0001523480069 03 STOUTS & PORTERS DRINKS • TRENDS • TRAVEL • BARS • ENTERTAINING • MEET $5.99 (INC. GST) BOB HAWKE HAVE A BEER WITH BOB COCKTAILSWINTER SEASONAL COCKTAIL RECIPES YOU CAN CREATE AT HOME THE DARK SIDE DOMINATING THE FRENCH WINE LANDSCAPE BURGUNDY & BORDEAUX THE TWIN PEAKS
A SEASONAL BASED DRINKS PUBLICATION FEATURING NEW RELEASES, INDUSTRY TRENDS, ENTERTAINING TIPS, TRAVEL, FOOD AND DRINK RECIPES AND INTERVIEWS WITH MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE INDUSTRY. SUBSCRIBE TO EXPLORE DRINKS AND NEVER MISS A BEAT OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF DRINKS. RECEIVE FOUR EDITIONS A YEAR FOR ONLY $30.00 (INC. GST AND POSTAGE) SUBSCRIBING IS SIMPLE. HEAD ON OVER TO EXPLOREDRINKS.COM AND CLICK ON THE SHOP TAB.
EXPLORE WHISKY ON US! SUBSCRIBE TO EXPLORE DRINKS FOR ONLY $30.00 AND RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF EXPLORE WHISKY. VALUEDATRRP EXPLOREDRINKS.COM $19.99
exploredrinks.com 3 9TRENDS On-Trend 93 Gifts & Gadgets 14DRINKS Editor's Picks 29 Burgundy & Bordeaux 50 Winter Cocktails 62 Flavours of Whisky 72 Stouts & Porters 94 Drinks Cabinet 96 Last Drinks 16MEET Hawke's Brewing Co. 25 Kasper Christensen 42 Vitalie Taittinger 70 Cameron Northway 21VISITEndeavour Tap Rooms 79 Bangkok Scene 82 South Australia 88 Bars, Brews & Beverages 33ENTERTAINING Food & Wine Pairing 39 Food & Champagne Pairing 45 Young Reds vs Old Reds CONTENTS
WELCOME
exploredrinks.com 5
Welcome to the latest, and of course greatest, edition of explore DRINKS. Whisky, winter warmers, spirited cocktails, wine festivals, South Australian adventures and insight into France’s Twin Peaks or Bordeaux and Burgundy are just some of the features packed into what is our third edition. We’ve teamed up with some of the countries most respected experts to bring you the most current views on this wonderful world of brewed, fermented and distilled beverages. When we think of winter, it’s easy to head straight for the whisky cabinet and the red wine cellar, but, considering I sometimes do that at the height of summer, it’s only right to offer something for everyone, so you’ll find alongside our winter reds a range of approachable and refreshing whites too. In general however this edition is dedicated to the darker spirits and some mouthwatering reds, and the beer fraternity have a range of porters and stouts to choose Speakingfrom. of beer, this edition we were honoured to have our ex-prime minister Bob Hawke grace our front cover, celebrating the release of Hawke’s Lager from Hawke’s Brewing Co. While some of us will remember his yard-glass world record completed in 11 seconds at Oxford University or crowd-pleasing skulls at the SCG, his involvement with the beer that dons his name carries a more serious message and involvement with Landcare Australia. Head to page 16 for the complete run Fromdown.legendary ex-prime ministers to glamorous Champagne house owners, we chat to Vitalie Taittinger who, like Bob, also has her name on the bottle. Vitalie travels the world continuing the work of her father and breaking new boundaries with her art and forward thinking marketing of the much loved Champagne Taittinger brand. Coming this June 24 is the Hunter Valley Wine Festival, being held at the Crowne Plaza in Lovedale. To help celebrate this event on Sydney’s doorstep, we’ve created our very own Hunter six-pack of wines for you to try at their respective cellar doors. And if that’s not enough, and it rarely is, checkout our feature on the Endeavour Tap Rooms in The Rocks, Sydney. Known for their great beers and smoky meats, group executive chef Kasper Christensen, gives us a tip or two on how to create smoky meats at home.
AshCheers,
KYLA KIRKPATRICK - The Champagne Dame, Kyla Kirkpatrick, is one of Australia’s champagneforemosteducators who addresses the issues and loves to share her decades of industry knowledgeincluding the importance of selecting the right champagne glassware. Kyla has one of the most unique jobs on the planet and she is one of few in her field. She fuels the nation's growing thirst for champagne by sharing her expertise with champagne lovers, connoisseurs and those who are passionate about the best things in life!
NICK RYAN - Thrown out of university in Adelaide and moving to Sydney, Nick Ryan used the knowledge he’d gained raiding his old man’s cellar to land a job with one of Sydney’s leading wine merchants. Realising that writing about it was easier than lifting it has led him to where he is now. He’s a wine columnist for The Australian newspaper, a regular contributor Gourmet Traveller Wine and GQ and writes a weekly column musing on life for Adelaide’s Sunday Mail. He has judged in many Australian and international wine shows and is a graduate of the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial. He is excited by wines that are just as interesting by the fourth glass as they are at the first and would give it all up to play one game for the Port Adelaide Football Club.
Other explore titles include: exploreexploreWhisk(e)yRum explore Gin, Tequila & Vodka explore Beer explore Cider explore Champagne & Sparkling explore Wine explore Cocktails To order your copy of explore visit: exploredrinks.com Hip Media was the winner of Small Publisher of the Year at the Publishers Australia Awards of 2010 EDITORIAL Managing Editor | Ashley Pini
EditorialAssociateashley@hipmedia.com.auEditor|SashaFalloonsasha@hipmedia.com.auEditor|HannahSparksAssistantEditor|LukasRaschillaOnlineEditor|RachelTylerEditorialAssistant|MaryParberyIntern|StephanieAikins
PHOTOGRAPHY Ingvar Kenne Ryan StephenStuartWalton CONTRIBUTORS Champagne I Ashley Pini Champagne | Kyla Kirkpatrick Wine | Ben Canaider Wine | Nick Ryan Beer | Lukas Raschilla Cocktails | Ben Davidson DRINKS Drinks Curator | Ben Davidson
CONTRIBUTORS
BEN CANAIDER writes about drinking and high culture, including wine, spirits, and beer and is also the author of six books on similar subjects. He is the drinks editor for GQ Australia and ALPHA and writes for The AGE, SMH Online, Restaurant & Catering Magazine, Virgin Blue’s Voyeur Magazine and The Mumbai Trumpet. “When not typing he enjoys writing stories and re-reading his favourite books. He does not go out at night and only patronises restaurants he has been to before,” excerpt from www.bencanaider.com.
CREDITS explore Drinks is published by Hip Media 169 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point, NSW 2060 Ph: 02 9492 7999 wwwABN:hipmedia.com.au42126291914
The views expressed in explore DRINKS are of the respective contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine or Hip Media. Copyright is held by Hip Media and reproduction in whole or in part, without prior consent, is not permitted.
6 exploredrinks.com
DESIGN Art Director | Evelyn Rueda Senior Designer | Racs Salcedo SALES I ADVERTISING National Sales and Marketing Manager | Chris chris@hipmedia.com.auWheeler
ADMINISTRATION General Manager | Melinda Virgona
EXPLORE exploredrinks.comUS
AUSTRALIASOUTH
Appreciating
exploredrinks.com explore DRINKS brings you the latest trends, venue openings, rare finds and entertainment guides. explore DRINKS is your key to the wonderful world of drinks.
VITALIE TAITTINGER
We show you there’s more to winter than a hot toddy and mulled wine with our selection of winter warming cocktails. And for whisky lovers, you’re in for a real treat. Turn to page 50 for our seasonal sips Winter Cocktails
The face of one of the world’s more wellknown Champagne brands, on page 42 we speak with Vitalie Taittinger, to find out how she juggles life between being a mother, wife and business women, and what it’s like growing up in the Taittinger House.
If you’re new to whisky and would like to understand and enjoy this amber liquid, turn to page 62 as we talk you through how to appreciate the complex flavours whisky has to offer. And baffled why whisky is often spelt with an ‘e’? We cover this too. Whisky
SNAPSHOT OF THIS EDITION exploredrinks.com 7
Looking to plan your next getaway to South Australia? Well, we have taken some of the guesswork out for you, with our recent trip down south. On page 82 you will find some of the best parts of South Australia that are a must visit on your next holiday.
8 exploredrinks.com
The Expo will have an array of exhibitors, and everyone will have the opportunity to sample and experience some of the wideranging whiskies and spirits available. In addition to the Expo on Thursday, lectures and seminars with international experts will be held on Friday and Saturday. Seminar topics will have something for everyone including; learn about whisky from an investment perspective or what makes a world-class gin. Technical workshops on spirit production will also be held as well as a discussion panel on distilling as a start-up business. & EXHIBITIONSPIRITS2017
The Whiskies & Spirits Conference Asia Pacific will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre The Whisky & Spirit Expo tickets are available at Adelaidewww.whiskylive.com.auseminarticketswillbereleasedsoon.
Thursday 3rd August 2017 (trade only) Friday 4th – Saturday 5th August 2017 (consumer and trade) SPONSORED
“Because the industry-only conferences will bring together a large assortment of whisky and spirit suppliers, we thought it would be a great opportunity for the consumer to sample everything while it’s in Adelaide, so we’ve combined it into the annual Whisky Live event.” Ken Bromfield, the conference organiser, said.
WHISKY
This year Whisky Live Adelaide will become part of the Whiskies & Spirits Conference Asia Pacific, showcasing other spirits as well.
Attendees will have the opportunity to sample and savour liquor from across the globe including gin, vodka, mezcal, tequila, brandy, rum and other spirits in addition to whisky.
We’ve put together a snapshot of the latest trends, upcoming events and venue openings to keep you up to date with what’s new in the wonderful world of drinks.
Cuddle up with your nearest and dearest and a mug of Hot Spice Äpple Cider at one of the Rekorderlig’s Cosy Winters pop-ups this winter. Wrap yourself up in a blanket, fall into a comfy armchair and bask in that winter sun. Pop-ups will be happening in multiple Australian cities, so grab your friends for a chilled afternoon. You could even win a bar tab to share! For more details on a pop-up near you head on over to the Rekorderlig Cider Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ Rekorderlig.Cider/
VISIT: REKORDERLIG COSY WINTERS POP-UPS
Global alcohol producer Diageo is looking to take the guesswork out of enjoying our favourite drinks. In a study conducted by the manufacturer of over 1,000 Aussies, three-quarters said they think it’s important to have clear information what is in their beverages.
To combat this, Diageo is launching new icon labels that at a glance will show the alcohol content and informationnutritionalof a drink. The first drink to have the labels will be Bundaberg Rum Original but keep an eye out as they are rolled out across all Diageo brands.
VISIT: D’ARENBERG CUBE
ON-TREND
TRENDS exploredrinks.com 9
NEW: DIAGEO‘S NEW NUTRITION LABELS
Fourth generation family member and current Chief Winemaker of d’Arenberg Wines, Chester Osborn, is teaming up with chef Brendan Wessels in this new restaurant to be opened late 2017. Wessels and his wife Lindsay Dürr have spent years training in a Michelin star restaurant, travelling and working in restaurants such as the Lake House and Leonards Mill to develop a unique taste experience. There will be a seasonally changing degustation style menu, accompanied by an extensive wine list of imported and current vintage and museum wines from d’Arenberg. Keep up to date with the opening of the restaurant at www.darenberg.com.au/cube/ Macelleria is no ordinary butcher. The restaurant offers the first eat-in butcher experience in Sydney, where customers can choose their favourite cut and have it cooked right there and then. Owner Peter Zaidan is the son of a Lebanese farmer and continues that legacy by sourcing his meat from Australia’s best beef regions. The menu also offers a range of juicy beef, chicken and pork burgers and a long list of fresh salads to compliment any steak cut. BYO wine is allowed so be sure to bring your favourite bottle of red along with you. For more details and book a table at their Newtown restaurant go to www.macelleria.com.au/
VISIT: MACELLERIA
Tired of your standard vodka, fresh lime and cranberry? Ocean Spray’s latest addition, a delicious blend of blueberries and cranberries, will be your new go-to cocktail base. Not in a boozy mood? The new CranBlueberry tastes great on its own and is the perfect WoolworthsAvailableenergy-booster.inColesandfromJune 2017. Tucked away down one of Footscray’s laneways hides Back Alley Sally’s, the newest loft bar inMelbourne’s buzzing bar scene. Head upstairs to find an ultra cool space where modern stylemeets recycled materials. Be sure to try one of their American style pizzas or salads and wash itall down with one of their range of tap beers and ciders. Not a beer drinker? Their large list ofcocktails and spirits will keep everyone happy. Head on over to their website atwww.backalleysallys.com.au for more details.
VISIT: HUON VALLEY MID-WINTER FEST
10 exploredrinks.com
Feast like a Viking at Sydney’s newest themed bar and carvery. The team at Mjølner invite you to come and bunker down in their den, adorned with ancient runes, swords and yakhair covers. Once there, you will be carved meat from whole suckling pigs and offered over 600 different types of whiskey to swill down just as the great Nordic conquerors did. For more information see their Facebook page: www. facebook.com/MjolnerSydney/
The approach of the cold weather means cider season and cider specialists Willie Smith’s are intent on having a good harvest. How do they do this? Through the age-old tradition of wassailing, where festivalgoers dance and sing to scare away evil spirits from the cider trees. There will be Willie Smith’s cider, food and live entertainment all on offer and tickets can be purchased either online or at the door. For more information and to buy tickets see www.huonvalleymidwinterfest.com.au/tickets/
CRAN-BLUEBERRY Victorian cider innovators Flying Brick Cider have created a special limited edition cider with a difference. The Methode Champenoise Cider is made through the same secondary fermentation process used by the best Champagne makers. This makes for a rich, fresh, sweet cider with a perfect balance of natural acids. If you’re a fan of drier cider styles, be sure to pick this one up. To buy go au/shop.aspwww.flyingbrickciderco.com.to
VISIT: MJØLNER TRY: NEW OCEAN SPRAY
VISIT: HUNTER WINE FESTIVAL AT CROWNE PLAZA
TRY: FLYING BRICK CIDER CO. RELEASES METHODE CHAMPENOISE
VISIT: BACK ALLEY SALLY’S
The 2017 Hunter Valley Wine Festival is set to be the largest to date and hosted at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Lovedale – opposite the Hunter Airport on Wine Country Drive. There will be plenty of the top wineries from Australia’s oldest wine region featuring their latest vintages, as well as local cuisine, beer and cider, and Theentertainment.HunterValley is renowned for its Chardonnay, Semillon, Riesling and Shiraz, along with emerging varieties and organic and biodynamic wines. The family-friendly festival will be held on the grounds of hotel and children will receive complimentary entry and highlights include a jumping castle, carousel, train and mini car rides and face Thepainting.Hunter Valley Wine Festival is a oneday only event, 24 June 2017 from 11am to 5pm. Tickets are $20 and include entry, five tasting tickets and a tasting glass. Interested parties can also purchase the ‘6 for the price of 5’ group offer. For more information, check out www. huntervalleywinefestival.com.
VISIT: ZEBRA BAR AT QUEENS HOTEL
TRENDS exploredrinks.com 11
Crafted from the secret recipe of 56 botanicals sourced from all over the world, in their natural state is what forms the natural elixir that is Jägermeister. Enjoy the well-balanced, bittersweet harmony of Jägermeister in an ice-cold shot to cheers with friends and celebrate the good times. Taste German precision as it was intended with Jägermeister, a perfect combination of sweet, spice, herbal, bitter and citrus.
Keeping with the area’s laidback surfer vibes, Cam Northway and Ian Clark’s new restaurant will be serving up tasty, no-fuss meals right in the heart of North Bondi. The duo are collaborating with Three Blue Ducks’ chef Darren Robertson to create a relaxed dining experience perfect for those dropping in from the beach or coming for a special occasion. The simplicity of the menu will carry across to the drinks, with Guillaume sommelier Chris Morrison and Northway focusing on easy-to-drink Aussie wines and cocktails. Full interview with Northway on page 70 New kids on the block The Mill Brewery believe good quality craft beer should be for all. In their converted warehouse in Collingwood, there’s not a ‘craft snob’ in sight. Their bar has eight rotating taps showcasing six house beers and two guest beers and a stellar wine list to boot. For more information see www.themillbrewery.com.au
VISIT: ROCKER Merivale’s already thriving Queens Hotel is adding another cocktail bar into the mix. The new Zebra Bar will take you from Enmore’s urban jungle to an African safari in the style and comfort synonymous with Hemmes’ brand. Next doors’ Queen Chow will provide Chinese inspired dishes and fellow cocktail bar The Smelly Goat will be behind the cocktail list, including a distinct spin on the classic Bloody Mary that contains hoisin sauce, sriracha and shitake. For more information and group bookings see www.merivale.com.au/zebrabar
NEW: LIMITED RELEASE RARE WHISKIES NOW AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIAVISIT: THE MILL BREWERY
Diageo have released nine limited edition Scotch Whiskies as part of their ongoing Special Release program. Three of the whiskies are from closed distilleries and all are particularly rare. Ranging from the complex tasting, single grain 40 year old CAMBUS to the 15 year old ‘highland style’ COAL ILA, there is a taste to suit every type of whisky lover. Bottles can be found at selected Whisky Specialist retailers and Dan Murphy’s Australia wide. For more information see www.malts.com
TRY: JÄGERMEISTER - BEST SERVED ICE CHILLED
TRY: COFFEE IN A CONE
TRENDS
FOOD
Wallington’s Flying Brick Cider House is celebrating World Cider Day with all things apple! There will be cider making demos, new release ciders and a tonne of food, including apple pancakes and apple fairy floss. There will be tribute bands to keep you entertained and an array of wines, beers and cocktails if you need a break from all that apple goodness. For more information and to purchase tickets see www.flyingbrickciderco.com.au/ events.asp
Chin Chin’s Chris Chefwithwith‘purerestaurantlevelledthisTheandteamanMay,inKisuménewestLucas’ventureopenedMelbournethisheadedbyextraordinaryoftopchefssommeliers.nameofthree-Japanesemeansobsessionbeauty’andExecutiveKSMoonat the wheel, the food is sure to meet this standard. Chef Moon holds his blowfish (fugu) certification and is an international sake sommelier. Joining him is Executive Chef Shaun Presland, who opened Sydney’s Sushi-E and Sake in the Rocks and master sommeliers Philip Rich and Markus Tschuschnig will be behind the extensive wine and sake lists. For more details and to book a table head to www.kisume.com.au
Your caffeine hit just got far more exciting. Think your favourite morning pick me up wrapped in a blanket of dark chocolate with an outside crunch of waffle cone. Coffee in a Cone is the latest craze to his cafes, but at this stage, samples are limited with only a few lucky cafes to get their hands on the cones. Word on the street is the response so far has been overwhelming, so we will start to see this coffee-come-dessert popping up throughout more cafes in NSW and VIC very soon.
12 exploredrinks.com
VISIT: WORLD CIDER DAY AT THE FLYING BRICK BUY: GENTLEMAN JACK ENGRAVING SERVICE
Who said buying someone alcohol is impersonal? Jack Daniel’s are offering customers to have a personal message engraved onto a bottle of Gentleman Jack. Whiskey drinkers, relax that stiff upper lip and share the love on that next special occasion. To place your order, head on over to the Jack Daniel’s Facebook www.facebook.com/GentlemanJackAustraliapage:
This June Melbourne’s top Italian restaurants are getting together to celebrate the wonders of Italian food and wine. The city’s best Italian chefs are joining forces to cook in pop-up kitchens in Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building. There will also be a marketplace featuring speciality cheese and meat stalls, pizza, pasta and gelato. You can even pick up an Italian cookbook to test your culinary skills at home. For the wine lovers, there will be the opportunity to taste over 200 Italian wines by region as well as try Italian-centric Aussie wines at their Italian Wine Masterclass. Not a wine drinker? Espresso di Manfredi’s baristas have you sorted or try a Negroni and Spritz cocktail at the Festival Bar. For more details and to buy tickets see www.italianwinefoodfestival.com.au/melbourne/ melbourne-tickets/
VISIT: KISUMÉ
VISIT: MELBOURNE ITALIAN WINE AND FESTIVAL
13
exploredrinks.com
MONIN RECIPE APP
There’s an app for everything these days. Ordering food, playing games, finding love and forging genuine human connections. What we in the drinks community have been blessed with, however, is a new application that combines the very best components of those mentioned above. One that fuses the elements of creation, communication and exploration with a burning desire and passion for quality drinks. We’re talking of course about MONIN Inspiration.
www.monin.comrecipeandinformationproductmoregreatideasvisit
SPONSORED
MONIN has long been the purveyor of gourmet flavoured syrups and liqueurs. The company was founded in 1912 by Georges Monin, and today distributes 140 flavours in 140 countries. That’s more than a century of making the wonderful world of cocktails a more delicious Aplace.lothas changed since inception, however, with technology and the internet vastly altering the way we experience life. And there is no exception when it comes to shaking and making high-quality drinks. Harnessing the innovation and creativity that MONIN tapped into when developing all those flavours, the brand has invented a new app. MONIN Inspiration is for people like you, who take just as much pleasure in making a new drink as they do discovering it. The app is essentially a database of hundreds of cocktail recipes available at the touch of a button. Each recipe has been tailor made by a MONIN bartender or barista, and there is even a Mood Matcher feature, which allows you to explore different flavours and to find the perfect recipe for how you are feeling or for an upcoming event. But wait. There’s more. MONIN Inspiration isn’t just about exploration. It also allows you to create your own cocktail recipes, using your favourite MONIN syrups, fruit smoothies and cocktail mixes. So get ready to channel your inner bartender and flair skills. It also allows you to communicate with other users, by sharing your favourite recipes within the app or across social media. That’s right you get to keep your finger on the pulse of what people around the world are creating. MONIN Inspiration is suitable for use on smartphones and tablets. It is available for free download in the App Store and Google Play, and has five different language Forsettings.more
14Sinkexploredrinks.comintotheHunter Valley this winter and enjoy deep reds and crisp whites, perfect at any time of year. Managing Editor Ashley Pini takes us through six of his favourite Hunter wines and wineries, just in time for the Hunter Valley Wine Festival this June Explore’s24. Six Pack 1SCARBOROUGH YELLOW LABEL CHARDONNAY 2014 $23.00* Scarborough’s most popular wine and it’s easy to see why. A classic buttery chardonnay and the price is an absolute steal! Put a glass with your Sunday roast chicken. Scarborough on Gillard Road 179 Gillard Road, Pokolbin 02 4998 7563 Open daily: 9am – 5pm Scarborough on Hermitage 972 Hermitage Road, Pokolbin (02) 4998 6538 Opening hours: Thur – Mon: 10am – 5pm 2MOUNT PLEASANT PHILIP SHIRAZ 2014 $27.00* You might not instinctively pick out a Hunter Valley shiraz, but let yourself be surprised with this plush and savoury drop from one of Australia’s best wineries. Mount Pleasant Wines 401 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin (02) 4998 7505 Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 10am – 4pm
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 15 3AUDREY $40.00*SELECTIONWINEMAKERSWILKINSONSHIRAZ2015 The 2015 vintage was one of the greatest in the Canberra District. This wine is abundant with ripe cherry and blackberry aromas and spice, the perfect match for a hearty lamb stew. Audrey Wilkinson 750 De Beyers Road, Pokolbin (02) 4998 1866 10amMonhours:Opening-Sun:–5pm 62009 BROKENWOOD ILR RESERVE SEMILLON $70.00* Semillon and the Hunter go hand in hand, with good reason, so our suggestion is to try some aged semillon? The ILR Reserve Semillon from Brokenwood is a great example of what aged semillon can be, albeit at the top end. It displays beautiful colour and a lively palate with wonderful citrus and florals. Semillon is a wine that drinks well young, but this expression is one to toast for the ages. Sun:9.30amMonOpening(02)Rd,401-427BrokenwoodMcDonaldsPokolbin49987559hours:–Sat:–5pm10am–5pm 5TYRRELL’S SINGLE VINEYARD $40.00*CHARDONNAYBELFORD2014 If the last time you tried chardonnay was a few years ago, pick up a bottle of this. It’s rich in flavour, but not overpowered by oak, a testament to the family’s long winemaking history. 1838Tyrrell’sBroke Road, Pokolbin 02 4993 7028 Opening hours: Sun: 10am – 4pm Mon – Sat: 9am – 5pm *Prices may vary depending between retailers 4TWOCHARDONNAYRESERVERIVERS 2015 $23.00* The 2015 Reserve Chardonnay is currently available at the cellar door and if you’re heading out Denman way we suggest you try this beautifully balanced, golden hue wine. You’ll be rewarded with plenty of orange blossom, peaches and nectarines on the nose. Overall an elegant and wellstructured wine - you won’t be disappointed. Two Rivers 2 Yarrawa Road Denman (02) 6547 2556 Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 11am – 4pm
16 exploredrinks.com 3 GUYS & AN EX-PM CREATING A BEER COMPANY WITH BOB HAWKE
ED: He’s one of the greatest ever PM’s, and a beloved Australian, which says enough in itself, but I have to ask – Why Bob Hawke?
NL: I’ll let you in on a little secret. When Bob first heard that a bunch of guys were interested in creating a beer company with him, he wasn’t too keen. But admittedly, he didn’t know a lot at that stage. And he didn’t know us from a bar of soap. He probably thought it was for a bit of a laugh. So, we put some thought behind it and had our ex-boss, who is one of Bob’s good friends, pass him a snapshot proposal of how we saw Hawke’s Brewing Co. launching into the market. That changed his tune and next thing you know we were on a plane from New York to Sydney and sitting in his kitchen. We were totally star-struck. It was surreal. He had his favourite newspapers sprawled out in front of him and it was clear that our job that morning was to make him more interested in our presentation than those papers.
Picture this, you’re in the home of one of the greatest PM’s Australia has ever seen, with only 20 minutes to gain his stamp of approval to create a beer company in his name. What do you say? What do you wear? What do you bring? These were just some of the nerve-tingling questions that Nathan Lennon, David Gibson and Luke Langton, the directors of Hawke’s Brewing Co., were asking themselves in the lead up to their once-in-a-lifetime meeting with the legend himself, Bob Hawke.
PHOTOGRAPHY INGVAR KENNE
Explore DRINKS: What did you set out to achieve when creating Hawke’s Brewing NathanCo.? Lennon: Well, most Aussies would have just been happy to meet Bob Hawke. But we’re an ambitious bunch of blokes and we had a big, long-term vision for this company. The way we presented it to Bob was three-fold. Firstly, we needed to make cracking, quality craft beer. Secondly, we wanted the company to embrace a ‘giving back’ ethos and have a purpose beyond just making great beer. And finally, with Bob Hawke involved, we wanted the company to epitomise the values of Bob’s kindness, generosity, warmth, charisma, and his strong sense of community. And he also doesn’t mind a beer on occasion.
NL: Once we sat down and actually started to think about it, it felt like a no-brainer to build a brewing company around such a revered and respected man, who defines the best parts of what it means to be a good Australian. Despite his stature as PM, Bob has always had this superhuman ability to connect with everyday people. He’s never been too good to sit down and have a beer and a chat with a punter. That’s a quality that resonates with all Aussies. You only have to see him walk through the stands of the SCG on a test day to see this in full effect. The mob love him, and he loves the mob. He’s always had a special relationship with the Australian people, and he treasures that.
Once we got going he really took to the notion that Hawke’s Brewing Co. would be a company with an ethos of giving back to the community, in some way. And that’s when he suggested a partnership with Landcare Australia. He was still thinking like a PM and having the best interests of Australia at heart. That’s his touch. It was pretty special to watch.
I think she nearly fell off her chair getting a phone call from Bob Hawke. And when
Hawke’s Brewing Co. began as just an idea, when two Aussie mates, Nathan Lennon and David Gibson were working in New York at advertising agency, Droga5. The seed was planted on Australia Day, while Nathan and David were in the office. Being January in New York, it was a typical winter’s day –unbearably cold, bucketing down with snow and generally miserable outside. And to make matters worse, the pair were at work. Nathan turned to David and asked, “Which Aussie would you most like to have a beer with right now?” Nathan, already having his answer in his head (which was, of course, Bob Hawke) heard David reply with “Bob Hawke”. The pair’s conversation then drifted to what a beer company with Bob Hawke at the helm might look like. Or rather, what it should look like. So just how did these three mates put their idea into action? And how do you build a great Australian beer company around a great Australian like Hawkie? Explore Drinks caught up with Co-Founder of Hawke’s Brewing Co., Nathan Lennon to chat about Bob Hawke, starting a beer company, and of course all things beer.
ED: When you first reached out to Bob with the idea of a beer company in his name, what was his reaction like? And can you tell me about the first time you guys met Bob in person?
exploredrinks.com
MEET17
NL: Here’s a true story. Bob was so excited about Hawke’s Brewing Co. forming a partnership with Landcare that he called Landcare Australia CEO, Tessa Jakszewicz, that afternoon to tell her what the deal was.
ED: Can you tell me about the partnership with Landcare Australia?
NL: David and I have worked together for over 10 years. We’ve done stints in London and New York, as well as helped run the advertising for several high-profile Aussie beer brands back home in Sydney. We’ve always had a quiet obsession with the beer category (and a good beer, of course!), so you could say Bob’s given us a crack at fulfilling a dream. Our other director/partner, Luke Langton has over 17-years’ experience in beer and wine sales and distribution. Luke was a big missing link for us when we were trying to set up Hawke’s Brewing Co. We needed someone with a wealth of industry experience, but also someone who was willing to drop their life, make some big sacrifices and work hard with us to make the dream a reality. Luke more than fit the bill. Plus he was a great bloke (and still is!) The other missing link for us was finding a head brewer. We were so lucky getting Justin Fox on board. He’d only just left Colonial Brewing Co. and was really excited to write the recipe for our lager. Juz put our final pilot brew for Hawke’s Lager in tank on Boxing Day, cricket on in the background, so it was bound to be a winner, right? Luke keeps telling us it’s the most technically perfect lager he’s ever tasted. But to be honest, as long as Bob’s happy, we’re all happy.
The guys at Hawke’s Brewing Co. and head brewer Justin Fox wanted to create a quality craft beer that used all-Australian ingredients. Being the first beer in the core range, Justin worked tirelessly with the crew to create a cracking good lager that appeals to both mainstream draught beer and craft beer fans who may be looking for a lager or easy drinking beer. The result is a flavourful, refreshing lager brewed with all Aussie hops.
he told her that he’d be foregoing all his financial benefit from Hawke’s Brewing Co. and passing it onto Landcare Australia, I think she nearly passed out. But the environment has always been something extremely close to Bob’s heart. He was instrumental in helping launch the Landcare movement in 1989, and his commitment to Landcare Australia has remained. We think Bob’s pretty happy knowing that Hawke’s Brewing Co. is a combination of two of his great loves – a nice, cold beer and helping the environment. And as a group, we’re looking forward to seeing how our connection can not only help create some great awareness for Landcare and what they do, but also help fund some much-needed projects. Landcare has so many great volunteers, who give their time and energy to nurturing our environment, so we’re also keen to get our hands dirty and help out when we can. We’ll provide the cold beers at the end of the job!
ED: Tell us about the team you’ve assembled for Hawke’s Brewing Co.?
18 exploredrinks.com
THE BREW
From left to right: Nathan Lennon, Luke Langton, Bob Hawke. David Gibson and Justin Fox
“KNOW THAT AS YOU SIP YOUR HAWKE’S LAGER, YOU’RE MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT AND TO YOUR COUNTRY”, BOB HAWKE.
exploredrinks.comMEET19
Bob Hawke with Tessa Jakszewicz, CEO at Landcare
20 exploredrinks.com HAWKE’S LAGER ABV 4.5% IBU 18. TASTING NOTES A lager brewed with all Aussie ingredients, with a subtle citrus aroma, light bitterness and a gentle dry finish. Hawke’s Lager has been pouring in Sydney since early April. The ‘Hawke’s First XI’ pub roll-out continues with the lager launching on tap in Melbourne on June 1, before kegs and tinnies rolling out to the rest of the nation throughout 2017. To find out where else you can to get your hands on a cold one, head to the ‘beer finder’ section at hawkesbrewing.com “I’VE BEEN KNOWN TO ENJOY A BEER. SOMETIMES A QUICK ONE. THE QUICKEST EVER, ACTUALLY.” BOB HAWKE MEET
TAP INTO THE ROCKS
The Rocks is a winter wonderland. So much so that if it were to snow in Sydney this is where you’d want to be. Maybe it has something to do with the cobblestone streets. Or perhaps the sandstone buildings that look as though they’ve been transported here from old-world England. In our opinion, it’s the pubs, which offer a haven to cosy up next to an ale, which has so much appeal.
exploredrinks.comVISIT21
The Endeavour Tap Rooms is just one of our favourites.
PHOTOGRAPHY RYAN STUART GLASSWARE RSN AUSTRALIA
22 exploredrinks.com Grilled Hiramasachimichurridip,sourdough,maltedbeetrootsmokedcreamandKingfishtostadas,cornandguacamoleChef’s meat selection Crispy withchickensmokedwingsherbbaja
The drinks menu, on the other hand, is just as impressive as the food, with twelve dedicated tap beers, eight of which are from the Endeavour core range, as well as a range of Australian ciders and wine. The jewel in the crown of this beautiful venue is the brewery next door, where guests can actually visit and see their favourite beers being made. This makes for quite a rare experience compared to your usual weekend lunch and is all situated in the heart of the Rocks.
exploredrinks.com 23
The Endeavour Tap Rooms is located in what used to be the British Seaman’s Hotel. Given that the building dates back to the early 1800s, it oozes old world charm, and the outside has remained in tact to pay homage to the historical site. The inside however is a whole other story. Having been completely refurbished by Welsh + Major architecture firm, it now boasts a classic, contemporary and understated feel with low hanging lights and high, marble tables.
VISIT
On the food front is the banquet option, which is absolutely perfect for whiling away an afternoon with friends. Literally sit back and relax as a range of smoked produce and seasonal sides are brought out to you. You can also choose from a range of scrumptious dishes that are specifically designed to share.
BEEF BRISKET SPICE RUB INGREDIENTS 127gm Fine salt 75gm Kibbled black pepper 37gm Paprika 15gm Cayenne Pepper 15gm Dried oregano 7gm 22gmCuminGarlic powder METHOD Clean
ultimate beef
Cover
slicing and serving.
24 exploredrinks.com VISIT A selection of smoked meats
some
GUNS ARE BLAZING AND WE’RE SMOKIN’ it’s the season of slow roast and seasoned it’s time to ignite the chips and give smoking a go. Kasper Christensen, Executive Chef at Rooms has kindly given us tips on how to create the brisket rub at home. excess fat from brisket and fully submerge in brine for 24 hours. We found out brine is a combination of salt, sugar and water. liberally in American mustard before applying the spice mix all over. Transfer into a preheated smoker or BBQ at 146c. Smoke the brisket until it has reached an internal temperature of 75c. the brisket in aluminum foil and return to the smoker until the temperature has reached 89c. the meat out of the smoker and in a warm place for an hour before
Given
veg,
meats
Endeavour Tap
Wrap
Take
rest
ON TAP WITH KASPER
exploredrinks.comMEET25
We caught up with Kasper Christensen to find out about his career history, philosophy on food and tips on how you can replicate his smoky meats at home. Explore DRINKS: Tell us about yourself and how you got started in the industry?
Kasper Christensen: I always wanted to be a chef. From a young age, I was always looking in the fridge, roaming the gardens and eating all the vegetables. My mother was a great cook, and I think this is where I picked up my love for cooking. My mother was also in the hospitality industry, managing a hotel, so I was exposed to the industry from a very young age. I completed my hotel school studies in Denmark, and from there I started working on a yacht for the Danish Royal Family as their private chef. I then worked a few years in Copenhagen, and then in Monaco. After my stint in Europe, I travelled to Australia where I have now been for 12 Theyears.food scene when I first arrived in Australia was very different compared to now. There Kasper Christensen, Executive Chef at Endeavour Tap Rooms
KC: Being a pale Danish guy, I enjoy the lighter style beers. I like the Summer Ale they have on tap or a cold lager. The beer connoisseurs are probably laughing at me right now. ED: Winter is approaching, and food and drinking habits often change. Do you alternate your menu based on the seasons?
ED: What beer do you enjoy at Tap Rooms?
ED: How would you describe your philosophy on cooking and food?
ED: Can consumers smoke their own meats at KC:home?
KC: When I was a teenager I worked in a fish shop, where we smoked seafood, however at Endeavour Tap Rooms smoking meats is taken to a whole new level and it has been a great stepping stone for me. We take an American style approach to smoking and use a lot of rubs on our meats to enhance flavours; whereas back home in Europe you would mainly use salt and sugar and no spice.
MEET were a couple of good restaurants, however, a majority of the restaurants were not of the calibre they are today. The transformation over the years has been significant, and I feel people are more engaged and interested in food, dining out and enjoying the fresh produce Australia has to offer - we’re spoilt for great produce. Australia is a real hub for food and people enjoy experiencing new venues and eating out.
KC: My philosophy is finding the right produce and understanding the back-story of where the produce is from, how it was harvested, where it was raised, was it grain or grass fed and also the welfare of the animals. It’s about treating the produce with respect and using great quality ingredients. It’s all about respect and finding a good balance.
KC: We’re currently setting up to change the menu for winter, so keep an eye out for changes coming soon. The meat menu will most likely stay the same. However, our sides will change based on what’s in season this winter.
Consumers can 100 per cent smoke their meat at home; they don’t need a special cooker to do so. Smoking can work in a BBQ you just need a tray, woodchips and something to light the woodchips with. You don’t want a flame on the chips, but they need to be smoking. You need to check the woodchips throughout the process as they can go out, so you might need to re-light the chips a few times. You can also buy a smoking gun, which is perfect for smoking vegetables and to smoke butter. To smoke butter, all you need to do is wrap the butter in cling wrap, then take the smoking gun insert into the butter and start smoking. You can either use wood chips or hay. The smoky butter works great with mashed potatoes.
ED: You smoke a lot of your meats at Endeavour Tap Rooms. Is this a new method of cooking you had to learn?
EST 2010
DON’T STARE INTO YOUR PHONE. STARE INTO YOUR OLD FASHIONED. IT’S WAY MYSTERIOUS.MORE TIP #34 The Perfect Single Old Fashioned Glass We can all be a little classier. Dress better. Drink better. Raise the bar. So we asked the world’s leading barman to create the perfect cocktail glasses. Ladies and gentlemen, we present the Perfect Serve Collection. You’re welcome. spiegelau.com.au/perfectserve Spiegelau_RaiseTheBar_Print Ads x8.indd 2 18/11/2016 12:18 PM
They are the twin peaks dominating the French wine landscape, the two names synonymous with the stratospheric heights wine can reach both in the bottle and on the price tag attached to it.
Bordeaux & Burgundy: The Differences That Make Them So Unique
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 29
UNCORKED
Burgundy and Bordeaux both have winemaking histories stretching back to Roman times and are foundation stones of any great wine cellar, but it’s their difference, rather than any similarities they share, that make them so fascinating.
WORDS NICK RYAN
30 exploredrinks.com
BORDEAUX IS ORDERLY, BURGUNDY IS CHAOTIC. Most people would advise the novice wanting to explore the great wines of France, to begin with Bordeaux because the road map is much easier to follow. Back in 1855, Napoleon III commissioned a classification of the wine producers of Bordeaux to be displayed at the Exposition Universelle de Paris. The various chateaux’s were ranked according to reputation and price from First Growths down to Fifth, and with only minor fluctuations in the years since, the classification remains much the same to this day. Burgundy, on the other hand, is a byzantine labyrinth of small producers, tiny plots with fractious ownership and a system of classifying vineyards that kind of works but also throws up countless exceptions to the rule. That’s possibly explained by the fact that…
Bordeaux has always been a trading city, its location on the estuary of the Gironde River putting it in the prime position for crosschannel commerce. That geographical advantage was further re-enforced in the Middle Ages when Henry Plantagenet married Eleanor of Aquitaine and began a tightly entwined relationship with the British wine trade that continues to this day. In those periods when Anglo/French relations were a bit testy, the Bordelaise had great success opening other markets in Europe and it was the wines of Bordeaux that drove the fine wine booms occurring in the USA at the end of the 20th century and in China in the early days of the 21st. While the Bordelais were worshipping a god called Franc, the Burgundians went about Vineyards of Saint Emilion, Bordeaux Vineyards, France
BORDEAUX IS ORCHESTRAL, BURGUNDY, A SOLO VIRTUOSO. Perhaps the most fundamental distinction between the regions is the composition of the wines they produce. Put simply, Bordeaux believes in blends while Burgundy celebrates the full expression of single varieties. In Bordeaux, the whites will be built mainly on semillon and sauvignon blanc and the reds will be cabernet sauvignon or merlot dominant blends with a little seasoning from varieties like malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot. Burgundy eschews such complications in favour of strict mono-varietal expression. If your Burgundy is white, you’re drinking chardonnay, if it’s red you’ve got a glass full of pinot noir. But that’s about the only time you’ll ever see Burgundy described as easier to understand.
BORDEAUX IS MERCANTILE, BURGUNDY IS MONASTIC.
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 31 Vineyard. Pommard, Cote de Beaune, d’Or, Burgundy,ChateauFrancedeRully with vineyards, Burgundy, France “BUT BURGUNDY IS ALSO HOME TO THE HIGHEST PRICED VINEYARD LAND ON THE PLANET AND WHILE IT RARELY CHANGES HANDS, WHEN IT DOES ONLY THE EXCEEDINGLY WEALTHY CAN AFFORD IT, SO THE FABRIC OF BURGUNDY IS STARTING TO CHANGE.”
THE BORDELAIS ARE ARISTOCRATS, BURGUNDIANSTHEARE FARMERS.
32 exploredrinks.com
Bordeaux is a place where grand chateau tower over vineyards and names like Rothschild mark the bottles they produce. It’s old money and big money, a community of noble families, the super wealthy, large corporations and, in recent times, an influx of Chinese billionaires. It’s winemaking on a large scale too. Bordeaux’s annual output is on par with the entire Australian crush. Burgundy is all about small scale winemaking from tiny plots often divided into even smaller slices by the way intricate French inheritance laws carve up the assets of farming families. Here visitors are received in dark cellars rather than grand drawing rooms and narrow village streets are clogged with tractors, not Bentleys. But Burgundy is also home to the highest priced vineyard land on the planet and while it rarely changes hands, when it does only the exceedingly wealthy can afford it, so the fabric of Burgundy is starting to change.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS:
BOTH MAKE SOME OF THE BEST WINES ON EARTH. Whether it’s the plush and polished wine of Bordeaux or the exuberantly expressive offerings from Burgundy, there’s no doubting these regions fully deserve their pre-eminence in the minds of wine lovers the world over. The distinct differences between them – sternly structured Bordeaux up against intriguingly complex Burgundy – are what makes exploring these places and their wines so compelling. And it’s the boundless pleasures each can provide that keeps drawing us back.
DRINKS
Vine-clad chateaux overlooking vineyard in Bordeaux, Francetheir business in silence with heads bowed. Most of the vineyard planting and wine production along Burgundy’s famed Cote d’Or (Golden Slope) began with Catholic monks from the Benedictine and Cistercian orders. It’s commonly believed that when applied to vineyards the Cistercian practice of quiet contemplation and studious observation of nature is especially effective in identifying the best sites for planting. That so many of the vineyards they considered to be the best almost a thousand years ago are still revered today would suggest there’s some validity in that.
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 33 Winter WARMERS With the cooler months now on our doorstep, there’s nothing more enticing than coming home to a glass of wine and a winter warming meal to match. Well, we have done all the leg work for you and paired selected Hello Fresh dishes with Degen Estate whites and reds. You can thank us later! 2006 DEGEN AGED citruspressedAnCHARDONNAYSEMILLONexcellentblendof50:50semillonandchardonnaygrapesfromourboutiquevineyardhandpickedinwholebunches,andmaturedinFrenchoak.Thisblenddisplaysclassicmelon,andtropicalfruitflavoursfrombothvarieties. Mussels with Chilli, Garlic and White Wine
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the brown onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and birds-eye chilli and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the white wine and diced tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered with a lid, for 10 minutes.
Thyme
Our Reserve 2014 shiraz has been matured in French and American oak barriques for 14 months and is a full bodied Hunter red. Best complements roast meats and spicy foods.
INGREDIENTSFOUR
1 x Clove garlic 1 x Birdseye chilli 1 x Tin diced tomatoes 2 x Bake-at-home bread rolls 1 x Packet cooked mussels 1 x Handful of parsley 1 Tsp. Butter 2 Tsp. Olive oil ½ x Brown onion ½ Glass white wine METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. To prepare the ingredients, finely chop the brown onion and parsley, peel and crush the garlic, deseed and finely chop the chilli and then drain and rinse the mussels.
600g Pork & veal mince 100g Baby spinach leaves, washed 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated 2 x Tbs. Olive oil 2 Tsp. Red wine vinegar 1 x Red onion, finely sliced 1 x Carrot, peeled & finely diced 2 x Cloves garlic, peeled & crushed 1 x Sachet tomato paste 2 x Tins diced tomatoes METHOD 1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until the gnocchi rises to the surface (approximately 2-3 minutes). Drain really well. Transfer to a plate and pat dry with a tea towel to absorb any remaining water (this will help the gnocchi crisp up).
4. Add the gnocchi to the Bolognese sauce and stir through to heat.
34 exploredrinks.com MUSSELS WITH CHILLI, GARLIC AND WHITE WINE SERVES INGREDIENTSTWO
BOLOGNESE GNOCCHI WITH THYME AND PARMESAN CHEESE SERVES
500g Gnocchi (Note: using extra gnocchi will alter the flavour)
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the red onion and carrot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the pork and veal mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Add the tomato paste, red wine vinegar and diced tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir through the baby spinach leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2014 DEGENSHIRAZRESERVE
3. Meanwhile, place the bake-at-home rolls in the oven and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through and crusty. Spread the hot rolls with butter if you like.
4. Add the mussels to the saucepan and cover in a little of the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until mussels open.
5. To serve, divide the pasta between bowls and top with the Parmesan cheese. Enjoy! with and
Bolognese Gnocchi
Parmesan Cheese
2. Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the gnocchi in 2-3 batches and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Set the gnocchi aside.
5. Divide the mussels and tomato sauce between bowls and top with parsley. Serve with the buttered bread rolls to soak up all of the delicious sauce.
4. To crumb the lamb, prepare three shallow bowls. In the first, place the plain flour and a good grind of salt and pepper. In the second, the egg. In the third, the panko breadcrumbs and parsley. Take each steak and tenderise it by giving it a good bash with a meat mallet (or rolling pin). Dip lamb portions in the flour, then into the egg wash, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Lay them out on a tray or plate, ready to fry.
6. To serve, divide the sweet potato mash, caramelised leek and crumbed lamb between plates. Give everything a good squeeze of lemon and dig in!
TIP: If you don’t have an egg, replace it with 2 x Tbs. of milk.
5. In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat. Shallow fry the lamb in batches on each side for about 5 minutes, or until browned.
BENGAL CHICKPEA CURRY WITH YOGHURT
INGREDIENTS 2 Tsp. Olive oil 2 Tbsp Bengal curry paste 400gm Sweet potato, cut into 2 cm cubes 400gm Chickpeas, drained & rinsed 100g Greek yoghurt 1 x Zucchini, cut into 1 cm thick chunks
3. Add the Bengal curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through half of the Greek yoghurt.
Crumbed Lamb with Pumpkin Mash
3. Heat a frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the garlic, leek, butter and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until leeks are soft. Remove leeks from pan and set aside. Wipe pan clean to cook lamb portions.
Our big Hunter Red! Degen Estate Reserve 2011 shiraz has been matured in French and American oak barriques for 14 months and is a full bodied Hunter red. Best compliments lamb, beef or pork.
5. Add the chickpeas to the pan with the warm water and stir to coat in the curry paste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.
2. Place the pumpkin into a pot of water and bring it to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain well. Coarsely mash with a potato masher and a drizzle of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.
8. To serve, divide the rice and curry between bowls. Dollop with the remaining Greek yoghurt.
4. Add the sweet potato and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until just tender.
2. Add the brown onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until soft.
METHOD 1. To prepare the ingredients, peel and cube the pumpkin. Peel and crush the garlic. Wash the leek and finely slice. Halve the lamb rump portions crossways. Lightly whisk the egg. Finely chop the parsley and cut the lemon into wedges.
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 35 CRUMBED LAMB WITH PUMPKIN MASH SERVES INGREDIENTSTWO 400gm Pumpkin 3 x Lamb rumps portion 1 x Clove garlic 1 x Leek 1 x Egg 1 x Lemon 1 x Handful of parsley 1 Tbs. butter 1 Tbs. Plain flour 1 x Cup panko breadcrumbs ¼ x Cup Vegetable oil
3 x Cups water ¼ x Cup warm water ¾ x Cup Basmati rice, rinsed well ½ x Brown onion, finely sliced METHOD
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium-high heat.
7. Meanwhile, place the basmati rice and the water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes, or until the rice is soft. Drain.
2011 DEGENSHIRAZNICOLAS
36 exploredrinks.com For more details on these recipes head to www.hellofresh.com.au Bengal Chickpea Curry with Yoghurt 2007 DEGEN “365” PREMIUM maturedwholegrapesPremiumCHARDONNAYAGEDAclassicHunterchardonnaychardonnayhandpickedandbunchpressedtheninFrenchoakfor9months.Richinpearandmelonflavourswithasoftfinish.Excellentpairedwithseafood,whitemeatsandspicyfoods.
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 37
1. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, add a dash of olive oil and the garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the green beans and cook, tossing, for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through and slightly tender.
4. Add the remaining olive oil and butter to a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the red onion and the bacon and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Add the garlic, birdseye chilli and arborio rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the grains are toasted. Stir to coat well. Tip: For extra heat add the birdseye chilli seeds.
7. Divide the risotto between bowls and garnish with the remaining parsley and extra parmesan cheese.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
SALTIMBOCCA CHICKEN WITH GREEN BEANS AND PUMPKIN MASH SERVES INGREDIENTSTWO 400gm Pumpkin, skin removed and cut into 2cm 100gmpieces Serrano ham 350gm Chicken breast, butterflied and 100gmtenderisedGreen beans, trimmed 2 Tsp. Butter
3. Meanwhile, in a medium ovenproof frying pan heat the butter over a medium-high heat. Fry the sage leaves until crispy, then remove from the pan.
½ x Red onion, finely chopped 2 x Rashers bacon, rind & fat removed & finely 1choppedxClove garlic, peeled and crushed
ofAwardedCHARDONNAYPREMIUMWineMakerLizJackson’sNotes:Aromaswhitepeachwithlemonlift,delicatelysurroundedbyoak.Melonandgrapefruitcharacterswithextendedmildpalate.Willcellarwell.
SERVES INGREDIENTSTWO
3. Place the vegetable stock cube and boiling water in a small saucepan over a low heat to keep it warm.
MOREISH PUMPKIN RISOTTO WITH BACON AND PARMESAN CHEESE
½ x Lemon cut into wedges
METHOD
1 x Litre boiling water
2. To serve, divide the pumpkin mash and garlic beans between plates. Top the mash with the saltimbocca chicken. Serve with the lemon wedges. DEGEN
METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan-forced.
4. Layer up your saltimbocca by starting with a slice of Serrano ham on the bottom, topped with a piece of chicken breast, some of the crispy sage leaves, and then another piece of Serrano ham. Place the frying pan back over a medium-high heat. Add the layered chicken and cook for 1 minute on each side and then transfer to the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Tip: To tenderise the butterflied chicken, bash it with a meat mallet or rolling pin. This is an important step to ensure your chicken cooks evenly in the allocated time.
2. Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan of salted water. Cover and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to the saucepan and generously season with salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Cover to keep warm.
1 x Birdseye chili deseeded & finely chopped
5. Add 1 cup of the stock mixture to the pan and stir continuously until all of the liquid has absorbed. Continue this process of adding 1 cup of stock at a time until all of the stock has absorbed and the rice is ‘al dente’. Remove from the heat and stir through the Parmesan cheese, the baby spinach, half of the parsley, and the roasted pumpkin.
2. Coat the pumpkin with half of the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Spread out the pumpkin evenly on a lined oven tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until soft and golden.
2 x Sprigs of sale (leaves removed)
400g Butternut pumpkin, skin removed & cut into 1 cm cubes 1Tbs. Olive oil 1 Tsp. Butter 1 x Cube vegetable stock
1 x Clove garlic peeled and thinly sliced
Moreish Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon and Parmesan Cheese 2014
1 x Cup aborio rice 1 x Handful parmesan cheese finely grated
38 exploredrinks.com 2014 ServedlowHUNTERDEGENVALLEYSEMILLONAsemisweet,alcoholwineofgreatfruitflavour.chilledasanelegantaperitifordessertwine.To order these delicious recipes head on over to www.hellofresh.com.au and for the wines www.degenwines.com.au Saltimbocca Chicken with Green Beans and Pumpkin Mash
WORDS KYLA KIRKPATRICK – THE CHAMPAGNE DAME
Pairing Champagne with Winter Produce! As champagne lovers know, this is not the time to pack away their flutes and wait for the long days of summer to return. Champagne is far more versatile than many give it credit for, and while some of us may only consider champagne enjoyed poolside or served with lighter foods during the warmer months, we need to reframe our thinking.
exploredrinks.com ENTERTAINING39
CHANGING SEASONS
MENU ONE WARM DUCK-AND-CHERRY SAUCE
This duck and cherry dish is a classic dinner party pleaser – and a real winter treat. The gamey duck is beautifully enhanced by the sweet and slightly tart cherry sauce. Cherry is the perfect fruit to marry with duck, its more robust fruit flavour won’t disappear when served with the strong flavour of duck.
SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN
We all love home-cooked style of southern fried chicken, with the base flavours of paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano with buttermilk and flour, all combined to create a crunchy layer on tender chicken thighs.
40 exploredrinks.com
CHAMPAGNE PAIR: Eric Rodez “Blanc de Noirs” Blanc de Noirs, is a style of making a white champagne purely from the red pinot noir grapes. The palate is both powerful and fresh creating great balance, and a persistent finish. There is some oak use in this wine, which adds complexity and depth. Champagne has a wide range of partnerships with many different foods. The Rodez Blanc de Noirs directs all its freshness and acidity to offset the duck’s fattiness. The red fruits ever present in the wine provide a backdrop of flavours to dovetail in with the cherry sauce –no wonder it is a winner!
Spoil your palate with some exciting, irresistible flavours by trying these winter food pairings below:
CHAMPAGNE PAIR: Krug’s Grande Cuvée
A magnum bottle is double the size of a 750ml bottle, so the ratio of wine to air is significantly higher slowing down the breathing of the wine through the porous cork. Therefore the wine ages more slowly in magnum resulting in a more complex and full bodied champagne making a perfect marriage for more hearty food.
There are two famous houses that have never stopped using barrel ageing, even when others gave up on it in the 1960s, due to the stainlesssteel revolution. The mighty house of Krug and the house of Bollinger have stayed ‘tried and true’ to barrel ageing – champagne from either of those being fantastic, but Krug being known for the power, layers and depth of its champagne.
“The more time that wine spends inside the wine makers cellar, the more layers, more aromatics, more power and the more complexity the wine is going to have.”
There is more diversity in champagne as a category than ever before, thanks to the experimental new generation who have taken the reins from their far more conservative grandparents, and slightly less conservative parents. Champagne is not simply divided into non-vintage, vintage and rosé – we have a breadth of styles, weights and blends that would see us able to successfully partner with food not simply throughout the meal, but throughout the year! We can marry weight and champagne’s signature cleansing acidity to give us a wonderful balance with heavier dishes during the cooler winter months. Sometimes when we are partnering food, particularly in winter, we tend to match with a heavy wine. At the end of the meal that can leave us flat, overfull and our palate tired and overwhelmed. By comparison, champagne’s bubbles and acidity cleanse and renew the palate. What we want to do is opt for champagnes that have more full-bodied structure. The wine-maker has few winemaking tools available to help achieve more oomph. Look out for champagnes with a greater proportion of red grapes – pinot noir and pinot meunier, wines that have had extra time in the cellar, champagnes aged in magnum or look out for cuvées aged in oak barrel – the traditional method! These methods of production will all add body to the champagne which will partner well with winter cuisine. The body and volume in champagne come from increased ageing, and vintage champagnes by law have a longer ageing period, so they must spend more time in the cellar with the yeast inside the bottle. The yeast triggers secondary ageing, giving us the bubbles that we love.
Barrel ageing is another process that adds more volume and more body to champagne. We are seeing a return of the barrel ageing process with champagnes, such as the monks used in the 1600s. Fermenting and ageing wines in oak barrel adds depth and a voluptuous texture to champagne.
We really should start to open our perspectives and further our horizons, partnering a broader range of champagne with our meals during winter.
CHAMPAGNE PAIR: Charles Heidsieck NV Why is Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV such an excellent example of this category in champagne? Quite simply, they use over 60 different vineyard sites with 40 per cent of reserve wines and six years cellaring which is over four times the required amount for a non-vintage wine. Lobster has a dominant crustacean flavour that needs a wine with this level of structure to live up to the expectations. If you can find a magnum of this wine instead and if there are at least one of you or more, we recommend trying this! It tastes even better in Magnum.
ENTERTAINING
A blend of around 120 wines from ten or more different vintages and three grape varieties go into make up the final blend for this Krug champagne, which results in a deeply rich and concentrated style that has plenty of drive and character to match classic southern fried Ifchicken.Krugis pushing beyond your budget, look for a champagne with higher reserve wine, like Palmer & Co Brut Reserve or a good grower champagne like Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition.
SLOW COOKED LAMB INFUSED WITH PINOT NOIR, ROSEMARY AND THYME
CHAMPAGNE PAIR: Champagne Geoffroy Empreinte 2009 in Magnum Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy is responsible for the excellence of these wines. The 2009 vintage resulted in very ripe and mature fruit most of which is pinot noir from the Premier Cru Village of Cumiéres. Add to this masterful oak ageing, low dosage (6 g/l) and several years ageing in a magnum, resulting in a sultry and definitive expression of champagne. This will feel right at home with the softness of slow-cooked lamb and will further enhance the pinot noir fruit and herbs components. Unforgettable.
MENU TWO LOBSTER STUFFED POTATO SKINS COOKED WITH DRY WHITE WINE
CHAMPAGNE PAIR: Pol Roger Brut Rosé Vintage 2008 Rosé is great pairing champagne for both savoury and sweet dishes. This is due to the contribution of a portion of red wine blended into it before it goes down to the cellar, or has the red grapes pressed to extract some of the red colour and touch of tannin.
Winter is not winter without slow cooked lamb. This succulent lamb dish, combined with fragrant herbs and the added complexity of pinot noir will bring everyone to the table in no time.
Pol Roger produces an excellent vintage rosé that has had six to seven years in the cellar. This provides a great deal of flavour and layers of fruit that would support the flavours of rhubarb, strawberry and orange effortlessly. Add to that some baked notes of the fruit combined with the pastry and you have a stroke of flavour genius.
SPICED PLUM AND BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE Crumble is a famous winter dessert staple, the piping hot, buttery crumble layered with cooked fruit both warms and satisfies. With this dish, the berry flavours are mixed with spiced plum, giving it zing and extended warmth on the palate.
CHAMPAGNE PAIR: Henri Giraud ‘Solera’ RatafiaRatafia is quite simply unfermented grape juice that has been fortified with a neutral grape spirit. In this case, it has been aged in a ‘solera’ system, which is a combination of many barrels that are linked together and allow the ageing over a longer period. This makes it both sweet and complex. This is the little unsung hero in champagne. It would work wonders with the spice components in this dish, drawing from all that time in oak. The sweetness is just enough to match the juicy and tart flavours of the blackberry.
A tantalising and decadent ‘surf and turf’ combination. Cheddar and parmesan will add extra layers of flavour, and the cream both a buttery length to the lobster and a luscious texture contrast to the crispy potato skins.
RHUBARB AND STRAWBERRY COBBLER WITH ORANGE CREAM A cobbler is an alternative version of a classic pie, originating from the 1800s, literally from ingredients ‘cobbled’ together. It is simple to make, yet will leave a long lasting impression – the orange cream lending a sophisticated accent.
If you’re not into desserts, then perhaps look for a cheese washed in Raspberry Ale called BellaVitano - cheese heaven!
VitalieTaittinger
PHOTOGRAPHY LUC VALIGNY THE FACE BEHIND ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS CHAMPAGNE BRANDS
Vitalie Taittinger, art and marketing director at Champagne Taittinger
42 exploredrinks.com
Following in her father’s footsteps has been no easy feat for Vitalie Taittinger. The heiress to Champagne Taittinger wears many hats, as wife, mother and art and marketing director to the family brand. In between her busy schedule, Vitalie recently found a rare moment to sit down with Ashley Pini and chat about her career, working for the family business and her first taste of Champagne.
AP: Do you enjoy Champagne that isn’t VT:Taittinger?
AP: Would you like your children to follow in your footsteps and have a career with VT:Taittinger? If they want to follow this path, I’d be very pleased, but there’s no obligation. I don’t want to constrain them. My priority is that they feel good and are confident in their abilities. I want them to develop their personal talents and desires.
exploredrinks.comSPONSORED43
AP: What’s it like working with your family? Is there ever any family rivalry?
“BUT MOST OFTEN, IT’S REALLY TOUCHING TO SEE THE ATTACHMENT OF PEOPLE TO MY FAMILY NAME. IT INSPIRES A PARTICULAR EMOTION IN PEOPLE.”
VT:Taittinger?
VT: It depends on the moment. For example, when it’s very hot I’m happy drinking a cold beer. I enjoy a glass of wine, and it’s always a pleasure drinking a glass of Bordeaux or Burgundy. I love to explore, and when I’m travelling I always try the wine from the region I’m in!
AP: When did you first taste Champagne
VT: There is absolutely no rivalry. We are very different but we complement each other, and it’s part of our strength. It was our choice to work as a family, so we are happy to work together. The goal is not to compete with each other, but to make Taittinger thrive. We are lucky to get along and have a father who trusts us.
Ashley Pini: You started your career as a designer. What made you change careers and work for the family business? Vitalie Taittinger: The Taittinger House was sold and then bought back by my father. I was very impressed by the risk he took and the success he had. I wanted to pursue this adventure with him and my brother to ensure the continuity of the family name. I decided to continue the legacy of our family and work for the brand they built.
My first memories of champagne are from my childhood. My parents organised a lot of dinners and receptions and when they had their backs turned, I would taste the champagne at the bottom of the glasses left by the guests. By this stage the champagne bubble had gone, so it was more like tasting wine.
VT: It’s true, I don’t have much free time; I work a lot and sleep little! All of my roles are very important to me. I’m lucky to be surrounded by great people in both my professional and personal life.
AP: In your Champagne portfolio, what’s your personal favourite?
AP: You wear many hats; wife, mother and art and marketing director of Taittinger. How do you achieve a work/life balance?
Of course! I like to try other brands regularly and it gives me great pleasure. We have a remarkable diversity in the world of champagne, which is incredibly exciting to explore.
AP: When you’re not drinking Champagne, what do you enjoy to drink?
AP: When people hear that your surname is Taittinger, what has been the most interesting response? VT: Sometimes, they don’t believe me; they say, “I asked your name, not the name of your company!” But most often, it’s really touching to see the attachment of people to my family name. It inspires a particular emotion in people.
VT: The climate has been complicated, but the 2016 harvest will produce excellent quality wines. Our house will make an exceptional Comtes de Champagne this year, but the vintage will be very rare. We want to maintain the consistent quality of our wines while constantly trying to improve. Finally, we have some beautiful projects to come, but all remains a secret at this stage. Some great surprises to come!
AP: You must attend many stunning events representing the brand. Share with us one of the most extravagant and memorable events you have attended?
VT: The Nobel Prize ceremony this year was exceptional. It was amazing to see Patti Smith surrounded by an orchestra, performing Bob Dylan’s song with so much emotion. It’s a great ceremony, celebrating talents who far surpass us but who exhibit a lot of humility. We were very proud to associate our name with the event; it’s a very special partnership for us.
VT: It all depends on the occasion. I love the Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs for its purity, finesse, elegance and complexity. Its taste takes you on a real journey in time. But I also feel very proud when I see the Brut Réserve served in a magnum at receptions. The Réserve is an elegant champagne and is consistently exceptional. This varietal really embodies the ethos of the Taittinger House.
AP: And finally, can you share any details on the 2016 harvest? What can we expect when we pop the cork in years to come?
44 exploredrinks.com
Pierre–Emmanuel Taittinger, president of Champagne Taittinger and his daughter Vitalie Taittinger, art and marketing director. SPONSORED
Young Red Wines vs Old Red Wines: A Comparative Tasting
ENTERTAINING45
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a job in financial services, must be in want of a cellar full of old red wine.”
As that great 19th century wine writer, Miss Jane Austen said, at the start of her annual wine guide, Pride and Prejudice, 1813 edition,
How little anything has changed over the last 200 years. Besides red wine’s status as being ‘old’, and besides being otherwise unprocurable, or having a cork in its neck, or a faded old label, or perhaps even its liquid measure expressed in fluid ounces (thereby making it a pre-decimalisation bottling), do old red wines have any real merit?
Two regulars at my Club’s Vinum Vitae table express opposing views. Yes. And no.
exploredrinks.com
Old red wine is faded, devoid of it’s primary and happy fruit flavours. Its gruff tannins of youth - that gave it such pucker and texture - have chemically bonded together - or ‘plated’ - and have fallen out of the solution (hence the crud in the bottom of the bottle, and the need to decant old bottles of red wine). Its colour is gone, its aromas are no longer of fruits or plants or Mother Earth, but more of old wardrobes and empty cigar boxes and mushroom compost passed its best-by date… Whatever secondary flavours and bouquet there might be fades fast, too, if indeed such qualities are still existent in the old bottle anyway. “Brown wine”: that’s what the “No” judge reckons. Dead, dreadful. All old bottles of red wine taste the same, he moans.
The “Yes” vote doesn’t see any of this at all. Of course not.
WORDS BEN CANAIDER
Let’s consider the ungenerous, cynical and far-too pragmatic view first, that being “no”.
46 exploredrinks.com “ITS COLOUR IS GONE, ITS AROMAS ARE NO LONGER OF FRUITS OR PLANTS OR MOTHER EARTH, BUT MORE OF OLD WARDROBES AND EMPTY CIGAR BOXES AND COMPOSTMUSHROOMPASSED ITS BEST-BY DATE”
ENTERTAINING Verdancy, youthfulness, primary naivety - all of those fruit qualities we associate with young red wine - need time to mature. Time in the right cellar at the right temperature and humidity; time for a melding to occur; for gruff, brash, hurtful tannins to blend into the wine’s other qualities; time for the bouquet to develop and to knock down the ebullience of aroma. Time for secondary flavours to emerge and to harmonise. To drink the great red wines of the world when they are young is a form of infanticide. For hundreds of years - no!, thousands, going back to the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans and their Falernian wines that needed 100 years before they were ready - great red wines have needed great cellars and years of patience before they could be solemnly served and drunk, reminding those who imbibed how things once were and how things used to be… Mmm… A conundrum. Does wine go off in the bottle, or does it ‘mature’, for the better?
With regard to some red wines, the latter answer is indubitably true. Yet the only way to realise this truth, and to taste it yourself, is with some forbearance, and a comparative tasting, which you hold in your own home at either 11am or 5pm. All you need is a collection of six wines, from three winemakers. Two shiraz, two cabernets, and two vintage ports. Oh, and you need a computer, or a butler with a computer. Or an EA with an iPhone. Go online. Find three young red wines. First, the cabernet of latest vintage, whether it be Bordeaux or Margaret River - whatever; but it must be reputable and of the latest vintage. Then buy a bottle of exactly the same wine from times passed. If you can get a bottle with 10 years age on it, do so. More and more wine merchants of the large liquor-chain type offer such ‘matured’ reds nowadays, so take advantage of their service. Repeat this process with the shiraz - although limit the age of that wine’s elderly example to 5 or so years. When it comes to the vintage port, contact the winery direct (if buying Australian VP) and ask if they have old stock available. Whenever I carry out this exercise with my myriad nieces or younger friends I like to compare a current Stanton & Killeen VP from the North East of Victoria (Australia’s greatest fortified wine region, and S&K its greatest exponent of VP) with a Stanton & Killeen at about 20 years of age. Indeed, I’m drinking a 1997 as I type and nothing suits a strong coffee at 11am any Oncebetter.thewines are assembled, and the young people upon whom you are going to conduct this experiment are at attention, proceed Demonstratethusly:all the bottles. Without moving the old bottles about too much (remember - the tannins deposited as crud…), show everyone that set A and set B and set C are examples of the same wine, old and young. I know this seems obvious, but I’m never more amazed by the power of obviousness on Now do some smoke-and-mirrors stuff: use a corkscrew or a two-pronged “Ah-So” cork extractor to remove the corks from the older wines. Decant the older wines into decanters, exploredrinks.com 47
ENTERTAINING
48 exploredrinks.com labelled with a sticker or a non-permanent marker, A, B, and C. Label the bottles from which the wine has come ditto, so there’s no room for error. Sorry, I mean human-error. (Funny, isn’t it, how we have such phrases as ‘man-power’ and ‘man-hours’, but it’s always ‘human-error’? How inclusive...) Take the screw caps of the younger examples of the wines and now pour the wines into three sets: the two shiraz wines side by side (youngest next to the older wine), the two cabernet, and then the three VPs. You can label the younger wines with lower case ‘a’, ‘b’, and ‘c’ if you like, to make sure people don’t get mixed up, but, quite frankly, if one can’t see which is the older wine and which is the younger wine by the difference in colour alone you either need cleaner wine glasses, new light bulbs - or new friends.
Speaking of which, look. Look at the wines. This is the first step in awarding your tasting companions some confidence and learning. The young wine will be as brilliantly colourful and as full of lustre as the inside of Dracula’s after-dinner cape. The older wines will be, well, browner. Duller. They’ll look old and a bit murky perhaps. Old red wine. Young red wine. Just by sight your tasters will be able to deduce this. And they’ll feel supremely satisfied once they’ve learned this. Now smell. This is a simple two-step process. Aroma versus bouquet. Aroma in wine is from nature. Fruit, flowers, vegetables, fresh herbs. Smells that are alive and heightened. In young cabernet, for instance, the aromas are mint, blackberry, cassis, berries. Young cabernet may also have a lick of oak’s influence, too: cedar, coconut, smoke, vanilla. In the older cabernet smell is driven not by primary aromas, but by secondary bouquet, which has developed during the wine’s bottle maturation. Earth, dustiness, mushrooms, cedar, leather, cigar boxes, tobacco, truffles... And similarly the taste of the wine - principally its texture - has changed. Young cabernet is driven by that berry mintiness and - more importantly - by the gruffness of cabernet’s innate tannins. Tannins dry your mouth outimagine sucking on a teabag… But as the wine matures the gruffness drops away a little; the wine is still textural, but it is no longer so furry and puckering to drinking.
Once the tasting is concluded, serve the party pies and the cheese course. And drink the wines. I’m always surprised how the young folk now drink the old wine first.
Of course, the amazing thing about this comparison is that the older wine will always be reminiscent of it’s younger self, and this will come through in the comparative tasting. The mature wine echoing the bolder primary smells and flavours of the younger wine. If you can do no more than demonstrate to your tasters the difference between primary smells and flavours, and secondary smells and flavours, you’ll have done a good job. The shiraz comparison will be more subtle; but the VP comparison will be staggeringly effective. Young VP is all blood and concrete, whereas the older stuff becomes honeydew, the milk of Paradise…
50 Winterexploredrinks.comisthetime of year when cocktails play the role of warming us up instead of cooling us down. The flavours are richer, deeper and darker, filling the palate with soothing, full bodied and comforting aromas and tastes. Dark spirits like whiskies, rum and Cognac are the order of the day in winter, as the time spent mellowing in oak barrels imbues the spirit with smooth, complex and spicy characters which lay a solid foundation to a good winter cocktail. Winter cocktails tend to be more spirit driven, allowing the warming nature of the spirit to play a role in soothing the soul. Additional ingredients like aromatic spices, dried fruits, seasonal orchard fruits like pears and apples, stone-fruits like plums, and apricots and sweeteners like honey, syrups and sweet sherries can all add delicious richness to a winter warming cocktail. RECIPES BEN GLASSWAREPHOTOGRAPHYDAVIDSONRYANSTUARTRSNAUSTRALIA SMOKY TEA OLD FASHIONED GLASS: Old Fashioned glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml Lagavulin 16 Year Old Scotch Whisky 15ml Heering Cherry liqueur 30ml Lapsang souchong tea 1 x Dash Aromatic bitters 1 x Sugar cube METHOD: Place sugar cube and bitters in the bottom of a mixing glass and muddle with a spoon. Add remaining ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass with a large ice sphere or ice cubes GARNISH: Maraschino cherries Seasonal Sips
exploredrinks.comDRINKS51“WINTERCOCKTAILS TEND TO BE MORE SPIRIT DRIVEN, ALLOWING THE NATUREWARMINGOFTHESPIRITTOPLAY A ROLE IN SOOTHING THE SOUL.” ANTIPODES FLIP GLASS: Short cocktail glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml Bundaberg Master Distillers Blenders Edition Rum 15ml MONIN Spicy Mango syrup 1 x Egg white and yolk 1 x Pinch sea salt METHOD: Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a short cocktail glass GARNISH: Sliver of dried mango and grated nutmeg
52 exploredrinks.com The Winter Warmer HOT BUTTERED SCOTCH GLASS: Short stemmed glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml Johnnie Walker Green Label Whisky 10ml MONIN Salted Caramel syrup 90ml Hot water 1 x Knob Salted butter ½ x Tsp. Herbie’s fragrant sweet spice METHOD: Stir together in a short stemmed glass GARNISH: Serve with shortbread biscuits Ginger Meggs
THE WINTER WARMER GLASS: Balloon glass INGREDIENTS: 30ml Talisker Storm Single Malt Whisky 15ml Esprit de Figues liqueur 90ml Mulled wine* METHOD: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and pour into a balloon glass GARNISH: Star anise *How To Make Mulled Wine Pour one bottle of red wine into a saucepan. Add 100gm caster sugar, juice of one orange, one split vanilla pod, one cinnamon quill, two star anise, four cardamom pods. Slowly bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat and let cool exploredrinks.comDRINKS53CINNAMON PEAR SOUR GLASS: Coupette glass INGREDIENTS: 60ml Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey 15ml Fresh lemon juice 30ml Pear juice or puree 10ml MONIN Cinnamon syrup 10ml Egg white METHOD: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a coupette glass GARNISH: Cinnamon quill GINGER MEGGS GLASS: Tall glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml The Singleton Whisky 10ml Triple sec 20ml Fresh lemon juice 10ml MONIN Gingerbread syrup 60ml Ginger beer METHOD: Add ingredients to tall glass and filled with ice GARNISH: Fresh mint sprig and lemon wedge
54 exploredrinks.com PENICILLIN GLASS: Old Fashioned glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label Whiksy 15ml Lagavulin 16 Year Old Scotch Whisky 30ml Fresh lemon juice 15ml MONIN Lemon Ginger & Honey syrup METHOD: Shake with ice and strain into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. Float the Lagavulin on top GARNISH: Candied ginger TIP: Wondering what float means? This is when you slowly pour liquid over the back of the spoon and on top of the drink
exploredrinks.comDRINKS55HONEY GINGER TODDY GLASS: Ceramic cup INGREDIENTS: 45ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label Whisky 15ml MONIN Lemon Ginger & Honey syrup 10ml Fresh lemon juice 90ml Hot water METHOD: Add ingredients to a ceramic cup GARNISH: Slice of ginger root and ginger snap biscuits RUM & ESPRESSORAISINMARTINI GLASS: Martini glass INGREDIENTS: 30ml Ron Zacapa XO 30ml Pedro Ximenez sherry 30ml Cold drip coffee METHOD: Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass GARNISH: Skewered raisins
56 exploredrinks.com WINTER SOLSTICE GLASS: Old Fashioned glass INGREDIENTS: 40ml Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 20ml Sloe Gin 10ml Jägermeister 1 x Dash of orange bitters METHOD: Stir down in a crystal glass and strain over a large ice cube in an Old Fashioned glass GARNISH: Orange peel twist
PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN WALTON GLASSWARE RSN AUSTRALIA
58 exploredrinks.com
Changing of the Guard BRANDY
Not sure where to start with brandy?
Let us guide you. Synonymous with Australia, St. Agnes brandy was created when Dr. William Angove developed a new style that was lighter and more delicate. It’s soft, slightly sweet oak afterflavours complement the clean, yet full flavoured palates of these fruit-based drinks. St. Agnes’ clean, dry style, and depth of flavour ensures that this brandy is as suitable neat, or with a little ice and water, as it is in a variety of cocktails. It’s time to push the dusty stereotype aside; brandy is awaiting, it’s ready to shine and be the hero in your home bar. And the best part - Brandy is a drink for all occasions, whether it’s unwinding after a long day, post meal, or sitting around the table reminiscing with mates. Can we call it a comeback… Brandy has been warming the souls and pleasing the palates for centuries. For reasons unknown to us, brandy never seems to be in vogue, however that’s about to change. Word on the street is brandy is back and it’s what the Don Drapers’ of this era are drinking.
exploredrinks.comSPONSORED59Brandy Cocktails ST. SAZERACAGNES GLASS: Old Fashioned glass INGREDIENTS: 60ml St. Agnes XO Brandy 10ml Sugar syrup 4 x Dashes Peychaud’s 1bittersxDash Angostura bitters 1 x Bps. Pernod Absinthe METHOD: Stir down with ice and strain into a chilled crystal Old Fashioned glass GARNISH: Lemon peel WINTER SIDECAR GLASS: Martini INGREDIENTS: 45ml St. Agnes XO Brandy 15ml Cointreau Noir 30ml Fresh lemon juice 10ml Cinnamon agave syrup METHOD: Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass GARNISH: Cinnamon quill SAINT CRUSTA GLASS: Short stemmed cocktail glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml St. Agnes XO Brandy 15ml Dry curacao 5ml 20mlMaraschinoFreshlemon juice 2 x Dashes Aromatic bitters METHOD: Shake with ice and strain into a sugar rimmed cocktail glass GARNISH: Lemon peel Now that we know a little more about brandy, here’s our top three brandy cocktails to try this winter.
Pear
ingredients together,
1.5
slice of pear THIS WINTER
PEAR AKA “THE COSY” glass Rekorderlig Spiced Äpple Cider 30ml Spiced Rum Tsp. puree of Australian Bitters all of the except the cider. Gently heat the cider and pour into the mixed Gently stir and pour into a heatproof glass
GARNISH: A
or cup INGREDIENTS: 150ml
THE REKORDERLIG COSY SPICED
GLASS: Heatproof
1 x Egg White METHOD: Mix
ingredients.
COCKTAIL -
60 exploredrinks.com
The Perfect Serve
The Swedes, however, embrace winter in a unique fashion, welcoming it with open arms. For them, the season is more about slowing down, getting together with friends and catching up after a busy summer. It’s a time to get cosy and catch up with friends, and what better drink to do it with than a warm Rekorderligcider.Spiced Äpple is the ideal drink for the winter days, made with a blend of the finest apples infused with cinnamon and vanilla, and is, of course, perfect to share. Served warm and garnished with a slice of orange, it engages the senses and brings a little sunshine to the cooler months. So find a comfy chair, saddle up and settle into some good conversation with friends over a warm Rekorderlig Spiced Äpple Cider this winter. Embrace the Swede in you and don’t shun the colder months, get cosy, catch up with friends and make the most of the cooler days. While the Rekorderlig Spiced Äpple is delicious on its own, why not try these cider cocktails and add some spice to your winter.
Winter is a time when people have a tendency to stay indoors and wait for the winter solstice to arrive, signalling that the warmer days ahead are getting closer. To many, it is the season of blankets, soups, and when a tropical holiday is never far from the mind.
1 x Dash
SPONSORED exploredrinks.com 61 THE CUNNING FOX GLASS: Heatproof glass or cup INGREDIENTS: 250ml Rekorderlig Spiced Äpple Cider 30ml Blended Scotch Whisky 1 x Dash of Australian Bitters METHOD: Gently heat the cider in a saucepan and pour the warm cider into a heatproof glass or cup. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently GARNISH: A slice of orange
Buffalo Trace Distillery, Kentucky
62 exploredrinks.com
Flavours
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 63
of Whisky
Learn to love whisky by exploring the ingredients and places that shape this fascinating spirit and discover how to train your senses to appreciate its complex flavours. WORDS HANNAH SPARKS AND CHRIS MIDDLETON
Too afraid to ask how to drink the amber liquid in my glass, I knocked it back in one and spent the next thirty seconds stifling a cough from the unpleasant burning sensation in my throat. Thankfully, the second whisky came with a few words of advice from my neighbour: “Try adding a few drops of water and sip, slowly.”
If you’re new to the world of whisky, it can be somewhat daunting.
It’s like the first time you tried coffee or even beer or wine, and you wondered how other people enjoyed what they were drinking.
My first experience of whisky was at a tasting with around 30 industry professionals who knew a lot more about the spirit than I did at the time.
THE ART OF APPRECIATING WHISKY
It’s easy to be put off without the help of someone who can show you the different ways whisky can be enjoyed or explain the factors that make this spirit unique.
The intense alcohol is often what turns people away, but when you understand the important role it plays in flavour and how to dilute the spirit or engage all of your senses so that it becomes less overpowering, whisky gets a lot more exciting.
64 exploredrinks.com
Whisky is much the same; with time you will learn how to appreciate its complex flavours and maybe even come to love the liquid.
Most whiskies have a 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) or above, which is eight times more than in beer or pre-mixed cocktails of the same amount. But a high strength in alcohol is important; it’s what accentuates the flavours in whisky and anything below that figure can be catastrophic to the way it tastes.
America, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Japan represent 95 per cent of the world’s whisky (Australia falls among the other five per cent) and each has its own set of styles, just as a brand has its range of whiskies, known as expressions.
America and Ireland also differ in their spelling of whisky, adding an ‘e’ (whiskey), but every distillery regardless of its location uses the same six flavour components - water, grain, yeast, copper, wood and time.
While it may have the least flavour, water and its source can make all the difference to the final aroma and taste. In Scotland, some distilleries believe water from the resident peat bogs and heather-covered hills gives their whisky vegetal and floral notes, while America’s bourbon whiskey industry favours hard water for its rich minerals.
Grain is the most influential ingredient in shaping the flavour foundation of a whisky and varies between country and distillery. For example, Scotland’s malt whiskies are made from 100 per cent malted barley, while corn is the backbone of America’s bourbon industry, flavoured with rye. Malted barley is known for
65
Jack Daniel’s barrels moved during production, Tennessee DRINKS exploredrinks.com
A GUIDE TO STYLES
BOURBON Bourbon is a particular style of whiskey made in America and to strict guidelines. Among other rules, bourbon must include at least 51 per cent corn and be aged in new, charred oak barrels. It is the charred oak barrels that give bourbon a distinctive sweet character with flavours of vanilla and caramel.
CANADIAN Most Canadian whiskies fulfil demand locally and in America, which sadly means not as many make their way to Australia.
Scotland’s two most popular styles are single malt and blended. Single malt whisky is made from 100 per cent malted barley, while blended is a mixture of both malted barley and grain whiskies (e.g. corn or wheat). Scotch is often characterised by a peated (smoky) aroma or flavour, which refers to the traditional use of peat from local bogs to heat the still. IRISH Irish distillers traditionally blend unmalted barley with malted barley. They then distill the spirit three times for a smoother texture and blend for a second time with grain whiskey. It is the combination of these two processes that have provided Ireland with a signature spirit that is lighter, oilier, fruitier and easy to drink.
Canadian distillers prefer to distill and age each grain separately, and then blend to brand specifications. Relaxed whisky laws in the country mean its distillers can be more flexible in production. Their whisky is characteristically light, smooth and fruity.
66 exploredrinks.com its sweeter, creamier notes, while unmalted adds a subtle spiciness to the spirit. Corn has a sweetness/creaminess, soft and oil characters and rye is more spicy, fruity and floral. Producers may also choose wheat, oats, and even rice. Yeast is responsible for turning the sugar in the grain into alcohol and in the process imparts esters - the fruity and floral flavours in whisky often labeled as orchard (pears, apples), stone (apricot, peach), citrus (orange, lemon), berries (strawberry, red berry) and tropical (banana, Coppermango). is the material of the still, the equipment that cooks the ingredients or wash as it is called at this stage. The vapour from the heat inside the still interacts with the copper and depending on the height, shape and distillation speed, will determine if the whisky is light or heavy in flavour. The most exciting contributor to flavour however, comes at the end. Originally used to transport whisky, today the purpose of wooden barrels is to mature the whisky. Around 60-80 per cent of the final product’s flavour and colour comes from this stage. Oak is the most common type of wood used across the world, but even this can vary in type, age and former use. The most popular are white and red oak. American law dictates that bourbon whiskey must be aged only in American new white oak, which means these producers can use the barrel just once. Other whisky makers can reuse a barrel as many times as they like and will often buy American exbourbon barrels for a cheaper price as well as for the flavour residues in the wood. Some will also use barrels that were first used to mature fortified wines such as sherry.
SCOTCHSTYLES
JAPANESE Japan’s whisky industry is relatively young, starting in the early 20th century. The country was inspired by Scotland’s historic distilleries and many similarities can be found between the two. Japanese whisky tends to be lighter in flavour however, to suit their local cuisine of delicate seafood, vegetable and rice dishes.
The wood influences the whisky both through direct contact and its pores, which allow the spirit to be exposed to the external environment. American ex-bourbon barrels have a light and floral character with a vanilla note and sweet taste, while sherry casks are known for their dried fruit, raisin and sweet flavours as a byproduct of the wine. Last but not least is time, a legal requirement and key to maturation. The longer the whisky is left in the barrel, the more flavours that are extracted from the wood. In America and Australia the hot summer climate accelerates the maturation process, and so these countries only have to age their whisky for two years. The colder climates of Scotland, Ireland, Japan and Canada, however, dictate a minimum of three years.
Preparation WHISKY TASTING
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 67
Generally, a younger whisky will sparkle while an older whisky will have a rich colour from years spent in wood. If it has a reddish hue, the whisky is likely to have been matured in European red oak previously used to mature sherry or port. A light golden hue suggests an exbourbon barrel. Next, swirl the whisky around the glass, coating the interior thoroughly. See how the whisky runs down the side of the glass in tiny streams called legs. If they run down quickly and in many streams the whisky is light bodied, probably a young whisky. A medium or heavy bodied whisky will form larger, slower legs.
Small tulip shaped glass Pen and paper Whisky (10 15ml per tasting Bottled or spring water
Turn to page 50 for our favourite whisky cocktail recipes.
TASTE Now to taste the whisky. Start by sipping a small amount onto the middle of your tongue, then roll it back and hold it in your mouth for about 20 seconds. The whisky is at its peak of intensity at this moment and will to open up after the initial top notes and ethanol burn. Again, check to see the distiller’s notes on the label for some guidance. See if you can detect the types of grains and woods that have been used. Also think about how the whisky feels in your mouth – is it warming, creamy, oily, smooth, spirity, mouth-coating, mouth-drying, cloying even metallic. Ryes and whisky in European oak tend to be dry, while sherry wood whiskies can feel cloying. Repeat this process to try the whisky again or a different whisky. Drink bottled or spring water each time to clean your palate.
SMELL If this is your first time tasting, we recommend adding a large piece of ice or three drops of water to your whisky to help soften and open up the aroma. First, swirl the whisky around in the glass a few times to help further release the aromas and then gently sniff the whisky with your mouth open to engage more of your Writesenses.downwhat you smell. If its vanilla and caramel it will likely be bourbon; smoky and it may be peated; raisins and fruit cake and ex-sherry barrels may have been Checkused.thelabel of your whisky and see if the aromas you find correspond with the tasting note from the distillery.
Tasting a whisky at home or in a bar is the next step to deepening your understanding and appreciation of the spirit. Discover more from your whisky, whether it’s neat, on the rocks or with a splash of water.
SIGHT Hold the whisky in your glass to the light and note if it’s clear or a little cloudy.
Pairing Whisky & Food
LAGAVULIN 16 YEAR OLD SCOTCH WHISKY Country of Origin: Scotland Type: Single malt ABV: 43% About: Lagavulin was one of the first legal distilleries on the island of Islay, built by local farmer John Johnston in 1816. The 16 Year Old is the distillery’s best-known whisky. Tasting note: Deep amber in colour. Intense, peat smoke nose with hints of iodine and seaweed. Peat smoke fills the palate with a gentle but strong sweetness, followed by sea salt and subtle wood. Long, elegant finish. Food pairing: Cashel Irish Blue Cheese or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup for an alternate pairing. TALISKER 10 YEAR OLD SCOTCH WHISKY Country of Origin: Scotland Type: Single malt ABV: 45.8% About: Talisker is one of Scotland’s most remote distilleries, located on the shores of the Isle of Skye. This whisky won Best Single Malt Scotch at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Tasting note: Bright gold in colour. Powerful peat smoke and a hint of sea water with citrus sweetness on the nose. Flavours of rich dried fruit sweetness, smoke, barley malt and spice. Long, warming finish. Food pairing: Stilton jaffle and fresh seafood.
68 Justexploredrinks.comlikeyourother
favourite drinks, whisky can also be enjoyed with food. Rich, fatty foods such a cheese and chocolate make the best matches as they coat your mouth and cut through the whisky flavour. Delve into these suggested pairings.
Country of Origin: America Type: Bourbon ABV: 40% About: Woodford Reserve is one of Kentucky’s oldest bourbon makers, founded in 1812. This is its most popular whiskey and has more than 200 detectable flavours. Tasting note: Honey amber in colour. Rich dried fruit, hints of mint, vanilla, tobacco spice, orange and cocoa on the nose. Complex citrus, cinnamon, cocoa, caramel and spice flavours. A smooth and creamy finish. Food pairing: Aged parmesan cheese, dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts.
CRAGGANMORE 12 YEAR OLD SPEYSIDE SCOTCH WHISKY
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 69
WHISKYRESERVELABELSCOTCH
Country of Origin: Scotland Type: Single malt ABV: 40% About: Highland Park was established in 1798. This was the first expression made by the distillery and is still at the core of its range. Tasting note: Bright amber in colour. Heather-honey sweetness and peaty smokiness on the nose. Rounded smoky sweetness and rich malt flavours. A long, sweet finish with heathery notes and subtle smoke. Food pairing: Salted dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cacao) or quality beef jerky.
JOHNNIE WALKER GOLD
WHISKY
Country of Origin: Scotland Type: Blended ABV: 40% About: Johnnie Walker is the most famous name in whisky and began almost 200 years ago in 1820. Gold label showcases the blender’s art, featuring whiskies from Speyside, the Highland area and West Coast. Tasting note: Golden amber in colour. Maple syrup, spices and malt on the nose. Creamy smoothness, gentle smokiness, sweet fruits, vanilla and honey on the palate. Smoke and oakiness on the finish. Food pairing: Dark chocolate coated honeycomb.
Country of Origin: Scotland Type: Single malt ABV: 40% About: Cragganmore is located in the Speyside region of Scotland and its 12 Year Old has been said to have “the most complex aroma of any malt,” by whisky writer Michael Jackson. Tasting note: Gold in colour. Sweet, floral nose with hints of riverside herbs and flowers. Strong, distinctly malty flavour with hints of sweet wood smoke and sandalwood. Long, maltdriven finish with light smoke and sweetness. Food pairing: Quality jamon like the nutty and buttery ibérico hams of Spain.
HIGHLAND PARK 12 YEAR OLD SCOTCH
STRAIGHTRESERVEWOODFORDKENTUCKYBOURBON
There is also regularly rotating beers on tap, giving local craft brewers a chance to get their draughts out there. All these elements combine to make a venue run by a local for the locals.
ROLL ON IN TO ROCKER, BONDI’S LATEST LOCAL
Drinks and hospitality expert Cam Northway believes in the Bondi way of life. His latest venture, Rocker, is a relaxed dining experience, embodying the suburb’s laid-back, beachside vibes. Northway and his team, including longtime business partner Ian Clark, want to create the perfect local spot for any time of the day, whether you’re dropping in for a morning coffee or having dinner for a special occasion.
The venue itself combines natural elements such as recycled wood, greenery, stone and leather with aspects of edgy, industrial design to create a relaxed but chic atmosphere. To compliment this, chef Darren Robertson and Rocker business partner (The Farm, Three Blue Ducks) has created a menu of hassle free and tasty dishes including big and small plates, sides specials and desserts.
“Locals aren’t coming to try a cocktail that took three weeks to age, 10 minutes to prepare and which is served in an old record player,” he jests. “Our philosophy is simple and tasty drinks, made quickly and effortlessly with a Althoughsmile.”thefocus is on modest creations, Northway’s experience with specialist drinks agency Sweet&Chilli shines through a cocktail list full of flavour that ensures, in his words, “…a restaurant bar that is more than just a dispense Tostation.”workbeside him on Rocker’s drinks team, Northway and Robertson have sourced one of the best in the industry. Former Guillaume sommelier Chris Morrison is in charge of the wine list, sourcing wines from predominantly smaller producers Australia wide.
“It’s a real neighbourhood spot,” Northway says. “Everyday people drop in and say hello. I really enjoy just hanging out in the space.”
WORDS STEPHANIE AIKINS
70 exploredrinks.com
In surfing, ‘rocker’ refers the curvature of a surfboard from nose to tail. This term is a fitting name for drinks and hospitality expert Cam Northway’s latest venture, a slight curve away from his previous focus on cocktail bars. We spoke to Cam recently about his new café/restaurant in Bondi, its philosophy and how he incorporates his passion for good cocktails.
From his years of experience working in and managing cocktail bars, Northway extends this philosophy to a drinks menu that aims to make Rocker stand out from the area’s bustling café/restaurant scene.
“We want guests to feel comfortable at all times of the day/night, enticing them to drop in after a swim or come for a nice dinner,” says Northway. “It’s about creating a venue where people feel comfortable so that they can drop in a few times a week and focus on the important stuff – enjoying good company, beautiful food, wine and cocktails.” Their ethos is ‘keep things simple and nofuss’, an idea that has clearly influenced their use of space and crafting of the menu.
exploredrinks.comMEET71“OUR PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE AND TASTY DRINKS, MADE QUICKLY AND WITHEFFORTLESSLYASMILE.”
Cameron Northway and Darren Robertson
72 exploredrinks.com
THE DARK SIDE
WORDS LUKAS RASCHILLA Guinness took the style to his native Dublin did the local Liffey water and the use of roasted, unmalted barley (for economic reasons) created a new taste. The difference from the porter style was completed by dropping the term porter from ‘stout porter’ and simply call it ‘stout’. The rest is, of course, history but the dry, creamy, roast astringency from the barley is an essential part of the stout style. Arthur Guinness’ style is now known as a dry Irish stout and is surprisingly drinkable, being light-bodied and fairly low in alcohol (4-4.5% ABV). There are many other deviations on stout, each with their own particular character. Milk stouts were very popular during the war years for their nutrients, milk sugar (lactose) sweetness, the rich proteins found in oats keeps the beer dry but fuller on the palate. Nowadays, the two can be somewhat difficult to differentiate, with craft brewers now brewing porters that are stronger than most stouts, yet continue to call them porters. Brewers, however, seem to agree on the kind of malt that should be used to brew each type of beer. Porters use malted barley and stouts are primarily made from unmalted roasted barley, which is where the coffee flavour associated with stout comes from. The bottom line is, once you can appreciate the category of these dark brews and a style you prefer, porters, stouts and dark ales are enjoyable, and will at times, seemingly overlap in taste, aroma, texture and alcohol percentage. Welcome to the dark side of beer.
PORTER The term porter was named after the movers and carriers of London – and is strong and dark with a high alcohol content (usually 6% or higher ABV). Porters are dark brown to black in colour with roast, coffee-like notes coming from the highly kilned black malt. Porters come in a few variations, from the brown porter to the robust porter where everything is dialled up to the max with rich dark fruits and high alcohol, making it one to be sipped and savoured. English and American versions also exist as does the Baltic porter. The Baltic porter is one to keep an eye out for, having a high alcohol content (6.5-9.5% ABV) with a clean, creamy palate. English porters are moderate in strength, brown with restrained roast character and bitterness. Many have roasted flavours without burnt qualities and often have a chocolate-caramel malt finish. American porters are substantial, malty dark beers with complex dark malt character. They feature a lightly burnt malt character (and sometimes chocolate and/ or coffee flavours) with a touch of grainy, dark malt dryness in the finish. They can range from dry to medium sweet.
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 73
STOUT The term stout in the eighteenth century England indicated simply that the beer was a strong one. Hence a ‘stout’ porter was of high alcohol and taste, rather than being of a different style. It would be difficult to mention the category without mentioning the famed Irish and perhaps considered the original stout, Guinness. In fact, it was only when Arthur Dark beers to the uninitiated can be viewed as an acquired taste, or ones that takes some getting used to, but in fact, these beauties aren’t far removed from some of their pale, golden counterparts. Often the roasted malt being the main point of differenceand what gives it a dark colour. While dark ales, dark lager and even black IPAs fit under the dark beer moniker, stouts and porters are what the dark beer category is best known for. But what exactly is the difference between the two?
74 exploredrinks.com EXPLORE DRINKS TOP PICKS BIG SHED BREWING GOLDEN STOUT TIME DESSERT STOUT (SA) ABV Tasting5.4%Notes Golden Stout Time is made to invoke old memories and leave new ones. This is a hearty stout infused with toffee and honeycomb and light on hops, taking you back to childhood summers spent enjoying Golden Gaytime icecreams. Despite its origins in the iconic summer treat, it is best enjoyed in the depths of winter. 4 PINES STOUT (NSW) ABV Tasting5.1%Notes The 4 Pines Stout is an Irish style stout, almost black in colour and bearing a generous tan head. Aromas of coffee, chocolate and caramel are matched with a full-bodied mouthfeel, smooth finish and rounding bitterness.
ABV Tasting6.3%Notes
DRINKS COOPERS BEST EXTRA STOUT (SA)
ABV Tasting5.2%Notes
Part of Bridge Road’s core range, and a Gold Medal winner at the Sydney Royal Beer and Cider show, and a Silver at the 2015 Craft Beer Awards, the Robust Porter has big chocolate, roasted and mocha notes that are key to the style. Using roasted barley and chocolate malt, this porter is big and bold, yet has a smooth roasty texture.
Coopers Best Extra Stout is ideal for those who love a hearty brew. Made with a robust blend of fruit and chocolate flavours and bitter hop notes, it’s everything a stout should be. This is an all malt brew that’s naturally conditioned in the bottle. It’s rich, dark texture comes from the use of specially roasted black malt.
BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS ROBUST PORTER (VIC)
exploredrinks.com 75
76 exploredrinks.com GUINNESS DRAUGHT (IRELAND) ABV Tasting4.2%Notes Sweet aroma with a coffee and malty nose. The perfect balance of bitter and sweet with a malt and roast character, followed by a smooth, creamy and balanced palate. QUIET DEEDS VANILLA PORTER (VIC) ABV Tasting6.2%Notes This seasonal brew from Quiet Deeds is a robust and rich porter full of vanilla, chocolate and coffee characters on the palate with moderate bitterness balanced with a trace of smokiness on the finish.
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 77 “PORTERS USE MALTED BARLEY AND STOUTS ARE PRIMARILY MADE FROM UNMALTED ROASTED BARLEY, WHICH IS WHERE THE COFFEE FLAVOUR ASSOCIATED WITH STOUT COMES FROM.” HOLGATE CHOCOLATETEMPTRESSPORTER(VIC) ABV Tasting6%Notes This beer is the ideal winter warmer, infused with Dutch cocoa and whole vanilla beans. This already robust brew is a blend of seven malts, giving a complex palate of chocolate, coffee and caramel flavours, balanced by a hint of vanilla. Available Year Round. BATCH BREWING ELSIE THE MILK STOUT (NSW) ABV Tasting4.4%Notes Elsie is made by combining unfermentable lactose with a malt bill, so complex the brewers at Batch refer to it as their ‘kitchen sink beer’. The result is a beer that’s sweet and smooth and dark and roasty, with gentle touches of chocolate, coffee and cream. Served on nitrogen at the brewery and in 440ml cans, this stout has an incredibly thick and smooth texture. Available Year Round.
VISIT79
exploredrinks.com
Bangkok - a city of sights, sounds, non-stop action, grit and character – a diverse mix of old and new. Undoubtedly a city full of hustle and bustle where negotiation and haggling is a way of life, and while some of the best cheap eats on the planet are found here, the tropical climate and 24-hour nightlife lends itself to some of the best bars in the world, with key players opening up venues here. To start the night off or turn it up a gear what drink would be more fitting in the ‘Sin City of Asia’ than an ice-cold shot of Jägermeister? Cheers with friends, discover new places, and celebrate the good times. Here’s our guide to some of the best bars Bangkok has on offer.
BACKSTAGE COCKTAIL BAR Backstage Cocktail Bar is located inside the PlayHaus Thonglor Boutique Hotel. The entire venue is decorated like a stage play, and the bar itself makes up the dressing room part. A place where you can relax and be yourself, the space is small, comfortable and dimly lit with vintage lamps. Behind the bar are three Hollywood makeup mirrors and an impressive range of spirits and liqueurs. These are the stars of the cocktail menu, which features 12 signature classics with a twist. But don’t be afraid to sing out for something new, just pick your poison and let the bartenders work their magic. PlayHaus Thonglor 205/22-23, 55 Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand T: +66 61 519 5891 W: MonOpeningwww.facebook.com/backstagecocktailbarbkk/hours:-Sun:7pm–2am
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE IN BANGKOK-BEST BARS
80 exploredrinks.com
THE BAMBOO BAR Located on the ground floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, The Bamboo Bar is an institution for live jazz music. The inside is moody and stylish, with low lights and mirrored ceilings evoking a 19th-century charm. As for the beverage and liquor concept, it was created by the hotel’s award-winning mixologist team and features a range of original recipes. The names of the cocktails also double as music terms, an interesting and unique way to introduce patrons to the history of jazz. The Bamboo Bar also adheres to a smart dress code, so pop on your best frock and prepare for a lovely night with friends. Oriental Ave, Khwaeng Bang Rak, Khet Bang Rak, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10500, Thailand T: +66 2 659 9000 W: FriSunOpeningwww.mandarinoriental.comhours:-Thurs:5pm-1am-Sat:5pm-2am
TEENS OF THAILAND If you’re looking for a great gin bar, then Teens of Thailand in your go-to spot. Located in Chinatown, the entrance is marked by a beautiful wooden door. Inside are bar, concrete walls sporting racy photographs, hipster bar kegs and a vast collection of gin. Mixologist Niks AnumanRajadhon changes his drinks list daily, so keep a look out for the board. And don’t let the name fool you, it’s a respectable joint with a vintage inspired aesthetic.
76 Khwaeng Pom Prap, Khet Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10100, Thailand T: +66 96 846 0506 W: SunOpeningwww.facebook.com/teensofthailandhours:-Mon:7pm–1am
RABBIT HOLE Hidden away in Bangkok behind a plain timber façade is the Rabbit Hole cocktail bar. The double height interior is furnished in both a raw industrial and luxurious manner. Key among these elements are the concrete floors, the steel staircases, the Middle Eastern carpets and a spectacular wall installation inspired by Chinese medicine cabinetry to showcase an impressive range of whiskies. The cocktail menu has been recently updated, and the bartenders make their drinks with polished technique and finesse. Look forward to a live DJ on Friday and Saturday nights, or stop by during the week for a more relaxing time. 125 Sukhumvit55 (Thonglor), Klongtonnuea, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand T: +66 98 969 1335 W: SunOpeningwww.facebook.com/rabbitholebkkhours:-Mon:7pm–3am 10/15 Soi Convent Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, T:Thailand+662 235 2777 W: MonOpeningwww.vesperbar.cohours:-Fri12–2:30pm, 6pm – 1am Sat: 6pm – 1am Sun: 6pm – 12am
VISIT81
VESPER Famous for its custom-made cocktails, Vesper is one of the sleekest cocktail bars and Italian restaurants in Bangkok. The kitchen is run by chef Luca Appino and showcases a range of simple dishes and fresh produce. Among them is the immensely satisfying and locally sourced chorizo with wild rocket. The drinks offerings are just as impressive, with a solid wine list and all the cocktails choices your heart may desire. As for the interior, expect dark wood and marble tabletops; think European chic.
exploredrinks.com
WORDS BEN CANAIDER AND ASHLEY PINI South Australia’s representative state association was founded in 1840 and in the Barossa there are vines - still bearing fruit - planted in 1843. A year later, Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold opened his surgery at Magill, just 5kms or so east of Adelaide, in the morning shadows of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Planting cuttings he’d brought from France, Dr. Penfold was aided by his wife, Mary, and as his practice grew, Mrs. Penfold is credited with running and expanding the vineyards and winery, and successfully so.
A few years later, in 1860, shiraz was being planted by German immigrants next to the Gnadenberg Church in Eden Valley. These old vines - the Grandfather vines - are still with us; they are unirrigated and very low yielding and, nearly a hundred years later, became the vehicle for Henschke’s first Hill of Grace wine, made in 1958. It is a remarkable story - one vineyard with vines nearly a century old distilling the very essence of South Australia’s immigrant and colonial Interestinglyhistory.enough, the wine that tips Hill of Grace regarding reputation, Grange, was also first being put together in that decade of the 1950s. It, however, was not so much a wine from the past, but one of the future. A wine made from different South Australian regions and using shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, not to mention a much bigger oak barrel regime; it relied on blending to achieve a consistent style. And it typifies much of this winemaking stateSouth Australia is an amazing amalgam of the modern wine era - that being the 20th century up until the present. The driest state in the driest country in the world, it was settled by the English (who weren’t convicts), turned into a Silesian paradise by displaced Bohemians and Hapsburgs, and became an Eden for Mosel’s Riesling a```````vnd the Rhone’s shiraz. From the Barossa in the north to Coonawarra and its relatively recent cabernet in the south, and with the altitudinous Adelaide Hills in the middle (complete with pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc), there’s a wine variety and style to suit nearly every demanding palate.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
andInnovationexperimentation in viticulture continue, however, and with enthusiasm only met by South Australian winemakers determined to do whatever they can to preserve - in bottled form - the varieties of the past. An old stalwart like Mataro is making a humble comeback, and Grenache is beginning to receive the winemaking nous and respect that is helping turn it into a new consumer darling. Other more recently introduced and more widely planted red varieties, such as tempranillo and touriga, are finding very easy homes in the Barossa.
wine. Accounting for more than 50 per cent of Australia’s total vinous volume from 45 per cent of the nation’s vineyards, it turns over an estimated $440 million per year from 19 regions. As a state, it is home to internationally recognised marquee wines like Penfolds’ Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace; to wine drinkers worldwide, it brings them Jacob’s Creek and Yalumba, and at wonderful prices. Besides the icons and the more democratic wines however, it’s got history. Barrels of it.
Southexploredrinks.comAustraliais
82
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is celebrated for its maritimeinfluenced shiraz, ultra-premium grenache and an increasing production of Mediterranean varieties; if you enjoy whites, you must try the fiano.
D’ARENBERG D’Arenberg sits high on the northern side of the valley with a broad range of wines and styles that showcase the region. The staff are passionate and you may even bump into D’Ary mowing the lawn or getting the mail; this is a true family business with both D’Ary and Chester Osborn doing the rounds every day.
exploredrinks.com
TINTARA Thomas Hardy purchased Tintara Winery in 1876 with plans to improve the already amazing wines coming out of the region. Today, more than 100 years later, it is home to some of the world’s best shiraz. See for yourself as the public are invited to visit 7 days a week. Whilst self-guided tours are available, we recommend you book one with the cellar door staff to get the real Tintara experience.
Tintara, McLaren Vale Chester and D’Ary from D’Arenberg
Our tip: Do the blending experience – and make your own version of the very best wines from D’Arenberg single vineyard selection into a blend. Cost : $70. Osborn Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171 T: (08) 8329 4888 W: www.darenberg.com.au
McLaren Vale is so close to Adelaide, just 40km’s, that a trip to this ‘wine region by the sea’ is easier than relocating from Bondi to Double Bay (sometimes). A quality road with minimal traffic transports you into the birthplace of the South Australian wine industry in around half an hour. Seek out the Visitor Information Centre where you’ll be greeted by volunteer staff keen to help. There are more than 100 cellar doors in McLaren Vale sporting international award winning wines, rolling hills and, from the top, beautiful views all the way down to Victor Habour.
202 Main Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171 T: (08) 8329 4124 W: www.hardyswines.com
MCLAREN VALE
AUSTRALIA’S “FESTIVAL CITY” Surrounds that offer this much deserve more time than most can afford, but the ability to take four days for a long-long weekend, and to put aside your diet du jour, brings wine lovers delight. And don’t be fooled by the vast wine heritage of the regions surrounding Adelaide – there’s much more to do than just visit wineries, though we did think that was a good place to start.
ADELAIDE GONDOLA GONDOLA - PEEL STREET
With the five-star cuisine on offer in all the wine regions we went for a more informal Vietnamese experience on Peel Street, the ‘party’ end of town. Great staff and a friendly atmosphere situated in the heart of Adelaide, with plenty of other options close at hand if Vietnamese isn’t your thing.
VISIT83
Tip: With days of wine tasting ahead of you enjoy two of the regions other great offerings while in Adelaide itself: Coopers Pale Ale and Adelaide Hills Cider. 1 Peel St, Adelaide SA 5000 T: (08) 8123 3877 W: www.gondolagondola.com.au
ANGOVE Founded in 1886 and family owned, Angove Winery is dedicated to the production of premium and organic wines. Inside the cellar door is a state-of-the-art tasting facility, with a carefully, hand crafted bench made from recycled Jarrah. The wine list is unforgettable and complemented by regional food and cheese plates. Be sure to visit in the late afternoon as the sun setting over this picturesque landscape is a sight to remember.
CARRIAGE CAFÉ, ONYA BIKE
Angove Carriage
117 Chalk Hill Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171 T: (08) 8328 6900 W: www.angove.com.au
HIRE More than 100 years old, this lovely carriage has been converted into a warm and cosy café. Family run and owned, the food is wholesome and the milkshakes are said to be the best in town. Visitors are also invited to hire a bike and ride the shiraz trail; 32km of lush greenery and picturesque views. 198 Main Road, McLaren Vale T: 0437 750 064 W: www.thecarriagecafe.com.au 84 exploredrinks.com Café, Onya Bike Hire
Husband and wife duo Steve and Fiona established the SC Pannell label in 2004. Known for its ‘Mediterranean’ climate and thin soils, the McLaren Vale made for the perfect place for Steve to produce his award-winning and environmentally friendly wines; namely shiraz and grenache. The cellar door is open seven days a week. The menu, curated by Head Chef Hayley White, is ever evolving and heroes local, seasonal produce. As for the wine, there’s plenty to go around, three of which are for a complimentary tasting. 60 Olivers Rd, McLaren Vale SA 5171 T: (08) 8323 8000 W: www.pannell.com.au
SC PANNELL CELLAR DOOR
Peter Lehmann is a story that is at the very heart of the Barossa and its patchwork of growers across the valley floor, and home to a passionate winemaking team that now continue the heritage the great man built from the ground up. A visit to the Peter Lehmann cellar door is a must when in town; you’ll find it just outside Tanunda. Picturesque gardens and a stunning art-filled tasting room which was the original old stone winery, are complimented by a pretty sharp food offering. Open seven days a week, Peter Lehmann’s cellar door offers tastings of more than 40 wines.
Australia’s most famous wine making region that continues to excel year after year, the Barossa Valley produces many of our greatest wines and is home to household winemaking businesses. You could spend all four days here and hardly have scratched the Firstly,surface.getto know your surrounds. The Barossa region is far bigger than the Barossa Valley itself, incorporating the neighbouring Eden Valley that sits a tad higher on the eastern side; meaning you should see both – the wines are quite different. German and British settlers came to the valley in the 1840s and winemaking started soon afterwards
exploredrinks.com
VISIT85
BAROSSA VALLEY
Para Rd, Tanunda SA 5352 T: (08) 8565 9555 W: www.peterlehmannwines.com
MENGLER’S HILL Mangler’s Hill is a popular lookout that offers sweeping views of the Barossa Valley. Named after an early vine grower, it is home to a Sculpture Park that showcases the works of local and international artists. The short walking trail weaves in and out of the eye-catching sculptures and is stroller and wheelchair friendly. A perfect place to visit with the family; pack a picnic and get a sense for the great outdoors. Menglers Hill Rd, Bethany SA 5232 TORBRECK WINES Torbreck Wines is a winery with an immense international reputation for quality wines, producing one of Australia’s most sought after reds is The Torbreck The Laird Vineyard
Barossa Valley Mengler’s Hill Peter Lehmann Wines Cellar Door
PETER LEHMANN WINES
The Clare boasts a blend of South Australian history and 40 plus wineries, great restaurants, art, natural bushland and Australian flora and fauna; the Clare is a treat that has to be explored for yourself. If you’re not afraid of exercise, and the weather permits, get yourself a bike and enjoy the unique ‘Riesling Trail’, a 32km corridor linking quaint towns, restaurants and wineries; or take a step back in time with a trip to Burra, a township famed for its mining heritage.
Taylors Wines Cellar Door Yalumba Museum Cellar Clare Valley
The Taylor family have called the Clare home for more than three decades and the winery, while now on a reasonable large scale, still exudes all the characteristics of a family run business. Taylors Wines has enjoyed plenty of domestic and international acclaim, and with the St Andrews flagship wine leading the way in quality Taylors is an iconic winery that was the first on our list when planning the trip. Staff are very knowledgeable and the tour is well worth the effort.
86 exploredrinks.com Laird. If top end wines are not in the budget there are plenty of other offerings that will captivate at the new cellar door opened just two months ago.
Burge Family Winemakers, Henschke, Penfolds, Rockford CLARE VALLEY
89A Winery Rd, Auburn SA 5451 T: (08) 8849 1111 W: www.taylorswines.com.au
Lot 51, Roennfeldt Rd, Marananga SA 5355 T: (08) 8562 4155 W: www.torbeck.com YALUMBA Yalumba is located just outside of Angaston. Samuel Smith founded the winery in 1849, and today it is one of the few left in the world where the staff still make their own wine barrels. As for the wine room, that’s where the tour begins. Visitors can learn about the family history, before moving on to the nursery, where unknown grape varietals from all over the world are being nurtured. Among other winningYalumba’sandhourmasterclass;partrecommendexperiences,excitingwetakingintheminioneoftastinglearningaboutfinestawardwines.
40 Eden Valley Rd, Angaston SA 5353 T: (08) 8561 3200 W: Alsowww.yalumba.com/visitvisit:HentleyFarmWines,
TAYLORS WINES
The Clare Valley is a personal favourite of many in the wine industry – ‘a cluster of villages and wineries, nestled in a picturesque valley’. Within striking distance of Adelaide, the trip will take you just over an hour and a half – only 45 minutes on from the Barossa; but a world apart.
VISIT
Housed in the original stone farmhouse built in the 1860s, Kilikanoon offers several tasting experiences either in the private tasting rooms, the Revelation Room or Trega’s Terrace overlooking the gardens and their reserve cabernet vineyard.
Penna Lane, Penwortham T: (08) 8843 4206 W: www.kilikanoon.com.au
MUST VISIT Drop into Linke’s Meats in Nuriootpa and pick up Mettwurst, vacuum packed to take home. Graham Linke cures and smokes traditional Barossa small goods in a wood fired smokehouse behind the store using a family recipe dating back to the 19th century.
KILIKANOON
Cellar door is open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm, and for larger groups it’s recommended to call a couple of days in advance.
SHUT THE GATE
2 Main North Road, Watervale T: 08 8843 0111 W: www.shutthegate.com.au
Sydney-siders Richard Woods and Rasa Fabian swapped city office space for the rustic Clare Valley, setting up in their cellar door and providore in the heart of Watervale; naming it Shut the Gate Wines. To hear where the name comes from and see for yourself why James Halliday named it one of his top 10 new wineries in 2015, stop in and taste your way through their 12 small batches of regional wines.
27 Murray St, Nuriootpa SA 5355 T: (08) 8562 1143 Shut The Gate
88 exploredrinks.com
88
BREWS
BARS, BEVERAGES Sydney-siders don’t fear the winter chill. We’ve found some of the best venues with a fireplace for you to cozy up and settle in for the evening. So venture out this winter and enjoy some of our top winter picks.
&
HOTEL CENTENNIAL Hotel Centennial has that old world meets new world charm. The front area oozes comfort and charm, with its singular leather seats, plush red sofas and colourful bookshelves. For those of you looking to unwind this winter, we recommend you give it a try. Enjoy a fresh take on modern comfort food, prepared by awardwinning Chef Justin North, and a classic cocktail while you play a game of chess or simply relax to the sound of the grand piano. Oxford Street, Woollahra NSW 2025 T: (02) 9362 3838 W: Sun:TuesMon:Openingwww.hotelcentennialhours:5pm–12am–Sat12pm–12am12pm–10pm
exploredrinks.comVISIT89
Nothing quite says winter like cosying up to a glass of wine or craft beer down at the local pub. At 3 Weeds Hotel you can do just that. Plant yourself on a vintage leather lounge by the fireplace, and enjoy the warm and welcoming atmosphere as you gaze up at the soaring cathedral roof. Be sure to mosey on over to the restaurant too, where you can choose from a range of comfort foods including the chicken Kiev and lamb rump with salsa verde. 197 Evans St, Rozelle NSW 2093 T: (02) 9818 2788 W: MonOpeningwww.3weeds.com.auhours:-Sun:12pm-late
THE BUCKET LIST
3
The Bucket List Bondi is a place to enjoy the beach all year round. Kick back and relax on cosy couches, a cracking fireplace and the fresh salty sea smell in the air. On the food front is a range of tacos, burgers and fresh seafood. And to keep the party going through the colder months, enjoy a drink from a large menu of beer, wine and delicious cocktails. Bondi Pavilion, 1 Queen Elizabeth Dr, Bondi NSW 2026 T: (02) 9365 4122 W: WedTues:Openingwww.thebucketlistbondi.comhours:11am–11pm-Mon:11am–12am WEEDS HOTEL
THE OLD FITZROY HOTEL The Old Fitzroy Hotel is family-owned and has been serving patrons for more than 100 years. The inside is comfortable, with exposed brick walls, wooden tables and red carpet floors. It also boasts 22 brews on tap, and its own theatre, where you can catch a mix of contemporary and classic flicks. As for the food, it’s diverse and hearty. You can’t go wrong with a Jimmy Fitz Schnitz! 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011 T: (02) 9356 3848 W: Openingwww.oldfitzroy.com.auhours:Mon–Fri 11am – 12am Sat 12pm – 12am Sun 3pm – 10pm
90 exploredrinks.com
THE TREEHOUSE The Treehouse is a unique venue that celebrates contemporary Australian food, and classically driven cocktails. The interior features exposed brick walls, candelabras and plush lounge chairs. The Treehouse inspired terrace is also green and leafy with colourful umbrellas and hidden garden gnomes. Day or night this is a perfect venue for North Sydneysiders to catch up with friends or colleagues after a long day in the office. 60 Miller St, North Sydney NSW 2060 T: (02) 8458 8980 W: SaturdaySunOpeningwww.thetreehousehotel.com.auhours:–Fri7am–12am2pm–12am
exploredrinks.comVISIT91THE LORD NELSON BREWERY HOTEL The Lord Nelsons Brewery Hotel is Sydney’s oldest continually licenced hotel. Located on Kent Street in The Rocks, it’s the perfect place to knock off from work. Together, with your colleagues, enjoy one of the six award-winning ales. As for the food, it’s simply delicious, and caters for everyone with a range of gluten free and vegetarian options also available. 19 Kent St, The Rocks NSW 2000 T: (02) 9251 4044 W: Sunday:MonOpeningwww.lordnelsonbrewery.comhours:-Sat:11am–11pm12pm–10pm
CRAFTED CAREFULLY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 40% Alc. by Vol. The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY ©2017 SMALL BATCH BOURBON AWARD-WINNING FLAVOUR
exploredrinks.com 93 & Gadgets Gifts Winter. The time of year where not only fashion trends change but often our choice of tipple. From white to red wine or even mulled and lighter spirits to the rich amber gold of whisky or brandy. Whatever it maybe, we have selected a few gifts and gadgets all in the spirit of winter. Berkeley Armchair 45 www.dovetaileddoublestitched.com.au$995.00 The Weekender Leather Bag www.wootten.com.au$650.00 explore www.exploredrinks.com$19.99MagazineWHISKY Melbourne Vanilla Bourbon Beard Oil 25ml www.melbournebeardoil.com.au$22.00BeardMelbournewww.melbournebeardoil.com.au$22.00VanillaBourbonBalm The Hot Toddy Carry On Cocktail Kit www.wandpdesign.com$32.00 Granite Whisky Rocks www.yellowoctopus.com.au$16.99 Jasper Marble Coasters (set of 4) www.globewest.com.au/store-locator$40.00 Nachtmann Aspen Whisky Set: 3 www.riedelglass.com.au$169.95PieceLeather Bow Tie www.wootten.com.au$50.00
94 exploredrinks.com The CabinetDrinks Whether it’s a quick refreshment or the ingredientsto create a delicious cocktail, the needbeverageshopisDRINKSexplorecabinetyouronestopforeveryyou’llthiswinter. CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING WHISKY & BOURBON MIXERS & BITTERS RUM GIN, TEQUILA & SYRUPSVODKA
DRINKS exploredrinks.com 95 WHITE WINE RED WINE LIQUEURS BRANDY BEER & CIDER VERMOUTH Here is your complete shopping listto make all of the cocktails in this edition of explore DRINKS YearHighlandTripleTheGreenJohnnieMaltTaliskerLabelJohnnieSugarColdPearteaLapsangGingerDriedRaisinsCandiedMaraschinosweetHerbie’sCardamomGratedStarCinnamonVanillaEggsSugarSaltedCasterSeaShortbreadGingerFreshGingerOrangesLemonsrootmintsprigsnapbiscuitsbiscuitssaltsugarbuttercubepodsquillanisenutmegpodsfragrantspicecherriesgingermangobeersouchongjuiceorpureedripcoffeesyrupWalkerGoldWhiskyStormSingleWhiskyWalkerLabelWhiskySingletonWhiskysecPark12OldSingleMalt RonRumDistillersBundabergJägermeisterSloeWhiskyGinMasterSmallBatchZacapaSolera 23Pedro LagavulinsherryXimenez16Year OldSingle Malt WhiskyWoodford Reserve Rye SHOPPINGCaramelMONINsyrupMONINsyrupMONIN&MONINsyrupMONINSpicedÄppleRekorderligPernodMaraschinoDrysyrupCinnamonCointreauSt.liqueurEspritBatchliqueurHeeringWhiskeyStraightWoodfordWhiskeyReserveBourbonCherryOrangebittersdeFiguesAgnesXOBrandyNoiragavecuracaoAbsintheSpicedCiderRumCinnamonLemonGingerHoneysyrupSpicyMangoGingerbreadSaltedsyrupLIST
96 exploredrinks.com LAST DRINKS As the mercury drops and we embrace our winter woolies, there’s nothing more satisfying than ending the night on your favourite dram. So put up your feet, relax, and enjoy the Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned, a classic American cocktail, steeped in history and big on taste. WOODFORD RESERVE OLD FASHIONED GLASS: Old Fashioned glass INGREDIENTS: 45ml Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10ml Sugar syrup 3 x Dashes of bitters METHOD: Add ingredients to a mixing glass. Stir ingredients for 30-40 seconds. Strain over ice into an Old Fashioned glass. Twist orange peel over drink to release the oils GARNISH: Orange peel and skewered maraschino cherries (optional)
SPONSORED exploredrinks.com 97
THE OLD FASHIONED COCKTAIL The origins of the Old Fashioned cocktail are a little hazy, but there is one city where this concoction is rooted in its history. Louisville, Kentucky has named the Old Fashioned as its official cocktail and each year, during the first two weeks of June, the city celebrates everything whiskey bourbon, from hosting events to cocktail specials. Also, mark your calendar for the 14th of June as this is National Bourbon Day and it would only be fitting to celebrate with a Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned cocktail. Cheers!
