Bars & Clubs May/June 2013

Two new vodka flavours to play with

A AEL MIKE E H IS NE STO KEYROUP G

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: SCOTCH AND IRISH WHISK(E)Y FIGHT CLUB – TEQUILA – INTERNATIONAL BEER

up the category

Boutique Drinks Festival

09–10

february 2014

royal exhibition builDing

melbourne

proDucts. KnowleDge. passion.

Discover something new

top shelf 2014

WaNt tO atteND? Register your interest at www.topshelfshow.com.au WaNt tO exhibit?

Contact shane t Williams

email: stwilliams@intermedia.com.au | Phone: (02) 8586 6205

“The single biggest factor for driving growth [in liquor sales] over the next three years will be trading up” Michael Walton, executive director Pacific, Nielsen

A

rm yourself with the products, knowledge and inspiration to thrive in the liquor business of tomorrow when you visit Top Shelf, a new drinks event that launches in Melbourne in February 2014.

As premium, craft and boutique products play an increasingly important role in the liquor business, Top Shelf will highlight this burgeoning sector. With hundreds of quality products to sample and buy, experts to offer advice and a full conference program focused on building successful businesses, this is an event no drinks industry professional can afford to miss.

Open to the public on Sunday 9 February 2014, Top Shelf also features a trade-only day on Monday 24 February 2014, allowing suppliers plenty of faceto-face time with those members of the trade with purchasing responsibility.

In addition, some of Melbourne’s finest bars and restaurants will host events connected to Top Shelf, offering unique tastings, bespoke cocktails and other exclusive drinks experiences throughout the city.

With interest in premium products at an all-time high among both the trade and consumers, Top Shelf is sure to be one of the most talked-about events of 2014. Make sure you’re part of it!

Festival highlights • 100s of premium products to sample and buy • Category-inclusive market: wines, craft beers, spirits, soft drinks, mixers, coffee and tea • Trade conference: full program of tastings and seminars • Internationally-renowned speakers • A place for buyers to do business • The location – the stunning Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens • Champagne bar and food stalls • Special events hosted by Melbourne’s top bars and restaurants

WhO shOUlD atteND? • Bar and restaurant operators • F&B directors • Hoteliers and publicans • Sommeliers • Bartenders • Drinks retailers

Top Shelf 2014 promises an unrivalled insight into the world of fine beverages. No one in the drinks industry should miss it!

Register your interest now at www.topshelfshow.com.au

FLAVOURS IN

MAY/JUNE

17

BARTENDER FIGHT CLUB Some of The Keystone Group’s top drink slingers show their skills in a Scotch and Irish whisk(e)y cocktail challenge.

FEATURE LIST

REGULAR LIST

42

14

SWEETENING UP THE CATEGORY

OPENINGS The latest venues to open their doors.

Keystone Group’s Mikaela Heise mixes up some tasty cocktails with Smirnoff’s new flavoured vodkas.

28

DEL MAGUEY DOWN UNDER An exclusive interview with the grandfather of mezcal, Ron Cooper.

8

VIBE What’s happening on the Australian bar scene.

29

FEEDING AN APPETITE FOR PREMIUM TEQUILA Iain MacGillivray explores the rise of tequila focussed restaurants and bars – and how they are helping the category grow.

4 bars&clubs

36

A WORLD OF BEER CHOICES We take a look at some of the different international beer options available for bars.

13

THE HOT LIST Cookie cooks up a new cocktail list.

SHANE T. WILLIAMS, MATHEW JONGSMA AND SACHA DELFOSSE

FIRST DRINKS

up the category Two new vodka flavours to play with

a ael Mikei H se e ton keys up gro

Cheers,

Also in this issue: Scotch and IrISh whISk(e)y FIght club – tequIla – InternatIonal beer

A

fter more than two years in this job, and many more years keeping the bar stool warm and the bartender busy at numerous bars, it is easy to take things for granted in regards to the level of quality and professionalism found behind the stick in Australia.

However, a recent visit down under by a close relative of mine allowed me to see our local bar scene through fresh eyes once again, and watch someone experience and enjoy the local cocktail culture for the first time.

While I am still discovering many new drinks, bars, people and trends in the ever-evolving industry of ours, I have become used to being able to enjoy premium spirits and beautiful cocktails in any of our major cities – and even many regional locations.

So much so, that I had forgotten about the days when the booze selection on back bars was minimal and good quality mixed drinks and cocktails were a rarity and it seemed visits to on-premise venues were merely for the purpose of intoxication.

But seeing how impressed my relative was by all the numerous cocktail bars we visited, and witnessing how exciting and new it all was for him, reminded me of what a world class bar scene we truly have.

And it wasn’t just the look and feel of the bars (and the fact many were hidden away) that caught my kin’s attention. The array of cocktails and plethora of top shelf spirits – the large majority new to him – had him in awe and he quickly developed an appetite for many of them.

Yet the main thing that stood out for him and something he kept exalting was the great service and warming hospitality that he received from all the bartenders he encountered.

Despite his limited command of English, every bartender made him feel welcomed and took the time out to respond to his questions (and he had a great deal of them). And he was amazed at the level of detail and skill they put into making him drinks, something he viewed as ‘a piece of artistry’.

Yes, those of us who work in this industry know all this, and have experienced it ourselves time and time again. But like anything, it is easy to take these things for granted.

Which is why it is important to step back at times, and recognise and congratulate all those hard-working, creative and passionate people (too many to name) that have contributed to the development of our world class bar industry.

So don’t forget that voting for ALIA will open July 1, and now is a good time to start thinking about which venues and bartenders you think deserve to be commended and awarded for their efforts and accomplishments.

Sacha Delfosse Editor

DISCLAIMER MANAGING DIRECTOR Simon Grover PUBLISHER James Wells james@intermedia.com.au EDITOR Sacha Delfosse sdelfosse@intermedia.com.au

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Jarvie, Dan Gray, Mike Tomasic NATIONAL SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Shane T Williams stwilliams@intermedia.com.au

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6 bars&clubs

THE BARS, THE EVENTS, THE DRINKS, THE PASSION

VIBE

THE WHISKY SHOW RETURNS

8 bars&clubs

SYDNEY specialist whisky retailer, World of Whisky, will be holding The Whisky Show again this year on June 28 and 29 at The Sir Stamford in Sydney’s Circular Quay, which will accommodate more exhibitors and visitors that last year’s success inaugural show.

The Whisky Show will be split into three seperate four hour sessions, across both days, with each session limited to 500 visitors. Kavalan Distillery master blender, Ian Chang, will be presenting a series of masterclasses during the Saturday sessions.

“The 2012 Whisky Show proved to be the largest whisky show ever seen in Australia, even in its first year. This year we will have more exhibitors, more brands and more whiskies for visitors to enjoy,” organiser David Ligoff says.

The Glenmorangie Whisky Cocktail competition and the 2013 Australasian Whisky Awards will be held again as part of this year’s show. Tickets are $60 and can be pre-purchased from the World of Whisky website.

MIXING WITH THE STARS MELBOURNE bartender Nick Selvadurai, from Cookie, was crowned the Australian 2013 Disaronno Mixing Star at the national finals, which were held at theloft in May. AI LVADUR Selvadurai, one of the 15 finalists NICK SE from across the country competing, took out the top prize with his with his cocktail, The Professor’s Perplexing Punch, which was inspired by the film The Prestige. He will now be heading to Amsterdam in July to compete in the Disaronno Mixing Star Global Finals.

The finals were hosted by actress Gracie Otto, who was also a judge, along with Club Suntory ambassador, Justin Strzadala, and commercial manager Asia Pacific, Nicola Bini.

Competitors were judged not just on their cocktail entry and knowledge of Disaronno but also on how well they acted out a scene from the movie their cocktail drew its inspiration from.

Guests who attended the finals were also invited to chose their favourtie cocktail of the night – an accolade that went to Sydney bartender, Quynh Nguyen from The Fish Shop in Sydney, and his cocktail the Scarlett Rose.

Also competing in the finals were Dean Scuderi, Evan Brown, Jordan Blackman, Blaire Gillespie, James Connolly, Carlo Russo, Patrick Stollery, Edward Quatermass, Nick Focareta, Dean Sykes, Blake Hall, Perryn Collier and Hannah Moroney.

There will be at least another Australian bartender joining Selvadurai in Amsterdam. Former Perth bartender, Tim Laferla (ex-Mechanics’ Institute), who has recently relocated to the Manchester, took out the northern England heat of the Disaronno Mixing Star competition and has earned himself a place in the global finals.

SMIRNOFF BRINGS NEW FLAVOUR TO THE VODKA CATEGORY

SMIRNOFF COCONUT CRUSH SIGNATURE

ON the back of a growing SERVE global appetite for flavoured Glass: Highball vodka, Diageo Australia Ingredients: • 30ml Smirnoff has launched two new Coconut Crush Smirnoff flavours into the • 90ml Pineapple Juice the local market – Smirnoff Method: Build then Honey Ripple and Smirnoff squeeze and garnish with a wedge of lime Coconut Crush.

Smirnoff Honey Ripple was developed with a local trend for honey-flavoured beverages in mind, and Smirnoff will be the first brand to drive a honey-flavoured vodka on a large scale in Australia.

Smirnoff Coconut Crush is the first premium coconutflavoured vodka launched at scale in Australia, and has already proven to be quite successful in the US market. Both flavours will be rolled out in three formats – full strength bottle spirit, ready to drink and ready to serve.

The two new flavours, the first in a ‘rotating flavours pipeline’ that Smirnoff has planned, are targeted at a 18-22 year old demographic and are designed to prompt consumers to experiment with new trends and tastes.

“As the leading vodka brand, Smirnoff is committed to growing the total vodka category in Australia and is excited to revamp the flavoured vodka space with these two new variants,” Diageo Australia marketing manager – vodka, Adam Ballesty, says.

“By harnessing the innovation that is at the heart of everything we do, we’re able to give our target consumers an exciting new twist on Smirnoff.”

SMIRNOFF HONEY RIPPLE SIGNATURE SERVE Glass: Highball Ingredients: • 30ml Smirnoff Honey Ripple • 90ml Lemonade Method: Build then squeeze and garnish with a wedge of lime or lemon

VIBE

SPIRITED NOMINATIONS A number of Australian bars and industry figures have been nominated for this year’s Spirited Awards, which will be held as part Tales of the Cocktail in July.

The Roosevelt in Sydney has been nominated in the Best Restaurant Bar category while its sister bar, EDV Melbourne, has been nominated for the World’s Best Drink Selection award.

“We’re super thrilled to again be included in such esteemed company and especially excited that our work at The Roosevelt is being recognized at an international level,” owner Sven Almenning says.

Almenning has also received a nomination himself for the Best Bar Mentor award, which Mixxit’s Jason Crawley is also nominated for.

Melbourne’s Black Pearl has received two nominations, for World’s Best Cocktail Bar and World’s Best Cocktail Menu, while Sydney’s Bulletin Place has been nominated for the World’s Best New Cocktail Bar. 1806’s bar manager, Nick Reed, has also been nominated for the Best New Book (Cocktail/Bartending) award for his tome, 1806 Cocktails: World History as Seen Through the Bottom of a Glass. “[Winning the award] would honestly be the most gratifying thing that could ever happen in my career,” Reed says.

MELBOURNE BARTENDERS TRIUMPH IN WORLD CLASS SEMI-FINAL

BEN TER CAS

LAN

BY PAUL WOOTTON

MELBOURNE’S bartenders nearly made it a clean sweep in the second semi-final of Diageo’sWorld Class Australia cocktail competition, which were held at the Noosa Food & Wine Festival last month.

Of the four semi-final winners, three work in Melbourne: Evan Stanley of Black Pearl, who won in the Ketel One Citreon vodka category; Daniel Warren of 1806’s The Understudy, who was top in the Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve whisky category; and Ben Lancaster of the Kodiak Club, who won in the Bundaberg Master Distillers’ Collection dark rum category.

Rinna Kato of Brisbane’s Bacchus bar was the fourth semi-final winner; she triumphed in the Don Julio Reposado tequila category. All 12 semi-finalists served up their competition drinks in a marquee on Noosa Main Beach, where the results of the contest were later announced.

A professional judging panel, which included celebrated chef Colin Fassnidge, Delicious magazine food RINNA KATO editor Valli Little and last year’s Global World Class winner Tim Philips, made an initial assessment of the drinks before 250 members of the public had their say.

All four semi-final winners will now go through to the national final, which takes place in Sydney from June 9-12.

EVAN STANLEY

Rule The World www.republicbeverages.com.au | E: info@republicbeverages.com.au

P: 1300 848 612

bars&clubs 9

VIBE

EAU-DE-VIE TO PUBLISH COCKTAIL BOOK

PHIL BAYLY IN ACTION AT CAFE PACIFICO

CAFÉ PACIFICO CLOSES UP

By Paul Wootton SYDNEY’S legendary tequila bar Café Pacifico has closed its doors to customers for the very last time. Owner Phil Bayly explains that rent increases and “problems with the roof” had left him with little choice but to call time on the 16-yearold institution.

“After 18 months of negotiation we have decided to walk away rather than be locked into an untenable situation,” Bayly says.

He adds that there were “no immediate plans” to relaunch the bar on a different site. “My main objective is to get out of our current situation as quickly and cleanly as possible,” he says.

“I intend to focus on continuing to help build the tequila category through training and awareness of products coming in to the market; and on expanding and revising my website – tequilaworld.com.au.”

Bayly’s connection with the Café Pacifico brand began in 1979, when he painted a mural in the original Café Pacifico bar in Amsterdam. He and Pacifico founder Tom Estes became friends and in 1997 Bayly opened Pacifico’s Australian outpost.

Since then, Café Pacifico Sydney has won a slew of awards, with Bayly establishing himself as Australia’s leading authority on tequila.

“The main thing that has made Pacifico Sydney so special is the staff who have worked there and the clientele who have embraced the concept and added their own personalities to the place,” Bayly says.

Café Pacifico was farewelled in style with a massive tequila soaked invite-only industry bash, that some people even flew in from interstate to attend, which featured a host of wellknown bartenders serving up drinks throughout the night.

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THE AWARD-WINNING team behind Sydney’s Eau-de-Vie bar will be launching the bar’s first cocktail book in September, following the overwhelmingly success of a crowd-funding campaign it ran recently on Indiegogo, which achieved the fund target within three days.

“We’re both overwhelmed and absolutely floored by the amazing response we’ve had from our guests and from people in general,” Eau-de-Vie owner, Sven Almenning, says.

The 200-page cocktail book, which has the current working title ‘Shaken, Stirred, Flamed & Thrown – Cocktails done the Eau-de-Vie way’, will be a coffee table book full of “cocktail art”, Almenning explains, and will include “beautiful photography, as well as inspiring and fun recipes for entertaining at home – all inspired by great classics and Eau-de-Vie signature drinks”.

THINK SPIRITS ADDS JOSE CUERVO TO ITS PORTFOLIO THINK SPIRITS has confirmed that as of July 1 it will be taking over the local distribution of the Jose Cuervo tequila portfolio.

The company has signed an distribution agreement with Jose Cuervo owner, Casa Cuervo S.A. de C.V., following Diageo’s decision not to acquire the tequila brand late last year.

Jose Cuervo Group’s regional director – Asia Pacific, Ian Strachan, said the decision to go with Think Spirits was based on the impressive performance it has achieved with some of the company’s other brands – 1800, Gran Centenario and Kraken Spiced Rum. “This is a fantastic result for us and we are absolutely delighted to be distributing the full Jose Cuervo range on behalf of the Casa Cuervo Group. We understand Jose Cuervo International’s brand building philosophy and look forward to building on the good work Diageo has put in place during its tenure,” Think Spirits managing director, Patrick Borg, says.

“Jose Cuervo brands have the authenticity and rich heritage that many other tequilas envy. Their addition to our portfolio underlines our policy of representing products that are regarded as being among the best in category by the most important judges- the bartenders.”

Think Spirits will be implementing a national integrated marketing campaign for the Jose Cuervo brands supported by its Think Rewards program.

PICKLEBACKS AT LILY BLACKS MELBOURNE’S Lily Blacks bar has combined two hospitality industry favorites – the pickleback and the boilermaker – in its new Picklemaker menu.

For $15 patrons can select a beer of their choice and combine it with a number of different spirit shots that come with a complementing pickle chaser.

The menu features a twist on the ‘classic’ pickleback option – Jameson with dilled cucumber – as well as some other options such as The Dirty South – a shot of Maker’s Mark bourbon with chipotle and paprika carrot.

Another selection of the menu, the Mad Max, combines lemon and juniper onion with a shot of West Winds The Sabre Gin. “Our favorite is the Beet It – rosemary and ginger beetroot with Cruzan Rum. We like to think of it as your daily serve of veg, with a nice kick in the arse,” said a Lily Blacks spokesperson.

The bar has also added four modern twists on the Negroni to the menu, including the Big Nasty (West Winds The Sabre, Campari, Averna and orange) and the Smokeahontas (Tequila Tromba Blanco, Dolin Rouge, Campari, liquid smoke and orange).

VIBE

A PIONEERING SPIRIT

BARRELS FOR BARS

WILLIAM GRANT & SONS has launched an innovative new cocktail competition, The Pioneers, which is inviting bartenders to come up with two original Glenfiddich cocktail creations inspired by their favourite pioneer.

“What we want people to do is create two drinks, one being an easy to make drink using Glenfiddich 12 Year Old and the next one is to be their most pioneering creation using the Glenfiddich 14 Year Old Rich Oak or the Glenfiddich 15 Year Old,” Glenfiddich marketing manager, Mark Little, explains.

“The venues are tasked to put one of these drinks on their menu and run it over the July/August period. The reason why we have the selection of two cocktails is to tailor it towards all kinds of venues, from big venues that can only pour simple cocktails to your more cocktail-focused, smaller bars.”

William Grant & Sons whisky specialists Owen Colin and James Tait will recreate all the entries, which will then be blind judged by a panel of industry peers. Entries will be judged on taste, creativity and the story of the pioneer that inspired the drinks.

From there ten finalists will be chosen to attend a Grand Final party to be held in Sydney, where their cocktails will be judged by their own peers and industry experts.

The two winners will be crowned Ultimate Cocktail Pioneers and will receive a trip to Scotland that will include a visit to the Glenfiddich distillery, a dog sledding tour through the Scottish Highlands, a Loch Ness cruise and a visit to some of Edinburgh’s best bars.

The third and fourth place winners will be rewarded with a trip into central Australia to explore the outback on quad bikes.

One bartender from each state, who comes up with the most creative visibility of their cocktail in their venue, will also earn themselves a place on the outback quad adventure.

For more information email: pioneers@ glenfiddichcollective.com

ISLAND2ISLAND has launchd a new barrel-aged cocktail promotion, which is tasking bars across the country to create an Angostura cocktail that is either partly or completely aged in a sherry seasoned oak barrel .

“The competition is all about showcasing and rewarding venues’ creativity, innovation and knowlege as well as introducing drinkers to the world of boundary-pushing cocktails,” island2island’s marketing manager, Nathan Forde, says.

“50 bars will receive a 5lt charred oak barrel seasoned with sherry in which they will have to age a cocktail of their choice using Angostura 7 Year Old as the base spirit.”

Each participating venue has been asked to elect a team – of up to eight of its bartenders – to participate in the competition. They will be given a total of four weeks to practice, elaborate and age their barrel aged cocktail. Venues will have to promote and sell their barrelaged cocktail to consumers over a four week period.

Venues will be judged on how well they promote their Angostura barrel-aged cocktail, as well as on the originality and creativity of their cocktail. The winning team will win a Masterclass with Angostura master aistiller, John Georges, and a dinner in a top restaurant in the state of the winning venue. Each member of the winning team will receive a bottle of the Angostura ‘limited edition’ 2013 signed by Georges.

WGS8634_Solerno 3rd Hor_BC.indd 1

G’VINE FINALISTS CHOSEN

MIKE TOMASIC

SOUTHTRADE INTERNATIONAL recently held two G’Vine Gin Connoisseur Program (GCP) preliminary finals where to two local bartenders were chosen out of a pool of out of 24 finalists to represent Australia at the world finals.

The first preliminary final was held at Melbourne’s The Trust bar and was won by Gorge Camorra from Geelong’s Cloud 9 bar. Second place went to Jenna Hemsworth from The Kodiak Club in Melbourne and Monnie Place from Adelaide’s The Collins took out the third spot.

The second preliminary final was held at Sydney’s Bar 100 and was won by Mike Tomasic from Sydney’s The Wild Rover, with Anita Strother from Mr & Mrs G and Steven Ian Hubbard from Glass Bar and Dining, both in Brisbane, winning second and third place respectively.

Both Camorra and Tomasic will now travel to Cognac, France in June to compete in the 2013 G’Vine GCP world finals, where they will compete over a week in a series of bartender challenges and tests for the champion’s prize which includes all-expenses-paid trips to present at Tales of the Cocktail and Bar Convent Berlin.

bars&clubs 11 20/03/13 2:09 PM

VIBE

BARTENDERS SERVE UP SOME SUBVERSIVES COCKTAILS WILLIAM GRANT & SONS has announced the winners of the Subversive Serve cocktail competition it recently ran for Monkey Shoulder.

The competition was open to bars in NSW, QLD and VIC who were asked to create an ‘unconventional’ signature cocktail and promote it within their venue. A winner for each state was chosen, and from there the national winner was selected.

Adam Bastow from Queensland’s Black Coffee Lyrics was declared the National and Queensland winner with his creation, the Brass Monkey Flip, which was served with his BRASS MONKEY FLIP own homemade Monkey crisps.

As part of his prize, Bastow will receive a trip to Scotland later this year where he will be taken to visit the three Monkey Shoulder distilleries, as well as head out with Monkey Shoulder global brand ambassador, Dean Callan., to visit some of the best bars in Edinburgh and Speyside.

Bastow also earned himself a 4.5L Gorilla bottle signed by master distiller, Brian Kinsman, as well as a $1,000 Bar Team Monkey Shoulder Experience for his venue.

Bartenders Piotr Kuzmicki and Joel Persson from The Alchemist were declared the VIC winners and earned a $1,000 Bar Team Monkey Shoulder Experience for their venue, while NSW winners Ben Blair and Connor Sainsbury-Canham from The Corner House received the same prize for their bar.

Due to the popularity of the Subversive Serve cocktail competition, William Grant & Sons said it will be running some smaller, satellite competitions in South Australia and Western Australia in May and June.

BRASS MONKEY FLIP Glass: Handmade White Chocolate Egg Ingredients: • 30ml Monkey Shoulder Triple Malt Scotch Whisky • 20ml Frangelico • 10ml White Creme de Cacao • 15ml Sugar syrup (1:1) • 20ml Good quality melted vanilla ice cream • 1/4 Barspoon of vanilla bean paste • 1 Egg • A pinch of cinnamon Method: Add egg to shaker with spring from a Hawthorn strainer and beat by shaking. Add all other ingredients and vigorously shake over ice. Strain into chocolate egg Garnish: Light dusting of cinnamon. Serve on a coffee plate with two straws and Monkey Crisps*

*MONKEY CRISPS RECIPE Ingredients: • 50g Butter chopped • 70g Brown sugar • 60ml Golden syrup • 50g Plain flour • 2 Tablespoons of Monkey Shoulder Triple Malt Scotch Whisky • A pinch of ground ginger Method:Heat butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan until ingredients completely dissolved and it’s a nice golden-brown liquid.

Take off the heat for a few minutes to cool. Add the brandy and flour, stir until nice and thick.

Spoon out the dollops on a greased tray and bake at 180˚C for about five minutes or just until its spreads and looks all fluffy.

Remove from oven and let them sit for about a minute before shaping. Leave to set and harden

HOT LIST

COOKIE COOKS UP A NEW COCKTAIL LIST O ne of Melbourne’s much-loved cocktail institutions, Cookie, recently unveiled a new format to its cocktail list, which includes a permanent section focussed on classics as well as a seasonal list that will be changed every three months.

The new drinks list contains close to 30 classic cocktails, while the seasonal section of the menu features eight signature recipes, which were created by Cookie bartender, Nick Selvadurai.

He explains that one of the biggest changes with the new list is that it is a much larger list – both physically and content wise – and because Cookie is always busy, the drinks selections centres on “quality drinks that we make efficiently when we’re busy”.

“Inspiration comes from everyone – staff and patrons.

The new seasonal component focuses on drinks that fit with Melbourne’s crazy seasonal change. Drinks for hot days, drinks for cold days, and drinks that go well with the food we do so well.

“Because of the amount of classics in the list there is definitely a leaning towards gin – however the seasonal list

THE ERS D TEN E BAR DSHAK N A H

uses a bit of everything to keep things interesting,” Selvadurai says.

The new list has proved popular thus far, with patrons embracing the drinks from all the different sections of the menu, including the spicy cocktails (located in the THE POR NICHOLS T ‘Bloody Hell’ section).

ON SLING Two of the most popular cocktails from the seasonal section are The Snow White (a gin, elderflower, peach, bitters and lemon juice concoction) and The THE PORT NICHOLSON SLING Figurehead Sour (a dark Glass: Sling spiced rum, coffee and Ingredients: walnut Sour).

• 30ml Tanqueray 10 Other new drinks on • 15ml D.O.M Bénédictine the list that have been • 15ml Tuaca • • • •

15ml Vanilla syrup 20ml Lemon juice 20ml Cranberry juice 4 Drops of Bob’s Abbotts Bitters Method: Shake and strain over ice and top with soda Garnish: Orange twist, cherry and pear slice

THE BARTENDERS HANDSHAKE Glass: Coupe Ingredients: • 30ml Writers Tears • 15ml Punt e Mes • 15ml Grand Mariner • 5ml Fernet Branca • 5ml Sugar syrup • 5 Dashes of Angostura Bitters Method: Stir over ice and serve up Garnish: Orange zest COOKIE

well-received include The Port Nicholson Sling – a tall, light and refreshing tipple – and The Bartenders Handshake – an aromatic digestif cocktail spawned from “bartenders favourite toys”.

“Because this list is designed to bring our service speed up without sacrificing quality there’s nothing too out of this world.... yet. I’ve got some new toys, things barrelled, and a team of very creative bartenders, the winter list is shaping up to be something pretty special,” Selvadurai points out.

“I think that it’s important to note that not only have we released a seasonal list of brand new drinks but we have re-designed the whole cocktail list from the ground up... as well as a spirit compendium that not only shows what we stock but it gives a brief on each spirit category.” b&c

bars&clubs 13

OPENINGS

SAIGON SALLY

JACK RUBY

SAIGON SALLY is the second venture for the team behind much-loved Vietnamese bar, Hanoi Hannah, and is proving a significant addition to Melbourne’s contemporary Asian dining scene.

The food menu, created by Chef Adrian Li, is driven by fresh produce and offers modern twists on traditional Vietnamese cuisine, while the drinks list, created by Tom Stonnill, has a playful, tropical tone to it and includes cocktails such as the Coconut and Banana Mai Tai. The venue’s décor and ambiance is vibrant and playful and includes golden cane palms, a pressed metal bar base and a large crimson and yellow multimedia mural by Michelle Pham.

2 Duke St, Windsor, VIC, Ph: (03) 9939 5181

ADELAIDE’S newest basement bar, Jack Ruby, combines the vibe of a Prohibition-era speakeasy with the best of America’s diner culture to create a truly unique underground bar, dining and live music experience.

The venue features a richlytoned interior of polished timber floors, exposed brick walls, warm lighting and lush black leather dining booths.

The food menu contains an array of house made American inspired dishes such as New York strips, chilli fries and Kentucky fried quail.

Drinks-wise the bar offers a good selection of local and international wines, a range of boutique beers (both draught and bottled), as well as a range of Prohibitioninfluenced cocktails and ‘spiked’ milkshakes.

Basement, 89 King William St, Adelaide, SA, Ph: (08) 8231 5795

HUSTLE & FLOW HUSTLE & FLOW is a new Sydney bar that draws its influence and theme from hip-hop culture and offers guests top notch service, a relaxed vibe and a good dose of rap and RnB music predominantly from the ‘90s.

The venue is owned by Tim and Lisette Duhigg, who completed most of the venue’s fit out themselves, with some assistance from local graffiti artists who helped decorate the bar’s walls.

The bar offers a range of Australian and New Zealand wines and American and Filipino beers, as well as a range of hip-hop inspired cocktails such as Gin and Juice, Thug Passion and Caribou Lou. 105 Regent St, Redfern, NSW, Ph: (02) 9310 5593

CRANE BAR RESTAURANT

RENEGADES CAFÉ WINE BAR

CRANE BAR Restaurant is a new Japanese themed venue that has opened its doors on the former site of the renowned Bayswater Brasserie in Sydney’s Kings Cross. Executive Chef Taichi Ito, formerly of Brisbane’s Sake Bar & Restaurant, is heading up a kitchen that offers Japanese fusion cuisine, while Thiago Santos (ex-Vue de Monde, Der Raum and the loft) is managing the bar.

The drinks menu is filled with classic cocktails that have been given a twist by adding Japanese ingredients and flavours such as sours made using yuzu juice, Moscow Mules made with wasabi and cucumber and an ‘umami’ style Bloody Mary. The bar also has an impressive selection of Japanese whiskies and sakes.

32 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point, NSW, Ph: (02) 9357 3414

THE RENEGADES Café Wine Bar recently opened its doors in Sydney’s Mascot area, offering guests well-priced breakfast, lunch and evening menus as well as an extensive beverage list.

Owner Elizabeth Woods, who has over 23 years of hospitality experience, has a stylish, unpretentious venue with a relaxed environment and a focus on excellent service. The venue was designed by U+I Building Studio with Sydney artist, Alex Lehour’s artwork decorating the venue.

Shop 1, 230 Coward St, Mascot, NSW, Ph: (02) 8338 8884

OPENINGS

THERE HAS BEEN A PLETHORA OF NEW VENUES OPENING ACROSS AUSTRALIA ADDING TO ONE OF THE MOST COSMOPOLITAN AND VARIED BAR SCENES IN THE REGION.

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OPENINGS

YEBISU YEBISU is the latest izakaya bar and restaurant to open in Sydney, feeding a growing demand for authentic Japanese food and drink destinations. Yebisu’s extensive menu includes yakitori and other grill items as well as a huge roster of other well-known Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi, hot pots, noodles and fried dishes.

Yebisu also offers guests a fully integrated iPad ordering system for each table, which lets them browse and order from the table as well as track the status of their order.

The venue also boasts a specialised sake list, several Japanese craft beers, as well as wine and cocktails, which can also be ordered from the iPad. There is also a bespoke sake trolley doing the rounds, with a specialist on hand to help guests navigate the extensive list.

501 George St, Sydney, NSW, Ph: (02) 9266 0301

THE TOWN MOUSE THE TOWN MOUSE recently opened in the Carlton neighborhood of Melbourne, offering a relaxed and finessed food and drinking experience with an edgy yet refreshing ambiance. The food menu, put together by chef Dave Verheul, is approachable and uses a great deal of locally sourced, seasonal produce.

“The key aspect of the food is that it is gastronomic, yet humble enough to be eaten everyday which allows the venue to function equally as a local as well as a dining destination for special occasions or date night,” owner Christian McCabe says.

“The design of The Town Mouse is an idealised portrayal of how we believe the everyday should be lived – just because something is nice doesn’t mean it should be saved for a special occasion. Being with friends and family is special enough”.

312 Drummond St, Carlton, VIC, Ph: (03) 9347 3312

LONDON FIELDS THE team behind Mrs Sippy have just opened the doors to a new wine bar and eatery called London Fields, located on the first floor of The London Hotel in Paddington, providing an exciting new destination to relax and enjoy beautiful cocktails, alongside delicious grazing plates.

The bright and spacious upstairs venue has a variety of seating options for patrons, and there are plenty of great rustic dishes available such as buffalo mozzarella fritters, grilled lamb meatballs, slow cooked pork belly with roast cabbage, and roast spatchcock with prosciutto.

Robbie Stowe is managing the bar and has created a range of great seasonal cocktails for the drinks list featuring ingredients like feijoa, blood plum and ginger syrup – and there is also a great selection of wines and beers available.

85 Underwood St, Paddington, NSW, Ph: (02) 9331 3200

COBBLER BRISBANE industry veterans Martin Lange, Asa Boardman and Trent Goodwin have just launched a new whisky and cocktail bar in the heart of the West End district, called Cobbler.

The bar boasts close to 120 whiskies on its back bar and has 30 cocktails available on its drinks list divided into sections – Sour/Fizz, Old Fashioned, Tiki, Straight Up and Seasonal.

“It’s a rotating list and we will be changing the sections every three months. For instance in winter we’ll switch the Sour/Fizz section for Hot Drinks and the Tiki list for Martini-style drinks,” Lange explains.

Apart from the large collection of whiskies, the bar also has over 60 tequilas, and although it doesn’t serve food, guests are allowed to bring their own meals with them.

The cosy, intimate venue comfortably accommodates up to 100 people and has a raw brick and wood fit out, metal light fittings, plenty of lounges and features a bar top made from a bushfire-tarnished solid piece of timber.

7 Browning St, West End, QLD

bars&clubs 15

OPENINGS

THE WILD ROVER I t’s been almost a year since the team behind Sydney small bar Grandma’s, James Bradey and Warren Burns, announced they were working on a new swashbuckling two-level bar called The Wild Rover.

And although the venue – described as a cross between an Irish barn and a chic New York bar – was ready to begin operating late last year, due to legal issues surrounding the venue’s liquor licence, it was forced to remain closed.

However, last month the authorities finally gave The Wild Rover the much-anticipated green light to open its doors and since then the place has been a favourite for both the trade and many of Sydney’s small bar aficionados. We caught up with James Bradey to find out more.

HOW HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN SINCE YOU GUYS OPENED YOUR DOORS? The response has been fantastic. We are seeing a huge number of repeat customers as well as a very strong hospitality following. People have really bought into the whole ‘Wild Rover’ experience and so far have said it was worth the wait.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WILD ROVER TO SOMEONE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE? It’s all about good fun. We wanted an environment people could settle in for the night. No bullshit – just a friendly, comfortable environment where you can be yourself, stomp your feet and get amongst it. It’s all about the craic!

WHAT TYPE OF DRINKS IS THE BAR SERVING? IS THERE A FOCUS ON ANY SPECIFIC STYLE/CATEGORY? Our style as above is striped back, no fuss and no bullshit.

Drinks are focused on good clean, direct flavours with a strong whisk(e)y (especially Irish) offering, as well as over 60 wines and 20 beers. We don’t take ourselves too seriously so all our drinks are served in good humour but with the utmost attention paid to quality.

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WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN DIFFERENCES FROM RUNNING A SMALL BAR LIKE GRANDMA’S TO RUNNING A LARGER VENUE LIKE THE WILD ROVER? Running a small place like Grandma’s, first is that all your flaws are exposed, there’s nowhere to hide. We have applied the same principles to The Wild Rover. We have a rock star team and the challenge for us is to make sure we are all going in the same direction. At Grandma’s the challenge is more physical as we are all doing all the work ourselves rather than guiding a team.

WHO MAKES UP YOUR TEAM? Last time I checked we have over 150 years collective experience – so we all draw on that. At the helm we have Kim McDiarmid as our GM, Mike Tomasic as our bar manager and Adam Hadad as our assistant manager, and sommelier, although we don’t advertise him to our guests as that. Also on board we have a number of senior guys such as Jonothan Carr, Mike Lowe and Josh Ng. Oh, and two of the best glassies in the southern hemisphere in Waz and myself.

WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THE FIT OUT AND DESIGN OF THE VENUE? Inspiration was a cross between an Irish drinking barn and a little Beverly Hills flash thrown in. Sydney now has a great drinking culture but we felt there was a gap in the market for a great quality bar that had a great quality wine, beer and whisk(e)y offering matched with freshly shucked oysters and home made sausage rolls in an environment that focused on fun and not on the pomp and bullshit so often associated with oysters and champagne.

The Irish are known the world over for being all about the craic, and that’s what we are aiming for. Come down, settle in for the night, smash a dozen oysters with a bottle of champagne or some stout, get comfortable and have a real knees up time.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIT OUT AND DESIGN CONSTRUCTION? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO BUILD THE BAR? I did the design work as part of our parent company 8 Hospitality. The main construction company was Built Complete with a host of others from our upholstery to the lampshade design. The design process took a couple of months and we were onsite for the construction phase from strip out to completion in approximately 10 weeks.

WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE WILD ROVER IN THE FUTURE? To be serving up the freshest, tastiest oysters and booze to match to the local community for as long as possible.

WHISK(E)Y

SPECIAL FEATURE

SCOTCH & IRISH

INHA HA S R AAS TENDE R K BA ROO THE

bars&clubs 17

FIGHT CLUB

The 'Innies'

MERLIN JEREBINE THELOFT

JORDAN BLACKMAN THELOFT

CRISTIANO BERETTA THE ROOK

AASHA SINHA THE ROOK

750ml

DRINK RESPONSIBLY. DOJ0067_B&G_50x460mm_Strip_Rev2.indd All Pages

18 bars&clubs

l i a t k c Co sh Cla

FIGHT CLUB JAMIE WALKER THE WINERY

The ‘Outies’

PETE JENKINS MANLY WINE JASON WILLIAMS KEYSTONE GROUP

RAJI VANNIASINKAM THE ANIMAL

WE RECRUITED SOME OF THE KEYSTONE GROUP’S TOP DRINK SLINGERS FOR THIS ISSUE’S BARTENDER FIGHT CLUB AND SPLIT THEM INTO TWO TEAMS – THE INNIES AND THE OUTIES – WITH THE INNIES REPRESENTING KEYSTONE VENUES LOCATED INSIDE SYDNEY’S CBD, AND THE OUTIES REPRESENTING VENUES FOUND OUTSIDE THE CBD AREA. WE GATHERED THEM AT THE ROOK, GAVE THEM A RANGE OF FINE SCOTCH AND IRISH WHISKIES TO PLAY WITH AND LET THE GAMES BEGIN.

Judging this Keystone cocktail caper was: Mitch Bushell - Vanguard Luxury Brands’ director of hijinks, Dr. Phil Gandevia - The Roosevelt bar manager, and Michael Rodrigues Time Out Australia Joint CEO and Commercial Director.

PHIL GANDEVIA, MITCH BUSHELL, MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ

THE JOHNNIE WALKER, GOLD LABEL RESERVE, WHERE FLAVOUR IS KING WORDS, THE STRIDING FIGURE AND ASSOCIATED LOGOS ARE TRADE MARKS. © JOHN WALKER AND SONS 2013.

17/05/13 4:42 PM

bars&clubs 19

FIGHT CLUB ROUND 1

Winner

Johnnie Walker Double Black

Double Espresso

We kick off proceedings with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Double Black and Peter and Aasha jumping behind the bar. Peter mixes up a Penicillin twist called Herbal Remedy that scores points for its appearance and interesting tart and smoky taste. But its Aasha’s highly accessible Double Espresso cocktail that takes out the first round, with the judges’ praising its stylish appearance, pleasant taste and enticing aroma.

Herbal Remedy

Double Espresso

Herbal Remedy

Glass: Cocktail Ingredients: • 30ml Johnnie Walker Double Black • 30ml TMD Toffee Wattle Liqueur • 30ml Fresh espresso • 10ml Sugar syrup Method: Shake all well with ice and fine strain into glass Garnish: Salted popcorn

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 40ml Johnnie Walker Double Black • 15ml Lime juice • 15ml Lemon juice • 30ml Sage syrup • 10ml Laphroaig (float) • 1/3 Egg white Method: Dry shake, then shake well with ice.

Strain into glass and fill with ice. Garnish and float Laphroaig Garnish: Lime wheel

ROUND 2 Glenfiddich Rich Oak

Aasha sticks around for the next round and goes up against Jason using a bottle of the Glenfiddich Rich Oak. Aasha produces a nice stirred drink, Oak Dear, which packs a fresh yet complex aroma and an outstanding taste. But it gets beaten by Jason’s cocktail, The Confectioner, which the judges’ rate highly due to the selection of ingredients as well as its beautiful appearance and delicious taste.

The Confectioner

Oak Dear

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 45ml Glenfiddich Rich Oak • 15ml Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curaçao • 3 Dashes of Frankincense Bitters • 1 Barspoon of D.O.M. Bénédictine Method: Stir with ice and strain over an ice sphere Garnish: Orange twist

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 45ml Glenfiddich Rich Oak • 15ml Calvados • 10ml 5 Spice syrup • 30ml Sparkling wine Method: Stir first three ingredients with ice and strain over ice. Charge with sparkling wine Garnish: Orange twist

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Oak Dear

Winner r

The Confectione

750ml

DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

THE JOHNNIE WALKER, GOLD LABEL RESERVE, WHERE FLAVOUR IS KING WORDS, THE STRIDING FIGURE AND ASSOCIATED LOGOS ARE TRADE MARKS. © JOHN WALKER AND SONS 2013.

FIGHT CLUB

Winner

ROUND 3

Where is Merivale?

Bruichladdich Classic

Former flatmates Jamie and Merlin reunite behind the bar for round three and do battle with some Bruichladdich Classic. Merlin shows his smooth, soulful side with his drink The Barry White Experience, a clean looking and great tasting drink with a great deal of length and a lovely finish that is topped off with a fruity aroma. However, it’s Jamie’s cheekily named Where Is Merivale? concoction that takes the round, with the judges’ impressed by the drink’s contrasting colours, nice texture, full flavoured taste and subtle aroma.

Where is Merivale?

Glass: Cocktail Ingredients: • 45ml Bruichladdich Classic • 15ml Hayman’s Sloe Gin • 5ml Orgeat • 15ml Pineapple juice • 1/3 Egg white Method: Shake all well with ice and fine strain in to glass Garnish: Dehydrated lemon

The Barry White Experience

The Barry W

hite Experienc

e

Glass: Nick & Nora Ingredients: • 50ml Bruichladdich Classic • 10ml Yellow Chartreuse • 10ml D.O.M. Bénédictine • 6 Drops of Tonka bean tincture Method: Stir all ingredients while Barry White’s ‘Never Gonna Give Up’ song plays and fine strain in to glass Garnish: Lemon twist

ROUND 4 Chivas Regal 18 Year Old

’

omethin

ethin’ S

Som A Little

Raji and Jordan make their first appearance behind the bar and arm themselves with some Chivas Regal 18 Year Old. Raji delivers a well presented and great tasting drink in a stylish hipflask called A Little Somethin’ Somethin’, which has a dry taste with floral characteristics that the judges commend. But it’s Jordan’s Brekkie Flipper that gets the thumbs up from the judges and wins the round with its inviting appearance, sweet aroma and well-balanced sweet taste.

Brekkie Flipper

Winner Brekkie Flipp

er

22 bars&clubs

Glass: Tall Fizz Glass Ingredients: • 50ml Chivas Regal 18 Year Old • 15ml Lena • 15ml Maple syrup • 1 Dash of Fee Bros Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters • 1 Egg Method: Shake all like a mofo. Strain into glass with no ice Garnish: Crushed banana chips

A Little Somethin’ Somethin’ Glass: Glass Hip Flask Ingredients: • 60ml Chivas Regal 18 year old • 30ml Lemon juice • 15ml Sugar syrup • 2.5ml Lavender bitters • 2.5ml Dandelion & Burdock Bitters • 30ml Veuve Clicquot Method: Shake everything but the bubbles and fine strain into glass (using a funnel). Charge with champagne

FIGHT CLUB ROUND 5

Winner

Laphroig 10 Year Old

The Flying Reaburn

Broad Bay

Merlin and Jason jump back behind the bar for round five and get busy with some Laphroig 10 Year Old. Jason mixes up a simple yet refined cocktail, the Broad Bay, which scores points for its near perfect balance, approachable taste and lovely aroma. But it’s Merlin’s The Flying Reaburn – an ode to his mate and former 1806 work colleague Sebastian Reaburn – that impresses the judges (and wins the round) with its retro appearance, well-rounded full flavoured taste and grand aroma.

The Flying Reaburn

Broad Bay

Glass: Margarita Ingredients: • 15ml Laphroaig 10 Year Old • 30ml 666 Autumn Butter Vodka • 10ml Maraschino liqueur • 1 Barspoon of Red Bull Blue reduction Method: Stir all with ice and fine strain in to glass Garnish: Lemon wheel

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 45ml Laphroaig 10 Year Old • 10ml Ricard • 1 Passionfruit • 30ml Lemon juice • 15ml Sugar syrup Method: Shake all well with ice and strain in to glass. Fill with ice Garnish: Dehydrated orange wheel

ROUND 6 Jura Superstition

Round six sees Jamie and Aasha flexing their skills behind the bar with a bottle of Jura Superstition. Aasha delivers a simple but tasty drink, the cleverly named Jurastiction, which receives praise from the judges for its restrained fruity taste, cinnamon aroma and chocolate and spice finish. But Jamie claims another round with his creation, The Paps of Jura, winning the judges over with its elegant shot-like appearance, complex mandarin notes, balanced flavours and its use of yuzu to accentuate the whisky.

Pap’s of Jura Glass: Mini Rocks Glasses Ingredients: • 45ml Jura Superstition • 10ml Amontillado sherry • 10ml Orgeat • 15ml Yuzu • 1 Barspoon of grapefruit marmalade • 1/3 Egg white Method: Shake well with ice and fine strain into multiple glasses Garnish: Dehydrated orange wheel segments

24 bars&clubs

Jurastiction Glass: Nick & Nora Ingredients: • 45ml Jura Superstition • 1 Barspoon of lemon butter • 2 Drops of orange blossom water Method: Shake and fine strain in to glass Garnish: Grated cinnamon

Jurastiction

Winner Pap’s of Jura

FIGHT CLUB ROUND 7 Writers Tears

Round seven sees Cristiano making his first appearance behind the bar going up against Peter with a bottle of Writers Tears. Peter’s aptly named My Ireland cocktail gets the thumbs up from the judges for its wonderful two-tone appearance, full bodied fruity flavours and floral aroma. But it’s Cristiano’s Tears Of Fears cocktail, with its attractive look, enticing taste and herbaceous aroma that wins the round.

My Ireland

Winner

Tears Of Fears

My Ireland

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 45ml Writers Tears • 10ml Massenez Creme de Peche • 5ml Sugar syrup (1:1) • 4 Sage leaves Method: Mint Julep style Garnish: Sage leaves

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 60ml Writers Tears • 15ml Lemon juice • 15ml Ale syrup • 15ml Orgeat • 30ml Mandarin juice • 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters • 10ml Shiraz float Method: Shake everything but the Shiraz and strain in to glass. Float the plonk

Tears Of Fears

ROUND 8 The Glenrothes Select Reserve

Cristiano sticks around for round eight and takes on Jamie, with both of them working their magic with a bottle of The Glenrothes Select Reserve. Jamie goes back to his roots and mixes up the Perfect Scottish Brekkie, a stunning looking, full bodied drink with a strong finish that packs a punch and develops flavours over time. However, Cristiano manages to win this round too with his sessionable Scottish RAF cocktail, which the judges praise for its functional garnish, refreshing aroma, and well-refined subtle taste.

reakfast

cottish B

Perfect S

Scottish RAF

Winner Scottish RAF

Glass: Cocktail Ingredients: • 50ml The Glenrothes Select Reserve • 30ml Honey syrup • 15ml Lime juice • Sparkling wine Method: Shake everything but the sparkling, fine strain into glass and charge with sparkling Garnish: Honeycomb

Perfect Scottish Breakfast Glass: Short Ingredients: • 45ml The Glenrothes Select Reserve • 30ml Irn Bru reduction • 15ml Aperol • 1 Dash of Fee Bros Peach Bitters Method: Stir with ice and strain over an ice chunk

bars&clubs 25

FIGHT CLUB ROUND 9 Dewar’s White Label

Jordan and Raji step back into the ring for round nine and mix it up with a bottle of Dewar’s White Label. Raji stirs up his Strange Brew, a deliberately simple looking sweet drink full of flavour with a strong mezcal presence. But its Jordan’s drink, The Ron Burgundy Blend, which impresses the judges the most with its look, balance and complexity, as well as the way the cheese and peppercorn garnish adds complementing flavours to the drink.

The Ron Burgundy Blend Glass: Cocktail Ingredients: • 45ml Dewar’s White Label • 15ml Antica Formula • A Pinch of crushed peppercorns • 1 Dash of Bokers Bitters Method: Stir with ice and fine strain in to glass Garnish: Brie cheese and peppercorns

WinnedyrBlend

The Ron Burgun

Strang

e Brew

Strange Brew Glass: Short Ingredients: • 30ml Dewar’s White Label • 30ml Del Maguey Vida Mezcal • 10ml Agave syrup • 1 Dash of Fee Bros Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters • Green Chartreuse Method: Rinse glass with Green Chartreuse and discard. Stir ingredients with ice and strain over ice sphere Garnish: Discarded lemon twist

ROUND 10 Coonemara Peated Irish Whisky

Anothe

r Lazy Ir

Winner The Road T

o Tipperary

26 bars&clubs

ish Fell

a

Merlin and Jason get back into the fray and have some fun with a bottle of Coonemara Peated Irish Whisky. Merlin, with tongue firmly placed in cheek, creates a simple drink, Another Lazy Irish Fella, but it’s no match for Jason’s sleek The Road To Tipperary cocktail – a smooth, viscous drink with a winning taste and a subtle yet complex aroma.

The Road To Tipperary

Another Lazy Irish Fella

Glass: Nick & Nora Ingredients: • 45ml Coonemara Peated Irish Whisky • 15ml Cinzano Rosso • 15ml Green Chartreuse • 15ml Honey • A Dash of Angostura Bitters Method: Stir with ice and fine strain in to glass

Glass: Up & Go Pack Ingredients: • 60ml Coonemara Peated Irish Whisky • 1 Up&Go Choc Ice • A Dash of Angostura Bitters Method: Pour out some of the Up&Go, add whisky and bitters and then shake up pack

FIGHT CLUB ROUND 11 Tullamore Dew

Jordan and Raji get back behind the bar for round eleven and duke it out with a bottle of Tullamore Dew. Jordan presents the judges with his Irish Smog, a clever drink with an excellent aroma and good balance.

But Raji claims this round with his Irish Flame cocktail, a rich and full dessert style drink with a strong taste and good length.

Irish Flame

Winner The Road T

o Tipperary

Irish Smog

Irish Flame

Glass: Nick & Nora Ingredients: • 60ml Tullamore Dew • 10ml Sage syrup • 1 Barspoon of Kubler Absinthe • 2 Dashes of lavender bitters Method: Stir with ice and fine strain in to a glass Garnish: Sage leaf

Glass: Tall Fizz Glass Ingredients: • 40ml Tullamore Dew • 20ml Tia Maria • 5ml D.O.M. Bénédictine • 2 Flamed orange peels • Drambuie cream Method: Flame orange in glass, stir whisky and liqueur with ice and strain in to glass. Layer cream on top

ROUND 12 Monkey Shoulder

Peter and Cristiano go head-to-head one more time for the last round with a bottle of Monkey Shoulder. Peter comes up with a classic style (and comically named) drink, I Touch Apes, which has a sweet taste that the charred cinnamon stick adds plenty of depth to. But Cristiano dominates this round with his well thought out and executed creation, That Old Chestnut, a drink that the judges find inspiring due to its refined look, sophisticated taste and the great balance between the drink and the garnish.

pes

I Touch A

WinnedyrBlend

The Ron Burgun

l a n i F Tally

7 The Outies 5 The Innies

That Old Chestnut

I Touch Apes

Glass: Rocks Ingredients: • 45ml Monkey Shoulder • 20ml Chestnut liqueur • 4 Dashes of pimento bitters Method: Stir all with ice and strain over an ice chunk Garnish: Roasted chestnuts

Glass: Short Ingredients: • 60ml Monkey Shoulder • 15ml Apricot and butterscotch liqueur • 15ml Coconut water • 1 Dash Fee Bros Old Fashioned Bitters Method: Stir with ice and strain over an ice sphere.

Garnish: Charred cinnamon quill

End e h T

bars&clubs 27

RON COOPER

DEL MAGUEY DOWN UNDER Del Maguey mezcal founder, Ron Cooper, recently visited Australia as a guest of Think Spirits, who took over the distribution of the Del Maguey range at the start of the year.

During his visit, he hosted a number of Del Maguey tasting sessions for bartenders across the country where he walked attendees through the distinct production processes and tastes of different mescals in the range.

Cooper also kept the capacity crowds entertained and enthralled with his countless anecdotes and stories behind the creation of these artisanal single village mezcals. bars&clubs had a chance to catch up with him during his visit for a chat over some mezcal and tacos at El Topo.

What was the reason you decided to come to Australia? Do you see this country as an emerging market for your mezcal?

I actually had a dream before I came here where you guys were digging it [Del Maguey] so much; you drank all of our mezcal.

I think that Think Spirits is really professionally and well organised, more so than most distributors I’ve had experience with. So now there’s a real opportunity and from what I can see, Australia can be our second biggest market.

Thanks to Phil Bayly and Tomas Estes we hooked up with Think Spirits and now there is a real opportunity and I just said ‘hey if we are going to do this I’ll come over, I want to know Australia’.

During your time here you have engaged with a lot of bartenders and visited a lot of bars. What have your impressions been?

I am so enthusiastic in terms of what I have seen.

It’s really interesting it’s not like I have to educate anybody here, everybody is already doing it, which is cool. I’ve been making mezcal Negronis and I turned on a few people to them, they are really good, especially with Toba or Vida. But I’m finding that everybody here knows how to mix real well.

Do you think there are limits to how large the market for mezcal can become?

I think so. It can’t be Cuervo and I don’t want it

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(L-R): ANDREW KERRSMITH, RON COOPER, JOHN GAKURU AND PHIL BAYLY

to be. I’ve always said I want to be warm, I don’t want to be hot. For example, with this one guy when we started [he was making] 300lt and now its maybe 2500lt.

And they are constructing this huge building so they can work during the rainy season, and they got two stills now. There’s just the dad and two sons but you can see they are investing and moving ahead. Its all relationships and family, and we pay way beyond fair trade. It’s such an honour to be honest and live with cool people and hang out and make good stuff and not compromise.

How did mezcal exist as a product before you got involved?

When I started you could get two mezcals in the city of Oaxaca and they were both fake – one was Monte Alban and the other was Gusano Rojo. They had cane alcohol with a little agave flavouring, food colouring and water and a gusano (worm) in the bottom – every mezcal you could get had a gusano in the bottom and all of them were brown coloured.

But then I found this real stuff and there was no reason to drink the other stuff. The real stuff was made out in these remote villages and never made it to the cities, it was just used for ritual uses in the villages. And Gusano Rojo and Monte Alban would buy from lots of different people put it all in one tank and then add a ton of crap to it.

Where do you see the meztcal category going in the future?

I owned the category for 16 years – just me.

Nobody was interested until I opened all these doors and created a market for it. There was an agave shortage in Jalisco and they’d send trucks down and buy our Espadin agave illegally to keep the tequila industry going and at that point the price would be twenty times more for the agave.

So at the time I said that everybody and their dentist is planting agave now – and it’s proven to be true, there’s a brand called Marca Negra and it was started by a dentist.

So a lot of people are moving in just for the financial rewards, just for economics, thinking ‘oh its hot lets make some, we can do it’. I see a lot of that happening and it seems that everyday there is a new brand. And because I’m like the grandfather, I hate to see a bastardization of the category, but it’s what it is and also it’s raising consciousness so everybody is interested in mezcal.

Will you be introducing any new lines to the Del Maguey range?

Oh yeah. During the sessions I did here we tasted eight from the range but there is a whole other series called Vino de Mezcal. San Luis del Rio is making this great Azul (blue) because during the agave scarcity the trucks coming down were buying from our producer, he’s the most powerful grower, and they’d bring him baby blue agave and say ‘plant these just in case there’s another shortage’. Well there wasn’t a shortage last year and we had all this ripe blue agave and it’s just incredible. It’s a mix of the flavour of Jalisco and Oaxaca with the old technology of Oaxaca – so it’s like what tequila tasted like 200 years ago.

SPECIAL FEATURE

TEQUILA

ERS PET T NICK AURAN T RES NAGER A M A ASIT MAM

bars&clubs 29

TEQUILA “Tequila, scorpion honey, harsh dew of the doglands, essence of Aztec, crema de cacti; tequila, oily and thermal like the sun in solution; tequila, liquid geometry of passion; tequila, the buzzard god who copulates in mid-air with the ascending souls of dying virgins; tequila, firebug in the house of good taste; O’ tequila, savage water of sorcery, what confusion and mischief your sly, rebellious drops do generate!”– Tom Robbins, American author

T

equila, it is a drink that always has a story associated with. There is always the memory of drinking one from the previous night but you don’t know when and how you woke up in the state you are in now. It is the drink that is a game changer. When one imbibes this agave juice a night can go from a quiet one to a full swinging debauch orgy within the space of a few hours. Who hasn’t heard the famous phrase by George Carlin – one tequila, two tequila, three tequila… floor.

Tequila has a nasty reputation that precedes it but it is getting a clean slate. Tequila, especially 100% agave, is under going a renaissance and this renaissance can be found in the burgeoning Mexican based restaurant and bar trend that is sweeping Australia at the moment. Patrons are flocking to have a slice of traditional Mexican cuisine and a dose of the clear spirit in capital cities all around the country.

These tequila (and mezcal) focused Mexican themed restaurants and bars are a relatively new phenomenon in Australia – with the exception of the trailblazing (and now sadly defuct) Café Pacifico in Sydney.

Before these new venues graced us with their presence, the only experience we had of Mexican was those lovely TexMex joints where we would get a plate of nachos and some cheap Coronas. This new found love for tequila and Mexican food has seen many new places with extraordinary back bars filled with tequila arise looking at educating the Australian public of the delicacies and finer nuances of Mexico and its beloved spirit tequila.

We have seen places pop up all over the country including Little Blood, Señoritas, Touché Hombre, Mamasita and Chingón in Melbourne, Barrio Chino, El Topo, Tio’s, El Loco and Mejico in Sydney, and El Público in Perth.

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FEEDING AN APPETITE FOR PREMIUM

Tequila

TEQUILA

IS IT A TREND? Like all new cuisines that hit the bars and restaurant scene, customer and hospitality workers alike speculate that each new restaurant is a trend that is going to reach a high point then fade away. But to the experts it appears that Mexican and tequila is definitely here to stay and is not just some passing fad.

When asked if this rise in tequila and mezcal bars is a new and rising trend Brown-Forman brand ambassador Stuart Reeves replies that “definitely the trend has been in Mexican cuisine, and consequently tequila and mezcal, for the last two years or so, and there seems no sign of it abating yet.”

“As with dining out more generally, the consumer is seeking a more demanding offering these days in both the food and drink offerings in this space,” Reeves says.

And while James Sherry and Nick Reid from Tequila Tromba believe that “there has definitely been a spike in demand in tequila and mezcal bars and restaurants” they do not see it a just a trend.

“Melbourne and Sydney have embraced tequila and Mexican food with open arms and when questioned, people like the new and exciting dishes that these restaurants offer.

It is a great way of serving food and creating a responsible drinking culture,” they state.

Nick Peters from Mamasita seems to agree, asserting that “there has definitely been an influx of Mexican restaurants over the last few years. I am wary to call it a trend because that implies that it won’t last – these new Mexican restaurants are here to stay”.

“I constantly hear people say ‘wow - another Mexican restaurant, can we handle another one?’.

There are new Chinese and Italian restaurants popping up all the time that we still get excited about, so I think the future is bright,” Peters says.

STAY IN THE PAST… THIS IS THE FUTURE Remember those Mexican joints where it was $2 tacos and $5 coronas… a plate of nachos shared between three of you? However, those days have changed and the food coming from these new and exciting restaurants takes it roots from more authentic places in Mexico.

Bacardi Lion brand ambassador, Jeremy Shipley, believes that “long gone are the days of cheap tacos and cheesy nachos, as Mexico is now all about fresh, vibrant colours and flavours”.

“Consumers hold these expectations for their dining and drinking experience due to the rise in quality and skill of execution. Mexico has become a more popular destination for Australians so bringing the ‘real authentic’ Mexico back to home is very appealing,” Shipley says.

So what have these venues done that is different from the ones in past? Think Spirits trade marketing manager, John Gakuru, argues that “most Mexican venues in the past were quite one-dimensional and visited only as a novelty”.

“Hence the food and to a lesser extent some cocktails were the same. Over the past few years’ venues have become less gimmicky, more authentic and generally more appealing to discerning customers.

The bar menu and the food menu has equally evolved,” Gakuru points out.

This new revolution in Mexican dining experience also extends to the bars’ tequila and mezcal range.

Venues like Little Blood in Melbourne have spent a great deal of time and effort sourcing a large range of tequilas, the majority not available in Australia. Other

!Hola el Jimador Blanco!

Mexico’s favourite spirit has landed in Australia. Adios Vodka.

Always enjoy responsibly. Gracias.

EL JIMADO TEQUILA BLANCO 38% ALC. BY VOL. IMPORTED BY BROWN-FORMAN AUSTRALIA, PTY LTD 2014.

bars&clubs 31

TEQUILA

ONCE INSIDE A BAR IN MEXICO venues like Mejico, a relatively newcomer to the burgeoning Mexican restaurant scene in Sydney, hire a tequila expert to choose its selection.

“Mejico works with a tequila specialist in Mexico who knows the regions of Mexico like the back of his hand. He passes on suggestion but the final decision is made in-house by the owner, the head chef, and me,” Mejico bar manager, Ibrail Khan, explains.

Vanguard Luxury Brands director, James France, sees this upsurge in more upmarket tequila as a promising change for the better, and conveys that “12 to 15 years ago our choices for Mexican spirits were very limited”.

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BY GILES TUFFIN

M “Most of the tequila available then was awful and it damaged the category’s reputation. It’s been refreshing to see the emergence of a swag of great new brands.

As I have said for years – good tequila is not an oxymoron,” France says.

Restaurants like Señoritas, Mejico, El Topo, Barrio Chino, Chingón and Mamasita are bringing good food to the masses while also educating them on the complexities of tequila. But how do you promote a product that for so long has been associated with bad mixto with a worm in the bottom and a black out to follow?

Brett Louis from Señoritas says that there are different ways to get customers to try out and discover tequila. “We have always had flights available but I think that they are more confronting for the uninitiated.”

“For the nervous, normally sipping on an añejo is the way to go because it has familiar flavours and structure to other spirits. Otherwise combining and matching with foods – the blancos and reposados work really well for this,” Louis states.

Other venues like Mamasita, which have a tequila-only list, looks to twists on classics to expose patrons to quality tequilas, which “customers are really receptive to”, Nick Peters says.

The boys at Tequila Tromba assert that customers and bartenders alike are embracing tequila due to the excellent promotion through these specialty venues.

“With the rise in specialty tequila venues promoting Tromba to the market, there is a greater number of hospitality workers who think about what they are serving to their guests. You see in these restaurants affordable tequila with a higher standard, not the mixto tequila of the past,” Tequila Tromba’s Nick Reid says.

He also outlines that there has definitely been a step up in peoples choice of tequila as their first drink or for sipping. This has come from their promotion of the different ways people can drink tequila.

exico is a country that has a strong influence on bar culture around the globe, with almost every venue having some form of tequila and possibly a Mexican beer or two. However, on a recent holiday I was surprised at the variety and style of drinks I had never come across before, and also found more than a few things I had been told about Mexican drinking were dead wrong. I thought I’d share my findings with you, my fellow barkeeps.

Contrary to popular belief, Mexicans do sometimes ‘lick, sip, suck’ their tequila or mezcal with lime and salt. Many times when a tequila or mezcal is ordered, a side plate of salt, chilli salt, and either lime or orange wedges is served, which the imbiber then consumes (or not) at his or her leisure.

Other popular accompaniments are a shot of sangrita (‘little blood’), essentially a virgin mary mix, or the bandera (‘flag’), which is individual shots of tequila, sangrita and lime juice – representing the colours of the Mexican flag which are sipped slowly in turn. The spirit is invariably served in a hefty shot glass and savoured rather than shot, unless of course there is a celebration – which is often.

Being cheaper than tequila, mezcal is regularly infused by bartenders and most bars will have a wide selection. Common infusions include rose, mint, agave chunks, and a variety of herbs, though many others are available. Should you be drinking mezcal in its home state of Oaxaca, it’s likely to be accompanied by a small plate of sal de gusano – salt mixed with smoked larva of an agave eating moth (mezcal’s famous ‘worm’). This gives the salt an orange colour and particularly spicy flavour, and is well worth trying.

Interestingly, all beers are served the same way as tequila, with a side plate of lime chunks and various salts. Mexicans frequently like to put a pinch of salt directly into the neck of the bottle, adding a very agreeable dryness to the taste. Available beers depends on the region you are in, with some of the more popular brands including Victoria, Leon, Sol, Indio, Minerva, Modelo and Tecante.

Before my trip I had been told that no one in Mexico drinks Corona. As it turns out, this was complete nonsense, as I saw people drinking it from one end of the country to the other with the usual Mexican gusto.

Mexico’s favourite hangover cure is the michelada, essentially a spicy and lime juice-heavy virgin mary topped with beer. The michelada is served on ice in a half filled, chilli salt rimmed highball glass with a whole beer on the side, which the drinker can then mix as desired. Unsurprisingly, recipes vary around the country, particularly for spices and sauces Worchester is particularly common, although ingredients like teriyaki and soy are not unknown. Using clamato juice, a mix of tomato juice and clam broth, is particularly widespread.

And finally, we have the margarita. The recipe is exactly as you would presume – freshly squeezed key limes, triple sec, and a hefty slug of tequila in a salt rimmed glass. But it is served frozen, for which I blame the American influence. Should you desire a shaken margarita, it must be ordered ‘natural’ (roughly pronounced ‘nah-to-rahl’). These are, invariably, fantastic.

So as you can see, Mexico has much to enthral the bartender – great booze, lots of variety and interesting drinks.

And needless to say, prices are aimed to please, generally costing only a dollar or two per refreshing beverage. What a country. Did I mention how much I liked Mexico?

° Hola el Jimador Blanco! ’ Mexico s favourite spirit has landed in Australia. call your brown forman amigo on 1300 656 593. Adios Vodka!

EL JIMADO TEQUILA BLANCO 38% ALC. BY VOL. IMPORTED BY BROWN-FORMAN AUSTRALIA, PTY LTD 2014.

-

Always enjoy responsibly. Gracias.

TEQUILA

“Instead of the usual shot/lime/ salt combination we recommend a Tommy’s Margarita or a Paloma as they are ‘the’ signature Mexican cocktails. El Diablo’s are also a popular one with first timers,” Reid states.

And while most people still see the salt and lime combination as a winner Reid says that these knew venues tend to promote Sangrita or Verditas as an alternative to the ‘lick, sip and suck’ method, which for many customers is a totally new experience.

TEQUILA AND FOOD: MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN The success of these venues has been due to one factor, making traditional Mexican food available to the average customer. So the matching of tequila and food is the next step to completing a succinct and traditional Mexican experience. Ibrail Khan from Mejico when asked the question of food and tequila matching, remarks how important both are.

“That’s why our head chef is also involved in the decision around which tequilas we choose to import.

That way, we can ensure we have the right tequilas to serve with our dishes.

“Just like with any spirit or wine, we have tequilas that are light and fresh on the palate, which naturally complement lighter dishes like fish and salsas, and we have darker, heavier tequilas as well,” Khan explains.

“Our tequilas are further distinguished by the region in which the agave plant is grown. We have tequilas produced in the lowlands of Mexico and tequilas

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produced in the highlands, growing regions which affect the agave. Valley tequilas tend to be spicier and darker on the palate, while the highlands tequilas tend to carry more subtle lighter notes, sometimes with a hint of citrus. The pairing possibilities are endless. Daniel, our chef, loves to get really creative with these possibilities.”

SouthTrade International’s national training manager, Gee David, believes that “food and tequila do go hand in hand… much as in the same way that vodka in Poland and Russia is drunk as a palate cleanser between courses”.

“Tequila has such an amazing profile that chefs all around the world are continuously pushing the boundaries to produce amazing pairings with the complex flavours of the agave,” David says.

He sees tequila and food matching as a way of bringing the front and back of house together once more, something he has had some experience in doing in the past.

“It was my job to work with the chef and try and match a cocktail to each course. It was an incredible success and the guests were wowed by the complexity of the flavours and tequilas.

“I think we’ll see a lot more of this happen with the cross over between food and drink. I for one promote the idea and would welcome chefs to create flavours to accentuate the beautiful flavours of the now, premium quality of tequilas,” David comments.

Stuart Reeves stipulates that in “Mexico they drink blancos before lunch, reposados with lunch and añejos after lunch.

Food and tequila is always crucial, especially as it is still very much a mixing spirit and enjoying tequila cocktails and highballs with Mexican cuisine is a perfect marriage”.

“Blanco tequilas pair great with the fresher, lighter flavours of salads, ceviche or seafood bisque. Reposados are better with drier meats like lamb or chicken. Añejos are for deeper meats like beef or braised pork or even dessert courses of cheeses, drinks wise heavier flavours like chocolate and coffee are best,” Reeves explains.

Nick Peters from Mamasita says there are many great examples on his venue’s menu that shows how good tequila and mezcal matched with food can go.

“Mezcal and mole is a match made in heaven and Oaxaqueños have known this for a long time. I love having a Paloma with a nice refreshing Ceviche (our Ceviche de

Yucatan is my favourite) – the lime and grapefruit juices from the Paloma compliment the lime in the ceviche and cleanse the palate.

“A nice, floral highland reposado can add sweet notes to seafood and shellfish dishes and bring out the sweetness of the meat.

A fuller-bodied lowland reposado is a great foil for a Quesadilla de Huitlacoche, with the grassy, dry notes of the tequila emphasizing the earthiness of the huitlacoche and the mushrooms. I love having sipping on an añejo with a bittersweet chocolate dish too,” Peters says.

“We are lucky that the majority of customers that walk into Mamasita do so with an open mind, and are willing to take on and try new things. One of my favourites on our current list is the Stigibeu, with mezcal, crema de mezcal, chipotle tamarind, lemon and nutmeg.”

OLD CLICHES DIE HARD As mentioned before, tequila has a reputation for being a party drink. People drink it when they want to get drunk. However this new approach of promoting the consumption of tequila and food together also has the benefits of promotes responsible drinking.

“As far as feeding people who’ve been drinking is concerned, that’s just good RSA. People associate tequila with bad behaviour because most peoples’ experience is limited to doing shots when they’ve already had too much to drink. You could do shots of anything in that situation you’re likely to end up acting like an idiot,” Jose Cuervo brand ambassador, Fred Siggins, points out.

“I think the best thing about this trend is that people are figuring out that there’s a lot more to tequila than regrets and a hangover.

There’s a lifetime worth of agave spirits out there that deserve to be sipped, respected and enjoyed with style.”

John Gakuru agrees and outlines that any drink should be enjoyed responsibly and tequila is no different, and he believes we will soon see more and more people embracing the sipping of tequila as is done oversaes.

“As we all know in Australia tequila is enjoyed mostly as a shot or in a Margarita, yet elsewhere in the world – say in the US or Europe – tequila is a sipping drink. With the growth in the super premium category we predict we’ll see this happening in Australia,” Gakuru predicts.

“As a distributor and marketer of tequilas we can’t rebrand tequila as a sipping drink overnight but we feel with the assistance of our trade network we can all educate the drinking public that tequila can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.”

Tequila, ladies and gentleman, is going through a revolution. And it is because of Mexican based restaurants and bars that the benefits of this change are experienced by all.

While there is much work to do to make tequila a firm favourite in drinking and sipping, the glorious food and tequila matching done by these restaurants are a positive step towards this.

The traditional food and drinks that are coming from these places are top class and we can only expect great things from them in the future. b&c

NICK PETERS RESTAURANT MANAGER MAMASITA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN THE BAR INDUSTRY? I got my first job as a bussie back in the snowfields in 1997.

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE PLACES YOU HAVE WORKED AT? Mink in 1999 was my first exposure to real cocktails, and learning the right way to infuse spirits was great. Ricky Ricardo’s in Noosa early 2000s were wild times.

Opium in London was a real eye opener to opulence, and having hospitality as a career.

Running Red in Mallorca, working with Julian Lennon from 2002 to 2004, I got to see a lot of crazy stuff. Prince Bandroom was heaps of fun, seeing 150 gigs a year. Mamasita though is the best place I’ve worked – I’ve been here almost three years – it’s the busiest I’ve ever been but heaps of fun.

HOW MANY TEQUILAS DOES MAMASITA STOCK? ARE THERE ANY THAT STANDOUT FOR YOU? We usually sit around the 150-plus mark, with around 125 tequilas and 25 mezcals.

Lowland standouts are: Arette blanco, Gran Centenario blanco, Jose Cuervo Platino Reserva De La Familia, Herradura Seleccion Suprema, and pound for pound, El Jimador is one of the best tequilas on the back bar.

Highland standouts are: Clase Azul reposado (which always goes way too quick because we drink it all), the whole 7 Leguas range is great, Chamucos blanco, Milagro reposado and I have to give some love to the Tromba boys too – a great product.

Mezcal standouts are: Alipus San Juan, Pierde Almas Dobadaan,

MARIA SANGRIENTA Glass: Highball Ingredients: • 60ml El Jimador Blanco • 10ml La Goya Manzanilla • 90ml Tomato juice • 15ml Lime juice • A Pinch of smoked salt • 1 Dash of El Yucateco Salsa Roja • 1 Dash of Encurtido pickling liquid • 1 Tablespoon of ‘chipotle en adobo’ puree • 1 Tablespoon of Tajin • 5ml Pedro Ximénez • 1 Poached prawn Method: Combine all except Tajin, PX and prawn in shaker Shake over ice. Pour into Tajinrimmed highball then float the Pedro Ximénez Garnish: Poached prawn

Del Maguey Tobala, and a bottle of awesomeness I got from a guy at a bar when I was last in Santo Domingo. I’ve also been getting into Henequen – mezcal from the Yucatán Peninsula.

HOW POPULAR IS EL JIMADOR AND HERRADURA WITH YOUR PATRONS? A lot of our patrons discover El Jimador when they first drink our Margaritas and then they’re hooked. We get quite a few people brand calling Herradura and we sell Herradura flights quite often. We also love introducing people to the Seleccion Suprema.

El Jimador reposado features in our Mamasita Margarita and our Margarita de Tamarindo, which are our most popular cocktails – we sell tonnes of them.

We use Herradura blanco in our Negrita de Jamaica – a tequilabased Negroni with Flor de Jamaica (hibiscus syrup).

PH 1300 DRINKS

VANGUARDLUXURYBRANDS.COM

INTERNATIONAL BEER

THE WORLD IS YOURS Mainstream international beers have been available locally for some time now, as part of one major brewery or another’s portfolio.

However, there is also a wide selection of interesting and innovative beers, many of them artisanal and craft in nature, now available for bars through a number of smaller, niche importers.

O

ne such importer is Beer and Cider Co., which after 32 years of operations has evolved from selling wines to now importing a large number of premium beers (and ciders) from the UK, Ireland and Belgium.

“We have over 150 international beers and ciders in our portfolio but it’s constantly moving. We carry a large range of great beers and ciders in an effort to cater for every taste and demographic,” Beer and Cider Co. director, Dominick Hollinshead, says.

Amongst the brands in its extensive portfolio are Badger, Alken Maes, Batemans, Innis & Gunn, Black Sheep, Newcastle Brown Ale, Jennings, Brakspear, Duchy, Hop Back Brewery, Marston’s, Ringwood, Ushers, Murphy’s and John Smith’s.

“We have superb time tested brands from the UK that people will always search for but we also have some ingenious craft beers that would give the most experienced beer enthusiast a good challenge. We are always on the lookout for the next standout beer or cider,” Hollinshead explains.

The company believes one of the standouts at the moment is the French Bière de Garde (‘beer for keeping’) style of beers – strong pale ales brewed in a traditional manner in the NordPas-de-Calais region of France.

“We are launching a new range of Jenlain Beers from the north of France. We are in talks to run a Bastille Day promotion with the brewery through June and July,” Hollinshead says.

He believes that the international beer market in Australia is huge, and the job of companies like Beer and Cider Co. is to keep the category interesting by exposing consumers to new beers.

“The Australian consumer is one of the most educated in the world and is also very willing to try new things,” Hollinshead says.

His advice to bars is to offer a rotating range of nonmainstream international beers, might not move as fast as local lagers, but will make a bar’s offer more interesting to patrons and “people really appreciate that”.

Independent Distillers Australia (IDA) has two international beers in its portfolio – Asahi Super Dry and Kingfisher Lager.

Japan’s Asahi Super Dry set a new standard in brewing when it was launched in 1987 and is considered the very first Karakuchi (dry) beer.

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“Asahi Super Dry is a brand that has built its foundation in the on-premise trade and continues to grow as a premium international brand,” IDA brand manager, Michael Vousden, says.

“Asahi Super Dry remains fully imported into Australia in both draught and bottle format. Through an innovation in Japanese brewing techniques, Asahi Super Dry has a delicate, yet rich full flavoured body with a refreshing dry aftertaste.

With consumer’s preferences in mind, Asahi is designed to go perfectly with any meal while maintaining its refreshing quality.”

The company’s other international beer, Kingfisher Premium Lager, is also great to enjoy with a wide range of foods, Vousden explains, from “the savoury spiciness of Indian cuisine, to the wholesome taste of steaks, burgers, pizza and pasta”.

“Kingfisher aims to provide what is often missing in the market – an international beer at a mainstream beer’s price,” Vousden says.

Local beer distributor Drinkworks also carries two beers that are perfect for enjoying alongside food, Estrella Damm and Estrella Inedit from Spain.

“The focus for Estrella is the small bar that have a focus on small plate dining and tapas – Estrella fits in perfectly here – just like

it does in Barcelona. Our drinkers love their food and appreciate the right beer and wines to accompany each dish,” Drinkworks marketing manager, Grant Caunter, says.

“Each beer needs to have a hook that will add value to your drinks list – for Estrella Damm and Inedit, we present a partnership with small plate dining and the enjoyment that a group of friends with have in this occasion.”

Taking the connection between food and beer even further, Estrella Inedit (which comes in a 750ml bottle) was created in partnership between Estrella and world renowned chef – Ferran Adria.

“It was specifically created to be matched with food. It is amazing – the depth of flavour combined with signature notes of liquorice and orange peel cuts right through the palate,” Caunter asserts.

Another importer with a large selection of international beers is Experience It, which boasts a portfolio of over 500 beers from European and US breweries.

“We source all our products direct from the breweries. We pride ourselves on having personal relationships with most of our brewers,” the company says.

The Experience It portfolio includes Italian beers such as Birra del Borgo, Toccalmatto, Ducato, Birra Baladin, Opperbacco, Extraomnes, Birrificcio Italiano, Birrificcio Lambrate, San Paolo and Croce Di Malto.

It also imports a broad selection of UK beers and has a handful of beers from Denmark, France and the US. Experience It believes the demand for international beers, especially craft ones, is growing and states that in the last year the number of international beers available locally has “more than doubled”.

“As a guide our business has increased by around 20 per cent each month and continues to grow. People are starting to realise that beer offers some of the same complexity as a good wine and more and more we are being contacted by the top sommeliers in Australia to range our beers.”

Bravo Craft Beer specialises in bringing new international craft beers into Australia, predominately from ‘next generation’ brewers.

At present, we have eight UK and seven US breweries on our books, so that translates to more than 100 individual beer products,” Bravo Craft Beer marketing manager, Anthony Williams, says.

Some of the ‘star performers’ in the portfolio includes Thornbridge Jaipur, Meantime IPA, Summer Wine Cohort Double Black Belgian Ryepa, Marble Decadence, Coronado Hoppy Daze IPA, Lakefront Fixed Gear, Mission Dark Seas Russian Imperial Stout and Brouwerij West Saison Extra.

Although Williams says it is hard to quantify the size of the imported beer market, he suggests Australians’ “thirst for international flavour is stronger than ever” – but bars still need to educate their clientele.

“Bar owners and managers need to know their stuff – promoting second-rate products to customers who may well have a better understanding of what constitutes a ‘craft beer’ is never a good look.

“Craft is all about demonstrating the wide spectrum of styles that constitute the beer family, and being focussed on producing the best beer product possible,” Williams notes. b&c

Great Beers, Great Ciders Jenlain “Biere de Garde” Craft French Beer First of all, the very best raw materials need to be selected before brewing the wort in the traditional way, using natural filtration and the top fermentation method. It is then left to sit for four weeks which is the part of the process called ‘la garde’. Each step in the process is accorded the necessary time, which gives the Brasserie Duyck’s bières de garde all their taste and superior quality.

“The new infatuation in craft beer”

Jenlain Ambree available in 5ltr & 20ltr kegs Jenlain No 6 available in 30ltr kegs

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PROFILE BROUGHT TO YOU BY SOUTHTRADE INTERNATIONAL

TRAINING THE TRADE National training manager, Gee David, joined SouthTrade International three years ago and since then he has spent a great deal of time travelling around the country, educating people about spirit categories and the company’s portfolio.

We caught up with him to find out more about his work and his background in the industry.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK AND ACTIVITIES DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE? My role with SouthTrade is essentially that of a trainer and a researcher, which is what I love most about the industry. Education and drink development is another important aspect. It doesn’t really stop there as I am also involved in marketing and sales and just in case that wasn’t enough, I assist with all event coordination. I consider myself to still be a bartender at heart and I love to get behind the jump whenever possible. As we have such an incredible selection of brands, it really is an amazing job. However, now I have increased my team to a total of 10 trainers that actively host sessions in each state.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING IN THE BAR INDUSTRY AND HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START? Makes me feel old to admit it but I started out some 25 years ago. After working in a local ‘boozer’ I went to a beautiful Greek island called Skiathos where I dived into the world of cocktail bartending. Following that, I used London as a base and worked in some amazing American-themed bars.

They had the best level of training which is seldom seen these days.

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WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE KEY PLACES YOU HAVE WORKED AT? I have great memories working with Jamie Terrell at Sports Café on Haymarket, throwing cocktails together and working 16 hour shifts.

TGI Friday’s was huge at the time and all the best bartenders spent time there.

The Roadhouse in Covent Garden was a lot of fun, flair bartending was ‘in’ and after creating a monster bar trade at another Covent Garden venue called ChiChi’s, I moved into the finer side of things and took over the bar at The Collection from another legend, Jason Fendick, where we regularly hosted top celebs such as Madonna, Sting, George Michael etc.

WHO WERE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES OR PEERS IN THE TRADE? I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing people over the years and I have learned so much from them. In no particular order I hold massive respect for Robbie Bargh and Julian Shaw at Gorgeous Group, Tony Conigliaro, Charles Vexenat, John Gakuru, Ben Davidson and Grant Collins. Oh, and of course, Tony Stubley.

YOU GET TO VISIT A LOT OF BARS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THROUGH YOUR JOB, ARE THERE ANY THAT STAND OUT FOR YOU? That’s just too tricky to answer and to single out bars would just not be fair.

There are bars and there are bartenders, and sometimes the best bartenders work in the best bars. All I can say is that each time I visit any of the cities or regional areas of Australia, there is a progression and guys these days are really looking to improve all aspects of their business, not only in their offering, but also in the knowledge of the staff, the service quality and the guest interaction. The more we focus on guest experience and giving great service, the more advanced the industry will become.

HOW IMPORTANT IS TRAINING AND EDUCATING BARTENDERS FOR A COMPANY LIKE SOUTHTRADE AND HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT DOING THIS? We look to support the onpremise and give the guys on the frontline, behind the stick, all the tools for the job.

We see training as one of the most important aspects of our whole concept at SouthTrade. Not only do we hold regular training sessions for our staff but we are actively involved in sessions throughout the year, both venuespecific and larger, trade focussed events which may include the visit of an international guest.

Without the education into our brands, we feel, the bartender can not actively sell. Training and support has always been a huge part of the success here and long may it continue.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE PRODUCTS IN THE SOUTHTRADE RANGE AND HOW DO YOU PREFER TO ENJOY THEM? That’s a tough one because I don’t really have favourites.

If you look at our portfolio,

there is such a diverse product range that during the course of the day, week or month, you could go from a Finest Call Bloody Mary in the morning, a few Hot Toddies in the day with Bruichladdich and then you’re in to the cocktail hour and have a selection of gin – from Islay, London or Cognac – stirred down with some chilled vermouth.

And just as the sun sets over the office, which is one of the best sunsets in Sydney, you might want to move over to the dark side and get involved with some Naval Rum in the form of Pusser’s, followed by a little trip down into Kentucky and Buffalo Trace before heading home, or South of the Border via Jalisco and Patron Tequila. There goes a day.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WISH TO MENTION? There is one thing that I’d like to add, and that is just to say a huge thank you to all the managers, tenders and slingers of fine alcohol. Not only for your support of the brands that we carry, but also for all the attendance to the sessions we activate. I have an incredible luxury of coming to see you guys and it’s always with a welcome of open arms and full glasses.

My heartfelt appreciation to you all, until the next time, Slainte Mhath!

PROFILE BROUGHT TO YOU BY SOUTHTRADE INTERNATIONAL

TRAINING PAYS “You’re never too old to learn” – As simple as it sounds, it was a poignant message, one that I have held with me and often refer to when discussing the importance of education and training to other industry professionals.

BY GEE DAVID

A

t SouthTrade International, there is a clear and definitive understanding of how to build brands for long-term success. Development training of key personnel coupled with education, brand knowledge and product information is fundamental to our success.

Training is a key part of our business and one area that we spend a huge amount of focus on. Due to the fact that our portfolio consists of premium brands of superlative, premium quality we see ourselves developing brands within the onpremise where the importance of education has never been more prominent.

We pride ourselves on delivering premium quality products that have a history, individuality, and provenance, each element being as important as the next.

It is our passion and expertise as industry leaders, which allows us to deliver their message with a professional approach and an understanding gained through years of experience and with an emphatic voice – all the while appreciating the variety of venues, the people in those venues and their needs and requirements.

SouthTrade now has in place a National Training Department that has representation in every state. We carefully selected our trainers on their attributes, most importantly their personality and the ability to inspire those that attend the educational sessions.

In Western Australia we have taken on the talented Dim Rtshiladze (Mechanics’ Institute), a well respected bartender whose knowledge and creativity will play a huge role in the coming months.

In South Australia I chased down the assistance of another former ‘Best Bartender’ nominee, Erin Shaw (Cushdy/Little Miss Mexican) who performs some amazing work in Adelaide and will make a huge impact in the state.

In Queensland, through the help and guidance of the sales team there, the selection was made easy, and in Eddie Brook (Canvas) I have an absolute ‘gun’ who has taken on the Brisbane bar scene and earned an enormous amount of respect through his talent and personality, evident in some incredible results. We also have boosted the Queensland team to include Kal Moore and Pablo Millane, who both have a wealth of experience and will continue to provide excellent training for the state.

In New South Wales a couple of the most well respected bartenders in Sydney, and indeed the country, Brendan Keown (Hazy Rose) and James Irvine (Hinky Dinks), have

come on board and I am thrilled to call upon their knowledge and passion to create a new level of training and education at SouthTrade And of course, last but certainly by no means least, I am so happy to announce the acquisition in Victoria of some of the most talented guys in the business – Andy Wren (1806), Evan Stanley (Black Pearl), Sarah Miller (Mesa Verde), Paul Ramsay (Kodiak Club/Little Blood) and the incomparable Dave Chick (Red Bennies).

The roles of the training executives may well be category focused and brand specific but all are incredibly keen to work across the portfolio and develop their existing skills as well as grow with the company and potentially take their career to a new level.

The future for SouthTrade, along with the importance of developing our brands, will be to continuously improve the quality of our training. This year will see the launch of the ‘SouthTrade Liquid Academy’.

It features a program to further develop and encourage bartender community and a loyal base of industry professionals that are committed to the improvement of the drinks business in Australia.

We will look to inspire and enthuse bartenders across the country that are interested in development and furthering their knowledge through a network of education and activity.

In summary, it’s a very exciting time at SouthTrade and the future will be filled with opportunities that hold in them, huge rewards.

Please contact SouthTrade International direct to enquire about any training sessions you may wish to have. I look forward to seeing you very soon. b&c

ANDY

WREN

JAMES IRVINE

EVAN STANLEY

ROOK

EDDIE B

SARAH MILLER

BRENDA

N KEOW

N

ERIN SHAW

ICK

CH DAVE

bars&clubs 39

PROFILE BROUGHT TO YOU BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

DANIEL GREGORY SAILOR JERRY BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR VIC & SA

SAILOR JERRY ADDS NEW CREW MEMBERS S

ince its successful launch into the Australian market more than two years ago, Sailor Jerry has grown to become one of the leading, and most popular, spiced rums on the market.

So much so, that William Grant & Sons has recently added three new state-based brand ambassadors to its team, who will now be working alongside Hugh Payten-Smith in spreading the Sailor Jerry message (and culture) to the trade and consumers.

“Sailor Jerry has well and truly anchored in The Land of Oz, and we are making sure its here to stay, for good. In the words of ‘The Man’ Norman Collins himself – ‘I haven’t done my best yet... only my best so far,” Payten-Smith says.

40 bars&clubs

How long have you been involved in the bartending and hospitality industry?

12 years. I started off working in the kitchen, back when I was 16. As for bartending, that started about six years ago. I was working with a few bartenders when I was a chef, helping them out with flavour and garnish ideas. From there I found a passion for spirits and cocktails and never looked back.

What is current job, and what does it entail?

I am the Sailor Jerry brand ambassador for VIC and SA, which involves working with bars, music venues, bands, tattoo artists and anything that ties in with ‘kustom kulture’ – from rat rod’s to getting tattooed. It’s the Sailor Jerry lifestyle and this lifestyle is good! I also work at Black Pearl, which is pretty bad ass as well!

How did you get involved with Sailor Jerry?

Well Mrs. Lois Kerr just had a beautiful baby girl, Mimi Kerr, so she needed a bit of time off and I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Sailor Jerry family.

The focus on bars, tattoos, hot rods and kustom kulture fits me to a T and I love every minute of my role.

What is your favourite way of drinking Sailor Jerry?

A Perfect Storm: Sailor Jerry, ginger beer (homemade if possible), lime and bitters. I love my straight liquor – so a beer and a shot always works for me.

What will be your focus in the second half 2013 Sailor Jerry?

Simple, keep the Sailor Jerry flowing!

PROFILE BROUGHT TO YOU BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

MITCH KEANE

NICK MILES

SAILOR JERRY BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR WA

SAILOR JERRY BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR QLD

How long have you been involved in the bartending and hospitality industry?

I started working in a nightclub when I was 18, so around six years ago.

What made you get into in bartending?

To be honest, it was the hours. I was studying full time and my nights were my only free time. A friend got me a job in a late night venue in Melbourne and it evolved from there. I certainly never expected it to become a lifestyle.

What is current job and what does it entail?

I’ve recently been employed as the Sailor Jerry WA, brand ambassador to uphold the legacy of Norman Collins – namely in the style of rocking live music and tattoo events, and creating memorable moments through the brand and its many assets. It also gives me the opportunity to work in many different venues when they need a helping hand on the weekends.

How did you get involved with Sailor Jerry?

It’s hard not to admire the culture of Sailor Jerry, especially KEANE MITCH as a rum drinker.

After waking up one morning of Bar Week with a fresh Sailor Jerry anchor tattoo on my leg, I got a call from Hugh Payten-Smith asking if I’d be interested in working with the brand, and I was stoked!

What is your favourite way of drinking Sailor Jerry?

I love it mixed with lime and ginger beer, of course.

For me, Sailor Jerry is all about good times and good people, so I enjoy it anyway the situation calls for – as a shot, a boilermaker or mixed in a cocktail.

What will be your focus in the second half 2013 with Sailor Jerry?

My focus for the rest of the year will be creating memorable moments for rad people. The Airstream will be heading out west in September for a tattoo expo, along with a bunch of beach BBQs and plenty of parties. It’s going to be awesome.

NICK

MILES

How long have you been involved in the bartending and hospitality industry?

I have been bartending for the past nine years. It started as a part time job, which quickly led to me realizing I had a natural flair for the industry. When I started creating my own cocktails and built a solid customer base, I knew this is what I wanted to do.

What is current job and what does it entail?

I am the QLD brand ambassador for Sailor Jerry. This position naturally gives me the opportunity to not only spread the word about Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, but all the other assets of this brand. From outdoor events, to clubs, pubs, backyards, barbershops and tattoo studios – no venue is too big, small or strange. The brand is heavily involved with the live music scene so I get to work with new and interesting bands at a grass roots level. It’s a high paced lifestyle and the environments are always exciting to work in. No event is ever the same, which means each day brings a new challenge.

How did you get involved with Sailor Jerry?

I knew of the brand, but it wasn’t till I met a couple of bands at a Sailor Jerry event that I expressed my interest in getting on board with the brand. The bands knew Hugh and told him about me and the rest is history. There is such a great energy with the people Sailor Jerry works with and it just so happened that I was in the right place at the right time, and fitted in perfectly.

What is your favourite way of drinking Sailor Jerry?

Perfect Storms, shots, or a Bloody Merry Jerry on a Sunday.

What will be your focus in the second half 2013 with Sailor Jerry?

I’ve only been with Sailor Jerry for a relatively short time and the more I learn, the more I realize what great opportunities I have ahead of me. The brand is growing exponentially, and I am stoked to be a part of the journey ahead.

bars&clubs 41

SMIRNOFF MASTERCLASS

7

Although Mikaela Heise has only been bartending for a short period of time, she is one of many rising stars within the Keystone Group’s stable of talented bartenders.

For this issue of bars&clubs we got her to demonstrate how to make a couple of signature cocktails – created by Keystone group bar manager Jason Williams – which use the new Smirnoff Coconut Crush and Smirnoff Honey Ripple flavoured vodkas.

“Honey and coconut are such accessible flavours so I see why Smirnoff would decide to bring them out in flavoured vodka form. They are also great flavours to work with in cocktails. Honey can go with anything from savoury to dessert flavours and mixes well with acidity (berries, citrus), or more earthy tones such as chocolate or dairy,” Jason Williams explains.

“Coconut is not just for tropical cocktails either, the moorish back note is great as an accent in any drink and could be possibly used the same way a white crème de cacao or orgeat is used.”

1

Step Step by

TAHITI FAUX-TINI Glass: Martini Ingredients: • 40ml Smirnoff Coconut Crush • 20ml Chambord • 30ml Pineapple juice Garnish: Pineapple wedge

1

Step Step by

HONEY ROSEMARY GIMLET Glass: Martini Ingredients: • 60ml Smirnoff Honey Ripple • 30ml Desert lime syrup • 30ml Fresh lime juice Garnish: A big sprig of rosemary

SWEETENING UP THE CATEGORY 42 bars&clubs

SMIRNOFF MASTERCLASS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW JARVIE.

3

7

5 STEPS

2

1. Add Smirnoff Coconut Crush 2. Add Chambord 3. Add pineapple juice 4. Add ice 5. Shake 6. Fine strain 7. Garnish 8. Serve

4

2

3 STEPS

1. Add Smirnoff Honey Ripple 2. Add desert lime syrup 3. Add fresh lime juice 4. Add ice 5. Shake 6. Fine strain 7. Slap rosemary and garnish 8. Serve

6 5

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6

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7 bars&clubs 43

IN THE COOLER

BROOKLYN’S 25TH BIRTHDAY BREW As part of its 25th anniversary Brooklyn Brewery has commissioned four artists to create special labels for its Silver Anniversary Lager beer – a special doppelbock version of the Brooklyn Lager the brewery first introduced in 1988. This beer has been re-fermented in the bottle and is made using pilsner, Munich and caramel malt as well as a variety of hops including Saphir, Cascade and Willamette. It is available in 750ml cork-finished bottles.

Distributed by Palais Imports Ph: (08) 8296 3232

TAKING UP ARMS Independent Distillers Australia has enhanced its total beer portfolio with the recent purchase of the Cricketers Arms Lager brand. Cricketers Arms Lager is a full bodied beer that is brewed longer to deliver a dryer taste. It is made using Australian sun-dried malt and Amarillo hops, which gives it a citrus aroma and flavour. Cricketers Arms is also working on both midstrength and an IPA, which it will be launching soon.

Distributed by Independent Distillers Australia Ph: (03) 8369 0300

HONEY IN A CAN Beam Global Australia has announced the addition of two new Jim Beam RTDs to its range – Jim Beam Honey & Cola and Jim Beam Honey & Ginger Beer – the first flavoured bourbon RTDs offered by Jim Beam. Featuring a softer, smoother taste with a hint of honey, the RTDs have been developed with an approachable flavour profile to appeal consumers who find the original taste of bourbon a challenge.

Distributed by Beam Global Australia Ph: 132 653

WARMING UP THE CIDER CATEGORY Just in time for the colder months, Rekorderlig has launched its latest Winter Cider, which is created from a blend of fresh apples and infused with tasty vanilla and warm cinnamon spice. As part of the roll out of the new Winter Cider, Rekorderlig will be providing licensees with a branded urn to warm up the Winter Cider and serve it to guests in bespoke winter glassware with a slice of orange.

Distributed by Red Island Marketing Ph: 1300 673 362

BUNDY BREWS NEW RTDS Diageo Australia has joined forces with Bundaberg Brewed Drinks to produce three new Bundaberg RTD flavours, which are aimed at consumers who are looking for a more premium option to the well-known Bundaberg and Cola RTDs. The range includes Light & Crunchy – a blend of Bundaberg White rum and brewed Apple Ale, Smooth & Shifty – a blend of Bundaberg Red rum and brewed Sarsaparilla, and Dark & Stormy – a mix of Bundaberg Original and Ginger Beer.

Distributed by Diageo Australia Ph: 1800 066 931

44 bars&clubs

E H T E V A S

E T DA

WEDNESDAY 23 OCTOBER 2013 THE BIG TOP, LUNA PARK SYDNEY COST $240 PER SEAT (INC GST) OR $2350 PER TAblE Of 10 (INC GST) for sponsorship packages contact: SHANE T. WIllIAMS, 02 8586 6205 or stwilliams@intermedia.com.au for ticketing and nominations contact: JAMES WEllS, 02 8586 6101 or james@intermedia.com.au

THE DREAM BAR GAME

The

M A E R D Bar Game Joe Sinagra

1.

We take this issue’s Dream Bar Game back to where it all began, Perth, and ask some of the passionate and talented bartenders found behind the stick at Bobeche – Joe Sinagra, Nicole Reid and Stephanie Gale – to tell us the twenty products they’d love to see on their fantasy back bar.

– Bar Manag

er

Wyborowa Exq uisite – Because it tastes good at 2. Willett Fa 10am warm mily Reserve R ye – Why isn’t so meone bringing 3. Tanquera this into the coun y No.10 – Hopef try? ully Diageo will sw in g me a free bottle 4. Bunnaha … and it’s tasty bhain 18 Year O ld – Like easing into a warm bath 5. Van Winkl of peaty goodne e Special Reser ss ve 12 Year Old – Wank, wank 6. Clément R w an k… potato hum Très Vieux Millésime 1976 – one of the grea 7. Laird’s Str test rums I’ve ev aight Bonded A er had pple Jack – A ta sty way to twis 8. Punt e M t any brandy co es – Every bar cktail needs a sweet ve rmouth 9. Le Birlou Apple & Chest nut Liqueur – A winter must have 10. Averna – For after dinner … or any other time 11. Angostura 7 Year Old – M y go to rum. It is so versatile 12. Goldschlä ger – Eeryone ne eds something fu n to do shots of 13. H by Hin e – A great mix able cognac 14. Luxardo Maraschino – A subtle touch to many great cock 15. Ocho Añe tails jo – Tequila for tequila lovers 16. Appleton 8 Year Old – J amaican sexy tim es 17. George D ickel No. 12 – S o happy Diageo are finally bringi 18. Mythe Abs ng it in to Austr ynthe – A great alia alternative to bi tt er s in cocktails 19. Campari – Negronis, Old Pals or just on the rocks 20. Passion P op (preferably in a can) – My gu ilty pleasure

46 bars&clubs

THE DREAM BAR GAME

– Nicole Reid Manager r a B t n a t is Ass

akfast Campari – Bre 1.

– Lunch y Nav Strength 2. Plymouth ld Dinner I can’t live raig 18 Year O some cocktails e ar re he 3. Elijah C T – a Antica Formul d Peychaud’s 4. Carpano ost of them m to in ers NJo’ 6 an es itt go B is e th ng t, ra ou O ith w out ers, Regans’ rock band with Angostura Bitt would be like a s er tt bi t 5. Bitters ou ith tail bar w Bitters. A cock e and bass my happy plac their drummer – Manhattan is ye o R tw an or tt g ha in Man a th 6. Hudson emingway knew H – o in ch as Mar e Word 7. Luxardo my heart, mad use – The Last re rt ha C en a fond place in re ve ha g s in 8. G n’ io ch at at ’s w Violette – Avi ll of Lily Black 9. Crème de in the windowsi ug e soap in my sn th g of in d tt si de I’m remin d right and I’m an ng ro w e wn. Mad the rain pour do throom ba r’s grandmothe y knickers Reserva – Fizz n ra G em al y us at M 10. ark and Storm g fine Black Seal – D gs ian and makin lin al tr os us G A – ’ 11. ry ar H ) inds ‘The Dirty magnum of gin?

12. West W doesn’t want a n’s ia ho al w , tr es us id A , es in products (b ndy – Aga ra B ot ic pr A rlie Chaplin ne Mountain es the best Cha ak M .

13. Tambori ts uc od class pr making world ed st I’ve ever ta with the above s please.

Sloe Gin – To go ’s an m oak, mature. Ye ay H th oo sm 14. t, ea P e you.

18 Year Old – ins-Read, I blam ch ut H 15. Caol Ila an D – othes 1988 go with it 16. The Glenr hhhhhh… just ss I’m S – jo ñe A e market that 17. Aha Toro w product on th ne t mon ea le gr of a s ’s nt It hi – orange and od 18. Solerno lo B . w no se right ndy – Jack ro enjoying using are Apple Bra R ld of O er ar ag Ye an n old m 19. Laird’s 12 w Liqueur – A lo al m t sh no ar re M e’ ctic nights ‘w 20. Sexy Cat and ream out on he siness of fun’ mine used to sc , we’re in the bu le e op w pe k in er th nc I etimes curing ca the years. Som er ov . e ly m us ith rio w it stuck s a little too se d take ourselve forget that an & Soda? t a Sexy Lime So, anyone wan

DO YOU AND YOUR BAR TEAM WANT TO HAVE A CRACK AT THE DREAM BAR GAME? IF SO JUST EMAIL BARS&CLUBS AT: SDELFOSSE@INTERMEDIA.COM.AU

Stephanie Ga Bartender le –

1.

Campari – A bartending st 2. Antica aple.

Formula – O h, the boldnes 3. Broke s rs 47% Gin – Personal g 4. Dom P o-to gin for erigon 200 a cracking N 2 Vintage – 5. Pyrat egroni Cause I’m a Cask 1623 ba ller – Great sippin 6. Glenro g rum thes 1988 – Sweet Spey 7. Dramb side delicious uie 15 Year O ness ld – Cures th 8. Angost e sweet toot ura 7 Year O h ld – It’s a must 9. Avern a – Persona have shelf ru l go-to as a m 10. Crawle sore belly re y’s Agave S m ed y y ru p – Because 11. Sailor no Tommy’s Jerry – the old original re is not an opt 12. Calle 2 ion cipe 3 Blanco – A n 13. Ledaig ice, spicy aga 10 Year Old ve forward te –P quila 14. Flor d e Caña 4 Yea ersonal pick for a Rob R o ry O ld Extra Dry popcorn bet – Nothing in ter fuses with 15. West W inds The Sa b re – Perfect fo summers da r a refreshin y g G&T on a 16. G.E. M WA assenez Liq ue ur de Pomme V fruit sour erte – Make s a nice crisp 17. Laird’s Apple Jack – A bar nec 18. Angost essity ura Bitters – It makes ever 19. James ything bette on Gold Lab r el – A great 20. Krake c ri sp n Black Spic clean Irish w ed Rum – Un hiskey for m leash the Bea ixing st

bars&clubs 47

MASTERCLASS

3

Chiharu Tomizawa joined the team at Toko and Tokonoma six months ago after coming over to Australia from Japan for a working holiday. Prior to landing on our shores, she spent several years working as a bartender in Tokyo.

After studying hospitality, she earned herself a highly prized position amongst the predominately all-female bar team at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo, where she spent three years working before heading off to work at Bar Rage in Tokyo’s Ginza district.

The idea behind the Gold Fashioned drink, she explains, is to incorporate the efficiency of Japanese service so the customer is never waiting. A lot of the prep work has been eliminated by using Nikka From The Barrel that has been infused with some added flavourings.

“Nikka has a more strong bodied taste – in Japan people tend to drink it on the rocks or in a highball,” Tomizawa says.

“We serve this drink ‘hot’ as we found the subtle notes found within this cask strength whisky slowly reveal themselves and reward a patient drinker.”

GOLD FASHIONED

Step Step

by Glass: Old Fashioned Ingredients: • 45ml Nikka From The Barrel* • 10ml Smokey blended whisky • 5ml Maple syrup • 2 Dashes of orange bitters Garnish: Orange wedge HEADING *Combine 500ml Nikka From The Barrel Glass: Text with 90ml blended whisky and 100g of honeycomb then sous vide for one hour at 50˚C. Remove and filter through super bag. Add one sheet of 24 carat gold to bottle carefully.

GOLDFASHIONED 48 bars&clubs

MASTERCLASS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW JARVIE.

4

1

2 STEPS

7 6

1. Add gold sheets to bottle 2. Prepare ice 3. Add ice to glass 4. Add Nikka From The Barrel 5. Add orange bitters 6. Add maple syrup 7. Add blended whisky 8. Stir 9. Garnish 10. Serve

5

10

8

9 bars&clubs 49

5

SIX

3

FOUR

ONE

TWO

BEHIND THE BAR THE PRODUCTS EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH

JIMADOR BLANCO 1EL ARRIVES

Casa Herradura’s El Jimador blanco is a premium, authentic 100% agave tequila that is crafted using a natural production process. This estatebottled tequila has a smooth and balanced taste that is easy to enjoy.

It contains a clean and mild agave taste, with hints of agave, apple and spice on the nose and a smooth and warming finish.

Distributed by Brown-Forman Ph: (02) 9764 8777

GOES FOR 2JOHNNIE GOLD

Johnnie Walker has launched a limited-edition Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve gold bottle that features captivating metallic hues that complement the brand’s iconic four-cornered bottle and slanted label. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve boasts a multi-layered blend

50 bars&clubs

with a smooth balance of luscious sweet fruits that evokes deeper honey tones, before completing the palate with lingering waves of wood and light sweet smoke.

Distributed by Diageo Australia Ph: 1800 066 931

BIT OF FRENCH 3AFLAVOUR

Suntory Australia has just added a new liqueur to its extensive range, Pavan, a premium spirit hailing from the south of France. The delicate and complex liqueur is made using Muscat grapes, from the seaside Frontignan region in France, as well as orange blossom flowers.

Distributed by Suntory Australia Ph: (02) 9663 1877

4

MORE AWARDS FOR SULLIVANS COVE

Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove whisky was recently named Best Australian

Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards for one of its French oak cask expressions, which one of the judges described as graceful and balanced. Earlier this year Sullivans Cove also scored 90 points out of 100 at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and was named Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year by whisky guru, Jim Murray, in his 2013 Whisky Bible. A limited amount of the winning whisky (French oak cask HH434), is available from the distillery.

Distributed by Alepat Taylor Ph: (03) 9487 2599

ST-GERMAIN JOINS 5 THE BACARDI PORTFOLIO Bacardi Lion has announced it has taken over the sales, marketing and distribution of St-Germain elderflower liqueur following acquisition of the brand by Bacardi

Limited earlier this year. St-Germain is an all-natural, hand-crafted artisanal French liqueur made from hand-selected elderflowers, which are quickly macerated to maintain their freshness and enhance the fruitdriven character of the elderflowers.

Distributed by Bacardi lion Ph: 131 513

DRAM FROM 6ATAIWAN

Sydney specialist whisky store, World of Whisky, has been awarded distribution rights for the Kavalan whiskies range – the only whisky to be produced in Taiwan. Kavalan was named Asia Pacific Spirits Producer of the Year for the second year running last year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). The range includes Solist Fino, which was awarded The Best New World Single Malt Whisky at the 2012 World Whisky Awards

TEN

89

SEVEN

11 EDITED BY SACHA DELFOSSE

(WWA). Kavalan will be formally launched at The Whisky Show in Sydney at the end of June.

Distributed by World of Whisky Ph: (02) 9363 4212

AND 7COCONUT AGAVE

Think Spirits has added the new 1800 Coconut, a unique infusion of fresh, ripe coconut flavour and 1800 Silver tequila, to its burgeoning portfolio.

1800 Coconut sets itself apart from other flavoured spirits by not masking the natural taste of the base spirits.

Instead, a subtle coconut flavour is created that allows the flavour of the blue agave to shine through. It is recommended to be serve chilled, either straight or on the rocks, or in a Coconut Crusher cocktail – one part 1800 Coconut and one part pineapple juice over ice with a squeeze of lime.

Distributed by Think Spirits Ph: (02) 4577 7800

8FOR PEAT’S SAKE

Ardbeg has just launched its latest limited edition, called Ardbog, which was created to celebrate the vital role the famous Islay peat bogs play in the whisky making process.

Ardbog has a nose with hints of pecan nuts, salty toffee, caramel, fudge, leather and a whiff of herbs, lavender and violets, with a soft and aromatic smokiness. The whisky has a powerful, salty and savoury taste with traces of salted cashews, peanuts, clove, aniseed flavoured toffee, green olives and a hint of anchovy.

Distributed by Moët Hennessy Ph: (02) 8344 9900

9THE SPIRIT OF RYE

Sa’pere Drinks is now distributing Belgrove 100% White Rye New Spirit, which is produced in Tasmania by multi-talented distiller, Peter Bignell, on his sustainable

farm, where he grows his own rye. Bignell also built his own still, which he runs with bio-fuel made from leftover fish and chip oil that he sources locally. The crystal clear, un-aged new make spirit has a captivating nose with sweet, crusty rye notes, a gently spicy and nutty palate and a long, clean and dry finish.

Distributed by Sa’pere Drinks Ph: 0404 786 154

A MOUTH10 WATERING CACHAÇA Vanguard Luxury Brands has started distributing the award winning Boca Loca cachaça. Boca Loca is made with sugar cane that is hand harvested at the peak of maturation from a single-plantation, and is distilled using unusual fruit-based yeast, which is derived from macerating and fermenting

17 tropical fruits. After distillation it is slightly aged in Jequtiba barrels then filtered 12 times giving it a smooth, full bodied and fragrant finish.

Distributed by Vanguard Luxury Brands Ph: 0408 411 859

NEW 11 GLENMORANGIE MAKES A MARK Moët Hennessy has just launched Glenmorangie Ealanta, a limited edition 1993 whisky that has been aged in American virgin oak casks, made from wood grown in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri.

Glenmorangie is world renowned for its research into the effect of wood on whisky maturation, and the company’s head of distilling and whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, is a much awarded pioneer in this field.

Distributed by Moët Hennessy b&c Ph: (02) 8344 9900

bars&clubs 51

K(E)Y COMPONENTS

STARWARD BOUND

NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF WHISK(E)Y FOR YOUR BAR

BY DAN WOOLLEY – WORLD OF WHISKY AMBASSADOR

A few months back I had the pleasure of teaming up with a motley crew of ‘whisky royalty’ consisting of Charles MacLean, Alex Bruce, Ben Baranow and myself.

We had a multi-whisky-fantasia objective starting at midday in Melbourne at the newest addition to the Australian whisky scene, Starward.

Having tasted this fantastic new Australian spirit before, I was very keen to see this distillery and find out more about their production techniques and in particular, their unusual wood program. I sat down with David Vitale, founder and CEO, and got to chatting.

WHY DID YOU GET INTO DISTILLING? This all started in 2004. I had just sold my e-learning business and wanted a new frontier. During that time, I developed a keen interest in hobby brewing and was fascinated with the growth of the craft beer movement in the US. So after a brief break, I got to thinking about making a craft beer. One thing I knew was that beer didn’t travel well, and I wanted to find an export market opportunity that hadn’t been capitalised.

So, I shelved the beer idea and while doing some consulting to high growth start-ups in Tasmania, I stumbled upon a micro distillery. In a heartbeat, I could see my future mapped out in

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front of me. It had all of the artisanal features of a quality beer, but had the stability and longevity to be able to carry it to export markets. The more I researched and understood about the changing dynamics of whisky consumption the more excited I became about creating a uniquely Australian whisky.

WHAT IS THE THOUGHT PROCESS AND ADVANTAGES BEHIND BASING THE DISTILLERY IN MELBOURNE, AND YOUR LOCATION IN ESSENDON FIELDS? HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE WHISKY? The idea of starting a distillery was actually born in Tasmania, but being Melbourne born and bred, Starward was always going to be a Melbourne drink. I knew our rich food and bar culture would be a great complement

to the whisky. Practically, Melbourne has a deep talent pool of brewers. I have been able to poach some bright sparks from micro-breweries and give them a new and exciting sand pit to play in.

Essendon Fields was an easy choice. I live close by. We have a 2000m2 clear-span space that we have been able to configure just the way we like and being at an airport we have great access to road transport and good security.

The site was an old Qantas maintenance hangar and we were really lucky to have an abundance of mains power on-site. Our stills operate on mains power and chew through a lot of juice.

IS THE WHISKY MATURED ON SITE? Yes the whisky is matured in our distillery. The hangar exterior has been painted

black to absorb the sun’s energy during the day. We also have good cross-flow ventilation with roller doors either side of the distillery which allows us to dispel the absorbed heat of an evening if we choose to.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE MAIN DISTINCTION BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER WHISKIES PRODUCED IN AUSTRALIA? Our team. Our goal is to create the best whisky we possibly can. And I knew from the beginning I needed to recruit a talented team that could support our efforts to get there. Our distillers are all qualified scientists – but also have an artisanal flair.

They roast their own coffee, brew their own beer – even make cheese.

And so we have a great balance of creativity and analysis. I have given them the freedom to explore the possibilities of what whisky can be. Our brief was to create something different – a modern whisky. And as much as we can, we have tried to do that with our ingredients and climate. But so can my neighbour.

Our mindset and approach is as valuable to the end product as the ingredients we use. I am lucky to go to work with a talented and dedicated group who – for whatever reason – I was able to convince to come along this crazy journey with me.

HOW HAS YOUR WORK WITH BARLEY CONTRIBUTED TOWARD THE END FLAVOUR? THERE’S BEEN SOME PRODUCERS PROMOTING BARLEYSPECIFIC WHISKIES OF LATE I.E. BRUICHLADDICH. IS THERE PEATED BARLEY IN‑THE MIX? We exclusively use Australian barley. Working with our

K(E)Y COMPONENTS

maltster, we use a bespoke malting regime to suit the requirements of the distillery – a balanced cereal note providing a full mouth-feel.

I think what is of note is what is not in the spirit. My experience with younger Australian whiskies and new make spirit is a grassy green character – described to me once as ‘pickled onion juice’.

With time it dissipates, but our new make spirit doesn’t have that character and I believe it is due to the malting process.

Scotch malt whiskies traditionally use lighter malts.

Like a beer, the darker the colour the more character the malt provides the whisky. This is measured by a unit called EBC. Starward’s malt is EBC 3-4 and darker in colour, an EBC of 3-4 compares to an Amber Ale. By comparison, Scotch whiskies, with an EBC of 1, would compare to a Pilsner.

Our key distillers are qualified brewers. This provides a unique insight into the possibilities of Australian malts, and this is an area we intend to explore as part of our ongoing product development. It is still early days yet but it is our aspiration to one day release a uniquely Australian mash bill. For the time being though, we remain focussed on our flagship Starward Malt Whisky.

HOW DOES MELBOURNE’S WATER SOURCE FARE FOR WHISKY PRODUCTION? Melbourne water is great. We harden it up for brewing but for breaking down the whisky to bottle strength we simply pass it through a particle and carbon filter. We did fleetingly explore the option of carting in spring water from a secret location, but it proved too problematic and didn’t really add to the story.

CAN YOU OUTLINE THE GENERAL PROCESS INVOLVED IN PRODUCTION? We have tried to take the best of the old and best of the new approach to our production process. At the end of the day it is a single malt whisky, so there are only a few things you can work with to create something modern and different. But we did try and approach each stage of the production process with an open mind – looking at ways to improve the process.

Scotch whisky distilleries mostly use wet yeast. This is not highly practical for small scale distilleries but it provides an opportunity for us to innovate. Using a combination of distilling and brewing yeasts enables us to combine the efficiency of distilling yeast strain, with the high ester profile of our brewing strain. This unique combination provides

the tropical and orchard fruit backbone to Starward malt whisky.

The highly variable climate in Melbourne is a key advantage to barrel maturation, but can play havoc with fermentation.

Our fermenters are jacketed, which enables control of the temperature of fermentation in extreme conditions – ensuring a consistent wash and flavour profile.

We use two very small batch copper pot stills made in Australia – a 1800lt wash still and a 500lt spirit still. These stills were acquired second hand from an old shale coal mine tourism venture. While not ideally sized for our long term aspirations and scale, they offered a great starting point. We were able to source these stills for less than the cost of the copper required to make them.

The stills were loosely modelled on The Macallan stills but have a modified neck- jacketed to provide additional reflux.

This is a rare feature and provides the distillers the ability to dial up or down the reflux on the still as desired.

WHAT STYLE OF APERA (SHERRY) WAS HELD IN THESE BARRELS (DRY, SWEET)? HAS THE FORTIFIED WINE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE BARREL IN EXCESS OF 20 YEARS? It was a bit of both. Unfortunately our early barrel inventory was delivered to the cooperage already ‘shooked’ (broken down) and without any details from the winery as to the style of Apera. “… STYLISTIC MIDPOINT BETWEEN SCOTCH AND BOURBON” – HOW DOES THE PROCESS LEND ITSELF TO THIS STATEMENT? This is definitely our wood policy and the influence of our climate on the maturation process. The depth of oak character and mellowness of Starward comes from the combination of the barrel sizes used to mature the whisky.

Rather than focus on one size, 50lt, 100lt and 200lt casks are used to provide a diversity of character and complexity.

Varying surface area to volume ratios combined with a highly variable climate mellows the whisky faster. While this increases the cost of maturation and complicates inventory management, the results speak for themselves.

The team tracks and monitors each barrel in our online Distillery Records And Management System (DRAMS – yes corny, I come from an IT background). This system enables quantitative and qualitative analysis of the product, creating accurate data that can be used to ensure product quality and consistency. The team samples five barrels a day – cut to 20% ABV. The samples are tracked on a 13 point sensory checklist.

WHAT IS THE REASONING BEHIND BOTTLING AT 43% ABV? We did a range of blind samples at different strengths ranging from 40% through to 46% and 43% worked best. It does open up really well with a dash of water and is quite a versatile drink.

Over ice, the tropical fruit characters give way to the orchard fruits – and it is a completely different (still wonderful) drink.

HOW MANY BOTTLES OF STARWARD HAVE BEEN PRODUCED TO DATE? WILL THIS BE AN ONGOING RELEASE FOR THE DISTILLERY? Starward is the distillery’s flagship product. We have about 87,500 litres in bond (minus angel’s share) and

we anticipate more than doubling that volume this year. We don’t intend on releasing any other products for the foreseeable future (we do have a few things in the pipeline) our focus is on getting the public to warm to this product and build a loyal group of drinkers that make Starward their ‘go-to’ whisky. We filled 2,500 for our first release.

Our next release will build on the sensory profile of this product.

Our goal is consistency and repeatability. We have enough inventory in bond to continue to release a very similar (hopefully better) whisky for the next three to four years.

WHAT’S DOWN THE PIPELINE IN TERMS OF FUTURE RELEASES? IS THERE SCOPE FOR SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS OR WOOD EXPERIMENTATION? We really want to focus on Starward. Get it right and build a loyal following. But there are some exciting things in the bond store which we’ll keep an eye on.

We have second fill barrels from a special project last year, which show exciting promise only after 12 months in oak.

Also, still in early development, we have 100lt Shiraz barrels. We are really excited by their progress but I can genuinely say I am not sure yet what we will do with them. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in distilling is it that time will tell.

David and his awesome team at Starward are producing some amazing whisky down in Melbourne and it won’t be long until Starward etches it way onto the best back bars in the country. Well done guys! b&c

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PHIL G AND ANDEVIA RO CHAR SSCO MAN

STOLI ON ICE During March and April Stolichnaya Premium Vodka hosted a series of events of bartenders across the country that included a bit of brand education and a whole lot of fun on ice skates.

Organised by Rossco Charman, the Stoli On Ice events invited bartenders in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to attend an entertaining masterclass session hosted by Marco Nunes, where he delivered an engaging and informative presentation (that he and Jason Williams put together).

CHRIS HYSTED

Nunes spoke about the history, production processes and premium qualities of Stolichnaya, and also shared his insights on why and how vodka should be stocked and sold in a bar. He also walked bartenders through a blind tasting of Stolichnaya alongside a handful of other well-known premium vodkas.

Once the learning was done, everyone jumped onto a bus and headed to a local ice skating rink for a private ice hockey lesson before being invited to have a crack at trying to get a puck passed (or directly hit) the designated goal keeper – usually one of the biggest guys in the bunch.

At the end of each ice hockey session, Charman invited everyone to don on some costumes and masks and head back out onto the ice to film a Harlem Shake video (which I’m sure will be doing the rounds through bartending circles in the near future).

BEN ‘THE FIERCE’ TUA

MERLIN JEREBINE

There were bottles of elit by Stolichnaya up for grabs to the bartenders who posted the best and funniest pictures and comments on the event’s Facebook page, which were handed out at the end of the day when the tired and slightly bruised bartenders retired to a designated bar to enjoy some Stolichnaya cocktails.

SCENE

TIM W ASTE LL

THE PARTIES, THE PEOPLE, THE FASHION, THE DRINKS

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SCENE EVA STAN N LEY

MELBOURNE BARTENDERS

NE S SBA BRI ENDER R T R BA ADY FO RE CTION A

THIAGO SILVA

HARLEM SHAKE TIME!

MARCO NUNES

PHIL LOUIS WEB ER

MELBOURNE BARTENDERS GETTING A TASTE

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POP UP GIN GARDEN WESTERN AUSTRALIA MUSEUM, PERTH

Hippocampus Memorable Drinks, the local distributor of Sipsmith gin, recently hosted a Pop Up Gin Garden in collaboration with the Western Australia Museum, which celebrated the best of Britain through an evening full of activities, good music, food and drinks made with Fever Tree mixers, as well as a number of Sipsmith cocktails.

JOHNNIE WALKER WHISKY BAR RANDWICK RACECOURSE, SYDNEY

Over three weeks in April, Johnnie Walker hosted a luxurious whisky bar in the members section of Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse, which offered race-goers a chance to enjoy a number of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky signature cocktails, as well as the full Johnnie Walker range. One of the highlights of the activation was the day of Black Caviar’s final race, which saw the Johnnie Walker whisky bar packed to capacity crowd and selling a record number of drinks.

DRINKSWORKS’ GRANT CAUNTER

MONTEITH’S TAP TAKE OVER

FASHION WEEK WRAP UP PARTY

ROYAL ALBERT HOTEL, SYDNEY

Peroni recently teamed up with Sydney bar, Pelicano, to host the official wrap up party for the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia at a pop-up bar in Martin Place.

Guests enjoyed Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Peroni Leggera beers and entertainment from The Faders as well as Van She’s Michael Di Francesco.

PELICA

Monteith’s Brewing Company recently took over the taps at Sydney’s Royal Albert Hotel to showcase its new Brewers Series, which included an Alcoholic Ginger Beer, an India Pale Ale and an Unfiltered Apricot Wheat Beer, as well as a Barrel-Aged Porter.

Guests got the chance to try the new brews alongside a range of bar snacks specially created to match the individual beers.

MARTIN PLACE, SYDNEY

SCENE

NO’S DAMON DOWNEY

THE PARTIES, THE PEOPLE, THE FASHION, THE DRINKS

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SCENE TIME OUT SHAKEDOWN THE STANDARD, SYDNEY

ART BATTLES AUSTRALIA CIRCULAR QUAY, SYDNEY

Art Battles Australia ‘The Quay Series’ held its finals in May at Circular Quay, in conjunction with Tiger Beer’s Street Football tournaments. Twelve artists battled it out in three semi-final rounds throughout the day with the top five going through to the grand final, which was won by Lee McDonnell.

McDonnell will now travel to Vietnam, as a guest of Tiger Beer Australia, to represent Australia at the Tiger Translate Vietnam art showcase.

GLENMORANGIE EALANTA LAUNCH UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, SYDNEY

Whisky legend Dr Bill Lumsden recently hosted a literature-themed event at The University of Sydney to launch the new private edition Glenmorangie Ealanta.

Guests were treated to an evening of Highland fun, with a whisky-matched menu, waiters in kilts, Alan Johnson on the piano, Mark Twain quotes galore and an ‘erudite photo booth’.

DR BILL LUMSDEN

Five of Sydney’s BRENDA N JAMES IR KEOWN, DANIE finest bartenders AND LUK VINE, JASON W L LEROY, ILLIAMS E REDIN recently showcased GTON their skills and served up signature cocktails for over 300 guests at the 2013 Time Out Shakedown competition. The Great Gatsby-themed event was a grand finale to Time Out’s World Cocktail Week programme of events.

Competing on the night were Michael Chiem from Sokyo, James Irvine from Hinky Dinks, Jason Williams from The Rook, Daniel Leroy from The Local Taphouse (who was substituting for an injured Natalie Ng from Mojo Record Bar) and last year’s Shakedown winner, Brendan Keown from The Hazy Rose.

Keown served up a Stormwalk Empire (Talisker Storm, maraschino and lemon), while Williams mixed up The Flora Botanica (rose, dandelion bitters, Tanqueray gin, cherries and yuzu, garnished with a dehydrated candied lemon wheel).

Leroy recreated Ng’s drink entry, the Sultana Swing (Bulleit rye, amaro, cherries and a sultana swizzle stick), and Irvine presented his Honeycomb Reviver (Ketel One, Lillet blanc, triple sec and lemon juice, with a natural honeycomb garnish).

But it was Chiem who walked away with the champion’s belt with his drink, the Darjeeling Fizz (Zacapa 23, blacktea caramel, MICHAEL CHIEM pineapple and lemon juice, topped with soda and featuring black tea ice cubes).

BRENDA

N KEOW

N

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THE CREW

3

1

2

5 1. JONOTHAN CARR, MATT LERADE AND ISSAC BENNETT 2. NEUS SOLER AND JORDAN YOUNG AT THE RED DOOR 3. IBRAIL KHAN AT MEJICO 4. SEBASTIAN REABURN 5. A FULLY CLOTHED ALEN NIKOLOVSKI BEHIND THE BAR AT TIO’S 6. DAN WOOLLEY AND HIS BESPOKE BOTTLE OF DALMORE WHISKY – ETCHED WITH HIS IMAGE AND SPECIALLY BLENDED FOR HIM BY THE DISTILLERY 7. RODRIGO VEGA AND KASS HILL 8. CIAN STAFFORD AT THE WILD ROVER 9. THE BOYS FROM BYRON BAY’S ST ELMO BAR 10. ROBBIE STOWE MIXING UP SOME DARK & STORMYS AT LONDON FIELDS 6

4 7

8

9

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10

BARS&CLUBS MAY/JUNE INDEX

BRANDS AND COMPANIES INDEX 1800 Tequila, 51

A Angostura, 11 Ardbeg, 51 Asahi, 36

B Bacardi Lion, 31, 50 Beam Global Australia, 44 Beer and Cider Co. 36 Belgrove, 51 Boca Loca, 51 Bravo Craft Beer, 36 Brooklyn Brewery, 44 Brown-Forman, 31, 50 Bruichladdich, 22 Bundaberg, 9, 44

C Chivas Regal, 22 Club Suntory, 8 Coonemara, 26 Cricketers Arms Lager, 44

D Del Maguey, 28 Dewar’s, 26 Diageo Australia, 8, 9, 44, 50 Disaronno, 8 Don Julio, 9 Drinkworks, 36

E El Jimador, 29, 35, 50 Estrella, 36 Experience It, 36

F Fever-Tree, 56

G Glenfiddich, 11, 20 Glenmorangie, 51 G’Vine, 12

H Herradura, 29, 35, 50

I Independent Distillers Australia, 44 island2island Beverage Company, 11

J Jim Beam, 44 Johnnie Walker, 9, 17, 20, 50, 56 Jose Cuervo, 10, 34 Jura, 24

K Kavalan Distillery, 8, 50 Ketel One, 9 Keystone Group, 1, 18, 19, 42, 43 Kingfisher, 36

L Laphroig, 24

M Mixxit, 9 Moët Hennessy, 39, 60, 50, 51 Monkey Shoulder, 13, 27 Monteith’s, 56

N

T

Nikka, 48, 49

P Palais Imports, 44 Pava, 50 Peroni, 56

R Red Island Marleting, 44 Rekorderlig, 44

Tales of the Cocktail, 9 Tequila Tromba, 31, 32, 34 The Glenrothes, 25 The Whisky Show, 8 Think Spirits,10, 28, 31, 34, 35, 51 Tiger, 57 Time Out, 19, 57 Tullamore Dew, 27

V Vanguard Luxury Brands, 19, 34, 51

S Sailor Jerry, 40, 41 Sa’pere Drinks, 51 Sipsmith, 56 Smirnoff, 1, 4, 8, 42, 43 SouthTrade International, 12, 34, 38, 39 Starward Malt Whisky, 52, 53 St-Germain, 50 Stolichnaya Premium Vodka, 54, 55 Sullivan’s Cove, 50 Suntory Australia, 8, 39, 48, 50

W William Grant & Sons, 11, 12, 40, 41 World Class Australia, 9 World of Whisky, 8, 50, 52 Writers Tears, 25

BARS & CLUB INDEX 1806, 9, 39

B Bacchus, 9 Bar 100, 12 Barrio Chino, 30, 32 Black Coffee Lyrics, 13 Black Pearl, 9, 39, 40 Bulletin Place, 9

C Café Pacifico, 10 Canvas, 39 Chingón, 30, 32 Cloud 9, 12 Cobbler, 15 Cookie, 13 Crane Bar Restaurant, 14

E Eau-de-Vie, 9, 10 EDV Melbourne, 9 El Loco, 30 El Público, 30 El Topo, 30

G Glass Bar and Dining, 12 Grandma’s, 16

H Hinky Dinks, 39, 57 Hustle & Flow, 14

J Jack Ruby, 14

K Kodiak Club, 9, 12, 39

L Lily Blacks, 10 Little Blood, 30, 31, 39 London Fields, 15

M Mamsita, 29, 30, Mechanics Institute, 39 Mejico, 30, 32, 34 Mojo Record Bar, 57 Mr & Mrs G, 12 Mrs Sippy, 15

P Pelicano, 56

R Red Bennies, 39 Renegades Café Wine Bar, 14 Royal Albert Hotel, 56

S Saigon Sally, 14 Señoritas, 30, 32 Sokyo, 57

T The The The The The The The

Alchemist, 13 Animal, 18, 19 Collins, 12 Corner House, 13 Hazy Rose, 39, 57 Local Taphouse, 57 Rook, 18, 19

The Roosevelt, 9, 19 The Standard, 57 The Town Mouse, 15 The Trust, 12 The Wild Rover, 12, 16 The Winery, 18, 19 theloft, 8, 18, 19 Tio’s, 30 Tokonoma, 48, 49 Touché Hombre, 30

Y Yebisu, 15

PEOPLE INDEX A Almenning, Sven, 9, 10

B Ballesty, Adam, 8 Bastow, Adam, 13 Bayly, Phil, 10, 28 Beretta, Cristiano, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 Bignell, Peter, 51 Bini, Nicola, 8 Blackman, Jordan, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 Blair, Ben, 13 Boardman, Asa, 15 Borg, Patrick, 10 Bradey, James, 16 Brook, Eddie, 39 Burns, Warren, 16 Bushell, Mitch, 19

C Camorra, Gorge, 12 Caunter, Grant, 36, 56 Charman, Rossco, 54 Chick, Dave, 39 Chiem, Michael, 57 Collins, Norman, 40, 41 Cooper, Ron, 28 Crawley, Jason, 9

D David, Gee, 34, 38, 39 Duff, Philip, 12 Duhigg, Lisette, 14 Duhigg, Tim, 14

E Estes, Tom, 10, 28

F Forde, Nathan, 11 France, James,

G Gakuru, John, 28, 31, 34, 35 Gandevia, Phil, 19 Goodwin, Trent, 15 Gregory, Daniel, 40

H Hadad, Adam, 16 Heise, Mikaela, 1, 42, 43 Hemsworth, Jenna, 12 Hollinshead, Dominick, 36 Hubbard, Steven Ian, 12 Hysted, Chris, 54

I Irvine, James, 57

J Jenkins, Pete, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27

Jerebine, Merlin, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 54

K Kato, Rinna, 9 Keane, Mitch, 41 Keown, Brendan, 39, 57 Khan, Ibrail, 32, 34 Kuzmicki, Piotr, 13

L Lancaster, Ben, 9 Lange, Martin, 15 Leroy, Daniel, 57 Ligoff, David, 8 Little, Mark, 11 Louis, Brett, 32 Lowe, Mike, 16 Lumsden, Bill, 51, 57

M McCabe, Christian, 15 McDiarmid, Kim, 16 Miles, Nick, 41 Miller, Sarah, 39

N Ng, Josh, 16 Ng, Natalie, 57 Nguyen, Quynh, 8 Nunes, Marco, 54, 55

O Otto, Gracie, 8

P Payten-Smith, Hugh, 40 Persson, Joel, 13 Peters, Nick, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35 Philips, Tim, 9 Place, Monnie, 12

R Ramsay, Paul, 39 Redington, Luke, 57 Reed, Nick, 9 Reeves, Stuart, 31, 34, 35 Rodrigues, Michael, 19 Rtshiladze, Dim, 39

S Sainsbury-Canham, Connor, 13 Santos, Thiago, 14 Selvadurai, Nick, 8, 13 Shaw, Erin, 39 Shipley, Jeremy, 31 Siggins, Fred, 34 Sinha, Aasha, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 Stanley, Evan, 9, 39, 55 Stowe, Robbie, 15 Strother, Anita, 12 Strzadala, Justin, 8 Silva, Thiago, 55

T Tomašic, Mike, 12, 16 Tomizawa, Chiharu, 48, 49 Tua, Ben, 54 Tuffin, Guiles, 32

V Vanniasinkam, Raji, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 Vitale, David, 52, 53 Vousden, Michael, 36

W Walker, Jaime, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27 Warren, Daniel, 9 Wastell, Tim, 54 Weber, Phil Louis, 55 Williams, Anthony, 36 Williams, Jason, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 42, 54, 57 Woods, Elizabeth, 14 Wren, Andy, 39

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