in production but with international cult producers like Bell Hill and Pyramid Valley, expect it to be a household name among pinot lovers in coming years. Marlborough tends to the pretty, fragrant, fresh, red-fruited styles (among the many fine producers, Brancott Estate, Dog Point, Fromm Estate and Greywacke are personal favourites), while those from Nelson (Neudorf is a star) are also fragrant, though more spicy and savoury.

Central Otago has captured the world’s imagination and there are a plethora of choices.

The style is wonderfully expressive, boldfruited and with dark fruits, though there are sub-regional variations. Felton Road, Maude, Charteris, Rippon, Valli and so many more offer brilliant pinot from here.

Finally, if restricted to a single region, for me it would be Martinborough – the depth of flavour, complexity, balance, finesse, silkiness and texture can be awe-inspiring. So many options but Ata Rangi, Dry River, Martinborough Estate, Kusuda, Craggy Range, Escarpment are all impeccable.

Sauvvy may rule Kiwi wine but the true quality is found in its stunning pinot noirs.

All of the producers mentioned are making quality pinot noirs worth seeking out, but there are plenty more. And who better than to ask than other pinot makers? Not surprisingly, many recommended some of the other makers quoted here.

Who else? Those nominated (and most were named at least twice) included Curly Flat, Giant Steps, Paringa Estate, Eldridge Estate, Moorooduc Estate, Home Hill, Bay of Fires,

By Farr, Farr Rising, Coldstream Hills, Yering Station, Mayer, Bindi, Montalto, Mount Mary, Yeringberg, Gembrook Hill, Bass Philip, Sailor Seeks Horse, Meadowbank and Stoney Rise.

Mud House Single Vineyard Claim 431 Central Otago Pinot Noir

2012 vintage

2013 vintage

GOLD - New Zealand International Wine Show 2013,

GOLD - New Zealand International Wine Show 2014

Korea Wine Challenge 2014, China Wine and Spirit Awards 2014

PURE GOLD - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2013

2014 vintage

BLUE GOLD - Sydney International Wine Challenge 2014

SILVER - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards,

TROPHY - New Zealand Pinot Noir & Central Otago

Pinot Noir, International Wine Challenge, UK 2014, Master Drinks Business Global Masters Pinot Noir Awards, UK 2015

NZ 2016

2015 vintage BLUE GOLD - Sydney International

Wine Competition 2017

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Enjoy Mud House responsibly

Internationally awarded Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s premier wine region

SEASONAL Drinks and cocktails, like the seasons can be divided into four distinctly different types or roles they play in influencing or satisfying our changing wants and needs. They can be cooling or warming, or they can be enlivening or calming.

As the availability of fresh ingredients changes throughout the seasons, so too does the type of drink change and the role it plays in satisfying our thirst.

WORDS BEN DAVIDSON

The relevance of seasonal cocktails is that they reflect what’s in season and the style of drink relative to what our bodies need at that moment. Do we need to be cooled down or warmed up, or do we need to be enlivened or calmed down? Those decisions underpin our cocktail choices and the ingredients we use throughout the year.

SUMMER DRINKS & COCKTAILS Summer drinks and cocktails are all about cooling flavours, high in acidity and served ice cold. Citrus fruits like lime and lemon play a major role in summer cocktails. Summer drinks tend to have a higher water component in their make-up - think thirst quenching long drinks, light spirits, fresh fruit flavours, sparkling waters and mixers that hydrate the body while cooling the mind.

The spirits best suited for summer cocktails are what you would call the ‘light spirits’.

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These include vodka, gin, light rum and young tequila. They could also include mezcal, pisco, grappa and other un-aged spirits. Also great for summer cocktails are lower alcohol ingredients like fortified wines, vermouths and sparkling wine. These spirits and ingredients provide a lightness or subtlety of flavour that is supported by the other refreshing ingredients in the recipe.

For example, it’s the reposado tequila that provides the base agave and vegetal flavours that combine beautifully with the lime and passion fruit in the Passion Fruit Tommy’s Margarita. Also it’s the herbaceous and savoury notes in the gin that combine with the cooling flavours of cucumber, lemon and elderflower in the Cucumber and Elderflower Collins that make it so thirst quenching.

berries are affordable, so it’s best to make the most of them when you can!

SUMMER PRODUCE

The choice of vodka in the Fresh Berry Caipiroska allows for the fresh berries to shine, balanced with a touch of lime and sugar, without any heavier spirit flavours getting in the way. Summer is the time when seasonal

Australia has an abundance of fresh seasonal fruit available in summer. Keep an eye out for any of these in your local supermarket. Using fresh produce that is in season, will make a big difference in the taste and balance of your cocktail.

Even if you do prefer to dabble in the dark spirits, they can also be used during summer when combined with a matching flavour like in the Stone Fruit Sour where a Scotch whisky can be made into a cooling cocktail with fresh peach, cherries and fresh lemon juice.

In general, there are so many different ingredients to utilise during the summer months when there is a need for refreshment and balanced acidity to replenish the body with salts, minerals, and electrolytes.

DRINKS

PRODUCE BERRIwEbeSrry, blackberry erry, stra

spb blueberry, ra

IT U R F E N O ST nes, ms, nectari aches, plu apricots

cherries, pe

CITRUS ges efruit, oran p

ns, pink gra

limes, lemo

AL TROPI, C guava pineapple, sion fruit

mango, pas

S MELOteN rmelon,

wa honeydew, rock melon

EXOTIutaCn,Sgooseberry,

i fruit, ramb lychee, kiw n, currants mangostee

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Cucumber & Elderflower Collins

COCKTAIL HOUR Summer in Australia is a great time of year. With long balmy days and an abundance of fresh seasonal produce, it’s the perfect time to entertain and treat your guests to delicious and refreshing cocktails. Ben Davidson, explore Drinks Curator has created refreshing summer drinks that taste great, are simple to mix and will have your guests coming back for more.

PHOTOGRAPHY ASIA UPWARD

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DRINKS SPONSORED

CUCUMBER & ELDERFLOWER COLLINS GLASS: Tall INGREDIENTS: 45ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice 15ml Elderflower Cordial 90ml Soda Water 1x Thin Slice of Cucumber METHOD: Add all ingredients into a tall glass with ice and stir GARNISH: Mint sprig and a slice of cucumber

Fresh Berry Caipiroska

FRESH BERRY CAIPIROSKA GLASS: Large tumbler INGREDIENTS: 45ml CÎROC Vodka 6 x Lime Wedges ½ cup Fresh Mixed Berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry), 20ml Sugar Syrup METHOD: Add ingredient into a cocktail shaker, muddle, shake with ice and then pour into a large tumbler or a glass of your choice GARNISH: Fresh berries and a lime wedge

TIP: Fresh is best but if you don’t have access to fresh berries, mixed frozen berries do work

CRAFTED PALOMA GLASS: Tall INGREDIENTS: 45ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila 60ml Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice 15ml Agave Syrup 75ml Soda Water METHOD: Add all ingredients into a tall glass with ice and stir GARNISH: Slice of pink grapefruit, lime wedge and sea salt rim

TIP: To make the sea salt stick to the glass, take half a lime, rub it on the edge of the rim and then role the rim of the glass in the sea salt - voila!

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PASSION FRUIT TOMMY’S MARGARITA GLASS: Large tumbler INGREDIENTS: 45ml Don Julio Reposado Tequila 20ml Fresh Lime Juice 30ml Fresh Passion Fruit 15ml Agave Syrup METHOD: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and pour into glassware GARNISH: Half a passion fruit and lime wedge

TIP: Don’t have a cocktail shaker? A bottle with a lid or a mason jar will work just fine

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SPONSORED

Honey Ginger Mule

HONEY GINGER MULE GLASS: Tall INGREDIENTS: 45ml CÎROC Vodka 20ml Fresh Lime Juice 20ml Honey Water 90ml Ginger Beer METHOD: Add all ingredients into a tall glass with ice and stir GARNISH: Mint sprig and wedge of lime

BAE BEACH BREEZE GLASS: Tall INGREDIENTS: 60ml Lillet Rosé Aperitif 30ml Pink Grapefruit Juice 45ml Cranberry Juice 10ml Strawberry Syrup 90ml Rosé Champagne or Sparkling METHOD: Add all ingredients into glassware with ice and then stir GARNISH: Sliced strawberry and cocktail umbrella

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Mango Colada

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DRINKS SPONSORED MANGO COLADA GLASS: Tall INGREDIENTS: 45ml Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Rum 15ml Malibu 20ml Pineapple Juice 1x Fresh Mango Cheek 30ml Coconut Cream METHOD: Add all ingredients into a blender with ice. Blend until all ingredients combined. The consistency should me like a 7/11 slushie. Once you’re happy with the texture pour into glassware GARNISH: Sliced mango cheek

TIP: Don’t feel darker spirits are just for winter. When mixed with the right ingredients, bourbon, whisky and dark rums can be just as refreshing

A Golden Sunrise Julep

STONE FRUIT SOUR GLASS: Large tumbler INGREDIENTS: 45ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Whisky 15ml Peach Liqueur 15ml Fresh Lemon Juice 15ml Sugar Syrup ¼ Fresh Peach 4x Fresh Cherries METHOD: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, muddle, shake with ice and pour into a large tumbler GARNISH: Peach and lemon wedge

A GOLDEN SUNRISE JULEP GLASS: Short glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Whisky 15ml Grand Marnier Liqueur 45ml Fresh Orange Juice 1x Bunch of Fresh Mint METHOD: Combine all ingredients in a glass and mix. Add crushed ice GARNISH: Mint sprig

exploredrinks.com FOR MORE REFRESHING COCKTAILS RECIPES.

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GIN-SPIRATION

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DRINKS

The gin renaissance is well and truly here with the old guard of English gins being joined by the new guard of Australian and new world gins as the micro-distilling movement hits top gear.

WORDS BEN DAVIDSON With so many to choose from there is definitely one for you – whether it’s a traditional English style or a modern Australian take on this everchanging and dynamic category.

Essentially, gin is a re-distillation of botanicals (natural ingredients like juniper cones, coriander seed, orange peel, orris root) with a neutral spirit to produce a flavoured spirit – gin!

Each producer has the freedom to create their own recipe from a vast array of plant-based botanicals, which gives an almost limitless variety to the taste of gins being produced.

As a reminder, gin is defined by the presence of juniper cones in the botanical recipe, however, the amount of juniper used is not enshrined in gin laws. (The word ‘gin’ comes from a shortening of the Dutch name for juniper flavoured spirits, from the French word for juniper). Whereas, the traditional gins had a

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SIGNATURE GARNISHES Cucumber - Hendrick’s Orange - Four Pillars, Beefeater Lime - Tanqueray London Dry, Bombay Sapphire Lemon - Archie Rose, Plymouth, Gordon’s Green Capsicum - West Winds Pink Grapefruit - Beefeater 24 Rosemary - Gin Maré

WAYS TO SERVE GIN Whether it’s in a G&T or a Dry Martini there are ‘signature’ garnishes which can accentuate the flavours in the gin.

Gin is a very versatile base spirit for cocktails as well, combining perfectly with fruit juices like apple or cranberry juice, citrus juices, especially lemon and pink grapefruit juice, strawberries, raspberries, as well as herbs like mint, basil, rosemary and thyme. It also marries well with fortified wines like sherry or vermouth or sparking wines. Use any of the above ingredients to make a homemade punch this summer!

“ The word ‘gin’ comes from a shortening of the Dutch name for juniper flavoured spirits, from the French word for juniper” predominance of juniper aromas and flavours, the new world gins, for the most part, have promoted other botanicals to the fore, and diminished the juniper ‘note’, giving them a point of difference in a competitive market.

seek other, more cost effective locations to make their gin in Northern England or Scotland, apart from Beefeater, who have remained in London.

Slowly but surely, more gin is coming from smaller producers all around the world.

For nearly 200 years, England has been the producer of the vast majority of gin consumed around the world, with ‘London Dry’ becoming the most popular style. By the 1860s, dry gin from London became the preferred style for cocktails, as the sweeter Dutch gin began to fall out of favour. Ships brought in botanicals from around the world to the major sea ports and it’s no surprise that London became the centre of gin production until about the 1970s. Changes in the industry meant that most of the leading producers like Bombay, Tanqueray, and Gordon’s, had to

As it turns out, for a small producer, gin is one of the easiest spirits to produce. The botanical flavours can cover up any subtle imperfections in the spirit, which would be plain to see if one was making vodka. Good gin is made by distilling all the botanicals in the recipe together in a pot still to get a final spirit. It can also be made by distilling the botanicals individually, and then blending the resulting components together. Essences, oils and flavours can also be added to the gin after distillation of the botanicals. The real challenge

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for the gin distiller is to produce a gin that has a harmonious balance of flavours that is appealing to the palate.

The steady rise of cocktail culture over the last 15 years has resulted in the return of gin as a favourite spirit for bartenders, who have been reviving forgotten gin classic cocktails and serving them to the growing numbers of cocktail aficionados. This combined with the rise of the craft distilling movement, has lead to the current abundance in gins from Australia and around the world as small producers wanted to get in on the action.

With so much choice it can leave you a little bit overwhelmed about choosing the right gin for you.

DRINKS

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ENGLISH GIN. Defining the dry gin style, without the addition of sugar to mask the imperfections of distilling. Botanical balance has been perfected with juniper being the hero botanical and the others playing a supporting role. Good quality examples are easy to find. Look for Tanqueray, Beefeater, Plymouth, Bombay, Sipsmith and Portobello Road.

Archie Rose Distillery, Sydney

Traditional Pot Still

DUTCH GIN. From the place where gin was invented. It has an off-dry sweetness to it from the methods of production, which include the addition of ‘malt wine’ and short barrel ageing. Has subtle whisky-like flavours with a subtle juniper note. Hard to find. Look for Bols Genever.

AUSTRALIAN GIN. Helping to define the emerging category of new world gins, utilising local botanicals like bush tomato, wattle seed and lemon myrtle, to give it a unique, local flavour profile. Good quality examples can be found in leading bottle shops. Look for West Winds, Archie Rose and Four Pillars.

PRICE POINT

The rule of thumb here is to pay a little bit more if you are going to enjoy the gin in its simplest form – on the rocks, Martini or G&T (Tanqueray No. 10, Beefeater 24, West Winds Cutlass, Archie Rose Distillers Edition, Four Pillars, Monkey 47).

Go for a better value gin if you are making long drinks like Punches or Collins, where the flavour of the gin is diluted by lots of mixers (Beefeater, Tanqueray, Gordon’s).

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we

IN THE NAME OF GOOD BOOZE “I like to think of it as our Breaking Bad moment. We were in the process of getting our equipment made and all we had was this little glass lab still. I’m sure people thought were trying to cook crystal meth.”

- Cameron Mackenzie on how he and the Four Pillars crew first started producing gin.

As founder, and Master Distiller, Cameron takes us back to when the Victoria-based business was established, the copper pot stills (named after the owners’ mothers) and how he landed his dream job.

PHOTOGRAPHY ANSON SMART

ABOVE: Cameron Mackenzie, founder and Master Distiller at Four Pillars Gin

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MEET

We started with the idea of making a great tonic, and along the way we just thought, ‘why not go all the way and create a great modern Australian gin?’ We spoke a lot about what we didn’t want our product to be. We were adamant, for example, that we didn’t want to it be a London Dry Gin. It’s not that I don’t love it; I just don’t think the world needs any more.

We established Four Pillars Distillery with a clear purpose in mind; we wanted to elevate the craft of distilling in Australia and celebrate the art of cocktail making.

We thought, if we can do that we can help people drink better, not more. If the drinks we created evoked the diverse and cosmopolitan spirit of the Australia we love, we would have the makings of a modern, classic Australian brand. Gin was our first spirit of focus.

For inspiration, we drove from Portland to Los Angeles. We visited distillers and tasted and talked to so many producers. We could see what was happening in North America and in the United Kingdom, but in Australia, nobody was really taking gin by the horns.

And we thought, this is a big opportunity if we can get it right.

So here we are today, we have a range of modern Australian gins that draw inspiration from everywhere. And the distillery is a reflection of my lifelong pursuit to avoid a real job. But I’ve never worked harder in my life, because I love it. I love what we do.

Not only are we careful in our production process, but we also try to be sustainable in terms of disposable. To make a great gin, it needs to be great from start to finish, and that includes getting rid of the remains. All of our spent botanicals are fed to local pigs.

A local jam maker mashes the oranges into marmalade. It’s delicious. And the guy from the dairy farm comes to collect some of the stillage to make cheese. We’re hardly the most sustainable business in the world, but at least we’re trying. We reuse what we have in a way that is responsible and fun.

Moving forward, I see travel; a collaboration with someone in South Africa or Europe, or Japan. I will take my family, so my kids get to see a bit of the world and we will meet really interesting people. We will learn about how they use stills, and I will talk about how I do. We all have different techniques. No two are the same. It’s a fun network to set up with distillers who aren’t in it to make their fortune over night, but to because they love good booze.

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MEET THE BARTENDER:

CHARLIE AINSBURY explore DRINKS caught up with world-class bartender Charlie Ainsbury. We find out what it took for Charlie to open This Must Be The Place in Sydney, and the best and worst things consumers can do in his venue.

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MEET

explore DRINKS. How long have you been bartending for?

Charlie Ainsbury. 13 years.

ED. What drove you into bartending?

CA. Like a lot of us, I needed a job that fit with the university lifestyle. Slowly I started spending more time in the bar than in the classroom, my choice completely.

ED. Where was your first bar job?

CA. If you scrap the 14-hour Friday night glassy shift at St. Patrick’s Tavern on King Street, it would be a similar role at Bungalow 8 in Darling Harbour, Sydney.

ED. You’re a very successful bartender and bar co-owner. What lead you to become so successful?

CA. My success can be measured on the amount of times I’ve failed. I think it’s a matter of always pushing yourself and staying relevant in the industry, the attitude of not being satisfied with what you’ve got. In regards to the bar, it’s due to the strength my business partner Luke Ashton and I forge along with our team.

Our staff come first.

ED. Where do you get your passion?

CA. There is an evident camaraderie seen in the global bartending industry that I love; it’s a big family with no bad blood. When you become a bartender, you have friends all around the world, not to mention a skill-set that can take you around the world.

ED. You’re co-owner of This Must Be The Place, located in Sydney. It must be every bartender’s dream to own a bar. How did your dream come to reality?

CA. It became a reality with the help of my business partner, Luke Ashton. We were sitting at a very similar point in our careers. If you spend over 10 years in this industry, you start looking at a fork in the road; you can keep doing what you’re doing; move into the business/corporate side of the industry; or open your own bar. Looking back on it, to open the bar was really just a long series of paperwork along with some DIY.

ED. If you weren’t bartending, what would you be doing?

CA. I’d like to think that somehow I’d always end up being a bartender in some way or another.

ED. What’s your favourite drink?

CA. A Negroni. It keeps the blood pumping.

ED. Apart from your own bar, where’s the best place to drink in Australia?

CA. The Black Pearl in Melbourne and Bulletin Place in Sydney.

ED. What’s the worst thing a consumer can do in a bar?

CA. Put chewing gum under the table. We have napkins and rubbish bins back here!

ED. List the top five best things a consumer can do in a bar?

CA. 1. Give up your seat for others e.g. if you’re sitting on a large table by yourself and a group of six is crowded around a bar looking for extra stools, well it’s common sense isn’t it? It’s nice to see people being kind to one another in a bar setting.

2. Manners – please and thank you can go a long way.

3. Know your limits – the bartender is always there to take care of their patrons but it helps us when they know not to take it too far or if they’ve overstepped their boundary with drinking. No bartender ever wants to put someone in a taxi or cut someone off; it’s the last thing we want to do.

4. When it’s busy, have your order ready. We understand that people in the group can jump in and change their order but the more ready the better.

5. Tell us if something’s wrong. If we don’t know we’ll never be able to help or fix things.

We want you to leave happier than when you walked in.

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Summer Staples WITH SUMMER ALES

Summer is here and what better time to enjoy a great tasting, refreshing beer. The dilemma around summer, especially when entrusting friends and family to pick up some beer, surrounds what to get and what suits the warmer climate. Of course, we can forget heavier darker beers such as stouts, porters and dark ales, but where does that leave us? Most people tend to gravitate towards something that is light, drinkable, and not overly bitter or hoppy. Citrus seems to be a big hit in summer as it provides refreshment, whether it is brewed with citrus flavours such as lemon or grapefruit, or used as a garnish such as the classic summer favourite - Corona with a lime wedge - muchas gracias MĂŠxico!

WORDS LUKAS RASCHILLA

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DRINKS

“THEY ARE VERY APPROACHABLE AND CAN BE USED AS A GATEWAY TO THOSE MOVING FROM MAINSTREAM TO CRAFT BEER, AS THE FLAVOURS MAY BE SUBTLY DIFFERENT BUT NOT SO LEFT FIELD AND AS SUCH ARE NOT OVERLY BITTER OR HOPPY”

The term ‘summer ale’ is an ambiguous one, with no hard and fast rules on what exactly it is. Depending on the brewery, it can cover an array of styles. One defined category is English summer ale, which is characterised by a light, straw golden colour with a low to medium bitterness, light to medium body and malt sweetness (think sweet, like a biscuit flavour). Overall, these are refreshing and thirst quenching, but not quite as light and crisp as their Australian counterparts. In fact, most summer ales fall into one or two styles - the wheat beer variety or pale ale variety. To add further confusion, pacific ale, the new kid on the block made popular by Stone & Wood, is another type of beer ever popular during the warmer months due to its fruity and floral notes.

Beyond this, summer beers can be anything from a pilsner, lager, or even a sessionable IPA.

sense of ABV, although most summer ales won’t be above 5% ABV). They are very approachable and can be used as a gateway to those moving from mainstream to craft beer as the flavours may be subtly different but not so left of field and as such are not overly bitter or hoppy.

AUSSIE SUMMER ALES

The main characteristics of summer ale are a light, crisp taste (light bodied, not light in the

The number of companies now producing summer ales in Australia is testament to the style’s growing popularity with consumers here.

San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing was one of the first breweries to self-identify a beer as summer beer in 1984, with their summer wheat variety. Still brewed seasonally throughout the American summer between May and August, summer wheat is a clean, crisp and light beer with the use of wheat producing a style of beer that is akin to a filtered version of the German wheat beer style, hefeweizen.

The likes of Balmain Brewing Co, Gage Roads, Feral Brewing, and Riverside Brewing all now offer a summer ale in their range.

Once you have figured out which style of summer ale you prefer - be it the wheat, English, or pale ale variety, choosing a summer brew is a lot easier. Look for characteristics such as citrus, or other flavours that appeal to you. Many companies also print the IBU (international bitterness units) on their products; if you want an easy drinking beer, aim for something with an IBU under 30. While this is not a hard and fast rule, in many beers with higher IBU ratings certain malts and hops can offset the bitterness, it provides a rule-of-thumb guide. If all else fails, like anything, finding your preferred summer beer will be a matter of trial and error, and this applies to summer ales like any other style. Here are some of our personal favourites. Happy hopping!

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4 PINES INDIAN SUMMER ALE 4.2% ABV 15 IBU 4 Pines added its Indian Summer Ale to the core range in late 2015, also marking its first venture into cans. The Indian Summer Ale has a crisp bitterness and aromas of passion fruit and honeydew. This beer is light in body but retains a hoppy character.

SYDNEY BREWERY GLAMARAMA SUMMER ALE 4.5% ABV 18 IBU Glamarama is a hop driven ale made with strong citrus notes of lime and grapefruit.

The aroma has malt, citrus, fruit, and floral notes with hints of hops on the nose.

The taste is light up front with citrus and tropical fruit notes and a dry hop finish.

Glamarama is best enjoyed ice-cold on a sizzling summer day and pairs perfectly with dishes like fresh prawns, grilled fish with melon salsa, and the classic salt and pepper calamari.

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JAMES SQUIRE THE SWINDLER SUMMER ALE 4.2% ABV 22 IBU Last year saw James Squire add The Swindler Summer Ale to its range. The Swindler is a crisp, refreshing ale with a firm malt body, made using a blend of rare Calypso and El Dorado hops. It also has a distinctive aroma with notes of pear and watermelon. Pairs well with hearty summer salads, barbeque dishes and fresh seafood.

DRINKS

MOUNTAIN GOAT SUMMER ALE 4.7% ABV 20 IBU Victoria’s Mountain Goat added a summer ale to its core range in 2013, which was based on its seasonal Skipping Girl beer that was only available in the summer months. Mountain Goat wanted a beer that embodied everything great about the outdoors - camping, hiking, gardening, picnic, and, of course, music festivals. The Mountain Goat Summer Ale has fruit and floral notes, is low on bitterness, fruity, crisp and thirst quenching.

PRICKLY MOSES SUMMER ALE 4.5% ABV 18 IBU Based in Victoria’s Otways, Prickly Moses Handcrafted Beer offers a summer ale that is a refreshing, crisp, golden ale with hints of tropical pineapple, passion fruit and citrus flavours. This is an easy drinking ale that can be enjoyed year-round.

YOUNG HENRYS SUMMER HOP ALE 6.1% ABV 51 IBU For the IPA and hop lovers, Young Henrys has created the perfect hoppy beer for summer, with its Summer Hop Ale. This is an Australian and American style IPA that is ideal for summer and highly sessionable with characters of pine, rock melon, stone fruit and citrus. Summer Hop Ale has a slightly hazy golden hue, balanced bitterness and a refreshingly dry finish. A big tropical and citrus dry hop character rounds it out. The crisp mouth feel and unique tropical aroma makes this the perfect accompaniment for seafood and the barbeque. Young Henrys Summer Hop Ale is available in limited release from now until March 2017 from bottle shops in 640ml long neck bottles, and on tap at your favourite pubs.

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IN-CIDER COCKTAIL There’s nothing more refreshing than a cold cider on a hot day.

But when you’re entertaining at home and want to add a little WOW factor to your beverage options, what better way to impress than with a refreshing cocktail. Plus, there’s the added bonus of impressing your friends with your ability to make and shake some knockout drinks. Taking the invigorating taste of cider, and the eye-pleasing features of cocktails, Ben Davidson from explore DRINKS has teamed up with Sydney Brewery and pulled together a list of recipes that will make you the hostess with the mostess this summer.

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SYDNEYSIDER COLLINS

AGAVE CIDER MULE

GLASS: Tall INGREDIENTS: 150ml Sydney Cider 30ml Gin 20ml Fresh Lemon Juice 1 tsp Orange Sherbet METHOD: Add all ingredients into a tall glass with ice. Stir, garnish and serve GARNISH: A slice of lemon and an orange peel twist

GLASS: Short glass INGREDIENTS: 150ml Agave Ginger Cider 30ml Vodka 10ml Sugar Syrup 4 x Lime Wedges Squeezed METHOD: Add ingredients to a short glass and top with crushed ice GARNISH: Mint sprig

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE SHERBET LIQUID: Place the juice and peel of one orange in a metal dish and cover with 300gm of fine caster sugar. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.

Strain the orange sherbet liquid into a clean bottle. How easy is that!

AUSTRALIANO

GLASSWARE SPONSOR RSN AUSTRALIA. RECIPES BEN DAVIDSON

GLASS: Stemmed pilsner glass INGREDIENTS: 150ml Sydney Cider 20ml Campari 20ml Regal Rogue Rosé Vermouth METHOD: Add all ingredients into a stemmed pilsner glass apart from Sydney Cider. Top with a dash of Sydney Cider at the time to taste GARNISH: A slice of orange and apple fan

DRINKS

SMOKY CIDER GLASS: Short glass INGREDIENTS: 150ml Agave Ginger Cider 30ml Wahaka Mezcal 30ml Pink Grapefruit Juice 5ml Agave Syrup METHOD: Serve with ice in a short glass, rimmed with smoked sea-salt GARNISH: Garnish with a slice of charred pink grapefruit

Check-out the gold award winning medals on the Sydney Cider

Australiano

TIP: To char the tip of the grapefruit slice, use a small kitchen blowtorch.

If you don’t have one of these at home, a slice of grapefruit without the charring still looks great

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SMOOTH SAILING AT

PIRATE LIFE

explore DRINKS caught up with Mick Cameron, CEO, and Red Proudfoot, co-founder and Brewer of South Australia’s Pirate Life Brewing for a chat about how they started, all things beer, and what’s on the horizon for one of Australia’s fastest growing craft breweries. explore DRINKS. Tell us a little bit about how Pirate Life Brewing started?

Mick Cameron. Jack is my son, both him and Red who are brewers met up at BrewDog around six to seven years ago and worked there together. After two years over at BrewDog, Jack came back and worked for Little Creatures and Red worked for Cheeky Monkey in Margaret River. Red is initially from Western Australia, while Jack and I are Tasmanian. We spent a period of time in WA in addition to spending some time in America, where I was looking after the importation for Coopers and BrewDog. I spent around four years doing that, looking after 42 different states in the US, working with 87 distributors, which is where I got my understanding of sales and distribution from.

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ED. You’ve gone from the original core range of three beers to include more like the IPA and Hopco NZ Pale Ale, and now the barrel-aged series in collaboration with Tomfoolery Wines. Are there plans to expand the core range?

Red Proudfoot. The core range will grow every now and then. We’ve got the IPA in the core range now, but we’ve also got two long-term additions, the Golden Era Golden Ale and the Hopco NZ Pale Ale. Hopco is our hops supplier, they supply a lot of Aussie brewers, and they wanted to use some different hops to get more attention around them. We also want to start doing some sours and a few more barrel aged beers.

MC. The other thing we’re looking at for next year is bringing our 3.2% ABV Porter (Baby Porter) and Stout out in cans for next winter. Red is also working on an Imperial Red Ale. Those are some things you might see for next year.

ED. How has the reception been to the barrel-aged series with Tomfoolery?

MC. It’s what I call a divisive type of beer. Which is part of the reason why we like making those types of beers, because some people like it and some people don’t. With barrel-ageing, you have to let the barrel do the work; you don’t have a lot of control of what comes from the barrel. We’ve had some very good ratings on it, some people love it and some people don’t like it, but that’s the nature of it.

OPPOSITE: Red Proudfoot (left) and Jack Cameron (right)

ED. The Pirate Life can design is so clean and simple yet stands out. How did you decide on the design for the can?

R. We worked with a designer in Melbourne who took us on very early on and she got to know us well and we came up with the design. Having a clean design has a lot more attention to detail than it might look. We worked with her closely. I’d be telling her, “Move the logo up 1ml, 2ml, 3ml,” to get it exactly where it should be and make sure it was right.

MEET

“I LOVE CREATING SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY I ENJOY, BUT OTHER PEOPLE ENJOY AS WELL.”– RED PROUDFOOT

ED. What’s your favourite part of being a brewer on a daily basis?

RP. I love creating something that not only I enjoy, but other people enjoy as well. Beer is fun. Back in the day, I loved being on the tools and loved being in a brewhouse, I don’t get to do that as much anymore.

ED. Do you have a personal favourite from the Pirate Life range that’s your go-to?

MC. My go-to is the Pale Ale, only because I don’t drink a lot these days.

It’s always consistent and it’s just about the right ABV for me at 5.4%, so it’s pretty steady.

RP. The Imperial Red Ale we have coming out, I’ve been dying to make this beer for a few years now. It’s designed around one particular hop that hasn’t been available to us for a while.

It comes in at 7.1% ABV. It’s sharp with good malt character, more than we usually go for.

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Salamanca Market located in Hobart, takes place every Saturady morning

TOUR TASMANIA WORDS WINSOR DOBBIN

Tasmania comes alive each summer with a plethora of food and wine festivals, open-air concerts and sporting events, making it an increasingly popular family holiday destination.

There are also dozens of destinations where mum and dad can enjoy a tasting or meal overlooking vineyards, or during a tour of

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an artisan distillery, while the younger family members are kept busy.

Cool-climate wines from artisan producers?

Tick. Ciders from small family operations? Tick.

Small-batch whisky, gin and vodka from family producers? Tick. Beer tastings? Tick.

Tourism Info Monitor figures show Tasmania continues to rank as the second-mostappealing Australian travel destination, behind Queensland. Here are some family-friendly highlights you won’t want to miss out on – but don’t forget to appoint a designated driver.

EXPLORE CASCADE BREWERY Established in 1824 alongside the Hobart Rivulet in South Hobart, at the foot of Mount Wellington, Cascade is the oldest operating brewery in Australia. It also produces a range of juices, syrups and cordials. Visitors aged over 16 can join a one hour brewery tour, while a heritage tour, which does not include tastings, is open to all ages. The Visitor Centre includes three acres of beautifully manicured heritage gardens perfect for children and there is an on-site restaurant with dishes matched to Cascade beers and ciders.

WILLIE SMITH’S CIDER In 1888, Willie Smith planted the first apple tree in an orchard in the Huon Valley, Tasmania.

Four generations later, the Smith family has the largest organic orchard in Australia.

The Apple Shed is its tasting facility, restaurant, museum telling the story of Tasmania’s apple industry, and a regular music and festival venue. The self-guided tour of the cidery takes around 20 minutes to complete and costs a gold coin donation. Also, make sure to take a peek at the new copper still being used to produce apple brandy – Tasmania’s answer to calvados.

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DEVIL’S CORNER There are great views, al fresco dining and wine tastings on offer at the Devil’s Corner Cellar Door and Lookout on the edge of Moulting Lagoon on the east coast. A viewing tower features vistas across the lagoon to the Hazards at Coles Bay. The cellar door has tastings of wines, many exclusive to the cellar door, while The Fishers seafood restaurant is located next to the cellar door and serves oysters and mussels from the lagoon and local fish straight off the boats. Tombolo Café sits on the other side of the cellar door and utilises local ingredients to produce a range of wood-fired pizzas.

JOSEF CHROMY WINES Josef Chromy is one of the pioneers of the wine industry in Tasmania, the Czech migrant having owned and developed Rochecombe (now Bay of Fires), Jansz, Heemskerk and Tamar Ridge. His latest project, at Relbia, just down the road from Launceston Airport, includes a high-tech winery, upmarket restaurant and function centre overlooking gardens and a beautiful lake. The cellar door is located in the estate’s original 1880s homestead and has a welcoming open log fire in winter. The award-winning eatery, right next door, is open seven days a week and sources regional produce to match with the wines. Several different vineyard/winery tours are available.

HOME HILL WINERY Located at Ranelagh, cider country, in the heart of the Huon Valley, Home Hill is home to one of Tasmania’s finest cellar door restaurants with a focus on local produce, including salmon and oysters. And the wines are top-notch too; Home Hill won the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Show for its reserve pinot noir a couple of years ago. There are sweeping views of the vines from the restaurant (with room for young ones to run around) and a tasting area/ barrel hall. Kids will enjoy patting alpacas over the fence. What started as a hobby farm with six rows of vines has become a thriving business.

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EXPLORE NONESUCH DISTILLERY Nonesuch Distillery is situated just 15 minutes from Hobart Airport, on the road to Port Arthur.

It sits on the scenic Rayburn Farm and younger visitors will enjoy a look inside the farm barn with its store of old machinery, carriages, carts and implements. The boutique distillery (prior bookings are advised for tastings) produces two different gins and a sloe malt. Twice a month, Nonesuch hosts a hands-on Whisky Making Experience incorporating milling the grain, mashing-in, taking specific gravity readings, starting the fermentation, distilling, taking and recording alcohol by volume measurements, using conversion tables and even filling a cask.

LARK DISTILLERY Ten years ago there were only three distillers in Tasmania. Now there are 22, making whisky, gin, vodka and other spirits with sales having grown by more than 50 per cent in the last two years. Bill Lark from Hobart’s Lark Distillery is the ‘Godfather’ of the industry and the Lark tasting room is set just back from the Hobart waterfront.

His atmospheric ‘cellar’ offers tastings of various whiskies (there are 150 single malts in all) and other spirits in a clubby atmosphere. There is often live music on Friday and Saturday evenings and two different structured tours to choose from.

BANGOR WINE AND OYSTER SHED The setting doesn’t get any more quintessentially Australian than this four-hectare vineyard on a 6,200-hectare farm with native wildlife, gum trees and ocean views midway between Hobart and the Port Arthur historic site. Along with wine tastings, cellar door sales and light lunches (think oysters, abalone and platters), the Dunbabin family also has a gift shop selling local artisan products and there is a fenced area for children with its own sandpit. There is also a wood fire on cold days to keep the whole family warm. Starting in January is an electricpowered bike tour of the property, including where Dutch explorer Abel Tasman laid anchor 375 years ago.

RIVERSDALE ESTATE

PAGAN CIDER Pagan Cider, which uses local apples, cherries and berries in its beverages, not only has an outdoor ‘cider garden’ - it also pairs with the Tickled Rib smokehouse food truck to serve up American-style barbequed meats at weekends at its tasting facility at Cradoc in the Huon Valley. All meats, including pork spare ribs, are sourced locally and smoked over local cherry and apple wood. In addition to a range of ciders, Pagan recently launched its first mead. For the designated driver there is an excellent cherry juice.

One of the newest tourism attractions in Tasmania and just a few minutes’ drive from Hobart Airport, Riversdale Estate at Cambridge offers wine tastings, an upmarket restaurant, the French Bistro, high teas and a Peter Rabbit Garden for children of all ages. The sixth-generation waterfront estate is a working crop and sheep farm that includes the largest Tasmanian privately owned vineyard in the Coal River Valley. The garden, open daily, features the story of Mr McGregor and Peter Rabbit, along with many other Beatrix Potter characters. It is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

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MONA Tasmania’s leading tourism attraction has something for every member of the family. Australia’s most famous private museum, designed to thrill and shock in equal measure, is also home to the Moorilla cellar door (some of the vines surround the facility), as well as The Source Restaurant with views of the Derwent River, a wine bar and gardens with bean bags in which to chill out. Regular markets and concerts are held during the summer and getting here is half the fun, with options of taking a fast ferry from the Hobart waterfront or cycling from the city, as well as driving. If you are in a car, winemaker Stefano Lubiana’s Osteria restaurant is just 15 minutes away in Granton.

JAMES BOAG’S BREWERY Tasmanians split their beer loyalty between the north and south of the state. In the north, locals tend to drink James Boag, a brewer with a history dating back to 1888, when Boag & Son started brewing beer on the banks of the Esk River in downtown Launceston. Visitors are welcome to enjoy a guided tour of the brewery followed by a beer tasting for those 18 years and over, seven days a week. Children under five are not permitted on tour and those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

VELO WINES AND TIMBRE KITCHEN The Tamar Valley is surprisingly short of winery dining options, but if you do want to dine among the vines, Timbre Kitchen at Velo Wines, a short drive north of the city, has recently been taken over by chef Matt Adams and partner Shannon Bushby.

The drawcard here, along with wines made by former Tour de France cyclist Micheal (correct) Wilson, is locally raised and ethically sourced food with an Asian accent, along with fresh oysters. It is open seven days for lunch and late on Fridays and Saturdays. The outdoor deck overlooks some of the oldest vines in Tasmania, planted in 1966.

MONA car

FRANK’S CIDER Set in the picturesque village of Franklin, across the road from the Huon River and the Wooden Boat Centre, Frank’s has local food and coffee on offer to complement the free tastings of its ciders seven days a week. The cellar door here is the former St John’s Church Hall, built in the 1870s and where four generations of one of the brand’s founders went to Sunday School. There are interesting historical exhibits on display.

Frank Clark, after whom the brand is named, was the third of six generations of the Clark family to live at ‘Woodside’ on the banks of the Huon River, still the family home. The range includes apple, pear and cherry ciders all made from local fruit.

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MONA art

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for the

P E R F ECT

Available Nationally For all enquiries call 1300 HBC BEER (422 233) or email sales@hawthornbrewing.com.au HawthornBrewingCo

hawthornbrewing

hawthornbrewing

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BLACK PEARL Featuring both a cocktail bar with lounging sofas and ottomans as well as an upstairs bar they call The Attic, Black Pearl is a sophisticated cocktail bar that keeps its neighbourhood vibe and friendly staff chit-chat while making complex cocktails.

The drinks menu at Black Pearl is divided into categories to better help you find the exact drink and flavourings you would like. The bar crew are masters behind the stick, showcasing their skill and knowledge. The drinks are inhouse creations, using a refined selection of spirits to ensure the back bar isn’t overloaded.

The upstairs bar also offers table service, so you can settle in and enjoy the cocktails minus the chaos of lining up at the bar.

304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9417 0455 W: www.blackpearlbar.com.au Opening Hours: Mon-Sun: 5pm-3am

BARS, BREWS AND BEVERAGES Cocktails or a refreshing beverage is what you’re after? Here’s our guide to some of the hottest places across the country.

CHARLIE PARKER’S A neighbourhood cocktail bar, Charlie Parker’s is intimate and has a rich sense of history.

Botanicals are on display behind the bar and the space is complemented by the grittiness of the old bricks and exposed sandstone. Housed in the basement of Fred’s restaurant, Charlie Parker’s is a local bar with stunning interiors and produce-driven cocktails.

380 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021 Ph: (02) 9240 3000 W: www.merivale.com.au/charlieparkers Opening hours: Tues – Thurs: 5pm-12am Fri – Sat: 3pm-12am Sun: 3pm-10pm

VISIT EAST VILLAGE East Village Sydney reopened its doors after its three levels underwent major refurbishments to revitalise the gone-butnot-forgotten Darlinghurst staple. Among the many improvements is the revamped rooftop terrace overlooking stunning views of the city skyline.

The refurbished East Village, designed by Alexander and Co, features three distinct levels: a public bar on the ground floor hosting a wide selection of wines and a food menu of reimagined classic pub food; The Athletic Club - a modern sports bar adorned with old-world décor serving beer and whisky; and a rooftop terrace providing fresh and flavourful dishes evoking summer along with spectacular views. Additionally, a semi-private dining room accommodates 20 guests for those who want a more intimate ambiance.

234 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9331 5457 Opening hours: Mon – Sun: 12pm-11pm

COBBLER Cobbler in Brisbane’s West End has been delighting and entertaining guests with its quirky cocktail themes, delicious whisky events and live music offerings since 2013.

Stocking over 400+ whiskies, Cobbler was recently named as an Ardbeg embassy for Brisbane and is one of very few bars in the city that sells whiskies from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Under the guidance of award winning-bartender and owner Martin Lange, the talented bar team at Cobbler is happy to serve up inventive cocktail creations and offer educational insights about its vast whisky collection. They even let you BYO food!

7 Browning Street, West End QLD 4101 W: www.cobblerbar.com Opening hours: Mon: 5pm-1am Tues – Thurs: 4pm-1am Fri – Sat: 4pm-2am Sun: 4pm-1am

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MECHANICS INSTITUTE LONG CHIM Try this, look here, what’s that – these words are the soundtrack of the Thai street and Long Chim’s fast-and-hot service style of small, steaming, clattering plates that create a kind of music that leads you to laugh a little louder, stay a little longer and try something new every time. The cocktail menu is a combination of drinks from Long Chim Singapore and Perth’s own recipes. The team tries to focus the drinks around Thai culture and cuisine, with a decent pinch of fun (and heat) thrown in too.

In Thai, Long Chim means ‘come and taste’ and chef David Thompson invites everyone to sample the cuisine and drinks that seduced him to Thai culture back in 1986.

Basement, Barrack St & St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000 Ph: (08) 6168 7775 W: www.longchimperth.com Opening hours: Sun – Thurs: 12pm-12am Friday – Saturday: 12pm-2am

Mechanics Institute is a down-to-earth cocktail bar that embraces the blue-collar nature of Australia. The bartenders here don’t rely on fancy rare liqueurs and flavour infusions.

Instead, there’s a daily cocktail list of six drinks, in addition to a menu of around 40 drinks.

With two beers on tap, 35 packaged and an adequate wine list, there’s sure to be something that will hit the spot.

Rear 222 William Street, Northbridge WA 6000 Ph: (08) 9228 4189 W: www.mechanicsinstitutebar.com.au Opening hours: Mon – Sat: 12pm-12am Sun: 12pm to late

YOUNG HENRYS

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

Young Henrys is the kind of place where bartenders and locals like to spend their downtime, and who could blame them. This hidden gem in Sydney’s inner west is a brewery and an all-round, good time hangout spot, with a tasting bar and lounge. Brewing fantastic beer, cider, and now trying their hand at distilling, Young Henrys is the perfect spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

76 Wilford Street, Newtown NSW 2042 Ph: (02) 9519 0048 W: www.younghenrys.com Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am-7pm Sun: 12pm-7pm

Two of Australia’s top bartenders have teamed up to open their dream bar, This Must Be The Place. Luke Ashton and Charlie Ainsbury joined forces to open a light, airy, stationary influenced space in Sydney’s inner city hub of Darlinghurst.

The venue strays away from the basement, dimly lit, speakeasy style of cocktail bar to offer a more relaxed Nordic vibe that features white walls, plywood and a timber bar. Rotating artwork features on one wall, while banquette seating and lounge tables run down the other.

The cocktails here are creative, but without any gimmicks, showy tricks or theatrics. Ashton and Ainsbury offer up a well-balanced, considered drinks list with seasonal ingredients. Syrups and fresh cold-pressed juices are made in-house, with an eye on reducing waste and the environmental impact of bars.

Wine aficionados fear not, there is an abundance of wine varieties available as well as a refined beer list that features a rotating weekly craft beer special.

For a relaxed, light vibe with a passionate and knowledgable bar team, check out This Must Be The Place.

239 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9331 8063 W: www.tmbtp.com.au Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 3pm-12am

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EXPLORE

ASIA

– WHERE TO DRINK AND WHAT TO DRINK They say the most authentic way to experience a country is through local food and drink. And for those reading explore DRINKS, the drinking aspect is likely to be more exciting. But when traveling to a new place, we often don’t know where to go, spending much of our time in western pubs, only to stumble across a trendy cocktail bar on the very last night.

We understand the agony of this experience, the need to tell ourselves that it’s okay because we saved something for next time. But why put off visiting the best venues, especially when new ones are popping up so quickly? We invite you to travel with us across Asia and visit our favourite list of hotel bars in Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea, where the drinks are so good you’ll have a hard time leaving.

VICTORIA BAR INTERCONTINENTAL SINGAPORE HANIFF AZREEN – BARTENDER A sophisticated venue, Victoria Bar is located in the InterContinental Hotel. The calming atmosphere is complemented by earthy tones and the smooth sound of jazz, making this the perfect place to unwind. With the bar scene growing exponentially in Singapore, the focus here is on cocktails enhanced by quality liqueurs and ingredients from the world over.

80 Middle Rd, Intercontinental Singapore, Singapore 188966 T: +65 6339 7600 W: singapore.intercontinental.com/dinedrink/victoria-bar Opening hours: Sun-Sat 5pm-1am

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BAR Q88 JW MARRIOT HONG KONG

LOBSTER BAR AND GRILL HONG KONG

A touch of sophistication and class, Bar Q88 has a modern interior and contemporary furnishings. Guests are invited to sit at the bar or sink into the lounge style seating at one of the many tables. Dimly lit, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The cocktail menu is also a reflection of the vibe inside, with all-time favourites like the Negroni, Old Fashioned, and Aviation considered the most popular choices.

The Lobster Bar and Grill is located inside the luxury Island Shangri-La. With intricate blue wallpaper and comfortable lounge style seating, it’s the perfect place to unwind. For the keen cocktail connoisseur, perch yourself on a high chair at the marble bar and chat to extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff. The Old Fashioned and Whisky Sour are the most popular cocktails, but if you’re looking to stray from the classics, indulge in one of the many signature drinks that champion different kinds of sherry.

Lobby Level, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong T: +852 2810 8366 W: www.marriot.com Opening hours: Sun-Thu 12pm-12am Fri-Sat 12pm-1am

Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, Supreme Court Road, Level 6, Pacific Place, Central, Hong Kong T: +852 2820 8560 W: www.shangri-la.com Opening hours: Sun-Thu 12pm-1am Fri-Sat 12pm-2am

Bar Manager, Bryson Rivera

Lobster Bar and Grill

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL SEOUL SOUTH KOREA Named after Charles H. Baker, the American author known for his cocktail writing, this glamorous venue is steeped in history, romance and the art of storytelling. Set inside a grandiose hall, the brown leather booths and marble tables scream extravagance. The cocktail menu is reminiscent of Baker’s global quest in search of the perfect drink. And a range of nonalcoholic cocktails are on offer, reflecting current consumer preference.

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Bar Director, Chris Lowder

Four Seasons Hotel 97 Saemunan-Ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul 03183 South Korea T: +82 (2) 6388 5500 W: www.foursesons.com Opening hours: Sun-Wed 6pm-1am Thu-Sat 6pm-2:30am

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EXPLORE TIME TO EXPLORE? STEP OUTSIDE OF THE HOTEL AND CHECK OUT OTHER TOP BARS IN ASIA. HONG KONG BUTLER

5/F Mody House, 30 Mody Road Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

HONI HONI TIKI COCKTAIL LOUNGE 52 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong

MANHATTAN BAR SINGAPORE Manhattan Bar is a classic cocktail venue on the second level of the Regent Hotel in Singapore. Dimly lit, the inside is furnished with dark leather lounges and lavish purple drapes. Think 19th century New York and then pinch yourself because you’re actually in Asia.

Choose from a range of artisanal spirits and forgotten cocktails, meticulously crafted by Philip Bischoff. And if you get hungry, Chef Nicholas Troisen has you covered with his menu of reinterpreted classic American dishes, including the Maine Lobster Roll and homemade Kettle Chips.

1 Cuscaden Road, Level 2, Regent, Regent, Singapore 249715 T: +65 6725 3377 W: www.regenthotels.com Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 5pm – 1am Fri-Sat: 5pm-2am Sun: 11:30am-3:30pm / 5pm-1am

THE IRON FAIRIES LG, 1 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

THE PONTIAC 13 Old Bailey St, Central, Hong Kong

QUINARY 56-58 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

STOCKTON 32 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong

SINGAPORE

28 HONGKONG ST 28 HongKong St, Singapore

GIBSON BAR 2nd Floor, 20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore

THE MIRA HOTEL HONG KONG The Mira Hotel is home to two beautiful bars. Room One is a popular meeting spot located in the lobby, while Vibe is an outdoor lounge bar on the fifth floor with has a tropical theme. At this chic hotel, guests may enjoy light, refreshing drinks in the early evening, and lower potency cocktails later in the night. There is also a range of easy to drink wines from New World countries.

JIGGER & PONY 101 Amoy St, Singapore

OPERATION DAGGER 7 Ann Siang Hill, #B1-01, Singapore

POTATO HEAD FOLK 36 Keong Saik Road, Singapore

THE LIBRARY 47 Keong Saik Road, Singapore

SEOUL ALICE

118 Nathan Road, Tsimshats, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: +852 2368 1111 W: www.themirahotel.com Opening hours: Mon-Wed: 6pm – 12am Thur-Sat: 6pm – 1am Sunday: 5pm – 12am

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47, Dosandaero 55-gil Gangnam-gu, Seoul

LE CHAMBER 42, Dosandaero 55-gil Gangnam-gu, Seoul

D.STILL 10, Wausanro 15-gil Mapo-gu, Seoul

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Enjoy Grant Burge responsibly

DRINKS

SOMMELIER TIPS Serving and pairing wine can seem like a daunting prospect, especially when hosting guests.

Here are a few sommelier tips to make serving and selecting wine a breeze.

Food Pairing Tips and Suggestions “For summer, sashimi (tuna or coral trout) with skin contact chenin blanc from South Africa.”

Matt Dunne, Group Sommelier at Solotel, Sydney “It is all about creating a balance between the dish, flavours, intensity and experience.

We all have a different palate, some of us prefer sweet, others sour, therefore when making a food and wine pairing it is key to understand the preference of the taster.”

Yohann Jousselin, Sommelier and Director of Wine at Shangri-La, Hong Kong When pairing, “Look for similar acid and flavour profiles in each dish and pair it to similar characteristics in wine.” As everyone’s palate is different, “the easiest way to determine someone’s palate is to find out what kind of coffee they drink. If it’s a short or long black, or even black tea, I can safely assume they have a high tolerance to bitter and acidic properties in comparison to someone who drinks a latte.”

Pip Anderson, Group Sommelier for the Merivale Group, Sydney

Selecting Wine “The most straightforward way is to ask the sommelier to provide you with options. For those that prefer to select their own, look for grape varieties or regions you prefer.”

Alan Sun, Sommelier at The Mira, Hong Kong “If there is a sommelier, engage with them.

Tell them what you like to drink and what you have enjoyed in the past. It can be a bit like an options game – and sommeliers are there to help narrow down the selection for you.”

Pip Anderson, Group Sommelier at the Merivale Group, Sydney “It is important to be curious when it comes to drinking wine. I am happy to leave the wine selection to a sommelier when I go out, and four times out of five, I end up with a pleasant surprise and get to try something new!”

Paul Huet, Head Sommelier at est., Sydney

Wine Suggestions “Dry sherries of Equipo Navazos. They are wines more than they are fortifieds, and they are fresh and exhilarating.”

Grant Dickson, owner and Sommelier at FermentAsian, Barossa Valley “Tannat, red wine originating in the southwest of France, with high quality samples also found from Uruguay.”

Leo Au, Chief Sommelier at Swire Hotels, Hong Kong “Öküzgözü from Turkey, because it’s a big, round, dark grape. It is the grape with the biggest fine wine potential in Turkey.”

Alan Sun, Sommelier at The Mira, Hong Kong

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: S E V I T N R E T AL CUTS FOR

T R O H S D N A .

TIPS, TRICKS E M O H T A S L I A GREAT COCKT Making cocktails at home doesn’t have to be a massive trek or an expensive ordeal.

With a bit of vision and basic planning, you can get the right spirits, juices, mixers and fresh ingredients together to have a variety of tasty cocktails to offer your guests at your next party.

SER WATER DISPEN

THE ALTERNTAIVES If you don’t have a home bar kit here are some alternatives that you most likely will have in the kitchen.

WORDS BEN DAVIDSON First decide what cocktails you want to make and how many of each. This will determine the shopping list so that essential requirements aren’t missed.

It’s a good thing to have some home cocktail making equipment, like a cocktail shaker, however there are things in your kitchen that can be used as a substitute. As with anything, a bit of planning in advance will lead to better outcomes!

KER COCKTAIL SHA

MASON JAR

WATER JUG MUDDLER

ROLLING PIN JIGGER

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DRINKS

WHEN MAKING COCKTAILS AT HOME THERE ARE A FEW AREAS NOT TO SKIMP ON. PREMIUM SPIRITS The use of premium spirit brands in your cocktails can make a big difference to the final taste and balance. It’s worth the extra money to buy quality ingredients rather than saving a few bucks on an unknown brand.

LOTS OF ICE Ice is a crucial requirement for fresh, tasty drinks at home. Most home icemakers don’t produce enough ice for an average cocktail party – so you’ll need to buy some bags of ice. A good par level is to estimate about 1kg of ice per person for a three-hour party. You can never have too much ice.

FRESH CITRUS Another area not to compromise on is freshly squeezed citrus for your cocktails. The difference between freshly squeezed lime and lemon compared to bottled is dramatic. The former is aromatic and tart and the latter is too sour and bitter and full of preservatives. The key tool to have is a hand held juice press to squeeze juice as needed, alternatively a hand held or counter top citrus reamer will do the job.

Another way to get the best out of fresh citrus is with the use of a muddler. It’s a tool used by bartenders to extract juices and oils out of ingredients like citrus or other soft, fleshy fruits.

SEASONAL FRUITS Always look for fresh fruits in season to add them to the cocktails you are making. For summer cocktails think – passion fruit, mango, pineapple, melons, cherries, blackberries, nectarines, peaches, and plums. These will add visual and aromatic appeal to your cocktails.

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GIFTS

TheSeasonOf Giving Ah, it’s that time of year again - holiday time! Time to find your inner zen, kick back, relax and enjoy some time with family and friends. Whether it’s a casual backyard BBQ soaking up some sun, a home cooked full-spread of dinner and drinks, or a day trip to enjoy the beach, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Throughout the year, we have a number of goodies that hit our radar and grab our attention. Without further ado, here’s a list of some of the coolest gifts to get your mitts on this holiday season.

To help you have fun in the sun, or entertain guests (and yourself), here are our top picks. We reckon some of these are so good that you’ll want to keep them all to yourself!

Bad Henry Shiraz $120.00 (case of 6) www.mcwilliamscellar.com.au

Pineapple Copper Tumbler www.wandpdesign.com $46.00

Carry On Cocktail Kit www.wandpdesign.com $32.00

Wine Aerator - Wound Up $115.00 www.artathome.com.au

Classic H2O (box of 2) Classic Bar Long Glass $49.95 www.riedelglass.com.au

Normann Copenhagen Block Table White $475.00 www.top3.com.au

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Riedel Superleggero Champagne Wine Glass (box of 1) $199.95 www.riedelglass.com.au

SMEG Fab Bar Refrigerator $2090.00 www.smeg.com.au

Riedel Superleggero Coupe Glass (box of 1) $199.95 www.riedelglass.com.au

Champagne Taittinger Prélude Grand Crus (case of 6) $840.00 www.mcwilliamscellar.com.au

Cocktail Shaker $345.00 www.artathome.com.au

Manhattan Bar Stool - Hot $436.00 www.vavoom.com.au

DRINKS

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TRIVIA & MYTHS

Trivia & Myths

IS BOTTLED BEER BETTER THAN TINNIES?

Think you know a lot about your beverages? Want to impress your friends at a party? Here are some fun facts and myths to give your grey matter a workout and stump others on your way to trivia glory!

THE GUINNESS BREWERY SIGNED A 9,000-YEAR LEASE?

WHO IS THE PATRON SAINT OF BEER? St. Arnold of Soissons is the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers.

WHAT MAKES A MARGARITA BECOME A CADILLAC MARGARITA?

MYTH OR TRUTH? MYTH. There is evidence to suggest that cans are in fact better at keeping the beer fresher for longer.

TRUTH. The 9,000-year lease signed in 1759 was for a four-acre brewery site.

Today, the brewery has expanded to cover over 50 acres. The 1759 lease is no longer valid as the company purchased the lands outright many years ago.

Adding a float of Grand Marnier in place of triple sec.

FORTIFIED WINES HAVE BEEN DISTILLED TO HAVE A GREATER ALCOHOL CONTENT?

WHICH SPIRIT IS USED IN MORE CLASSIC COCKTAILS THAN ANY OTHER SPIRIT?

MYTH. Fortified wines have had brandy or another spirit added to them.

There are more classic cocktails made with gin than with any other spirit.

WHICH COUNTRY CONSUMES THE MOST AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL PER CAPITA? South Korea.

WHAT WAS DOM PÉRIGNON’S OCCUPATION WHEN HE INVENTED CHAMPAGNE? He was a monk.

“SLAINTE” IS A TYPICAL TOAST IN WHICH COUNTRY? Ireland; the word means “health.”

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FUN FACTS me people like • There may be a reason so ped up. There is their drink to always be top empty glass. It is such a thing as a fear of an called cenosillicaphobia. ia is a Tarantula • A popular drink in Cambod r with freshly Brandy made from rice liquo dead tarantulas. ntains • A bottle of Champagne co bbles. approximately 49 million bu

s ’ t i r e m m u S s i h T . d n A . e m i L . n o m Le . s r e t t i B Batch.

DRINKS

LEMON, LIME AND BATCH BITTERS GLASS: Large Wine Glass

GLASSWARE SPONSOR RSN GLASSWARE

INGREDIENTS: 5 x Dashes Batch Aromatic Bitters 15ml Fresh Lime Juice Lemonade Ice METHOD: Cover the inside of the glass with five dashes of Batch Bitters. Swirl until the glass is evenly coated with the bitters. Then add ice and fresh lime juice. Fill the glass with lemonade.

GARNISH: A slice of lemon or lime.

www.kindredbeverages.com.au

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