Emma Cookson

Bartender @ Whisky & Alement, 270 Russell St, Melbourne

ABOUT EMMA

I grew up in a small town in the Bay Area of California called Cupertino, but my family moved back to our home country of Australia when I was eight. I started out, as most people do, working in a nightclub as a way to make money through university, but soon I found out about tastings and hospo events, meeting ambassadors, distillers, and fellow bartenders. I was inspired and made my way into working at cocktail bars. It wasn’t long before I found myself competing in bar comps of all varieties: gin, vodka, Chartreuse, and of course, whisky! Whisky & Alement is hidden in plain sight at 270 Russell St in Melbourne CBD. As the name might suggest, we specialise in whisky and craft beer from all over the world; we also have the largest collection of Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottlings on pour in Australia. We get such a wide range of customers, from whisky first-timers to seasoned experts and, of course, our old faithful regulars. When Brooke and Julian opened Whisky & Alement, the aim was to take the snobbery out of drinking whisky and to educate consumers through the experience of a delicious dram with friends. Friday and Saturday tend to pack out, with everyone clamouring for a bar seat. Otherwise, I recommend visiting on a Sunday as the bar staff typically have more time to chat about whisky and either help you learn something new or find a new favourite dram.

EMMA’S DREAM BAR:

American Bar, The Savoy, London

LAST NIGHT OF EMMA’S LIFE BAR:

Lily Blacks, 12 Meyers Place, Melbourne

LAST NIGHT OF EMMA’S LIFE DRINK:

Lily Blacks’ rum-based Espresso Martini

EMMA’S NIGHT OFF BAR:

Bar Clara, 87 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

EMMA’S HOME COCKTAIL TIPS

Ask your local cocktail bartender about their favourite entertaining cocktails and batch, batch, batch! The magic is in finding your favourite drinks, whether they’re shaken or stirred, and making it look effortless. Making cocktails for friends is great and you can save time by pre-batching as many of the ingredients as possible, that way you can enjoy yourself too! It’s a trick I often use at home, and it also makes for great gifts because you can create pre-prepared cocktails for your friends and family to make at home too.

EMMA’S TOP 4 COCKTAILS

EMMA’S T25 HERO COCKTAIL

Often when we think of whisk(e)y we think of simple, clean, threeingredient cocktails sipped by old men in leather armchairs, but the origins of drinking American whiskey in cocktails belong to the Speakeasy bars of the prohibition era. We got the Old Fashioned, the French 75, and most underrated of all, the Rickey. Originally designed in the 1880’s with locally produced American bourbons and ryes, it was the basis of my inspiration, bringing whiskey back into the light and refreshing style of drinks, all while imprinting my American heritage on it. When I think of California, I think of warm summer days, palm trees, and coconut tan lotion so I wanted to incorporate that vibe in my drink using the toasted coconut and lime juice, showing that rye whiskey suits those more tropical flavour profiles. In order to bring in an earthy balance to the drink I brought in Oloroso sherry, another nod to whisky considering the long and abundant history of sherry cask maturation in whisky.

1. Paper Plane

INGREDIENTS:

• 20ml bourbon whiskey • 20ml Aperol • 20ml Amaro Nonino • 20ml lemon juice METHOD: Shake with ice and fine strain ICE: Cubed ice for shaking GLASS: Coupe

2. Mint Julep

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml bourbon whiskey • 10ml sugar syrup • A large handful of fresh mint leaves METHOD: Fill the glass with as much mint as will fit without forcing (or less if you’re not mint-obsessed). Pour sugar and bourbon over the mint and stir with a spoon, pressing the mint leaves against the sides. Add crushed ice to the glass, stirring down and refilling any empty space in the glass with more crushed ice. GARNISH: Mint sprig ICE: Crushed ice GLASS: Metal Julep cup or a Highball Glass

3. Corpse Reviver #2

INGREDIENTS:

• 20ml Gin • 20ml Cointreau • 20ml Lillet Blanc • 20ml lemon juice • 5ml Pernod Pastis METHOD: Shake with ice then fine strain into a coupe glass GARNISH: Lemon twist ICE: Cubed ice for shaking GLASS: Coupe

4. Metaxa Sour

INGREDIENTS:

• 60ml Metaxa Brandy • 25ml lemon juice • 10ml rose syrup • 1 egg white METHOD: Shake without ice for about 10 seconds then add ice and shake again. Fine strain over ice GARNISH: Dried Rose petals ICE: Cubed ice for shaking and fresh for serving GLASS: Tumbler/Rocks

WHISKY AND ALEMENT

An ever-changing selection of over 500 whiskies, some of the world’s rarest and most exclusive bottles available by the glass, and a stacked calendar of special events and educational sessions. This might well be whisky heaven, but that’s not all Whisky and Alement has to offer. With some top-quality cocktails and an extensive selection of craft beer, this venue holds all the ingredients to a very enjoyable night.

Whether you’re a whisky afficionado or not, the team is only too happy to guide you through the extensive menu and help you find your perfect dram. Their educational sessions are another great way to come to terms with all things scotch, and the comfortable but intimate seating area is perfect for the task.

And if you do know your Speyside from your Islay, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy shop. The menu offers up some infamously rare drams, great value quaffers, and everything in between. Keep an eye out for some of the more unique bottles on offer. Ever tried whisky from Sweden?

Whisky and cocktail expert Emma Cookson has put together the highquality mix of House and Classic drinks, most of which champion a whisky base. Whisky and Alement also has an extensive craft-beer menu complete with boilermaker options. Bar-snacks and charcuterie boards are also available.

Whisky and Alement is open Wednesday-Thursday 4pm-12am, Friday-Saturday 4pm-1am, Sunday 4-11pm and is located at 270 Russell St., Melbourne.

For more information call (03) 9654 1284.

RICKEY GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

BY: EMMA COOKSON | WHISKY AND ALEMENT SPONSOR: MICHTER’S RYE WHISKY

One of the most overlooked classic cocktails is the Rickey: a simple mix of lime, sugar, soda and spirit (often Bourbon). I was inspired to put my own Californian twist on this drink using coconut and sherry. It’s a cocktail I’d want to drink while relaxing under a palm tree!

INGREDIENTS:

• 30ml Michter’s Rye Whiskey • 15ml oloroso sherry • 15ml toasted coconut falernum • 15ml lime juice • Top up with Soda

METHOD: Shake the rye, sherry, falernum and lime juice with ice. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top up with Soda water.

GARNISH: Sprig of Mint

ICE: Cubed ice to shake and serve

GLASS: Highball glass

*TOASTED COCONUT FALERNUM Method: Gently toast shaved coconut in a saucepan. Add equal parts coconut water and raw sugar, along with a pinch of salt. Simmer on low until syrup thickens (approximately 20mins). Allow to cool to room temperature and strain. Alternatively, Coconut Orgeat can be used.