WINEAUSTRALIANSOUTHSCENE COFFEE CULTURECOCKTAIL BEERS OF THE WORLD your news, your views March/April 2019 issue 69 CHARDONNAY, WSET TURNS 50, ALFRED COINTREAU, CORONA X PARLEY, GRENACHE BEA BRADSELL ON THE ESPRESSO MARTINI 35% less carbs than regular beer
2019 Please respond to our publishers: Ashley Pini: ashley@hipmedia.com.au Tim Ludlow: tim@hipmedia.com.au HAVE YOU BOOKED YOUR SPOT IN THIS YEAR’S DRINKS GUIDE? ACCESS AUSTRALIADATABASELARGESTTHEDRINKSINVIAYOURUSB AUDIENCE ONLINE • Trade only distribution, on and off premise natonwide • Key buyers across the industry, to over 400 of the most influential banner groups in Australia • www.drinksguide.com.au • The official online portal of The Drinks Association created for all trade buyers • Stand out by owning a drinks category on the Drinks Guide web-site and have your brand banner at the top of the page
drinks trade|3 For more information contact Pat Kenny (NSW) 0409 308 341 www.ilg.com.au Craig Stephenson (QLD) 0434 575 589 We are a family rich in history. We are strong in member relations. We are committed to exceptional service. Be a part of Australia’s LARGEST Liquor Cooperative, servicing the industry since 1975. CHANGE IS GOOD
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drinks trade|5 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY www.lanson.com #THEPERFECTSTART Since 1760, the House of Lanson has remained family owned. Faithful to its heritage, Lanson Champagnes have always been made the original way, avoiding malolactic fermentation, o ering an exceptional development of avors while preserving the natural purity of the fruit. This historical commitment makes Lanson wines more fresh, crisp and elegant with a longer ageing potential. Our most recent addition to the family is cuvée Père et Fils Brut NV which is available exclusively through the On-Premise and selected independent wine stores. This enriched evolution of the classic Black Label pays homage to the uniquely mouth-watering House style. Distributed by Wine DNA, a network of Australia’s top independent wine distributors NSW : Young & Rashleigh Wine Merchants - VIC : Sante Wines - QLD : Cuttings Wines - SA : Options Wines NILKRAPSGWINE PR O DUCEROFTHEYEAR
March/April Contents2019 5530 42584527 REGULARS 10 News. What’s happening in trade. 16 Columnists. Industry leader opinions. 18 Legal. The issue of privacy. 45 Trade Activity. Events and promotions. 66 Bin Ends. A bar in Madrid. PEOPLE 27 Andy Vance on the environment. 42 Alfred Cointreau on his family. 48 Ian Harris on 50 years of WSET. 58 Bea Bradsell on the Espresso Martini. PRODUCT REVIEW 52 New Product Releases. 60 Tasting Bench. Chardonnay and Grenache. FEATURES 30 South Australian Wine Scene. By Tony Love 23 International Beer. By James Atkinson 55 The Espresso Martini and Coffee Cocktail Revolution. By Melissa Parker 6|drinks trade
READY TO ORDER 18 FEB 2019 35% less carbs than regular beer
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A bevvy of talented barman that pooled at the famed Zanzibar would go off to open their own establishments including Belgo and The Atlantic where the creator of the Espresso Martini, the legendary London barman Richard ‘Dick’ Bradsell spent a large part of his career after his tenure at the Soho Brasserie. Sadly the cocktail world mourned the loss of Dick in 2016, but intrigued by his story I tracked down his daughter, Bea Bradsell, in London to interview. The story of how the Espresso Martini was born has been retold to the point of becoming hospitality folklore but Bea tells the real story of the beginnings of this great drink on page 58.
Whilst taking my first sip I thought, I’m going to be up all night. But that is exactly the point of the Espresso Martini of course, #thenewRedBull.
Other than tales of coffee and cocktails there is a bit of everything in this issue of Drinks Trade. James Atkinson gives us the latest on international beer brands and how they are holding up against a very strong local craft beer wave (page 23). Ben Davidson talks to Alfred Cointreau about his family’s famous orange liqueur (page 42).Tony Love reports on the new wave of hip and uber-cool winemakers and labels in South Australia challenging the establishment (page 30). And our regular contributor, Ken Gargett gives us a taste of a famous Spanish sherry bar in Madrid, Hemingway style (page 66).
For our next edition, we look forward to bringing you the print version of the Annual Drinks Guide 2019. Look out for it. Melissa Parker Editor Editor’s Note
I don’t drink coffee. The last time was in an Espresso Martini served as ‘the dessert’ at a friend’s recent birthday celebration of a significant number.
A bar I know very well.
Looking back it was a cool time and place to be working in hospitality. Marco Pierre White opened The Canteen and Gordon Ramsay opened his first restaurant Aubergine. Terence Conran opened Quaglino’s and Mezzo with great ashtrays that would be slipped into handbags and walked out the door. (It wasn’t me.)
Lots of news, stories, people, events, tastings and happenings, so pour yourself an Espresso Martini, perhaps from a can, put your feet up and get stuck in.
Whilst researching the coffee and cocktails feature for this issue I learnt the Espresso Martini was invented at the Soho Brasserie in Old Compton Street, London. This was a particularly special discovery for me because I happened to work there as the restaurant manager in the early 1990s, merely a few years after the birth of this iconic cocktail behind its very bar.
Read all about the new appeal of the coffee cocktail on page 55.
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PUBLISHER The Drinks Association All enquiries to: The Drinks Association Locked Bag 4100, Chatswood NSW 2067 ABN 26 001 376 423 notThenotTheviewsexpressedinDrinksTradearethoseoftherespectivecontributorsandarenecessarilythoseofthemagazineorTheDrinksAssociation.CopyrightisheldbyDrinksAssociationandreproductioninwholeorinpart,withoutpriorconsent,ispermitted.
EDITORIAL PUBLISHING EDITOR Ashley Pini ashley@hipmedia.com.au EDITOR Melissa Parker melissa@hipmedia.com.au DIGITAL EDITOR Alana House alanah@drinks.asn.au DRINKS CURATOR Ben Davidson ben@hipmedia.com.au PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Stuart CONTRIBUTORS Brett Heffernan, Sam Reid, Simon Strahan, Simone Allan, Andreas Clark, Stuart Gregor, Alec Wagstaff, Alexis Roitman, Julie Ryan, Walter MacCallum, Sharon Wild, Ralph Kyte-Powell, Morgan Dunn, Gabrielle Poy, Travis Fuller, Victor Pugatschew, Tony Love, Ken Gargett and James Atkinson.
Other Drinks Association publications include: Drinks Bulletin drinksbulletin.com.au Drinks Guide drinksguide.com.au DrinksYearbook
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JENNA HEMSWORTH NAMED AUSTRALIA’S BEST BARTENDER
Lewis Road Creamery has teamed with leading glass-packaging company Croxsons to deliver Lewis’s Road Kahlua Cream product in glass bottles moving away from aluminum packaging. Lewis Road is focused on sustainability and package all their milk products in bottles made with 100 per cent recycled plastic, which can also be recycled after use. The company is looking for ways to reduce its use of plastic and hopes the Kahlua Cream line becomes the catalyst for more glass use in the business.
SouthTrade International has announced the launch of Corazón Tequila in Australia. The range will feature Corazón’s three premium single estate tequilas (Blanco, Reposado and Añejo) and an entirely unique limited edition Expresiones del Corazón range. The Expresiones range is the combination of two great distilleries – Casa San Matías and Buffalo Trace Distillery, where the tequila is aged and finished in bourbon barrels. Corazón Tequila is produced at the Casa San Matías Distillery in Los Altos of Jalisco, Mexico. With over 130 years experience, it is one of the oldest tequila distilleries in Mexico and one of the few family-run distilleries and agave estates remaining in Jalisco.
HOP PRODUCTS AUSTRALIA ANNOUNCES MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION
10|drinks trade NEWS FIGURES AND FACTS, PEOPLE AND CORPORATEPOLICY,&COMMUNITY
NEW ZEALAND CREAM LIQUEUR FAVOURS GLASS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
SOUTHTRADE INTRODUCE CORAZÒN TEQUILA
Owner and CEO, Carmen Villarreal, prides herself on their unique and artisanal process. The Corazón Extra Añejo was awarded Double Gold at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Good news for Australian brewers is Hop Products Australia has planted the first 50 acres at its new home in Victoria’s Buffalo River Valley of what is the beginning of a $35 million dollar expansion project. The expansion will increase the company’s output by 50 per cent over the next six years. During phase one of the project, 150 new hectares will be planted as well as construction of a new harvest complex comprising six kiln floors and space for two Daunhauer pickers. Phase two will see an additional 150 hectares planted plus an extra six kiln floors at full production by 2024.
The Australian finals of the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Four finalists stirred and shook it out to claim the title of Australia’s best. Jenna Hemsworth of Sydney’s Restaurant, Hubert, was announced the winner. Hemsworth was victorious with her stand out cocktail, The Monarch, and will travel to Amsterdam to represent Australia and compete against 48 top bartenders from around the world.
DEAKIN ESTATE WINEMAKER CELEBRATES 50 YEARS.
WORKSMITH TO OPEN AT ELLA IN MELBOURNE CBD
The hospitality workers hub, Worksmith, is set to expand with new premises in Melbourne’s CBD in the Melbourne Central precinct, ELLA where Elizabeth Street meets La Trobe. Scheduled to open in April, the popular meeting and working place for entrepreneurs, consultants, sole traders and businesses in the food and beverage sector is proving extremely popular. Founders Michael Bascetta and property developer, Roscoe Power, said Worksmith at ELLA is more drinks-focused than its Collingwood sibling, with an on-premise lab for drinks professionals and liquor companies to experiment and prepare for events. Hightech features include centrifuges, water baths and dehydrators that are fully contained and soundproof to respect other guests. Located on Level One of the development, the new location will also feature an adjoining retail space for Worksmith events and pop-ups, offering a highly-visible means to connect with city workers and commuters.
AUSTRALIAN WINE DISCOVERED LAUNCHED
“We’re giving our members a new way to promote and trial their products on the fringe of one of Australia’s most iconic and highly visited shopping precincts,” says Bascetta. “We’re closing the circle between our members and the public.” Born from the idea of giving back to the industry, Worksmith caters to the 800,000 people that work in Australia’s food and beverage industry, where the vast majority work in non-traditional office settings due to the specific demands of their job. Co-working spaces are an emerging trend in Australia, growing by 297 per cent between 2013 and 2017. In Australia, co-working currently occupies 0.7 per cent of the total office market with Melbourne boasting the highest concentration of co-working spaces at 49 per cent of the market and over 152 spaces.
Smart YourMediacomplete digital marketing solution Contact us: E smartmediacontent@gs1au.org W smartmedia.gs1au.org
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Frank Newman, winemaker for Deakin Estate, has commenced his 50th vintage. From crushing Riverland Sultana for Penfolds Magill Estate in January 1969 to crushing Murray Darling Chardonnay today, he has a tale or two to tell.
Frank became senior white, then red winemaker, for Penfolds and worked alongside Max Schubert in the creation of Grange. Frank was then chief winemaker and production manager at Angoves for more than a decade and also made wine for BRL Hardy’s Renmano. He joined Deakin Estate in 2014 after decades of rich winemaking experience. “My aim is always perfection and my football team’s motto is something that has been the driving influence over my years as a winemaker. ‘Nil satis nisi optimum’ – not satisfied with less than the best’,” Frank says of his approach to winemaking.
Wine Australia has taken international wine education to the next level with the global launch of its comprehensive new education program – Australian Wine Discovered – at the annual Australia Trade Tasting in London. The content-rich and globally accessible program features 22 education modules, detailed information guides, videos, maps, tasting tools and more. The topics are suitable for beginner to advanced levels, offering an introduction to how wine is made, to taste, to how to identify wine faults, to more specific topics such as aged Australian wines and Australia’s old vines. To explore and download the free education modules, tools and resources, visit www.australianwinediscovered.com
James has previously worked in policy and public affairs roles at government relations companies, industry associations and peak bodies such as Restaurant and Catering Australia, Barton Deakin Government Relations and the European Australian Business Council.
Mr Lapsley said he would look back fondly on an incredible career in which he was fortunate enough to work with industry leading viticulture and winemaking teams as well as world class mentors.
ACCOLADE GLOBAL WINE DIRECTOR PAUL LAPSLEY TO RETIRE AFTER 40 YEARS
To mark this incredible milestone, Alex is pleased to announce Saltram will release a Special Rare Anniversary Edition Tawny and a 2016 Angaston Road Single Vineyard Estate Grown Shiraz. “To celebrate our 160th, we wanted to release two wines that reflect our consistent winemaking excellence. Given the diverse range of award-winning wines we have produced over the years, we believe these two releases are great examples of where our vines have been planted, where the roots have grown, and what we are focusing on. The future looks bright and it’s an exciting time to be involved with Saltram,” he said.
RETAIL COMMUNICATIONSOFAPPOINTSDRINKSDIRECTORPOLICYAND
Accolade Wines has announced the retirement of highly regarded wine industry veteran Paul Lapsley as its Global Wine Director. Mr Lapsley first joined the company with Houghton in 1987 before rising through the ranks to become Group Red Winemaker in 2004 and then 20th Chief Winemaker for Hardys in 2007. He assumed responsibility for all winemaking operations across the business as Group Chief Winemaker before being appointed Global Wine Director in 2016.
Highlights of Mr Lapsley’s career include winning 29 gold medals in a single year at the 2009 Hobart Wine Show, kick-starting the Houghton premium red program that culminated in the inaugural release of iconic Jack Mann in 1994, and overseeing the 2014 Hardy 165th Anniversary Cabernet Shiraz, Accolade’s first ever 99-pointed wine.
“For over 160 years Saltram has celebrated the heritage and tradition behind the Barossa Valley, making flagship red wines of great style and taste. I feel honoured to be able to continue this legacy…and I want to ensure we continue to produce wines that are as superb and unique for years to come,” says Alex.
160 YEARS Barossa iconic wine producer, Saltram, celebrates its 160th anniversary this year. William Salter and his son Edward discovered Barossa in 1859 foreseeing its potential for producing quality wine. Today Saltram’s winemaker Alex MacKenzie is the 10th winemaker for the brand and is passionate about keeping the rich heritage of Saltram alive and continuing a tradition of producing quality, full-bodied wines.
SALTRAM CELEBRATES
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James’ major responsibilities include coordinating policy and advocacy campaigns at a local, state and federal government level, developing relationships with political and industry stakeholders to advance the retail liquor industry’s key policy objectives and managing all of Retail Drinks’ strategic communication activities, including the authoring of submissions, media releases, industry reports and policy position statements.
Mr James Coward has been appointed to the role of Director of Policy and Communications.
The UK is the world’s sixth largest wine market, and Australia’s number one export destination by volume. It is also Australia’s third largest export destination by value, with $380 million worth of Australian wine exported to the UK in the 12 months to September 2018.
POSITIVE NEWS FOR AUSTRALIAN WINEMAKERS AMID BREXIT TURMOIL
AUSTRALIAN WINE SUPPLIES TIGHTEN AS EXPORTS GROW
Font Fine Wines now has more than 130 taps installed in venues across Victoria and are looking to expand into venues throughout Australia in the next 12 months.
WFA welcomes the signing of a new agreement on trade in wine between Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), signed in London overnight. The Australia-United Kingdom (UK) Wine Agreement mirrors provisions Australia has held for many years within an existing agreement between Australia and the European Community on Trade in Wine. It provides greater certainty of market access for Australian wine exporters and allows for a smoother transition when the UK formally separates from the European Union (EU) on 29 March 2019.
Australian wine sales exceeded production in 2017-18 by an estimated 7 million cases (5 per cent of production), the greatest margin since 2010-11, which saw a drawing down of inventories, according to Wine Australia’s Australian Wine: Production, Sales and Inventory reportStrong2017-18.growth in exports and stable domestic demand saw total sales during the financial year increase by just under 8 million cases (6 per cent) compared with the previous fiscal year, while a smaller grape crush in 2018 led to a decrease in wine production of 10 million cases (7 perWinecent).Australia Chief Executive Officer, Andreas Clark, said the stock-to-sales ratio now was 1.34 times annual sales for reds and 1.4 times annual sales for whites, levels that were slightly below the 10-year average for reds (1.63) and slightly above the average for whites (1.31).
“Sales of Australian wine reached a record volume in 2017–18, driven mainly by exports,” Mr ClarkInternationalsaid. demand for fine Australian wine grew strongly in 2018, with an increase in wine exports of 10 per cent in value to $2.82 billion free on board (FOB) and 5 per cent in volume to 850 million litres (94 million 9-litre case equivalents) in the year ended 31 December 2018.
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“Wine on tap has been around for a long time, longer than people might know. The issue we face is that someone’s perceptions may have been tainted by one of those early interactions when the quality wasn’t necessarily there,” said Connor.
AUSSIE REVOLUTIONISESSTARTUP TAP WINE Font Tap Wine is the brainchild of bar operator Connor Fitzgerald who developed a system that does not require a keg, gas bottle or glycol chiller. It boasts its own patent-pending pump system made specifically for wine. The Font Tap Wine system has a very small footprint that only requires a powerpoint. It works with two ten litre wine containers holding two single varietals of all Australian, vintage wine.
“The next step for us is continuing to spread our message of good quality, sustainable, wine on tap to venues. That’s what gets me excited, helping other businesses find solutions for issues they’re facing. We want to keep growing and we want to see more wine flowing through our taps so that more customers get to experience great wine,” said Connor.
“The wine coming out of the tap is only as good as the quality of wine that you are putting through the system – this is why we’re seeing great success with people who try our wine.”
“WFA has been working with the Australian Government to ensure this agreement came to fruition, and we congratulate the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon. David Littleproud MP, and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham, for getting the deal across the line” said Tony Battaglene, CEO of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia.
INTRODUCING STROH, SUSTAINABLE WHEAT DRINKING STRAWS
Stroh is a cool Aussie startup business that is passionate about protecting our oceans and the environment from plastic waste. Straws are a shocking contributor to plastic waste especially considering their use is so brief and prolific. With a background in social media and digital marketing in London and Sydney, founder Teresa Aylott, increasingly concerned about climate change, decided to do something about it. Months of research into sustainability led her Holland where she discovered wheat drinking straws made from the stem of a wheat plant. Wheat straws are considered an agricultural waste product of the harvesting process so they do not deplete any natural resources and because they are 100 per cent natural they are fully compostable – a truly circular product.
Stroh is now stocked in various forward-thinking bars and restaurants around Sydney, Melbourne, Malaysia and New York. From small cocktail bars and cafes to the larger groups such as Merivale and the Opera Bar. The word about wheat straws is spreading.
Simon Strahan is the Chief Executive Officer of DrinkWise In late oftheRecognisingProgram.(FASD)SpectrumFetallaunchedDrinkWise2018,ourAlcoholDisorderAwarenessimportancewhole-ofcommunity involvement in health and awareness programs, the program takes a collaborative partnership approachharnessing our relationships with industry and government to create awareness of the preventable disorder, and remind those who may be pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, that it’s safest not to drink while pregnant.
RETAIL DRINKS DEVELOPS STRATEGIC PLAN
Communications will continue through 2019 in relation to our re-shaped delivery of advocacy, policy and services to all of the liquor retail industry in Australia, aimed at enhancing the freedom to retail responsibly.
ELECTION AND OUR INDUSTRY
Educational advertisements with Deborah Mailman and Aaron Pedersen are playing in medical clinics across Australia, educating consumers and encouraging medical staff to discuss alcohol consumption with their patients. In the first three months of the campaign, the videos were played in rural and remote general practices over two million times, reaching 2.7million people. This was made possible by our partnership with the Australian Government. The messaging for GPs and practice staff has appeared in these practices over 900,000 times over the same period.
These will be incorporated into the draft strategic plan that the Retail Drinks team will socialise with members in the second quarter of this year, with a view to having a final board approved strategic plan to be presented to members at the inaugural AGM in the last quarter of 2019.
Julie Ryan is Chief Executive Officer of Retail Drinks Australia Given the pace in which Retail Drinks achieved the restructure,ALSA it’s not surprising we have plansmomentuminquiriesreceivedaboutourandfor2019.I will do my best to answer them! Retail Drinks had an eventful start to 2019 with the holding of its first Board Meeting at Campari’s Sydney offices. The board determined Retail Drinks’ policy objectives on issues such as the regulation of the online alcohol delivery space, which will be used to engage with government regarding sustainable regulation in scheduled consultations in Western Australia, NSW and Victoria. Retail Drinks has also continued its advocacy and lobbying efforts in relation to the Northern Territory (NT) government alcohol reforms. We lodged comprehensive submissions on the proposed risk-based licensing framework and draft guidelines on visual and physical separation, made recommendations for increased grant programs for small business, and proposed amendments to the cap on alcohol sales in licensed grocers. Initial meetings to follow up these submissions have been very positive and we are optimistic about a continuing collaboration with the NT Government to ensure better outcomes for our members.
Stuart Gregor is the President of the Australian Distillers Association (ADA) and co-founder of Four Pillars Gin We Australians are a lucky bunch aren’t we? We get to choose our citizens2019,Somealmostrepresentativeselectedeveryyear.years,likethegoodofNSW get to go to the polls twice in a couple of months. How many democracy sausages can one stomach handle . . . . And we in the drinks business seem to get thoroughly shafted by whichever political party takes the reigns post-election. Our mates at the ABA reported that our broader industry contributes $158 billion annually and provides direct and indirect employment for some 590,000 Australians. We are a serious bunch of businesses. But because we sell booze we are not as influential as we should be, we allow the neo-prohibitionists and the anti-alcohol lobby to win most policy and public debate. And we shouldn’t take it any more. Most Australians, the vast majority, use alcohol safely and well within health guidelines and the industry itself provides huge social benefits, possibly some health benefits and plays an enormous role in a civilized, coherent society and employs heaps of people. Yet we all get bundled into the “booze is bad” basket and for whatever reason we seem unprepared to fight. In 2019 we are closing in on 150 local craft distilleries which would put us ahead of Scotland, yet our exports are just $20 million. That figure could be $200 million, and then maybe $1 billion if the government encouraged, rather than actively discouraged, our spirit-making endeavours. The poor drinker pays 70 per cent more tax on a glass of spirits here than your Kiwi cousins, and please don’t get me started on the USA which is lower again. We have issues with alcohol misuse in Australia but they are not being caused by distillers, winemakers, brewers or hospitality operators. Let’s get active at these elections and really put it to candidates of both sides that they should support our industry, not hamper it with ridiculous legislative agendas aimed at appeasing vocal minorities.
Concurrently, the awareness program is being promoted through partnerships with the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and retailers via consumer education materials at cellar doors and retail stores. The videos are also being played across the Aboriginal Health TV Network and radio program Jam Pakt and included in Bounty Bags issued to new mothers at hospitals.
COLLABORATION ESSENTIAL TO CREATING AWARENESS
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The management team and several directors will be attending a two-day workshop to finalise Retail Drinks’ overarching strategic plan and other key priorities for the remainder of this year.
A survey of the practices showed that the materials resonate with medical staff, who view the messaging as important and agree it should continue to be promoted in practices. A quarter of those who responded reported that alcohol consumption during pregnancy had been raised by their patients and nine in ten agreed that the messaging assists them to have conversations about alcohol and family planning, pregnancy and breastfeeding with their patients.
BE PART •LIQUORINDEPENDENTLARGESTAUSTRALIA’SOFNETWORKBESTSTOREINTOWN Best brands and offers to match your local market • MARGIN Increasing retailer gross profits up to +4% YoY • FOOT TRAFFIC Driving up to +2% more customers to store YoY • IN STORE SPEND Increasing basket size up to +3% YoY With group buying power, we can meet the demands of the local market and give your shoppers the best available offers. TO FIND OUT MORE CONTACT: NSW (02) 8822 3600 | WA (08) 9311 6000 | NT (08) 8922 5300 QLD (07) 3489 3600 | SA (08) 8405 7706 | VIC (03) 8368 6300 | TAS (03) 6274 4000
Late last year, an employee lost an unfair dismissal claim when he’d been terminated for refusal to use the employer’s recently biometricinstalledscanners. The biometric scanners had been installed in the workplace – a sawmill in Queensland - to record attendance – a modern and more accurate form of the bundy clock. The employee channelled Edward Snowden in arguing that once his biometric data had been taken by his employee, he had no confidence in his data remaining secure, arguing that his data could be sold to big data storage organisations. While the Commission found that there was no policy in place dealing with the biometric scanning, no prior disclosure and consent, the employee’s refusal was unreasonable. He has been granted leave to appeal, the Full Bench stating that the case raised, ‘important, novel and emerging issues’. It will be interesting to see what the appeal determines.
By Walter MacCallum, a director at Aitken Lawyers in Sydney and a regular contributor.
Where it gets sticky from a privacy point of view is the confidentiality that must be maintained by employers. The awards say that information provided by an employee must be treated confidentially ‘as far as it is reasonably practicable to do so’. Does this mean then an HR manager is able to disclose the reasons behind the leave taken to other members of the business? If such information is handled poorly or without sensitivity then, arguably an action lies against the employer for breach of privacy.
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEAVE Through the ongoing awards review process, most modern awards now include provision for leave taken by employees to deal with family and domestic violence. Most awards define ‘family and domestic violence’ as violent, threatening or abusive behaviour by a family member of an employee that seeks to coerce or control the employee and that causes them harm or to be Underfearful.mostawards, an employee is entitled to five days unpaid leave to deal with family domestic violence on the basis that it is given on a ‘use or lose it basis’ in that the employee does not accrue the entitlement with only five days within in each calendar year of employment. It is also available to part-time and casual employees. The employee must give their employer notice that the leave is to be taken or has been taken, presumably with some information to justify the leave being granted by the employer. The test provided here is a reasonable person test and evidence in support of an application for leave may include documents issued by police, courts or family violence support networks.
There are a couple of recent developments in workplace law that serve to remind us that privacy and the protection of our personal information is intruding more and more into our daily lives.
18|drinks trade STANDING UP FOR PRIVACY?
The take home here is that employers need to be very careful about managing the information disclosed by employees for family and domestic violence leave.
IMPORT POLICIES TO CONSIDER OUR EXPORTS
Darwin’s One Mile Brewery, Armidale’s Welder’s Dog and Hemingway’s Brewery in Port Douglas all rallied support from their local fans to debut into the countdown.
The UK trade and media took time out from the 1000 wines and 240 wineries exhibiting to test drive the education modules, information guides, videos, maps, tasting tools and more and gave a strong thumbs up to the content, accessibility and useability. Australian Wine Discovered is supported by the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, which is driving bigger and bolder engagement to raise the profile of Australian wine, capture market opportunities and drive export and tourism growth.
Alec Wagstaff is Chief Executive Officer of Spirits & Cocktails Australia Australian drinkers are accustomed to having the world on their shelves when they shop for their favourite tipple. The spirits aisles are like a geography lesson as you move from the well-known regions of Scotland, France, Canada and the USA to more exotic locales such as the Caribbean, South and Central America. Spirits have been a major globally traded good for many years and Australia’s free trade approach has given consumers easy access to the world’s best. The recent trade wars have drawn in producers as they face retaliatory tariffs and restrictions and the disruption caused by Brexit is sure to cause more concern. As a major exporter of wine and with the potential to become a significant spirit exporter, Australian policy makers need to make sure they don’t enact any measures that might jeopardise market access. Australian consumers benefit from free and open trade. Australia, along with other wine exporters, is challenging some of the Canadian government’s approach that discriminates against imported wines, and has expressed concern about some alcohol labelling measures being considered in Asia. Australian products can stand on their merits in the world market and our performance to date has shown that. It would be a great pity if that potential was disrupted by any tax discrimination against imported products that would inevitably lead to retaliatory action from foreign governments. In the end, the short-term sugar hit will leave a bitter taste.
Now our winemaking history and stories can be enjoyed by more people around the Andworld.thefeedback from ATT was great.
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TO THE BEER INDEPENDENCECONSUMER,MATTERS
Finally, it shows that Australians love the fantastic new releases that independent brewers keep serving up each year as much as the classics. The strong sales growth of independent beer reflects the Hottest 100 results.
According to IRI Australia, the ‘exploration craft’ category – produced mostly by independent brewers – experienced 31 per cent growth last year and continues to flourish. By comparison, the ‘gateway craft’ category grew by just four per cent. Put another way, Australian independent brewers delivered 73 per cent of dollar growth from just 33 per cent of sales.
LAUNCHED BY WINE AUSTRALIA Andreas Clark is Chief Executive of Wine Australia At the Australia Trade Tasting (ATT) in London in January, I launched Wine Australia’s new free AustralianDiscovered.–educationonlineprogramAustralianWineWine Discovered is a bold, exciting and globallyaccessible Australian wine education resource designed to educate the world about our fine Australian wine and build upon the strong international demand for our great category. For the drinks trade, Australian Wine Discovered allows you to deepen your knowledge about the regions, styles and history of Australian wine at a time of your choosing; giving you the knowledge and tools to advocate for Australian wine in your business. For many people, learning about wine can be daunting; we wanted to create a globally accessible resource, using videos and imagery to breakdown complex information into something people can easily and quickly understand.
FREE ONLINE WINE EDUCATION
Alexis Roitman is the Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Brewers Association Each year, the GABS Hottest 100 Hottesthowever,list.notshouldaboutsignificantgeneratesdebatewhichbeersandshouldbeontheUndeniablythe100gives
Independent brewers are driving almost all the growth in the beer category, creating real value and delighting Australians with their diverse offerings. From crisp lagers to fruity sours, in 2019 there’s an independent beer out there for everyone.
us a glimpse into what’s popular with Thepunters.Hottest 100 tells us a number of things. Firstly, that independence matters. For the first time in a decade, all of the top 20 hottest beers were served up by independent brewers. Secondly, the results this year demonstrated that consumers like to drink local and support the brewers in their area.
20|drinks trade
Sam Reid is the President of Cider Australia and co-owner of Wille Smith’s I hope summeryourwas a good one with plenty of
DON’T FORGET THE PUNTERS
Our guest keynote speaker is Jane Peyton, the world’s first pommelier (sommelier but for cider). A big theme of the conference will be matching ciders with food, something I’m very excited by as we see more complex and savoury styles of cider hitting the market every year.
The single most expensive ingredient in Australian beer is Australian Government tax. All up, Canberra netted $4.2 billion in excise and GST last year from beet drinkers alone. While cost of living pressures, such as housing affordability and power prices, require complex legislation and endless political argy-bargy before punters will ever see real relief, beer tax cuts could be delivered quickly.
For example, a carton of Corona will cost you $54.99. In the US, it’s $32.13. A sixpack of Coopers Pale Ale will set you back $18.99. In the US, it’s just $11.99. While a typical carton of full-strength beer in Australia will set you back $47.99, the Australian Government collects a disproportionate $20.85 – or 43 per cent of the price – in taxes. We pay double the excise of the US and almost twice what the Kiwis cough up, let alone the eight times more tax than Belgium, Poland, Chile and Argentina.
*Harvard Business review article survey June 27 **Shawn2016Achor Co Founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research.
Simone Allan is founder and director of Mondo recruitment agency Have asviewofOnewhy?andoutaexperiencedyouresignationofthebluewonderedquarteremployeestheirjobsthenumber
asevolvingwe’reAtconsumed!purchasedciderandCiderAustraliaalwaysandsuchhave looked at best practice both here, in Australia, and around the globe, so we have been talking to the Batlow Cider Fest organisers to take on the Annual Australian Cider Conference. From humble beginnings, and with an eye to developing the region, the folks in Batlow have created what has now effectively become Australia’s Cider Conference. With the growth in number of craft cider producers around Australia, and the ever increasing need for further education and development, the time is right for the conference to become industry led. This will mean the conference will move around Australia on an annual basis, engaging with the various cider community stakeholders across the country, in the same way that the craft beer and spirits industries do. This year I’m delighted to announce the conference will take place in Hobart from the 3rd – 5th of June and will coincide with the Fruit Growers Tasmania Conference. It will be the first time we have had growers and producers conferences happening concurrently.
My research, and a survey to my close community, led to these findings and a helpful acronym: STRONG. Social support. Thinking positive. Regular breaks. Open to failure. Never give up. Grouping work activity into chunks - multi tasking can lead to not nailing one task well and studies show can elevate negativity. Aim to build a STRONG place to work because as Richard Branson once said - ‘you learn by doing and by falling over.’
cricket, zinc cream and a BBQ snag sanga. But when it comes to the amber fluid, Aussies get a pretty raw deal. Anyone who has knocked back a frothy while overseas knows the bittersweet reality that we pay through the nose at home. Why? The taxman gets his paw into your pocket three times before you get to quench your thirst.
AUSTRALIA’S CIDER CONFERENCE GOES TO NEXT LEVEL
LEARN TO WALK BY FALLING OVER
one stressor in their life. Workplace stress is the epidemic of the 21st century.* Why are people saying they are stressed and how do we build resilience in the Informationworkplace? flows at an average of 11 million bits of information per second and yet our brains can only process 40 bits of information per second.** This combined with low resilient employees, raised by helicopter parents now called the ‘cotton wool generation’ means that when the going gets tough - the employees give up and Judithrun.Locke has written a book called The Bonsai Child - if we smother our children and kill them with kindness, they will shrink. Unlike a tree that grows on the edge of a windy cliff - it grows strong and large roots. I have been involved in more than 2700 job appointments in Australian business in the last 25 years and have noticed executives are choosing positions that offer positive workplace environments over other benefits such as pay or title.
Brett Heffernan is the CEO of the Brewers Association of Australia Raising a glass. It’s part of who we are. asandbeerworkingthemilestonescelebratingWhetherlife’sorjustendoftheweek,awithfamilyfriendsisOzasbeach
drinks trade|21For price details, or to place your order, contact your dedicated representative on 1300 KOLLARAS. Alternatively, products are available on the ALM portal. Complimentary POS available. www.kollaras.com
For price details, or to place your order, contact your dedicated representative on 1300 KOLLARAS. Alternatively, products are available on the ALM portal. Complimentary POS available. www.kollaras.com
drinks trade|23 Sales of imported beers have softened 0.5 per cent or $7 million in value terms, according to IRI MarketEdge data (MAT to Meanwhile,04/11/18).the researcher says local craft beers have grown 30 per cent year on year, equating to an additional $51 million in sales. “If you isolate the universe as ‘Imported Beer’ and ‘Domestic Exploration Craft’ then artisan beer is taking sales and therefore share from imported beer,” says IRI liquor channel manager Stephen Wilson. “Imported beer has become a commodity with price often the driver of sales. Local artisan beer has moved into the space once occupied by imported beer. “Drinkers feel connected with local artisan brands which offer taste cues, innovation, variety and they want to be seen to be supporting indie breweries. “As a result, artisan brands are not only winning share of throat from imported beer brands but driving the majority of craft beerLion’sgrowth.”general manager of craft, Gordon Treanor, points to another obvious driver for the growth of local craft beer. “I think across the board people are looking for a little bit more flavour. We’re seeing more people enter into the craft category when they’re looking for that change, and that is drawing drinkers from all sorts of segments,” he says. Craft beer has played an increasingly important role for Lion in the wake of the 2016 transfer of AB InBev brands including Corona, Budweiser and Stella Artois across to its local subsidiary Carlton & United Breweries. Lion has since invested considerably in craft beer with the acquisition of Byron Bay Brewing Company and establishment of entirely new breweries such as Eumundi on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Perth outfit Bevy. “All our breweries around the country are a core part of the community. We open the brewery doors and let people in to go on a tour or experience our amazing hospitality.“Weget millions of visitors to Lion craft breweries around the country every year and that’s because of the connection to the brewers and our hospitality team.” Of course, international beers and flavour are no longer mutually exclusive, given the rise of global craftLionbrands.recently signed a new agreement to market, sell and distribute the respected Brooklyn Brewery beers in Australia, while it has also stepped up local distribution of beers under the Panhead Brewing Company brand, acquired by Lion New Zealand in 2016.AndIRI calls out AB InBev’s global craft powerhouse Goose Island IPA as one of few American imports generating in sales growth in excess of $1 million over the lastTheyyear.will likely become increasingly important Imported beer was the engine room of the Australian beer market for many years, but today it is locally brewed craft beers driving much of the growth. James Atkinson reports.
CIDER&BEER
LOCAL vs International
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE: Jeanette Magaling Tel: 02 9900 1162 | Email: jmagaling@stayinfront.com stayinfront.com HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED: StayinFront has the answers you need to Do More, Know More, and Sell More. ExecutionRetail Shelf RecognitionPhoto RetailAnalyticsData FMCGDeliveryInsight What return is your investment in field sales delivering? Are stores meeting targets for trade standards, category guidelines and availability? How to measure, analyse, and capitalise on missed sales opportunities? How could you get access to this information, to understand, plan, and share with your key stakeholders and team members?
Long a key component of the imported beer category, Mexican beer continues to enjoy both value and volume growth. Launched in March 2018, Corona’s mid-strength offshoot Corona Ligera is easily the brand generating the highest growth, according to “However,IRI.there has been cannibalisation of Corona Extra sales as a result,” says Wilson. He says sales of Corona Extra declined by more than $3 million over the year, while Sol Cerveza and Dos Equis XX Lager have each contributed more than $1 million to the sector’s growth. American beer also enjoyed growth, second only to Mexican Beer, IRI’s Wilson revealed. Coors and Miller Genuine Draft both generated growth in excess of $1 million in Australia, where local distribution partner CocaCola Amatil has been hard at work aligning the brands with live music and urban subculture.
The disruptive ‘Enter Asahi’ campaign launched in November 2018, featuring a dystopian world where technology and traditional collide in scenes featuring a giant squid, robot geishas, warriors and salarymen.“Wehave seen big growth in craft beer and contemporary beer and brands like Asahi have to compete within that market, which is why we needed to create emotional resonance, particularly with the millennial audience who can be pretty fickle and have a large consideration,” Asahi GM of marketing Michael Edmonds recently told AdNews.
CIDER&BEER
He says Becks and Carlsberg Lager have collectively shed almost $36m in sales year on year – a significant reversal of fortunes for the latter Danish brand, for which local partner Coopers reported a 24.8 per cent sales increase in 2017.
IRI says the European and Asian market segments have taken the biggest hit, with the Americas still generating“Europeangrowth.beersales decline has been the most telling factor in the overall decline of imported beer sales,” says Wilson.
drinks trade| contributors to the imported beer category, which IRI says still accounts for $1 in every $5 spent on beer in Australia despite its ongoing decline.
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“Not all brands, however, are experiencing softening sales with brands like Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Hollandia, Peroni Red and Peroni Leggera all generating solid growth numbers,” adds Wilson. Also among the laggards were Stella Artois and Kronenberg 1664, each shedding more than $1 million in sales, according to IRI. However, Stella is now getting renewed focus from CUB in Australia, where the Belgian brand was recently announced as the new naming rights sponsor of one of the country’s biggest racing events, the Caulfield Cup. And parent company AB InBev appears poised to shake up marketing for Stella on a global scale, with the appointment of veteran CUB marketer,Tim Ovadia, to the position of global brand director, based in New York City. “It is a privilege for me to able to nurture one of the world’s most well-known brands across 40 countries,” he says. “I will be leading a team of three super talented beer marketers developing and executing a program that unlocks the potential of Stella Artois to become the world’s largest and most premium European lager.” With fewer Asian Beer brands than there are European beer brands, the impact of declining sales of key products such as Asahi Super Dry has had a significant impact on total Asian Beer sales.
Asahi Premium Beverages has moved to arrest the slide, launching a new campaign leveraging Asahi’s Japanese heritage that is a dramatic departure from its marketing efforts.
...simple Beverage | Supply Chain | Solutions
More than four years ago, we started an initiative called ‘Save the Beach’ in several countries around the world. In Mexico specifically, this program gathered more than 150,000 volunteers. The partnership with Parley for the Oceans represents an evolution of ‘Save the Beach’ and takes it to the next level by creating a more meaningful, comprehensive way of tackling the problem. Corona’s homeland has always been the beach, we perceive it as our spiritual home. By working with Parley we’re able to boost awareness of the global issue of marine plastic pollution and its impact on Australia’s pristine beaches and waterways. Not only that, we can actively play a part in tackling the problem and spearhead change by supporting the implementation of Parley’s signature AIR Strategy – Avoid, Intercept, Redesign.
PROTECTIONENVIRONMENTCHAMPIONSCORONA
Drinks Trade: Explain the creative process that brought Corona and Parley for the Oceans, together with National Geographic, as partners in this global environmental protection project.
Andy Vance: This project has been on the radar for nearly two years – we just needed all the ingredients to fall into place to be able to make it happen.Weknow that for many Australian’s the scale of the marine plastic pollution epidemic is hard to comprehend because most of our beaches are so well maintained and pristine, so they often lack that visible evidence. However, speaking to the Parley team, we were aware of quite a significant issue up in the far north, such a remote area, but yet one that many Australians feel connected to given the global profile and fragility of the Great Barrier Reef. So we’ve long had an aspiration to take a small team up there to explore this, and share the shocking reality with the rest of Australia, to both raise awareness but ultimately encourage people to take action on this issue locally.
DT: Why is this association with Parley a good fit for the Corona brand philosophy?
BECAUSE A PLASTIC RIDDEN BEACH IS NOT WHERE YOU WOULD RATHER BE… CIDER&BEER drinks trade|27
Corona, in partnership with Parley for the Oceans and National Geographic, has released a new documentary showing never-before-seen footage of Australia’s marine plastic pollution. The footage shows an in-depth view of the global plastic pollution epidemic hitting Australia’s Far North Queensland and Great Barrier Reef. Drinks Trade got the low down from Corona’s Marketing Manager, Andy Vance, on just how bad the situation is and how Corona is doing its bit to save our beaches from plastic waste.
AV: Corona is an environmentally conscious brand that cares deeply about the health of our oceans and we have a strong history of engaging and educating communities on the value of cleaning beaches.
From some research we conducted last year around Ocean’s Week, we know that around 75 per cent of Australian’s are not aware of the scale of this issue in Australia, but once made aware nine out of ten say they would change their day to day consumption of single use plastics. So driving awareness of the issue is super important, and we are well placed to help withLarge,this.global brands like Corona have a great opportunity to create awareness with our scale – replacing our standard carton design with a special “Protecting Paradise” message on over two million packs in over 5000 stores over summer is a great example of this. We also know that many consumers feel quite helpless as individuals to make an impact on this issue, but feel positive that when we come together as a community we can affect change –so our focus this summer has been on providing various ways that Australians can actively get involved in the solution, such as replacing their single use plastic bottles with our Corona x Parley reusable bottle (we have made 500,000 of these available with purchase of a carton of Corona) or by joining a local beach clean-up through our Volunteers for the Ocean program.
The partnership has already had an impact in several regions around the world. Over 25 islands are now under protection in the Maldives with new islands in Australia, Chile, Dominican Republic and Indonesia to be announced.
AV: The scale of the marine plastic pollution issue is enormous, and can feel overwhelming, but Parley have a clear roadmap for how we can find a solution, and we are happy to be one of a number of collaborators to help them get there!
DT: Describe the trade activations through retail that are a result of the project.
CIDER&BEER 28|drinks trade
DT: What did Corona and Parley for Oceans research and conversation team discover in Cape York?
AV: The team conducted the first fact-finding mission, visiting the Great Barrier Reef’s most remote islands, to see the impact from the 1,580kg of plastic waste entering Australian oceans every hour. On first impressions the islands appeared to be like a picture postcard with beautiful white beaches and crystal blue water, but once they scratched the surface they found plastic debris had taken over with lots of macro and micro plastic plaguing the islands – from rope to toothbrushes, bottles, coat hangers and everything in between.
DT: Talk to us about the Volunteers for the Ocean – the national beach clean up for Australia and the educational series.
AV: In May 2017, we partnered with Parley for the Oceans and at the heart of this collaboration is a commitment to protect 100 islands by 2020. Since then three million pounds of plastic waste (1,360,777kg) has been collected in across over 15Thecountries.protection of 100 islands is made possible through the implementation of the Parley AIR Strategy: Avoid, Intercept, Redesign.
viewed on National Geographic’s website: com.au/tv/protecting-paradise/www.nationalgeographic.
DT: What do you hope will be achieved environmentally? Tell us more about the pledge to protect 100 islands in six regions around the world by 2020.
To learn more about Corona and Parley’s 100 Island Protected initiative, visit Protecting100islandsprotected.com.Paradisecanbe
AV: Volunteers for the Ocean is a national beach clean-up and educational series, dedicated to increasing awareness of marine plastic pollution but predominantly provide a way that Australians can get actively involved in making positive impact.Inpartnership with Parley, we’ll be facilitating local clean-up events from February through June – with an aim of involving over 1,000 volunteers and collecting more than a tonne of plastic waste polluting Australian shores.
The team determined there’s approximately one tonne of plastic debris for every kilometre of coastline, which is shocking. This is just an example of what is to come across Australia nationally if we don’t take action.
AV: As part of the 100 Islands Protected efforts, the scale of plastic bottle pollution has been evident. To reduce further impact, Corona has given away 500,000 750mL reusable water bottles this summer so that Australians can give plastic bottles the flick and stop using them all together.
For a lot of Australians, the issue is out of sight, out of mind. We’re hoping through our partnership with Parley and Volunteers for the Ocean, we can make Aussies aware of the very real threat that is risking the health of our own shorelines and marine life, and provide them with a platform to be a catalyst of change.
DT: What do you hope to achieve through this collaboration for the brand long term?
WINE drinks trade|29
South Australia produces some of Australia’s most iconic brands and the traditional wine establishment is respected and revered but there is a new breed of winemaker on the SA scene disrupting the status quo with alternative varieties, winemaking techniques and challenging old school marketing methods. Tony Love reports.
South Australia
South Australia is all about wine royalty. The establishment. The old guard. True - but not the whole truth. Sure, it’s the big player when it comes to total wine grape crush, contributing more than half the entire volume of the nation’s future wineAndjuice.noargument when it comes to the history books: Penfolds, Hardys, Henschke, Yalumba, Bleasdale and Wynns, just to name a few. While such powerful traditions say much about lineage, experience, and trust when it comes to regional and winemaking provenance, South Australia also has looked forward as much as back when it comes to its industry power and passion. It energised the “sunshine in a bottle” era of big, ripe wines the northern hemisphere soaked up with excitement, providing a happy hunting ground for a new wave of producers in the 1980s and ‘90s. Names like St Hallett, Rockford, and Charles Melton from the Barossa and Wirra Wirra and d’Arenberg from McLaren Vale were prime movers and retain their seniority for good reasons. SA also cracked on keenly in the past decade with plantings and experimentation of the so called alternative and emerging varieties, its Mediterranean climate perfect for southern Euro fruit like sangiovese, tempranillo,
THE POWER AND THE PASSION
Sophie, Richard and Victoria Angove Delinquente’s Con-Greg Grigoriou and more recently fiano, vermentino, nero d’avola and many others originating from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and even cooler sources such as TheAustria.Riverland, perhaps with a reputation for mass-volume, down-market wines disappearing into big brand bottles and casks, has forged a new lease of life as these new varieties come into play and the market thirsts for organic produce. Its warm and dry climes are ideally suited, and we see producers like Eric and Jenny Semmler’s 919 Wines ticking plenty of boxes, including vegan-friendliness, with excellent expressions of reds like sangiovese, tempranillo, durif and touriga nacional, as well as exciting flavour bombs such as the white grape petit manseng and vermentino.
30|drinks trade While such powerful traditions say much about lineage, experience and trust when it comes to regional and winemaking provenance, South Australia has looked forward as much as back when it comes to its industry power and passion.
WINE
Another of Riverland’s new generation heroes is Ashley Ratcliff at Ricca Terra Farms.
He’s brought to attention the region’s focus on alternative and sustainable grape growing, and lit a fuse with wines like his fresh and flavour-on red blend Bullets Before Cannonballs, a mix of nerod’avola, lagrein, negroamaro and tempranillo.
Corinna Wright, winemaker and grower at Oliver’s Taranga
While the Barossa lives and breathes its history, with its old vines an exceptional resource, there’s plenty of fresh air in the Valley as creative souls and next gens look
Current regional best in show winemaker, known as the Bushing King, Stephen Pannell crafts six superlative-ridden versions in his S.C.Pannell range, in varietal and blend options.
Neighbour d’Arenberg also champions single site versions, while down the road sixth generation winemaker and grower Corrina Wright at Oliver’s Taranga celebrates the traditional shiraz and cabernets while embracing fully the desire for grenache and newer fronts like tempranillo and sagrantino, fiano, vermentino. For something entirely different in the bubbles world, try her The Hunt for Mrs Oliver Sparkling Fiano made in methode traditionelle style. Others from McLaren Vale leading the way in new varietal and style modes include the organic focused Paxton, the incredibly hip Alpha Box & Dice with often mad but brilliant blends, Lino Ramble with delightfully textured expressions, and Beach Road with Briony and Tony Hoare at the helm of a range that includes another Italian native rarity grown in Australia, the crisp white Greco, and reds aglianico and montepulciano.
drinks trade|31
Something even wilder? Try Con-Greg Grigoriou’s Delinquente Wine Co with its outthere labels on small batch alt-vibe Riverlander wines, his Bullet Dodger Montepulciano a banging red style while the Screaming Betty Vermentino brings all its floral, tangy gifts to theYoutable.want next gen? Go no further than Richard and Victoria Angove’s shifted focus from the old fam’s Riverland commercial labels (still in play, by the way) to the McLaren Vale where their Alternatus range with vermentino, fiano and tempranillo joins modern-styled grenache in a step to the future. McLaren Vale has garnered plenty of interest in its grenache, suggested by many as a warmer region “pinot noir” style of wine.
Also creating plenty of Barossa excitement in new-gen shiraz especially is Fraser McKinley from Sami-Odi wines, tapping into amazing old vine fruit and creating multiple variations with subtlety and nuance. There’s even a multi-vintage red if you want to widen your horizons further.
for to make more contemporary styles out of the region’s world-famous shiraz as well as its vineyard soul-mates. Josh Pfeiffer at Whistler Wines is a prime example with old and new in the range, while sons of Peter Lehmann, Phil at his own Max & Me Wines and David Franz at his eponymous label are striding into exciting and modern expressions of varieties like Eden Valley riesling, the Barossa’s traditional white semillon, as well as new releases of the regions great reds like shiraz, cabernet, grenache and mataro.
The modernists also are working great treats out of regions that often get typecast for one varietal excellence. Clare Valley means riesling for most, but wait there’s more, with boundary pushing rizza-styling from Kerri Thompson at her own Wines by KT, as well as inventive blend Alpha Box & Dice’s Sam Berketa Alpha Box Alpha Box & Dice Inside Cellar Door
WINE 32|drinks trade
& Dice Inside Cellar Door
Others to grab onto include the new era Irvine Wines out of Eden Valley with Rebekah Richardson now steering the old brand with terrific, medium weight and modern takes on the classics as well as exciting rose, and a light red from the primitivo (aka zinfandel) variety.
AVAILABLE NOW TO INDEPENDENT TRADE AND DistributedRESTAURANTS.nationally by: Red + White Tel: 1300 780 074 Produced by: Wingara Wine Group For more information, please visit www.lalalandwines.com.au
La La Land wines are flavoursome, generous and made with a creative flair to challenge traditional conventions. La La Land wines are vegan friendly and crafted with minimal intervention, the fruit does all the talking.
Millennials demand interesting wines for social occasions and La La Land’s creative new packaging for its Malbec and Tempranillo appeals to the attitude of this generation. La La Land takes an otherwise stuffy old world of wine and makes it about having fun and enjoying the moment.
A DRINKS TRADE PROMOTION
The La La Land range includes a Malbec, Tempranillo, Pinot Gris and pale, dry Pinot Noir Rose (RRP $18).
La La Land Tempranillo is a showstopper. A spin on a Spanish beauty with trademark smoothness loaded with red berries and splashes of spice and oak. It is 100 per cent Tempranillo from estate vineyards, matured with seasoned American oak and performs nicely with plates of tapas. Ole!
TAKE ME TO LA LA LAND
From family-owned estate vineyards, La La Land wines are crafted from lesser-known grape varieties that thrive in the warm Mediterranean climate of north-west Victoria in Australia.
La La Land Malbec is a wine for the dream weavers and believers. Bold with an intriguing personality, its ripe forest fruits and black cherry flirt with exotic spice and a dash of vanilla. Pressed and matured on French oak, this 100 per cent Malbec is made for meat.
Creek also is experiencing a resurgence of interest as wine lovers find that the region’s famed cabernet and shiraz iterations and blends of both are not the heavyweight reds of old but more medium-bodied and table friendly. Both Bleasdale’s and Lake Breeze’s red portfolios are modern day fashionable yet have extraordinary histories behind them, while Kimbolton has carved a great name for its Montepulciano in still and sparkling variants. Try their Rhone-esque carignan as well for another stylish contemporary red. When it comes to fashionable wine regions, the cooler climate Adelaide Hills is so hot right now with its focus on elegant pinot noir, chardonnay and shiraz causing many second glances. It’s also the leading region for Austrian immigrant white variety gruner veltliner, which is adding a further string to the region’s white lights. For excellent sauvignon blanc try Lambrook wines, for creative ways of blending pinot noir with pinot meunier and pinot gris, as well as classy chardonnay, check out Murdoch Hill Wines, for a great new addition to the pinot circle, CRFT Wines is a must taste, and the wonderfully laid-back Charlotte Hardy from Charlotte Dalton Wines is winning everyone’s hearts with her joyously labelled and delicious pinot and shiraz outings.
While the Barossa lives and breathes its history, with its old vines an exceptional resource, there’s plenty of fresh air in the Valley as creative souls and next gens look for to make more contemporary styles out of the region’s world-famous shiraz as well as its vineyard soul-mates.
red blend offerings from the likes of Adelina Wines with a dynamic Rhone variety combo, and Koerner Wines with an alt-red mix and a couple of variations on the attention grabbing vermentino variety. The Coonawarra and other Limestone Coast regions also can be seen as a one-trick cabernet specialist zone, but delve deeper and districts like nearby Wrattonbully and Mount Benson are widening their nets. Sue Bell at Bellwether Wines delivers barbera and tempranillo from the former, while Cape Jaffa Wines and Wangolina from the latter are working with new varieties andAndblends.don’t be shocked, but there are some extraordinary whites in the region as well. Raidis Estate Cheeky Goat Pinot Gris is excellent, Katnook Estate’s Sauvignon Blanc has real complexity and texture, Di Giorgio Family Wines’ riesling from the Mt Gambier district and chardonnay from Coonawarra are delicious, while Balnave’s and Bowen’s great chardonnays areLanghornesuperb.
Max & Me Field WINE 34|drinks trade
To find out more please speak to your Taylors Wines representative or call 1300 655 691 for more details.
drinks trade|35 In recognition of our family’s journey as hoteliers to the world’s most awarded winery, introducing our Independent and On Premise range...
Originally a Hotelier in the 1950s, Bill Taylor Snr embarked on a journey to source great wines for his venues and their guests. This eventually led to the Taylor family establishing the renowned Clare Valley winery in 1969 with a vision to craft wines that would rival the world’s best. In celebration of that tenacious spirit, we proudly release The Hotelier Shiraz and The Hotelier Pinot Gris.
Contact your Nepenthe Wines Sales Representative on 02 8345 6377 for further enquiries.
Established in 1994, Nepenthe is one of the Adelaide Hills most iconic wineries. Nepenthe champions the nuances of the Adelaide Hills with a focus on producing premium wines from proven and emerging varieties that thrive in Australia’s premier cool climate region. Our people are experts, fuelled by passion and a sense of intrigue and discovery to craft the most beautiful wines of provenance. A human, handcrafted touch enables minimal intervention and maximum confidence in our wines. Craftsmanship extends beyond our wine to embody our brand’s very soul and continual standard of excellence. Nepenthe was inspired by Homer’s Odyssey, an epic tale of challenge and discovery. True to our name we continue this quest, believing there is something new to discover upon every
hill.nepenthe.com.au#nepenthewines
drinks trade|37 As one of the Adelaide Hills’ most iconic wineries, Nepenthe is a household name in South Australia. Established in 1994, it is also one of the oldest wineries in the region, whose climate and soils offers an enviable patchwork of possibilities forWithwinemakers.24vintages under his belt, Nepenthe Winemaker James Evers is dedicated to producing top-quality wine from Australia’s premier cool climate region and his knowledge of the area’s unique terroir has led to some outstanding products, which have won major accolades at international wineEvers’shows.enthusiasm for Chardonnay has been a driving force behind the launch of some exceptional wines, including the introduction of Nepenthe’s superpremium Apex Chardonnay last year. But over recent years, Nepenthe has also begun to explore some of the Adelaide Hills’ emerging varietals, with Gruner Veltliner becoming one of Evers’ growing passions. Evers says: “I absolutely love Chardonnay and getting to grips with Gruner Veltliner was a natural step in terms of my winemaking. Gruner Veltliner is a really interesting grape and I’ve been exploring what it can do in the Adelaide Hills, which is a perfect climate for it. Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s most celebrated grape, which thrives in cooler vineyards, and is similar to Riesling but with greater texture, making it a perfect foodNepenthewine.” released its first Gruner Veltliner into the Winemaker’s Selection range in 2014 with recent vintages gathering some notable wins in global wine competitions, including the best alternative white at the 2018 Australian Cool Climate Wine Show for the 2017 Winemaker’s Selection Gruner Veltliner. The 2016 Winemaker’s Selection Gruner Veltliner also won a Double Gold at the 2017 New York International Wine Show. Evers is keen to extend Nepenthe’s Gruner Veltliner footprint and next month is launching a 2018 vintage as part of the Pinnacle collection. Priced at $34.99, the 2018 Pinnacle Gruner Veltliner will be sold at Nepenthe’s cellar door, selected fine wine retailers and leading on-premise accounts. Evers adds: “Our Winemaker’s Selection Gruner Veltliner has been a great success and we are really starting to understand its potential and I wanted to produce a different expression under the Pinnacle range. The Winemaker’s Selection Gruner Veltliner is a fuller, heavier style. It’s easy drinking and pairs well with more robust seafood like fish and chips or poultry, dishes that can handle a bit of weight. The Pinnacle Gruner Veltliner is more similar to an Australian style Riesling, tighter with greater aging potential. Like Riesling, this style of Gruner is a great partner for more delicate seafood.” The fruit for the Pinnacle Gruner Veltliner is sourced from a single vineyard site and picked at night for ultimate ripeness before spending six months on lees to further develop its mouthfeel prior to bottling.
“As a winemaker and as a region, we are really taking Gruner Veltliner on, which is very exciting,” he says.
“It is a fascinating grape, and because we are such a major brand, as well as enjoying getting to know Gruner Veltliner’s capabilities, we also feel a responsibility to create and explore what it can do in the Adelaide Hills and give it the spotlight it deserves by making it accessible to wine shops and leading restaurants.”
Gruner Veltliner THE PINNACLE OF NEPENTHE
A DRINKS TRADE PROMOTION
WINE
Women in Drinks
see
It was announced at the event that The Drinks Association’s focus on inclusion had entered an exciting new phase, with the evolution of the Women in Drinks and Diversity & Inclusion Councils into one newly formed Council, led by an industry steeringJoinedcommittee.asone,the Council will further strengthen the brand proposition of the Australian drinks industry as a destination of choice that attracts and retains diverse talent.
The Chair of the new-look Council, Campari’s Simon Durrant, said the Council’s promise was to inspire and support member organisations to foster the development of inclusive and diverse practices within their businesses, wherever they may be on their individual journey.
The event featured the theme ‘Be the change you want to see’, with suppliers, wholesalers, on-trade and off-trade all raising a glass to diversity and“Eachinclusion.oneof us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence to accelerate gender parity. Through purposeful collaboration, we can help women advance and unleash their limitless potential,” said Chair of Women in Drinks, Jennifer Collins. “Today isn’t about selling the benefits of diversity and inclusionthese are already well established - but to identify ways in which we can all play a role. Our challenge is to turn the intent into action. Today we have 420 strong, successful and aspirational people in this room. You are the people to lead this dialogue - you are the agents for change.”
Guest speaker at the event More than 400 members of the Australian drinks industry gathered with The Drinks Association’s Women in Drinks Council to celebrate International Women’s Day. Alana House reports. change you want to
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Be the
The Drinks Association was thrilled to celebrate International Women’s Day with so many of its member companies, Corporate Partners. Commercial Partners and Associate Members. Among Corporate Partners in attendance were Advantage, Bevchain, Nielsen and StayinFront. Our Commercial Partner guests included Hip Media, SKUVantage and OnTap Data. Associate Members who joined us were Corporate Diversity Partners, Mondo Search and Kegstar. And a huge thank you to everyone else who joined us to embrace the empowerment of women in our industry.
drinks trade|39 was Naomi Simson, founder of online experience retailer RedBalloon, and the co-founder of the Big Red Group. Simson discussed the passion and hard work that transformed her start-up into a multi-million dollarShesuccess.alsorevealed that while much progress has been made for gender parity, she remains frustrated by the obstacles her daughter faces in the workplace and in finding role models. “She tells me: ‘No one I see ahead looks like me’.” Simson also chafes at being called a “female entrepreneur”. “I’m just an entrepreneur, my gender is irrelevant,” she said. Simson’s keynote address was followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the drinks industry who have forged ahead in the space of gender, diversity and inclusion.
The Drinks Association’s International Women’s Day event supported Women in Drinks’ charity partner, Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG).ANZGOG is the national peak organisation for gynaecological cancer clinical trials in Australia and NewWomenZealand.in Drinks beat its target to raise more than $15,000 for ANZGOG at the event, through donating a percentage of ticket sales and running a raffle on the day, plus a Mumm Bar on site, where guests could purchase bottles of G.H.Mumm NV Champagne with proceeds going to “AndANZGOG.Iam proud to say that the money raised at this year’s International Women’s Day event will put 10 women into clinical trials.”
Archie Rose’s Tori Tulloch, Lion’s James Brindley and CUB’s Peter Filipovic took to the stage with Naomi Simson, while the session was moderated by Sally Byrne from Coca-Cola Amatil. Brindley said beer companies have a reputation for being “boy’s clubs” but he’s made it his mission to convert Lion to a “people’s club”. Tulloch said businesses needed to be “in a hurry” to bring about gender equity in leadership and she didn’t want to wait 20 years to see it happen.“It’snot going to be 20 years at CUB before it’s 50-50,” Filipovic assured the audience.
Rooted in history and rich in tales of perseverance, Samuel’s Collection celebrates the founder of Yalumba, honouring his spirit of embracing provenance and giving back to the land to make this collection of fine wines possible. yalumba.com
Contact your Samuel Smith & Son Area Manager for details.
The moment our founder, Samuel Smith, planted Yalumba’s first vineyard 170 years ago, a plan was put in motion.
A plan put in motion 170 years ago
drinks trade|41 In homage to this significant moment in time, Yalumba has created Samuel’s Collection recognising Samuel’s spirit of independence, conviction, dedication and belief in his plan to make great Australian wine. This collection of fine wine celebrates Yalumba’s heartland, its heritage, longevity and estate. Each of the seven wines in the range showcase varieties and blends iconic to both Barossa and Yalumba.
A plan set in motion 170 years ago. A plan to invest in the land and make great wine.
Yalumba launches NEW SAMUEL’S COLLECTION
WINE
A DRINKS TRADE PROMOTION
Samuel’s Collection includes Barossa Shiraz, Barossa Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Grenache Shiraz Mataro, Eden Valley Viognier, Eden Valley Chardonnay, and Eden Valley“TheRoussanne.winesinthis new collection represent the varietals that the Barossa is known and loved for together with the Yalumba winemaking thumbprint that has been refined over 170 years of winemaking,” said Yalumba Executive Director of Marketing, Nicky Gameau. Yalumba Head of Winemaking Louisa Rose said “understanding that wine drinkers are seeking more youthful, generous and fresher wines, we have crafted Samuel’s Collection to fit this style, while still showing the hallmarks expressed in the Yalumba winemaking philosophy”.Samuel’s Collection is the first collection of wines to feature the new Yalumba Clocktower iconography. All Samuel’s Collection wines are sustainably grown and vegan friendly. Samuel’s Collection is now available in Australia and all major export markets.Fortrade enquiries please contact: 08 8561 3200
Alfred Cointreau, Global Brand Heritage Manager, travels the world to meet with mixologists and share the story of his ancestors and the story of Cointreau. A prolific creator of cocktails, Alfred prefers them classic and beautiful because the first sip of a cocktail is with the eyes. Ben Davidson reports.
LIQUEURS&SPIRITS
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THE ORANGE LIQUEUR DEFYING THE AGES
Founder, Edouard Cointreau wanted to speak to women through Cointreau. Cointreau is inextricably linked to Angers, a town in the Loire Valley known for its gentle way of life. For the last four centuries, the Cointreau family has exercised their various traditional crafts and know-how as bakers and confectioners in the Anjou region. “Angers is where my family has been based since the 16th century and we have always been born in Angers and we will stay there because it is like our ‘Appellation’ and we will keep only one distillery in the birthplace to stay true to the essence of Cointreau.” In 1849, the first distillery was established on Rue Saint Laud under the name Cointreau Frères (Cointreau Brothers). They moved to the Quai des Luisettes, which later became Quai Gambetta, and it was in that secret world of stills and aromas that they built the reputation of the House. For over 150 years, five generations have succeeded one another to lead La Maison Cointreau. The first generation gave the distillery its success. The following generation was one of discovery, innovation, and creation. TripleSec orange liqueur, or Cointreau liqueur, was developed by Édouard Cointreau in 1875. “Edouard noticed consumer interest in the taste of oranges, which at the time was a very rare and precious commodity. He saw this universal flavour that was appealing to both men and women, and continuously experimented until he created the perfect blend of bitter and sweet orange peels. His passion gave birth to the original Triple-Sec that is known today as Cointreau,” Alfred explains. This age of expansion continued with his two sons, Louis and André Cointreau, who broke down borders and opened the door to the United States in the 1920s, marking the signature Cointreau as a global brand. It wasn’t long before Edouard’s passion was shared with the world.
“At Cointreau we recognise consumers want an experience when having drinks at the bar. They ask. Why this cocktail? Why this ingredient? Why did you choose this type of glass? Why this garnish? Also service ritual to deliver a more engaged experience at the bar (is important) so it’s not just something you drink (but) also everything that surrounds it. To be a bartender is like being the artist, where people come to see you display working flair.” When asked about the Cointreau perfect serve, Alfred said, “It depends on the context. If I’m having a romantic dinner with my wife, I do not drink the same things as when I’m with my friends at a nightclub. So everything is a question of context. When it comes to classic cocktails the Margarita with Cointreau is something I really love. It’s a combination of Mexican culture with European culture, with refreshing acid and salt. I also enjoy a Sidecar in the cooler months with my brother and talk about life.
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“The modern Spritz cocktail with prosecco is inspired by the original Spritz which was a combination of a white wine and sparkling water. History has shown that Cointreau is very versatile and it can be used along with wines in a Spritz. We also have a recipe from 1955 called the Cointreau Fizz, which is 50ml Cointreau, 20ml fresh lime, filled with ice and sparkling water, and we want to encourage the home consumption ritual where you can give it a twist with whatever you have in the kitchen to make your own personal Cointreau Fizz. What I really like to do is add a tea bag to my Fizz and get a subtle infusion; mint tea, chamomile, Earl Grey and even green tea works really well. Or with the addition of rosé wine during the summer is huge with the ladies in the South of France where the men drink Ricard and play petanque. It sounds cliché, but all along the villages and towns it’s true.”
Alfred Cointreau is the 6th generation descendent of the Cointreau family business founded in 1849 by Edoaurd Cointreau. He was in Shanghai, on a recent tour of the Asia Pacific region that included stops through the East Coast of Australia. He attended the Cointreau Queen Cocktail Competition, now in its 6th year and created to support the bartender community, in particular female bartenders.“TheCompetition is really connected to the history of Cointreau,” Alfred says. “Over a century later it is how we want to elevate the bartender, in particular the female bartenders.”
“When you look at the end of the 19th century when Cointreau was created, women had a very small place in society. They didn’t have jobs. They stayed at home and took care of the kids and the house, but my great-great-grandmother, Louisa, was very involved at the distillery and in the company and was active in creating social links with the employees and improving living conditions. She really created something special between the employees and the Cointreau family in those early days.”
This is especially true of Alfred, his grandson and the sixth generation of the family, who joined Cointreau in 2010. From his grandfather, Cointreau retained the idea that the best path to success is humility and strict discipline together driving progress and evolution. Although Cointreau has a grand and memorable history it is also very conscious of modern concerns such as responsibility and the need for premiumisation to remain relevant.
Alfred explains that the original idea for Cointreau was to target a female market away from the whiskies and cognacs preferred by men and deliver a lower in alcohol alternative with a taste more appealing to the female palate.
At the World’s Fair in Paris in 1889, Cointreau would claim the first of many awards dedicated to the unconventional French spirit. On the company’s centenary in 1949, Pierre Cointreau, the fourth generation of the family, became CEO. Working with passion and fervour into his 90s, Pierre Cointreau made La Maison Cointreau what it is today. Driven by the values inherited from his grandfather Édouard, and his grandmother Louisa, Pierre instilled in everyone the importance of a job well done.
“Worldwide we are seeing Drink Responsibly messages as part of corporate social responsibility and I agree it’s better to drink less but drink better, which is very important for Cointreau because we are the creators of the original dry orange liqueur. I’m also seeing that people all over the world are more interested in what they drink and they would rather enjoy quality over quantity.”
Chris Hancock MW said the Robert Oatley wines had evolved in style to accommodate the trends in food toward fresher and healthier eating. Consumers are looking for lighter and crisper styles and natural wines with less intervention. He said the two critical aspects of winemaking are viticulture and blending and suggested blended wine could be our future as the industry battles with ways to combat climate change. The wines tasted displayed an elegance and freshness that pointed to a new modern Australian wine style.
ROBERT OATLEY WINES CELEBRATES A NEW MODERN
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ACTIVITYTRADE THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE BRANDS
The results are in and the trends are Queensland craft beer is on the rise, independently owned breweries are enjoying increased popularity and ‘localism’ is a thing. In its eleventh year the Great Australian Beer Spectapular Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beer poll is an important barometer for what are the key trends in brewing in Australia. The 2018 edition saw 31,000 beer lovers place 155,000 votes. The Gold Coast’s Balter claimed the title of Australia’s favourite craft beer for the second year with the XPA – Extra Pale Ale. Balter is owned by Joel Parkinson, Josh Kerr, Bede Durbidge and champion surfer, Mick Fanning, Balter’s IIPA – Double IPA and IPA – India Pale Ale were also voted in the top ten.
GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEER POLL
BARTENDERS BATTER UP WITH BACARDI In a homage to the tradition of the first distillery workers at the Bacardi distillery in Santiago de Cuba who would finish a hard days work with a game of softball, Bacardi Australia stages the Annual Bartender Softball competition across Australia’s capital cities. It is an opportunity for bartenders to get together and enjoy friendly rivalry. For Melbourne and Perth matches contact: gmann@bacardi.com or lcanavan@bacardi.com
PEPPERJACK HEROES THE SCENT OF SUMMER In a groundbreaking campaign, Pepperjack Wines has stimulated the senses of 1.4 million commuters at major Melbourne train station, Southern Cross this summer. Passers by were encouraged to push two Innovate Panels to release a mouth-watering and all too familiar scent of a great Australian BBQ. The campaign supported the national in-store promotion where consumers could collect up to $100 to spend at Barbeques Galore when purchasing the Pepperjack Range. Pepperjack Shiraz has been Australia’s number one selling Shiraz in value for the past six years (Source: IRI AZTEC Liquor Value QTR 15/7/2018) and the campaign highlights the wine as a great match for steak. The fully integrated campaign featured across social, influencer, a national out–of-home program and in-store visibility.
AUSTRALIAN STYLE Sandy Oatley, along with Chris Hancock MW, presented the wines from the Robert Oatley Signature Series at a trade event held in the newly opened space above the Hotel Centennial in Paddington, Sydney. The wines tasted showcased the Margaret River and McLaren Vale regions and included the National Wine Show of Australia 2018 trophy-winning Great Southern Riesling 2017, the new vintage release 2018 McLaren Vale Grenache, the trophy-winning McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre 2016, McLaren Vale Shiraz 2017 and new vintage release Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 featured in James Halliday’s Top 100 Wines for 2018.
CRAFT CARTEL LIQUOR LAUNCHES CRAFT BEER CLUB
“Customers are flocking to our store and heading online to get their hands on the latest beers, with many purchasing beers they haven’t previously tried. The demand for seasonal, limited edition and small batch brews is incredible,” said Ben Malouf.
SEEDLIP ANNOUNCES GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH MERCEDE-AMG PETRONAS MOTORSPORT.
As part of the campaign, exclusive Seedlip cocktails will be served in the team’s hospitality at all Formula One Grands Prix, enriching the guest experience with sophisticated non-alcoholic options.
“We are honoured to partner with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and together provide a global platform for the designated driver. With a shared commitment to innovation & technical excellence we are incredibly excited to work together throughout the F1 season,” Ben Branson, Founder of Seedlip says. ‘It’s fantastic to welcome an energetic young brand like Seedlip to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport,’ says Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO.Founded three years ago, Seedlip is on a mission to solve the age-old dilemma of ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking®’ with the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits. Seedlip’s range of three spirits (Seedlip Spice 94, Seedlip Garden 108 and Seedlip Grove 42) is available in over 25 countries and served in the world’s best cocktail bars, restaurants & hotels.
The world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit, Seedlip, has announced a new global partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport as an official supplier to the reigning FIA Formula One™ World Champions.
H2COCO TO CONQUER US WITH COCONUT WATER
Aussie lifestyle clothing brand, Barney Cools, and Southern Comfort have joined together to celebrate the essence of New Orleans through parties, drinks and clothing this summer. Both brands have created a range of limited edition clothing made available to Aussies in the off and on-premise trade with partnered Thecustomers.ideawas born of a trip Barney Cools’ co-founder, Nat Taubman, took to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) where the inspiration came from the unique culture. “It’s all about freedom of expression, inclusivity, southern hospitality and a never-ending good time. Southern Comfort embodies these qualities and its brand home is New Orleans, so it was perfect,” said Nat. The partnership between Southern Comfort and Barney Cools has allowed creation of an extensive clothing line –three hat designs, ‘Gator’ tees and party shirts, all inspired by the New Orleans experiences of the two brands.
Australia’s coconut water innovator H2coco will be exhibiting at the Natural Products Expo West trade show at the Anaheim Convention Centre taking its first steps to enter the US market. One of only a small number of Australian companies exhibiting, it will give the brand exposure to 85,000 people including innovators and industry leaders. It will introduce Pure Pink Coconut Water, Functional Coconut Water, Collagen Water and world-first innovations H2melon Long Life Watermelon Water and H2nana Real Banana whilst exploring new market opportunities with imports, distribution partners and retailers.
Craft Cartel Liquor is the brainchild of beer enthusiast, journalist and 2GB’s Food & Wine Show host, Ben Malouf. Craft Cartel Liquor offers over 700 curated craft beers in its Constitution Hill (NSW) store as well as online, for national distribution.
It was craft beer drinkers’ unquenchable thirst for new drops that inspired the launch of Craft Cartel Liquor’s Craft Beer Club. Craft Cartel Liquor’s Craft Beer Club allows subscribers to top up their fridges with 8 ($59) or 16 ($99) unique beers each month or quarter. Club members receive a diverse range of styles including seasonal, limitededition releases, lesser-known brands as well as a few internationals. For a limited-time Craft Cartel Liquor are offering customers their first case for just $1 when signing up to a monthly club plan between until the end of March 2019.
drinks trade|45 SOUTHERN BARNEYCOLLABORATESCOMFORTWITHCOOLS
DIAGEO SHOPPERSTRANSPORTSTOSCOTLAND
As part of International Women’s Day, The Gin Queen, Caroline Childerly hosted the Women in Gin event at Brogan’s Way Distillery in Richmond, Melbourne. Brogan Carr, Australia’s only Master Distiller and the head distiller at Brogan’s Way spoke along with Holly Klintworth from Bass and Flinders Distillery and Dervilla McGowan from small-batch gin distillery, Anther. All three distillers discussed the path that led them to head up boutique gin distilleries and the challenges and rewards they were presented with along the way. Guests tasted a variety of delicious boutique gins in a meet and greet with the makers. The backdrop was the named,affectionatelymadeBrogan’smagnificentWaycustom-copperstillGilly.
The Gin Queen, Caroline Childerly
Photos: Parker Blain for Broadsheet
The Patricia range of wines is named in honour of the family matriarch, Patricia Brown, who was integral to the growth and prosperity of the Brown family wine business. Partnering with Broadsheet, the Brown Family Wine Group launched the latest releases of the coveted Patricia range of wines at a series of consumer reader events. Drinks Trade attended the Melbourne dinner held at St Crispin. The Patricia Chardonnay 2017 was superbly matched with the Hiramasa kingfish while the Patricia Shiraz 2015 was a perfect match with the Sher wagyu rump and the Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 was partnered with cheese. Guests also had the opportunity to taste the Limited Release Brown Brothers Albariño 2018 and the Shiraz Mondeuse and Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 blend. Dessert was of course finished off with the sublime Brown Brothers Patricia Noble Riesling 2014.
Through an exciting in-store sensory experience, shoppers at Dan Murphy’s will be treated to a discovery journey through the Scottish whisky regions as part of Diageo’s March Into Malts campaign. Diageo Australia partnered with Reed Pacific Media & Dan Murphy’s to create four scents that represent the distinct aromas of the famous Scottish countryside.Thecampaign is designed to educate consumers on the extensive depth and range of Diageo’s Scottish single malt whiskies. Consumers will be guided by scented point of sale materials on a multi-sensory journey. Four unique fragrances were created in conjunction with Simon McGoram, Diageo’s National Whisky Ambassador, representing Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside & Islands whisky.
CELEBRATING WOMEN IN GIN
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PATRICIA LAUNCHES ITS 16TH RELEASE
“The greatest thing to happen to our bars in a number of years! Finest Call increased our cocktail revenue by approximately $75,000 over the 4 days whilst saving $30,000 on ingredients and prep. The quick service potential of the product doubled cocktail sales from 5000 to 10,000, and profit margin and staffing prep savings equated to about $2-3 per drink.”
INTRODUCING SINGLE PRESSED LEMON AND LIME JUICE COLLECTION
DECREASE WASTAGE INCREASE PROFIT
DECREASE WASTAGE INCREASE PROFIT SAVE TIME 1 - 7 DAYS Peak freshness VS 18 MONTHS+ Finest Call 30 LIMES $25-$30: approx VS SINGLEFINESTPRESSED $10: 20-22 90 SECONDS Juicing a lime VS UNDER 30 Using ournippurpose-designedpourer WHY FINEST CALL?
WASTAGE INCREASE PROFIT
DECREASE SAVE TIME 1 - 7 DAYS Peak freshness VS 18 MONTHS+ Finest Call 30 LIMES $25-$30: approx VS SINGLEFINESTPRESSED $10: 20-22 90 SECONDS Juicing a lime VS UNDER 30 Using ournippurpose-designedpourer SAVE TIME 1 - 7 DAYS Peak freshness of fruit VS 18 MONTHS+ Finest Call shelf life 30 LIMES $25-$30: approx 15-18 cocktails VS FINEST CALL SINGLE PRESSED LIME $10: 20-22 cocktails 90 SECONDS Juicing a lime by hand VS UNDER 30 SECONDS Using ournippurpose-designedpourer
CASE STUDY TWO: FOUR DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL
CASE STUDY ONE:
CASE STUDY ONE: REGATTA HOTEL, QLD
REGATTA HOTEL, QLD “By using Finest Call, we increased our rate of sale, minimized staff costs on prep time and lowered our fresh produce cost. In total, we saved over $60,000 in a year.”
“The greatest thing to happen to our bars in a number of years! Finest Call increased our cocktail revenue by approximately $75,000 over the 4 days whilst saving $30,000 on ingredients and prep. The quick service potential of the product doubled cocktail sales from 5000 to 10,000, and profit margin and staffing prep savings equated to about $2-3 per drink.”
ADD A SPLASH OF CITRUS TO YOUR COCKTAIL WHY FINEST CALL?
“By using Finest Call, we increased our rate of sale, minimized staff costs on prep time and lowered our fresh produce cost. In total, we saved over $60,000 in a year.”
CASE STUDY TWO: FOUR DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL
IH: I took my WSET diploma in 1980. In those days, WSET had lecturers not educators – and education was a one-way process rather than the interactive style of teaching we have today.
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DT: WSET began as a course available only to those in the UK but has expanded significantly over time to be an international WSET has become the go-to institution in the liquor industry for its globally recognised wine and spirits qualification. From its roots in the United Kingdom it has evolved into an international educational resource with an evolving syllabus that teaches everything from wine to spirits to sake. Drinks Trade spoke with Chief Executive Officer, Ian Harris, about how far the Trust has come over half a century.
CELEBRATING OF THE WINE AND SPIRIT EDUCATION TRUST (WSET) 1969 – 2019 YEARS
Another key difference was the size and focus of the syllabus. Whereas, in my day information was imparted from a UK perspective, today the focus is global. When I was studying, most of the syllabus was Old World and, if you knew the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Germany together with Port and Sherry, you stood a good chance of passing the diploma!
We have recently redesigned our qualifications so that they fit into three distinct subjectstreams: wine, spirits and sake. This reflects how wine and spirits are increasingly separate industries today. The new Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Level 2 Award in Wines coursesboth without spirits - with be launched later this year, together with a new and separate Level 3 Award in Spirits.
Drinks Trade: Tell us a bit about the beginning of WSET and why it was first established.
wine, spirits and sake industries and updating our syllabuses to include changes such as new product categories that are globally relevant.
Ian Harris: WSET was founded as a charitable trust in 1969 to meet the growing educational needs of the UK wine and spirits industry and in response to a government training initiative to improve the country’s economic performance through education (1964 Industrial Training Act). Funding was provided by The Vintners’ Company and WSET took over the education initiatives started by the Wine and Spirit Association of GreatWSET’sBritain.founders represented the cornerstones of the UK wine and spirits trade, and representatives from each of these organisations continue to serve on its Board of Trustees. They include The Vintners’ Company, The Wine and Spirit Association of Great Britain (was WSA now WSTA), the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) and Worshipful Company of Distillers
How has WSET adapted to these changes?
DT: What was it like to study the early WSET qualifications compared to today?
There was also less flexibility, as you could only take the diploma once a year and so, if you needed to retake any part of the exam, then you had to wait for an entire year.
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DT: WSET is the forefather of wine education for the world yet the drinks industry has evolved considerably over the past 50 years.
WSET is also increasingly embracing innovative technology to better service our candidates and course providers. We have expanded our online learning offering in response to the changing learning habits and expectations of our customers. This academic year the Level 1 Award in Wines and Level 1 Award in Spirits have been made available online.
IH: At WSET we are very conscious of keeping our qualifications up to date and industry relevant. We are continually monitoring the
IH: WSET will continue to offer a core set of best-in-class, job relevant qualifications to the wine, spirits and sake industries. We will also be looking at other innovative ways in which our organisation can become the go-to place for all wine, spirits and sake learning information globally.
DT: Looking ahead, how do you see WSET evolving over the next 50 years?
Students will remain at the forefront of every decision we take about the business. We have already implemented phase one with offices in New York (serving our business in the Americas) and Hong Kong (serving our APAC business).
resource. Could you give us some insight into the scale of WSET’s global reach today compared to the early days?
IH: WSET is the pre-eminent wine, spirits and sake education body globally because of its 50-year heritage and track record, the values it espouses and its credibility. WSET is respected and trusted by educators, employers and students worldwide to deliver gold standard British-regulated qualifications. WSET is seen as informed and inspiring, continually changing and updating its services to best support global professionals and consumers alike in their quest for wine education, wherever they are in the world. drinks trade|49
Another key priority is to increase our network of course providers and the availability of courses in our focus markets, including Australia. We have an exciting programme of activity for our 50th anniversary year that includes the launch of the Future 50 Awards with IWSC to identify the top 50 wine and spirits professionals under 40 and to emphasise the importance of developing new talent through education and awards. You can find out more at our Future 50 website. It also includes the launch of the first ever global Wine Education Week (9th –15th September) – an initiative to engage the growing population of wine consumers worldwide in learning more about wine (more info on this coming in April).
DT: WSET continues to hold the industry education mantle with no significant competitors to speak of. What is it about the WSET brand that is so strong?
DT: Are there any exciting developments you are working on you can share?
IH: One of our key strategies going forward is to take the business closer to our students.
IH: When I joined WSET in 2002, over two thirds of our business came from the UK. Today over 80 per cent of our business is generated through markets outside the UK. Our first ever course outside the UK was in 1977 in Toronto. The Liquor Board of Ontario asked WSET to run a course for them – this was the start of our international expansion. Today WSET courses are available in over 70 countries in more than 15 languages. We started to develop the Australian market in 2007 when David Wrigley, Jude Mullins and I (all WSET) embarked on a roadshow across the country masterminded by Rob Hirst, Chairman of Fine Wine Partners. Today Australia is WSET’s fifth largest market with 32 Approved Programme Providers.
Independents First National Sales & Marketing Manager: David Hounsome 0424 155 024
Alex Stavrakoulis: Primarily having a passion for the industry as well as my fellow retailers. This coupled with an understanding of the challenges in liquor retail. I have surrounded myself with likeminded people who have the same passion and commitment to support the independent retailer. Our philosophy is to over deliver on presentation and product, all at a competitive price. We call it “The 3 P’s” and every one of our products is measured against these every day.
DT: In your opinion, how has liquor wholesaling and retailing changed in the past 30 years since the beginnings of Tottenham Cellars?
AS: The increasing market power of the large chains has eroded the independent retailers’ ability to compete which has driven a reliance to give the consumer an experience in store that they otherwise wouldn’t get from the chains. The independent retailer has to ensure the retail environment is clean, bright and well stocked. The consumer trends have seen a move away from long standing traditional brands opening the way for independents to excel by having a selection of products not seen in the chains. It is for this reason Edgemill Group exists. We produce and supply high quality affordable spirits to the independent retailer that are innovative and great value for money.
AS: Edgemill Group saw an opportunity in this segment two years ago and have been working to produce a spiced rum that would fit neatly into an independent retailers portfolio. The 3 P’s had to be met and we have worked tirelessly to produce a beautiful sipping rum that is equally good with your favorite mixer.
AS: My parents taught me the importance of strong family values and a robust work ethic. They showed me the importance of ‘doing the right thing’ regardless of the consequences. My dad says that people make money, money doesn’t make people and that your integrity should never be in question. These same values are the foundation of our business today.
The base rum is from the Caribbean and is matured in charred oak barrels for two years before we steep it in 25 different herbs and spices to deliver an extremely well balanced rum with a lingering sweet molasses/vanilla taste with hints of cinnamon, cloves, anise and coffee along with a late gingerHavingnote.already won two gold medals we are confident in the product and need now for our independent retail partners to join us in making this brand a success. Ritchies IGA have partnered with us to bring the product to market and having sold out at tastings in some of our Ritchies IGA stores it seems the consumers are eager to discover Black Bart Spiced Rum. drinks trade| LOCAL MILK BAR TO A BUSINESSMULTI-BEVERAGEGLOBAL
AS: Liquor wholesalers and retailers have to constantly re-design their portfolio to stay in touch and meet their consumer needs. In the digital age products come and go in and out of favour very quickly. The consumer is far more educated now and so the quality in the bottle must stack up with the price being asked. Large marketing budgets are proving ineffective when the product doesn’t meet the consumer expectation and social media will soon let you know.
Drinks Trade: What is the secret of your family business success that took a humble milk bar business in 1971 turning it into Tottenham Cellars by 1989 and then the global multi-beverage wholesaler, retailer and distributor, The Edgemill Group?
DT: What do you think are the new challenges liquor wholesalers and retailers face today?
Three generations of the Stravakoulis family.
DT: You have recently introduced a new spiced rum to your portfolio, can you tell us a bit about it?
The Edgemill Group is an Australian family owned global multi-beverage manufacturer and distributor. Founding family member, Alex Stavrakoulis, spoke to Drinks Trade about the challenges of independent retail and how to be successful in today’s competitive and fast moving market.
A DRINKS TRADE PROMOTION
DT: What did you learn from your father and mother, Steve and Roula Stavrakoulis, growing up in the family business and how have those learnings led to the success of The Edgemill Group today?
51 FROM
2. STONELEIGH BRIGHT MARLBOROUGH
RRP: $17.99 • Distributor: Pernod Ricard Winemakers
From the Johnnie Walker Reserve whiskies stable, this new addition is the second of the series to be released with whisky reserves from the ‘ghost’ distilleries or those that are no longer in operation. This release is blended with the extremely rare Islay Single Malt, Port Ellen, from the famed distillery that closed its doors in 1983.
1. HAHN ULTRA-CRISP LAGER
RRP: $17 6-pack or $47 for 24 case • Distributor: Lion A full-strength 4.2% ABV, full-flavoured lager that is not only lower carb, 99 per cent sugar free, preservative free… but also gluten free. Brewed entirely from rice, it’s a lighter way to enjoy full strength beer, without compromising on taste. It is endorsed by Coeliac Australia as gluten free and appropriate for those with coeliac disease.
PINOT GRIS 2018 AND STONELEIGH BRIGHT MARLBOROUGH ROSÉ 2018
4. RIOT ROUGE GRENACHE (IN A CAN) RRP: $24.99 4-pack or $84.99 for 12 case • Distributor: Riot Wine Co. Riot Wine Co, born in McLaren Vale South Australia, has launched its latest wine in a 250 ml can, Riot Rouge, a single vineyard McLaren Vale Grenache. Riot Rouge joins the other three varieties Riot Blanc (2017 Sauvignon Blanc), Riot Rose (Grenache Sangiovese) and Riot Cuvée (Sparkling Chardonnay). Co-founder and Riot Wine Co. winemaker, Tommy O’Donnell, started producing wine in stainless steel kegs before introducing wine in a can in March 2017. With a strong ethos around sustainability, Riot wines are made using minimal artificial additives and intervention.
5. DE BORTOLI LA BOHÈME CUVÉE ROSÉ
NPR
3. JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL GHOST AND RARE PORT ELLEN
RRP: $21.95 • Distributor: De Bortoli Wines De Bortoli Wines’ Leanne De Bortoli and winemaker, Steve Webber, love a sparkling rosé and have long aspired to create one to rival the best from Champagne. They believe their dream has been achieved with La Bohème Cuvée Rosé. Like the opera it is named after, it is artisanal, flirtatious and flamboyant.
The new Stoneleigh Bright range of wines is crafted using natural winemaking techniques that retain the flavour and quality of Marlborough, New Zealand, while offering a lower ABV of just 9.5 per cent.
6. PETER LEHMANN THE BOND SHIRAZ 2017 RRP: $24.95 • Distributor: Casella Family Wines Peter Lehmann Wines has released a new Shiraz called the ‘The Bond’ created to honour the long-standing promise between Peter Lehmann winemakers and Barossa grape growers. A full-bodied Barossa Shiraz, The Bond is barrel-aged and boasts a rich palate with layered complexity. This wine is made from premium Shiraz fruit from vineyards scattered through the Barossa Valley and produced by Tim Dolan, Peter Lehmann Wines Senior Winemaker.
RRP: $480 • Distributor: Diageo
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RRP:$26 for 6-pack $80 for 24 case • Distributor: Bad Shepherd Brewing Bad Shepherd Brewing Co., in the Melbourne suburb of Cheltenham, has released the Victoria Pale Ale, a truly local craft beer made in Melbourne with 100 per cent Victorian locally produced ingredients, including a 100-year-old yeast called Melbourne No.1. The Victoria Pale Ale is brewed using malt from Geelong, hops from Rostrevor Farm, Myrtleford and the all-important water from Melbourne. The team at Bad Shepherd have succeeded in the challenge they set for themselves creating a 100 per cent Victorian beer.
11. ARCHIE ROSE LIMITED RELEASE SMOKED GIN RRP: $99 • Distributor: Swift and Moore Archie Rose Distilling Co. has launched the second release under the Archie Rose Concepts label reserved for rare and interesting releases. Smoked Gin is an intense smoked gin featuring ironbark smoked water, juniper, native thyme, wattleseed, caraway and a small amount of distilled chocolate malt.
6 7 8 9 10 11 drinks trade|53
7. SUNBURNT COUNTRY BY LARRIKIN GIN RRP: $100 • Distributor: Larrikin Gin at larrikingin.com This new gin from Larrikin showcases indigenous Australian botanicals such as Kakadu Plum Northern Territory and Strawberry Gum from the Northern Tablelands of NSW. The gin was bottled at 50.7 per cent abv paying homage to Australia’s hottest recorded temperature. Scott WilsonBrowne of Larrikin Gin says this gin has a sense of place and captures the spirit of Australia.
9. LA LA LAND MALBEC AND TEMPRANILLO
RRP: $18 • Distributor: Red and White La La Land has launched new packaging for its Malbec and Tempranillo. La La Land targets the Millennial drinker and aims to build attitude, have fun, be a little creative, and challenge the sometimes-stuffy world of wine.
8. BAD SHEPHERD BREWING CO. VICTORIA PALE ALE
RRP:$60 • Distributor: Manly Spirits Co. Blackfin was born of a partnership forged between the Manly Spirits Co. and specialty coffee roasters Seven Miles, both based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Chemical engineer and co-founder at Manly Spirits, David Whittaker, and Head Distiller, Tim Stones, enlisted the help of Dr Adam Carr, coffee scientist at Seven Miles, to deliver a liqueur that showcases profound respect for coffee. Green arabica beans are roasted in the Seven Miles Manly Vale coffee roastery to Manly Spirits Co. specifications, then freshly delivered to the Brookvale distillery where they are ground and cold brewed for 18 hours.
10. BLACKFIN COLD BREW COFFEE LIQUEUR
THE MARTINIESPRESSOANDTHE REVOLUTIONCOCKTAILCAFFEINATED
54|drinks trade
LIQUEURS&SPIRITS
Enter the coffee cocktail revolution. It was spawned in the buzzing bar scene of the late 1980s in London’s Soho precinct and nowhere embraces it quite like Australia does in 2019. Drinks Trade investigates the appeal of the caffeinated cocktail.
There is something about the combination of alcohol and coffee that sends caffeine addicts into a tailspin. Could there be a better combination - the stimulant combined with the warm effects of a shot of vodka or two?
drinks trade|55 Coffee has been associated with cocktails since 1949 when the Black Russian was created using coffee liqueur and vodka served on the rocks. It was exactly this drink that morphed into the Espresso Martini when legendary barman Richard ‘Dick’ Bradsell added a shot of espresso to it in late 1980s London. Melbourne-based Orlando Marzo, who was last year crowned Best Bartender in the World at the Diageo World Class Competition is an Italian in Australia so is naturally passionate about his coffee as well as his cocktails. He had the good fortune of being served by the creator of the Espresso Martini himself and worked behind the same bar as the great man at The Player in OrlandoLondon.saysthe original drink was on the rocks and was originally named the Vodka Espresso, and was served in a tumbler rather than today’s coup glass it evolved into. Orlando recalled that Jonathan Downy, owner of the Rushmor Group that bought The Player, insisted the drink be called the Vodka Espresso in all his premises to preserve Dick’s legacy. “(Dick’s) legacy stayed in that bar as we were never allowed to refer to his drink as the Espresso Martini. It was even recorded on the til as the Vodka Espresso.” Here in Australia the Vodka Espresso aka the Espresso Martini has taken on legendary status. It could be argued the sales rate of coffee flavoured liqueur, a key ingredient in the Espresso Martini, is buoyed by this contemporary classic.
According to IRI’s coffee culture viewpoint, data MAT 6/10/18, coffee flavoured glass spirits generated almost $50 million in sales delivering growth of just over $900,000 year on year. Kahlua is the leading brand generating $6 out of every $10 spent on coffee flavoured glass spirits while also delivering over $1 million of growth year on year. Aside from the big brands such as Kahlua and Tia Maria there are challengers entering the market such as Mr. Black, Finbar O’Leary’s and De Kuyper also generating solid growth and providing consumers with alternatives.Kahlua’sfirst, and recently appointed, National Brand Ambassador, Ben Parton, says the appeal with coffee and cocktails is they both bring people together. “We share a lot of moments over coffee. We go out for cocktails with friends and share moments and experiences bonding over them. There’s an underlying link of convivial occasion between coffee and cocktails.” He says another factor in the rise of the coffee cocktail is the renaissance of baristas and bartenders. Both these fields of expertise are now valued professions with serious credibility. “Both strive to provide the best service, knowledge and product to their customers,” says“BothBen.coffee culture and cocktail culture has become significantly more specialized with an exponential increase in product awareness, knowledge and choice from both consumers and trade,” he adds.
Kahlua recently released the first Espresso Martini RTD in Australia. Designed with a smart nitrogen widget so when popped the gas forces the bubbles to the surface creating instant crema. The RTD opens up the Espresso Martini to even more occasions basically anywhere where there is not a talented bartender on hand.
IRI Liquor Channel Manager, Stephen Wilson, “Both coffee culture and cocktail culture has become significantly more specialized with an exponential increase in product awareness, knowledge and choice from both consumers and trade” – Ben Parton, Kahlua National Brand
Ambassador.BenParton,KahluaNationalBrand Ambassador
“We’re rolling out Espresso Martini on Tap which is Kahlua, Absolut Vodka and Kind Coffee Co Cold Brew in a nitrogenated keg. We’ve come to the astute observation that bartenders don’t have eight hands to cope with the demand.”
Ben’s job is to boost Kahlua’s presence and influence on-premise and he likes to refer to his new role as ‘Ambassador of Fun’. To him Kahlua represents the best of both coffee and alcohol and the brand has been very active to innovate around the craze for the Espresso Martini.
Tia Maria, also in the original Dick Bradsell Espresso Martini recipe combined with Kahlua, is leveraging the revolution with the creation of The Tia Maria Coffee Project. Tia Maria brings together coffee experts, roasters and suppliers to talk to bartenders about the nuances of coffee and how flavour can be manipulated through different beans, roasting techniques and the temperature of the water used when it is brewed. The 45 minute session is a think tank and platform from which to create new coffee cocktails and discovering what is next in coffee mixology. “It’s about creativity and experimentation, understanding new and different flavours and getting the timing right for the next big coffee cocktail. For example I added banana to the Espresso Martini in the 90s and it was frowned upon. Now it’s a thing. Sometimes you are before your time and sometimes you are too late,” said Brand Ambassador for Tia Maria, Mark Hickey. Last year Tia Maria had a bit of fun with the Espresso Martini when it attempted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s largest Espresso Martini on the steps of the Sydney Opera House using a 2.2 metre tall custom glass carrying 600 litres of Espresso Martini!
“No surprise that Kahlua Espresso Martini is the leading brand generating $580,000 in sales since it was launched in November 2018,” said“ThisStephen.is(Kahlua’s) rising star topping unit sales for all ready to drink items launched in the latest quarter so clearly resonating with Espresso Martini drinkers looking for the convenience of a single serve offering that can be consumed away from their favorite venue. New brand offerings and innovation are sure to inject a sense of curiosity and interest to a sub category that has been fairly “staid” in recent times.”
56|drinks trade says this innovation behind the Kahlua brand around the Espresso Martini is rewarding the brand in spades.
To read the full interview with Ben Parton, Kahlua’s National Brand Ambassador visit drinkstrade.com.au
The popularity of the coffee cocktail revolution sees new entrants in the market such as the recently released Blackfin Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur by Manly Spirits Co. made with sea botanicals foraged by the founders David Whittaker and Vanessa Whilton. Founder David and head distiller, Tim Jones, collaborated with coffee scientist at Seven Miles, Dr. Adam Carr to develop the liqueur with coffee that was cold brewed for 18 hours. Blackfin brings a touch of something unique to the Espresso Martini because at the end of the day it’s that difference that all bartenders are elusively searching for in order to make their very own version of the great Espresso Martini.
LIQUEURS&SPIRITS
ONYX A central coast friendship inspires true-blue Australian liqueur. THE ONYX COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS: • 15ml ONYX • 10ml MONIN Honeycomb • 10ml MONIN Pineapple • 40ml Vantage METHOD: Short, shape shake and strained into coupette. Garnish with dehydrated pineapple drinks trade|57
“We have found the consumer’s love a twist to a familiar taste. Because the Espresso Martini has become so popular consumers are now demanding more taste to add excitement. On the flip side, venues and brands love flavour twists too as it provides a delicious and critical point of difference. For example, across Australia MONIN collaborated with Tia Maria (a brand that can boast being used in the world’s first Espresso Martini) and The Open Air Cinema to launch the first Popcorn Espresso Martini. The popularity of the drink was breathtaking, it was delicious, and people loved a twist on an old favourite” said John Davidson, MONIN’s Innovation Manager “A MONIN flavour will compliment any Espresso Martini recipe. Using appellation as a guide, MONIN can easily compliment variable Espresso liquors. For example, Kahlua is from Mexico, so it is intrinsically paired with Habanero Lime and Pure Cane. Tia Maria from the Caribbean, lends itself to MONIN Vanilla. The Australian coastal botanicals within Black Fin make it easy for a bartender to reach for more savoury flavours like MONIN Salted Caramel. With Mr Black being the essential Australian Coffee liquor, it’s intuitively paired with MONIN Coconut.With100+ authentic MONIN flavours to choose from, your creativity with Espresso Martini’s is only limited by your imagination.
BLACK FIN The next step for local Monavale favourite. Infused with coastal botanicals, foraged by founder and distiller of Manly Spirits.
KAHLUA Born in Mexico in 1936. Intrinsically linked to the hot and lush terroir of Central America.
• 20ml Manly Gin METHOD: Short, shape shake and strained into coupette. Garnish pinch of sea salt
THE SEA EAGLE INGREDIENTS: • 30ml Black Fin • 10ml MONIN Salted Caramel
A DRINKS TRADE PROMOTION
PLANTATION DE CAFE INGREDIENTS: • 20ml Tia Maria • 10ml MONIN Vanilla • 20ml Caribbean Rum METHOD: Short, shape shake and strained into coupette MR BLACK From the spiritual homeland of coffee, Australia, a brain child of both a champion distiller and his partner, a proclaimed coffee nerd and designer.
LIQUEURS&SPIRITS
Increasingly an Australian trend has been the Espresso martini’s moving beyond the traditional flavour. MONIN has collaborated with numerous brands and venues to introduce a flavour twist to Australia’s favourite drink.
TIA MARIA A Caribbean riff on coffee liqueur. Harvesting Jamaican beans for full flavour with a base of Jamaican rum and Vanilla.
ADDING AN EXCITING TWIST TO THE ESPRESSO MARTINI WITH MONIN
THE 1936 INGREDIENTS: • 20ml Kahlua • 10ml MONIN Habanero Lime • 10ml MONIN Pure Cane • 30ml tequila Blanco METHOD: Short, shape shake and strained over rocks. Garnished with citrus and habanero disk
CAFÉ BOTANICA INGREDIENTS: • 20ml Mr Black • 10ml MONIN Coconut • 40ml Regal Rogue Lively White Vermouth METHOD: Short, shape shake and strained over rocks. Garnished with citrus and habanero disk Build over ice and top with tonic Garnish with orange wedge
• 10ml MONIN Banana
Left: Cocktail King Richard ‘Dick’ Bradsell Right: Bea Bradsell
58|drinks
Drinks Trade: Your father, Richard ‘Dick’ Bradsell was known as the Cocktail King and invented what he called the Vodka Espresso in London in the 1980’s that became the Espresso Martini. Can you tell us a bit about how that happened? Bea Bradsell: I feel like the story has almost been written into legend by now but often gets mistold. It was created when Dad was working at the Soho Brasserie in the early-to-mid ‘80s. They had just had a new Illy espresso machine installed and a training from Marco Arrigo, the head of quality for Illy. A well-known model walked in to the bar, he never gave the name of the model but stated that it was most definitely not Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell as they both would have been too young. She asked for a drink to ‘wake her up and f*#k her up’. As Dad’s ice well was already covered in coffee grounds from the newly installed machine they were still learning to use, he had coffee on the brain. He shook up vodka, espresso, Kahlua and sugar and poured it over the rocks and the Vodka Espresso was born. Over the years he developed it and created the straight-up Espresso Martini, he then briefly changed the name for Damien Hirst’s Pharmacy where it was served as the Pharmaceutical Stimulant, but it was essentially the same drink.
Bea Bradsell talks about her father, the late Richard ‘Dick’ Bradsell, legendary London barman, and mastermind behind the creation of the Espresso Martini.
THE MAN BEHIND THE MARTINIESPRESSO trade LIQUEURS&SPIRITS
BB: I think to Dad what he was most proud of was the community he created in his venues, that was what it was all about for him. He had regulars that had followed him from his first cocktail bar ‘Zanzibar’ that still regularly visited him at El Camion, and have even come to visit me in recent years. I think that meant more to him than any award or accolade.
BB: Though Dad appreciated people experimenting with the drink his final recipe was his favourite and it’s mine as well. 50mls Vodka, 25 mls Espresso, 15mls Kahlua, 10mls Tia Maria and sugar to the guest’s taste. The coffee was always very important to him. He believed it needed to be VERY strong espresso coffee, freshly made. However, speed of service always came first so he would rather batch espresso at the start of shift than pull a fresh espresso for each cocktail.
I don’t think there’s a short answer to this one. We were best friends and worked together for years (I started making cocktails at six) and we regularly discussed opinions on service, cocktails and the industry in general. I think the thing that stuck with me most was respect for your guest. The average guest doesn’t care if their bartender is particularly well known, they just want friendly service and a nice drink, quickly. In hospitality our job is to take care of guests and that should always be the end goal. Going that little bit further to help someone really makes all the difference, whether it be something as simple as always having a pen or lighter ready, keeping water topped up, creating a list of bars to visit for someone from out of town or even introducing them to their future spouse he was always willing to go the extra mile. drinks trade|59 Bea and Dick Bradsell: Photo courtesy of Johnnie Pakington for The Cocktail Lovers Magazine. www.thecocktaillovers.com; Instagram@thecocktaillovers
BB: He was incredibly proud. He loved how much his drinks travelled, and he loved how people experimented with them. He was never particularly protective about his drinks and never wanted to trademark them and I think that’s a big reason for why so many of them have become so popular all over the world.
DT: UK drinks critic, Simon Difford, reported that Dick said he could ‘rarely enter a bar without an enthusiastic bartender thrusting his version of the (Espresso Martini) drink at him.’ What in his mind made the perfect Espresso Martini?
DT: Dick was recognised as one of the greatest bartenders of the 20th century and invented a number of great cocktails such as The Bramble and The Treacle. What do you think was his greatest achievement - apart from you of course?!
DT: What did he think about the Espresso Martini becoming such a global icon?
BB: It started off on the rocks with much simpler ingredients, but the final recipe took several years to perfect. His final recipe came by looking at it in the context of a Brandy Alexander. He thought of them as cocktails with two ingredients on different end of the flavour spectrum with bridging ingredients that fill the gaps in the palate. Since then the world of coffee cocktails has grown so much. You have brands like Mr Black, Tia Maria and Grey Goose looking at coffee culture and how this can be adapted into bartending. I regularly judge Espresso Martini competitions and every time I’m amazed at the levels of creativity the drink can inspire.
DT: Obviously his love of all things drinks has rubbed off on his daughter, what did your father teach you about the wonderful world of BB:cocktails?
DT: How in your opinion has his cocktail changed and taken shape over time?
Grenache is one of the world’s most widely planted grape varieties. Vigorous and prolific it has long been considered the great red workhorse. It is big in Spain where it is called Garnacha and also in France where it is responsible for Chateau Neuf du Pape, one of the greatest red wines. In Australia it was one of the first varieties planted. We boast the oldest producing Grenache vines in the world dating back to 1850. There is a spotlight on Grenache because of its late ripening qualities and its resilience to increasingly warmer vintages as a result of climate change. Traditionally blended with Shiraz and Mourvedre, single varietal Grenache is increasingly popular and highlights the pure essence of the Grenache grape with all its plum pudding, Christmas cake fruity richness. From easy drinking lighter styles to the intensity and complexity of the old vine Grenaches, there is a style of Grenache for all palates.
THE VERDICT The tasting panel received 28 Grenache blends and 23 Grenache samples. Qualities in the all the Grenache samples were that the fruit was the highlight with many displaying a balance of elegant and ripe berries whilst others were showing too much ripeness and tipping into the realm of too hot, jammy and porty. The Grenache that demonstrated a balanced and earthy savouriness with the sweetness of fruit stood out in the line up.
THE TASTING The tasting panel blind-tasted 90 Chardonnays, 23 Grenaches and 28 Grenache blends. We adopt The Wine Advocate/Robert Parker 100-point wine-scoring scale: • 96–100 – Extraordinary • 90–95 – Outstanding • 80–89 – Barely above average to very good • 70–79 – Average • 60–69 – Below average • 50–59 – Unacceptable Drinks Trade published all the wines that scored above 85 points as an average.
CHARDONNAY, GRENACHE AND GRENACHE BLENDS Tasting Bench
CHARDONNAY Chardonnay is the finest white burgundy and the cheapest Two Buck Chuck. It was the grape that was so huge in the 1980s it became a brand followed by an anti-movement with the term ‘ABC – Anything but Chardonnay’ bandied about. Unfortunately its shameless world domination led to some very inferior chardonnay where poor fruit was masked by excessive intervention in the winery. The Drinks Trade Tasting Panel tasted 90 chardonnays to decide whether chardonnay is shining as the exciting varietal it is capable of or letting down the consumer with too much artefact.
GRENACHE AND GRENACHE BLENDS
THE VERDICT The judges saw this bracket of chardonnays as fresh and interesting and indicative of a move to a modern wine-making style with restrained use of oak. When oak was used it was finely integrated playing a supportive rather than dominant role. The general consensus was a great experience of chardonnay predominantly leaner and elegant in style.
WINE 60|drinks trade
CRITIC
drinks trade|61 THE PANEL RALPH KYTE-POWELL
GABRIELLE POY
RETAILER Gabrielle Poy is on the wine buying team for City Wine Shop, part of the Spring Street group of establishments that include the European, Siglo, Melbourne Supper Club and The Spring St Grocer. She spent several years abroad, furthering her knowledge by completing vintages in Italy, Spain and New Zealand. In 2010 she was a Len Evans Scholar and 2011 she was a finalist in The Frankland Estate Riesling Scholarship. In 2015 she completed her WSET Diploma and teaches both Level 2 and 3 Awards. More recently, she has become involved in wine show judging at both National and Regional shows, and in 2018 Chaired the Riverina Wine Show.
Victor spent time working with CUB and Foster’s Group before starting a Champagne consulting business in 2004 specialising in grower champagnes. In 2015 Victor started his own import business, Champagne de Vigneron and supplies to off and on-premise clients.
MORGAN DUNN SOMMELIER
PUGATSCHEWVICTOR
IMPORTER
TRAVIS FULLER WINE CONSULTANT
Travis sees his role in the wine industry as much as a hobby as it is work. This passion has led him to gain 24 years of experience with some of Australia’s bestknown wine brands including Penfolds, [yellowtail] and Hardys. Coupled with an interest in travel, Travis is a regular senior judge at local and international wine shows and as of recently was responsible for Accolade Wines premium wine portfolio covering 38 brands. He now heads up a wine consultancy business, The Winemaster.
Ralph Kyte-Powell has worked in the wine and hospitality industries for over thirty years including roles as a wine marketer, retailer, sommelier, vigneron, lecturer and owner/operator of a small hotel. Ralph began writing twenty years ago and has been a regular contributor to Delicious, Cuisine, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and was best known as former co-editor of the Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide.
SHARON WILD EDUCATOR Sharon has been pursuing her passion for wine as both a hobby and career for the past 25 years. Her wine industry experience is extensive and focuses on education and communication. She has taught wine courses at all levels, from basic wine appreciation classes to the internationally accredited WSET’s, and is an experienced presenter. She has contributed articles to wine magazines, judged on tasting panels and at wine shows. She has engaged in Master of Wine studies and passed the tasting component of the exam and was a Len Evan’s Tutorial Scholar.
Morgan began in the hospitality industry to fund his studies. He graduated from food runner to assistant sommelier at Richmond’s Pearl restaurant in Melbourne and went on to work for The Lucas Group as a beverage manager, first at Chin Chin, then at Baby Pizzeria, and finally Kisume, where he was on the opening wine team as Head Sommelier. He currently pulls corks on the wine team at Coda. Morgan has been contributing to The Australian Life pages for the past two years and in September 2017 was named Emerging Wine Writer of the Year at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Awards as well as winning the Best Featured Articles or Wine Column category at the Wine Communicators of Australia awards in November 2017.
Brookland Valley Estate Chardonnay 2017 RRP: $49 Region: Margaret River Distributor: Accolade Wines Points: 90 Judge’s comments: Ralph Kyte-Powell: Good combination of fruit and artifice. Creamy and complete Gabrielle Poy: Alluring reduction, oyster shell and oak spice. Great tension and crunchy acid. Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2017 RRP: $45 Region: Tasmania/Yarra Valley Distributor: Brown Family Wine Group Points: 90 Judge’s Gabriellecomments:Poy: Nice mix of reduction and oak (spice, smoke and crème caramel) great core and racy acid. Delicious.
Ralph Kyte-Powell: Fresh with some complexity, melon, honeycomb and smoky bacon. Good. Deakin Estate Chardonnay RRP: $10 Region: Murray Darling Distributor: Red and White Points: 86 Judge’s Gabriellecomments:Poy:Pineapple and char on the nose. Finer style with lilting acid.
Ralph Kyte-Powell: Subtle nectarine. Clean and pure yet quietly complex. Travis Fuller: Lemon curd centre. A leaner style.
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CHARDONNAY WINE
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2016 RRP: $45 Region: Marlborough, New Zealand Distributor: Moët Hennessy Australia Points: 90 Judge’s Gabriellecomments:Poy:Spice and smoke, driving saline acidity. Great line and length. Delicious.
Ralph Kyte-Powell: Linen and lively, hint of woodsmoke. Travis Fuller: Bright and delightful. Glugable Chardonnay. Bream Creek Chardonnay 2017 RRP: $36 Region: Tasmania Distributor: Fesq Points: 86 Judge’s comments: Sharon Wild: Good depth of flavour and concentration of tropical fruits, mineral length.
Ralph Kyte-Powell: Refined and elegant.
Travis Fuller: Power, texture, toast. Wow!
Three Bridges Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2017 RRP: $25 Region: Tumbarumba Distributor: Calabria Wines Points: 89 Judge’s comments: Ralph Kyte-Powell: Complex and harmonious. Easy and smooth.
Travis Fuller: Builds and builds and builds. Outstanding.
De Iulius Chardonnay 2017 RRP: $24.95 Region: Hunter Valley Distributor: Fesq Points: 88 Judge’s comments: Morgan Dunn: Great texture, highlights of citrus and cut stone fruit.
Travis Fuller: Grilled citrus with a powerful palate.
De Bortoli The Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2016 RRP: $27.95 Region: Yarra Valley Distributor: De Bortoli Wines Points: 91 Judge’s Gabriellecomments:Poy:Butter, spice and ripe melon. Great line of acid and chalky texture.
Morgan Dunn: Good texture with generous creeping acidity. In tune. Peach blossom lingers on the nose.
Gabrielle Poy: Herbal and wax, restrained style with lively acid and greener tones. Nettle and grass. Great energy. Eileen Hardy Chardonnay 2016 RRP: $103 Region: Yarra Valley/Tasmania Distributor: Accolade Wines Points: 89 Judge’s comments: Victor Pugatschew: Savoury, complex and long. Travis Fuller: Tightly wound, peach, melon and very long. Morgan Dunn: Pretty smart little number with peachy length. Katnook Estate Chardonnay 2017 RRP: $22 Region: Coonawarra Distributor: Fesq, Muster and Off the Vine Points: 88 Judge’s Gabriellecomments:Poy:Charming oak, very spicy. Composed palate, great tension and length.
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Thistledown Gorgeous Grenache 2018 RRP: $27.95 Region: Riverland Distributor: Fesq Points: 89 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Ripe cherry spice with raspberry jam. Balanced.
Spinafex Wines Esprit (Grenache, Mataro, Cinsault) 2015 RRP: $35 Region: Barossa Valley Distributor: Visit pages/distributors.phpspinifexwines.com.au/ Points: 92 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Savoury and spicy. Ethereal. Great food wine.
Marrenon Les Belles Echappes 2017 RRP: $25 Region: Rhone Valley, France Distributor: Star Beverages Points: 88 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Cranberry and spice, lifted and youthful.
GRENACHE Tim Adams Mr Mick Grenache 2018 RRP: $17 Region: Clare Valley Distributor: Contact Natalie Chivell –natalie@timadamswines.com.au Points: 93 Judge’s comments: Ralph Kyte-Powell: Bright berries, fragrant Turkish Delight, fine elegant and perfumed. Travis Fuller: Dense, juicy and tasty. Brockenchack Megan Jane Grenache Single Vineyard RRP: $35 Region: Eden Valley Distributor: Contact Darren Naylor –darren@brockenchack.com.au Points: 90 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Cherries, earth, thyme, sweetness and acid core. Very appealing.
The Tasting Bench is proudly sponsored by If you would like to receive information about our upcoming tastings, please email Melissa Parker at melissa@hipmedia.com.au
WINE
GRENACHE BLENDS St Hugo GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) 2016 RRP: $50 Region: Barossa Valley Distributor: Pernod Ricard Points: 90 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Bright, lively cherry spice with texture and density. Victor Pugatschew: Charming and elegant. Hardy’s Tintara GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro) 2016 RRP: $28 Region: McLaren Vale Distributor: Accolade Wines Points: 87 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Cold meats and earth. Textured and tasty.
Grampians Estate GST (Grenache, Shiraz, Tempranillo) 2017 RRP: $28 Region: Grampians, Victoria Distributor: info@grampiansestate.com.auContact Points: 89 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Cool climate, white spice and balances perfectly. Just gorgeous
Mr Riggs The Magnet Grenache 2016 RRP: $32.95 Region: McLaren Vale Distributor: Fesq Points: 88 Judge’s comments: Travis Fuller: Cherry jam and spice. Fine and balanced. 64|drinks trade
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La Venencia was a popular hangout for Hemingway, although I did see one blog question the veracity of this, citing that as there were no pictures of him or any Hemingway memorabilia, how could he possibly have been there? Thereby, entirely missing the point of the place. He was known to drink here with Republican soldiers, no doubt collecting information and stories, as this was a favourite anti-fascist haunt. To the best of my knowledge, Hemingway never wrote a word about this place, nor did he ever mention it in dispatches. Some say it was because he never set foot inside; I prefer to think he was protecting his friends and comrades.
As mentioned, the only thing you can order is sherry, plus some few very good tapas. Pressed salted tuna (mojama), great anchovies, Iberico jamon, Manchego cheese, chorizo, preserved meats, but each glass of sherry arrives with a bowl of nuts, olives or chips. All depends on which sherry. Your tab is written in chalk on the bar and at the end of the evening, the cash (only) is deposited into an ancient wooden register, worked by an old-fashioned lever. In all my years of visiting this bar, I’ve never managed to exchange more than three words with the owner, even considering the lack of a common language. He is not rude, but makes it clear he is not there to chat. Even with regulars, he is taciturn in the extreme, rarely sharing much.
For almost a century, the ultimate hole-in-the-wall bar has been La Venencia, a small, drab, dusty room down a narrow back alley off the Santa Ana Square in the El Barrio de Las Letras district of Madrid (‘la venencia’ is the Spanish name for the elongated tasting tool sherry producers use to take a sample from a barrel). Some years ago, an equally drab building, directly across from the bar, apparently a regular home to Gertrude Stein when she was in town, was torn down and replaced by a ritzy hotel. Sit for a moment, watch the patrons, as they hop in and out of their limos. They never notice the old bar. Feels a bit like watching the Muggles in Harry Potter, never noticing the magic around them. Founded back in 1922, this old bar was once word-of-mouth stuff only. Then around ten-fifteen years ago, someone mentioned it in a guide for British soccer hooligans touring Spain. No one was happy – not the regulars, the place itself and certainly not the travelling fans who discovered the place only served sherry and they couldn’t even get a beer. A Spanish friend first took me there around the turn of the century and I fell in love with the place. I visit it every time I am in Madrid. Step inside and there is an old wooden bar, one man working it, hundreds of dusty old sherry bottles on the shelves behind him and, at the end, a collection of ancient barrels. There are a couple of tables with rickety chairs and a small area up a few stairs, only used by couples preferring their own company or when the bar overflows. That is pretty much it. The walls are stained dirt brown through grime, smoke and time – the only parts not brown are where plaster has flaked away, leaving fresh wall exposed. There are a few posters celebrating Sherry festivals back in the early thirties and fifties. Presumably, they had other priorities in the interim. The floor, as with most of the place, is under untold years of dust – it is almost like the rings of a tree. What could this layer reveal?
Speaking of pictures, it is strictly forbidden to take photographs, this rule apparently a relic of the Civil War, for, as one of the main places the forces opposing Franco met, any sign of a camera usually meant a spy in the midst. Another rule is strictly no tips – the Republican soldiers who frequented La Venencia saw themselves as ‘equal workers’. My final visit this trip to Madrid. It is plus 40°C, so a Fino is compulsory. As I walk in, our friend behind the bar does not seem unhappy to see me. Did I imagine a flicker of recognition? I sit down, feel the stress run off me, and try and catch up on my notes. Oloroso. All walnuts and teak, citrus, glacéd fruit. Lovely, but the Fino is, for me, the star. As I walk over to the bar to pay for the final time, the owner tallies the bill in chalk and says something to me. In shock, I don’t catch it, but I tell him I will be back, probably in ‘dos anos’. He smiles and shakes my hand. I feel vindication, acceptance. I feel like I have just received a Spanish knighthood. I can’t stop smiling till I reach the Chuka Ramen Bar, the best ramen in the city, next door.
By Ken Gargett
LA VENENCIA THE BEST HOLE-IN-THE-WALL BAR IN THE WORLD
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