Bars & Clubs September/October 2013

The Rise O LOB THE ATION’SRS NT TE PLA S WAL W RE NE AND TH THE BLACK WI T GAY N EL MOU BARR

Fight Club - EDV Melbourne vs 1806

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: WHISKIES OF THE WORLD – PREMIUMISATION – DAN AYKROYD

Rum On

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FLAVOURS IN

SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER

38 CRYSTAL HEAD COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

In a bars&clubs exclusive, Dan Aykroyd joins us to watch some top Aussie bartenders showcase their cocktail skills with his premium vodka brand.

FEATURE LIST

REGULAR LIST

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BARTENDER FIGHT CLUB

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We examine the rising popularity of the rum category and the explosion of rum bars across Australia.

The Animal rolls out a new cocktail list.

RUM ON THE RISE

Two of Melbourne’s best cocktail bars, EDV Melbourne and 1806, battle it out with a top selection of American whiskies.

THE HOT LIST

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VIBE What’s happening on the Australian bar scene.

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DEMAND FOR QUALITY SPIRITS AT A PREMIUM We take a look at the growing trend towards premiumisation.

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THINK GLOBAL DRINK GLOBAL

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Dan Woolley leads us on a trip across the wonderful world of whisk(e)y.

The latest venues to open their doors.

OPENINGS

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SHANE T. WILLIAMS, MATHEW JONGSMA AND SACHA DELFOSSE

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FIRST DRINKS

nce again the Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA) are upon us and I would like to start off by thanking everyone that took the time out to nominate their favourite bars, bartenders and brands.

I would also like to thank everyone in the industry that was part of our judging panel and most importantly, I would like to congratulate all the finalists and wish them all good luck.

Speaking of growth, we have introduced a new category this year for On-Premise Supplier of the Year, to recognise all those companies – large and small – who engage with bartenders and work alongside them to build their brands in the on-premise.

But it’s not just about building brands, it’s also about building relationships, and I have found that the most successful on-premise suppliers have developed a genuine dialogue with bartenders and are there to offer their support and assistance when needed.

Rum On

Cheers,

The Rise

Sacha Delfosse Editor

LOBO THE TION’SRS TA TE PLAN WAL W ES NE ANDRH THE BLACK WIT T GAY EL MOUN BARR

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: WHISKIES OF THE WORLD – PREMIUMISATION – DAN AYKROYD

The finalists list is quite impressive, and while some familiar faces and places have once again made the final cut, it has been great to see some new names popping up and being recognised, which to me is a good indication of how our industry keeps growing.

Fight Club - EDV Melbourne vs 1806

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VIBE THE BARS, THE EVENTS, THE DRINKS, THE PASSION 8 bars&clubs

BY GEORGE! DICKEL LAUNCHED IN AUSTRALIA BY DIAGEO

NEW BRANDS FOR BEAM

DIAGEO AUSTRALIA has announced the launch of Tennessee whiskey brand, George Dickel, into the local market in response to the growing demand for premium American whiskey.

Both George Dickel No.8 and George Dickel No.12 will be available to the on-premise as of November 1, while George Dickel No.8 will also be available in the off-premise.

“There is a huge appetite for premium American whiskies locally, and we’re thrilled to be able to cater for this trend with an amazing whiskey and the ultimate example of craftsmanship, George Dickel Tennessee Whisky,” Diageo Australia marketing manager – whiskey, Andrew Morley, says.

“Positioned as the perfect trade-up opportunity within the category, we’ve already received positive feedback from bartenders, and are looking forward to seeing the response from both consumers and customers alike.”

STOLEN RUM has announced it has a new distribution agreement with Beam Australia (to be handled by Coca-Cola Amatil) for the Australian market, as well as the launch of a new Stolen Spiced Rum. “Lots of NZ and Aussie drinkers have so far responded really positively to Stolen Rum, and this has given us a sense of confidence with our growth and innovation plans.

Australian drinkers seem to be looking for high quality, unique rum and we’re here to provide it,” Stolen Rum co-founder and CEO, Jamie Duff, says.

“We’re aiming to not only be the fastest growing rum brand in the world, but to be innovative and create one of the most loyal fan bases.

Our spiced rum is part of a new wave of rum, it’s edgy and we think it’s what consumers want.”

Prior to the new distribution deal, Stolen Rum formed a short-term strategic partnership with Vanguard Luxury Brands, which saw the brand being strategically seeded into key bars across Australia over the past 12 months.

The new Stolen Spiced variant is positioned as a premium spiced rum, and is made from an infusion of fine Caribbean rum with roasted coffee beans and tobacco flavour.

Beam Australia and CCA have also recently signed a distribution agreement with ASM Liquor for its Vodka O and Tequila Blu brands.

TIME OUT AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES MELBOURNE BAR AWARDS

SHIPLEY LEAVES BACARDI LION FOR A NEW ROLE

TIME OUT AUSTRALIA has announced that it will be holding its first ever Melbourne Bar Awards at a new South Yarra bar, The Emerson, on November 25.

And the magazine will be hosting its sixth annual Sydney Bar Awards, on December 1, which will be held once again at The Island Bar on Cockatoo Island.

Those guests attending the awards will be able to toast the winners with Havana Club cocktails, Sail & Anchor beers, Rekorderlig cider and Tempus Two wines, and they will be able to grab a copy of the annual Time Out Bar Guides while they are there.

“Time Out is entering a new phase with the Bar Awards. In six years in Sydney we’ve gone from blackened backrooms, to occupying an entire island,” Time Out Australia’s chief food and drink critic, Myffy Rigby, says.

“We’ve had the pleasure of having the Snowdroppers, Lanie Lane and the Rubens play to an audience that continues to grow more and more with each passing event. This year we’re also introducing a completely new awards program in Melbourne, which is a very exciting new phase in our history.”

There are 13 awards up for grabs this year in each city, including Best Bartender, Best Small Bar, Best Pub, Best Bar Food and Bar of the Year, with a team of food and drink critics judging 11 of the awards, while a panel of ten top industry figures from each city will decide the Hot Talent award and Time Out readers will decide who gets the People’s Choice award.

“When we’re looking at awarding bars, we’re looking for perfection, we’re looking for innovation, we’re looking for great drinks. But above all, we’re looking for a good time,” Rigby explains.

“Time Out readers have high expectations when it comes to the bars they drink in, and we’re here to make sure they’re equipped with the best information.”

JEREMY SHIPLEY has moved on from his role as Bacardi Lion brand ambassador to become the new group bars manager for Solotel, which owns and operates the Opera Bar, Clock Hotel, Paddington Inn, Kings Cross Hotel, Golden Sheaf and Bank Hotel.

Shipley’s new responsibilities will include developing the drinks and cocktail menus and ensuring seamless bar operations for all Solotel venues, and the company says “his wealth of experience will prove invaluable”.

“Solotel takes its drinks offering seriously and this appointment of Jeremy allows us to take our beverages to the next level,” Solotel CEO, Andrew Gibbs, says.

“Solotel has such a strong portfolio of venues and there’s some exciting things in the pipeline of which I’ll be heavily involved including the very imminent re-launch of The Bank which will feature a new cocktail bar/ live music venue – done Newtown style.”

VIBE HENDRICK’S OFFERS CORDIAL INVITATION HENDRICK’S GIN recently flew a group of bartenders down to Melbourne for a special celebration held at the lavish Ripponlea House, which was attended by Hendrick’s global ambassador, David Piper.

The stylish and glamorous event, held in a picturesque location, featured an assortment of weird and wonderful things that the brand has become known for, and guests were kept well-hydrated with a range of delicious drinks such as Garden in Flower Gin Punch, The Hendrick’s Jubilee Punch, Hendrick’s & Tonics, Hendrick’s Martinis and Hendrick’s Victorian Mojitos.

Prior to the evening’s festivities, the selected group of bartenders from across the IEN D AST country had a chance to try the new Hendrick’s, limited edition quinine cordial, Quinetum, SEB MEZ AN O ER B DER VID PIP which was created by master distiller, Lesley Gracie, especially for bartenders. Each DA attending bartender was also given a bottle to take back with them and experiment with.

Quinetum combines lavender and orange distillates with extracts of orange blossom, wormwood and holy thistle along with the core ingredient of cinchona succirubra bark. It has a glycerol base, a small amount of sugar syrup and citric acid and an ABV of 4 per cent.

“Quinetum has been four years in the making, but it is only by speaking to the bartenders who come and visit us at the distillery and trying many different recipes of extracts and distillates that we learn what works. The unusual flavours of our gin appeal to a curiously pernickety drinker and so it is only right we take time before putting the Hendrick’s name to anything else,” Gracie explains.

“What most bartenders will immediately pick up on is the orange nose, giving way to subtle lavender notes. The taste has a deep green, bitter flavour from the wormwood, holy thistle and, of course, quinine. Bartenders should find this combination amiable for crafting into cocktails with Hendrick’s characteristic floral notes and spicy bitterness, which comes from the caraway seed and cubeb berries.”

THE NEW QUINETUM CORDIAL SAMUEL NG

CHARLIE AINSBURY

bars&clubs 9

VIBE KEYSTONE PREPARES TO EXPAND THE KEYSTONE GROUP is developing a new multi-faceted venue that will be operating by summer at the Royal Randwick Racecourse as part of a joint venture with the Australian Turf Club.

The members-only ‘lifestyle space’, called The Stables Sydney, will be located on level four of the recently built grandstand and will span 1200 square metres. It will provide a range of social and entertainment options for guests, and will operate day and night, seven days a week.

“We are proud to be in a joint venture with an organisation as prestigious at The Australian Turf Club and have had a long-standing association with them for some years,” said Keystone Group’s managing director and partner, John Duncan.

“This is an exciting new chapter for The Keystone Group as we move further into the lifestyle space. The Stables Sydney aims to offer something unique and will bring a new demographic to both Randwick JOHN DUNCAN and Sydney racing.”

The Keystone Group will also be opening a new (yet to be named) venue, in conjunction with Chef Martin Boetz, at 10 Neild Avenue in Sydney’s Rushcutters Bay. The majority of its produce will be sourced from Boetz’s Cooks Co-Op in the Hawkesbury Region, a ‘paddock-to-plate’ project which is centred on sustainable farming, education and promoting quality, chefgrade produce.

“We are excited to join forces with Martin to support local farmers. They have been doing it tough of late and this project is the perfect way to support them while offering our guests the best produce possible on the plate in Sydney,” Duncan says.

“Over the past two years we have broadened our offering through collaborations with exciting industry talent. The concept of this venue and Martin’s influence brings a dynamic new perspective to our business and allows us to continue evolving the Sydney food offering.”

FROM SEATTLE TO GOSFORD

SHANE SAHR

AWARD-WINNING Seattle bartender, Shane Sahr, has taken on the role of bar manager at ReviveR cocktail bar in Gosford on the NSW Central Coast.

Prior to taking on the new role, Sahr (who has been bartending for over 13 years) spent four years working behind the bar of Seattle’s Tini Bigs cocktail lounge.

Sahr befriended ReviveR director and co-founder, Gordon Ryan, two years ago while Ryan was researching research cocktail bars in the US. And in October last year, he visited ReviveR to take part in ‘Murray Aid’, an event held to raise funds for life-saving medical treatment for another well-known, celebrated Seattle bartender, Murray Stenson.

“My first trip to ReviveR and the Central Coast was amazing,” Sahr says.

“As for ReviveR, Gordon runs an outstanding bar program that I feel could compete with some of the top bars in Seattle and the west coast of the United States. He prides himself on promoting an outstanding cocktail and spirits program using local products as much as possible.”

Ryan says that the decision to bring Sahr onboard to manage the ReviveR bar team is part of the bar’s vision REVIVE R BAR to provide the Central Coast with “a truly world class experience”, and that Sahr also shares the bar’s vision to encourage patrons to see the venue as their ‘third place’ (with their home and workplace their first and second place respectively).

“Your ‘third place’ is where you go to relax, take a deep breath, be among friends and not worry about things for a while,” Sahr explains.

“My signature cocktails are always inspired by my surroundings and the people that I meet. I can’t wait to make cocktails that are inspired by the people of Gosford and the Australian culture, whether it is based on their taste, their flavour profile or simply what makes them happy.”

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VIBE YOU LITTLE DRIPPA

LOCAL DISTILLERY’S NEW APPROACH TO SALES

LITTLE DRIPPA is a new cold extracted coffee product created in Melbourne by Lewis Kneale that can provide bartenders with an easier, more consistent way of making espresso martinis.

Kneale was looking for a solution to the problems of using pre-extracted coffee in bars, such as wastage and inconsistency, and came up a smooth and consistent product, made from 100 per cent organic Arabica beans, that can save bars time and money.

“Most bars pay $28 to $32 per kilo for beans and grind 20g to 24g per 30ml of espresso. There is generally wastage of 10 per cent and then there is the time spent extracting the coffee and labelling it,” Kneale says.

“When you add this up it costs between 92c and $1.04 per cocktail – that gives bars a saving of 32 to 44 cents for using Little Drippa.”

Although 30ml of Little Drippa has the same amount of caffeine as a traditional shot of espresso, when replacing the espresso component with a Little Drippa in a cocktail, the recipe will have to be adjusted, Kneale explains.

Most bars find they don’t need to use as much (or any) sugar syrup, which a lot of times is used to cover the acidity that can come when using a shot of espresso coffee.

“We have found that venues that pour an Espresso Martini with less sugar but a smoother flavour will more often get a repeat purchase. Better quality beans extracted professionally leads to smoother Espresso Martinis and more sales,” Kneale said.

Little Drippa is now being distributed through Local Craft Spirits.

QUEENSLAND’S TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN DISTILLERY (TMD) has recently made changes to the way it supplies its award winning range of spirits to on-premise accounts.

The small family run artisanal distillery has made the decision to take their sales reps off the road and deal direct with its customers in order to consolidate and streamline an increase in demand for the TMD brand.

“Whilst it was sad to farewell our valued reps, in the long run, it has streamlined our wholesale operations,” TMD’s Michael Ward says.

“Now that our wholesale customers can deal directly with us, orders are arriving more efficiently and generally quicker.”

Any orders placed with the distillery before 2pm from Monday to Thursday will get dispatched that day, Ward said, and they can be placed through email or by calling the distillery directly on (07) 55 453 452.

Another reason for the reshuffle, Ward said, was to improve and assist the production and manufacturing areas by providing TMD’s distiller, Alla Ward, with extra assistance to handle the growth the distillery is undergoing.

“TMD’s boutique distillery is flying high with [our] major tourist market, ever increasing wholesale market, huge growth with [the] online shop and regular small export markets,” Ward explains.

He points out that due to the nature of distillery’s approach in making its spirits, there will always be new and exciting creations, and TMD will continue to engage with bartenders.

“TMD has always valued the bartender, and will inform them of anything new via bars&clubs or a personal guided tour of the distillery. A visit to our distillery is encouraged and accommodation is available to groups if travelling from interstate.

“TMD is committed to staying in touch with our valued wholesale customers.

There are amazing plans ahead in promoting TMD through the publication of a cocktail book (presently recipes are being collated) and forthcoming competitions.

“TMD is excited about the future, particularly in collaborating with bartenders throughout Australia. All will be revealed in due course,” Ward declares.

NEW BRAND AMBASSADORS JOIN DIAGEO AUSTRALIA DIAGEO AUSTRALIA added three new Reserve brand ambassadors to its team – Kevin Clark (WA), Krystal Hart (QLD) and Jess Arnott (NSW).

As part of their new roles, the trio will be focussing on educating the trade on the Diageo Reserve portfolio and the Diageo Reserve World Class cocktail competition.

The trio join a team that includes Victorian Reserve Brand Ambassador, Sean Baxter, Jared Plummer, and Chris Hysted, who was recently named the new national Ketel One ambassador.

“Diageo Australia is excited to have these talented and well-respected figures of the hospitality industry on board to support our growing Reserve portfolio and luxury side of the business,” Diageo marketing director, Matt Bruhn, says.

“This dynamic team boasts years of industry experience, along with the enthusiasm to bring our Reserve portfolio to the forefront of our on-premise activity in Australia.”

VIBE FIREFLY SCALES BACK OPERATIONS

BILL LS, UE SAM R. J

LEAVING HIS MARK ON MAKER’S BILL Samuels Jr., the retired president of Maker’s Mark, and son of the brand’s founder, visited Australia recently to promote the local release of Maker’s 46 – the first ever brand extension for Maker’s Mark in over 50 years.

Samuels describes Maker’s 46 as a “sister” of the original Maker’s Mark, sharing the same basic design criteria, but “jazzed up” with a greater intensity, nose and finish, and “a hell of a lot more front mouth activity”.

Only a limited amount of Maker’s 46 is produced each year, which is partly due to the brand’s ethos of putting craftsmanship and consistency before commercial needs, and having a controlled growth plan.

Australia was allocated a small amount due to the overwhelming requests for the product, with much of that interest coming from local bartenders, who have greatly impressed Samuels, and who he credits for moving people away from drinking bourbon with Coke.

“It seems to me the bartenders led the transformation, people started listening to these bartenders that we’re making these wonderful drinks,” Samuels says.

“The bartenders here are as good as anywhere in the world – I had the best Old Fashioned I ever had in my life here [at the QT Hotel made by Dominic Polito] and the Old Fashioned was invented in Kentucky.”

SYDNEY’S FIREFLY bar group has been downsized, with two of its bars being sold in the past few months to allow the business to focus on just one of its venues.

After nine years of trade, Firefly Walsh Bay, ceased operations recently and has been sold to an undisclosed buyer, following the sale of Firefly Lane Cove several months ago, which leaves owner, Daniel Sofo, with just one location, Firefly Neutral Bay. Sofo says he found it challenging to stay true to his original concept while trading to three different demographics and stretching himself across multiple venues, and he calls the downsizing “liberating”.

“Consolidating to just one Firefly venue in Neutral Bay has allowed me to get back to my principles: to be a wine-centric bar serving easy going share plates, the ultimate purpose of which is to bring people together.

“Boutique hospitality operators in today’s trading environment really do need to be completely hands on and focused. Sydney patrons have come of age in the past few years; they expect and deserve an amazing experience, every time,” Sofo says.

“It’s a relief to be able to return to my roots, and rewarding for my Neutral Bay regulars to have me in the venue so much more.”

SYDNEY BAR EXPANDS ITS FOOD OFFER

JUGS AND BINGO

SYDNEY’S HELLO SAILOR bar, which opened its doors in the Darlinghurst district in June this year, is now serving food into the late hours of the night.

Hello Sailor patrons will now be able to enjoy a range of dishes of the bar’s Italian diner-style menu till 2am (from Sundays till Thursdays) and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

“We believe there is a real lack of good dining choices in Darlinghurst later at night,” co-owner Marco Faraone explains.

“We can offer our customers great food – from my special ‘MF’ Italian style club sandwich to chicken wings – until 3am while they are still enjoying a drink; they don’t have to wander the streets looking for food.”

Dishes on offer include lobster burgers, Tuscan style panigaccis and a range of paninis. And it’s not just late night eating that the bar is championing, with Hello Sailor also offering guests complimentary aperitivo snacks from 5 to 7pm.

“We are also bringing back my all-time favourite tradition – aperitivo! There is nothing like relaxing after work with a Negroni or Aperol Spritz and some Italian crostini,” Faraone says.

SYDNEY small bar, Hinky Dinks, has recently extended its operating hours, opening the doors on Sundays from 1pm and selling $30 jugs of Mai Tais, Blue Hawaiians and El Diablos till 5pm.

The bar, renowned for its great food menu as well as tasty cocktails, has also introduced a fun new promotion titled Hinky Bingo, which rewards patrons with a free meal for every ten they order.

“It’s pretty much the bar-food equivalent of the coffee loyalty card, but as far as I can tell it is something new in the world of small bars,” co-owner Dan Knight says.

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VIBE MERIVALE’S NEW MAN MERIVALE’S new group bar manager, Paul Mant, is a well-known and well-respected UK bartender with over 15 years in the industry, who founded the ‘Heads, Hearts and Tails’ bar consultancy business.

Prior to that, Mant worked with Soho bar Quo Vadis, which won Tales of The Cocktail’s World’s Best New Bar in 2009 and Best Bar in the World in 2010. He is also one of the creators of the Rematch Beeyatch competitions. bars&clubs caught up with him to find out more.

What is the reason behind taking on the new role with Merivale? And how did the appointment come about?

It’s a longer story than just this but the appointment came about when I saw Mikey’s job advertised and I called him to see why he’d left such a sweet gig.

The reason for taking it is exactly that, it’s a sweet gig, having been made redundant a few years ago I know they don’t come up very often.

When do you officially start in the role and will you be working with Mikey Enright (former Merivale group bar manager) doing a hand over?

I’ve already started! And yes, Mikey was kind enough to take some time out of his two new ventures to show me around. Who better?

I believe you have visited Australia before – are you familiar with all the Merivale venues, and which ones have stood out for you?

I have been to a few of the venues on my numerous previous visits. When

I first arrived in 2006 the only places you could get a consistently decent drink were Bayswater, Lotus, Hemmesphere and a couple of others. How times change! Aside from that I’ve had some crazy (responsible) times at Pool Club.

Will there be any projects/tasks that will be first on your list to tackle?

First on the list is to work on making sure we retain the amazing staff we have.

What are your views on the Australia bar scene?

It’s gold rush time here at the moment. There are so many interesting bars and venues opining, making it one of the most exciting bar scenes on the planet.

Is there anything from the UK bar scene that you will be introducing in your new role?

I might attempt to get drinks made on the bar top rather than underneath it out of the guest’s view – I’m not a fan of that.

I believe you have a lot of mates here already – did that play a role in deciding to take on the job?

Having a ready-made social circle definitely played a part in making the decision but it was one of a lot of factors. I gave a talk about ‘fun behind the bar’ with Angus Winchester a few years back which was the beginning of my love affair with the place.

And of course, Sydney was the first city outside of London to stage mine and Tim Stones’ It’s A Rematch, Beeyatch!! Competition. That thing is completely out of control these days, which is what we always wanted. There’s a Rematch Colombia that just started a couple of months ago; god only knows how that one finishes up.

OPENINGS

THE CALIFORNIAN

BAR LOU LOU SYDNEY’S EMMILOU bar and restaurant has opened up a new lounge bar extension, Bar Lou Lou, a cosy and relaxed space that can hold up to 30 people with its own cracking cocktail list crafted by Alex Carter (formerly of The Corner House). The softly lit, intimate little bar is decorated with stunning graffiti murals, as well as customers’ own tags, and is decked out with a number of comfy seating options. Apart from an array of great cocktails, guests can also enjoy a range Spanish, Argentine and Australian wines, and order a range of delicious modern tapas share plates created by chef and owner, Chris Cranswick-Smith.

413 Bourke St, Surry Hills, Ph: (02) 9360 6991

RESERVE WINE BAR NEWCASTLE’S RESERVE WINE BAR – a collaboration between local businessmen Tim Bohlsen, Justin Oliver and wine journalist Patrick Haddock – recently opened its doors. The new venue is located in a former bank building and delivers a drinks and food menu with a strong focus on local Hunter region producers.

The wine list boasts 175 Australian wines, 70 from NSW, with a small selection of imported wines also available.

Handling the food side of things is Jose Miguel, former chef at Arnott’s Bakehouse in Morpeth and Margan in the Hunter Valley, while Joshua Anlezark (formerly from Melbourne’s Ezard restaurant) is steering the front of house.

102 Hunter St, Newcastle, NSW

SANTA BARBARA has recently opened a new stylish sit-down restaurant located within the venue, called The Californian, which true to its name serves up a range of dishes combining Mexican and Korean flavours in an LA style. Dishes includes Baja Fish Tacos, Calamari Sliders, Grilled Watermelon & Jalapeno, Korean Fried Chicken, Sesame Tempura Crab and Ocean Trout Ceviche. The drinks list follows a similar theme, offering up playful drinks like Cali Screwdrivers, Mojito 90210s, The Quaalude and Aloe Margaritas.

82-94 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross, NSW, Ph: (02) 9357 7882

THE LANEWAY LOUNGE THE LANEWAY LOUNGE, hidden away as the name suggests down the end of a laneway, is one of the newest additions to Perth’s booming bar scene. The elegant and stylish venue, with an interior design that tips its hat to Paris and New Orleans, features a dining room, a lounge area and a bar section, and provides full table service.

The venue is also a hub for live jazz music, and this is reflected in the cocktail list (developed by Grant Collins) which is packed full of classic jazz-era drinks that have been given a contemporary touch by Collins. The back bar also boasts one of the largest gin and bourbon selections in the country.

414A Murray St, Perth, WA, Ph: (08) 9321 2508

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

WILCOX & CO SYDNEY’S north side has a new vibrant bar and eatery, Wilcox & Co, which takes its name from Wilcox Butchers, a well-known family business that occupied the bar’s site for over 90 years. The venue has been designed and renovated by Architrend Designs and has an industrial contemporary design fit out. The owners are Anthony Leenders and Carlo Maggio, who both have extensive hospitality experience both, locally and overseas.

The restaurant serves up simple and modern Australian organic and free range food, while the bar has a good selection of cocktails, created by Leenders, and a large international and local wine list, with 18 wines available by the glass and served in Enomatic wine dispensing machines.

1/463 Miller St, Cammeray, NSW

FAT RUPERT’S FAT RUPERT’S is a new bar and restaurant that recently opened its doors in Bondi, located in the old Flying Squirrel site. The decor and design has been updated by Rick Vaughan of Foureyestattoo, and Will and Nathan Lynes from Lynes and Co, with the venue planning to invite other artists over time to come in and add their mark to the building.

Many of the food dishes that were popular at Flying Squirrel are still on the menu, since the old Flying Squirrel chef has stuck around to work at Fat Rupert’s, however there are also a range of exciting new Australian-style tapas dishes on offer. In addition, there is a strong selection of good cocktails as well as plenty of boutique beers and wines available.

249 Bondi Rd, Bondi, NSW, Ph: (02) 9130 1033

O’S TAPAS LOUNGE

NEIGHBOURHOOD BONDI BEACH

O BAR AND DINING has unveiled its new Tapas Lounge, adding another dimension to a 47th floor space that already features a bar, restaurant and private dining room. The new addition had a chilled out vibe and is decked out in cosy sofas and armchairs , the perfect way to enjoy the breathtaking views. It’s the perfect setting for the world’s most sociable dining style.

Chef Michael Moore’s small plate menu draws influence from Spanish tapas, Turkish mezze and Asian style yum cha, which match perfectly to the experienced bar team’s classy cocktails.

Level 47, 264 George St, Sydney, NSW, Ph: (02) 9247 9777

THE latest restaurant and bar to join the booming Bondi Beach drinking and dining hub, Neighbourhood Bondi Beach, boasts an all-star team behind it, and even its own radio station.

The brain child of Keith Hodgson, Eddie De Souza and Anthony Hughes, the venue has invested in “good people” De Souza says.

This includes Josh Evans (formerly from The Corner House and Panama House), who has created a food offering inspired by the US East Coast and made with Australian produce. Also recruited to the team is former Gardel’s bar manager, SMH drink scribe and self-confessed cocktail nerd, Simon McGoram.

“I can’t think of any better location in Sydney to be drinking seasonally inspired cocktails, craft brews and vibrant, organic and biodynamic wines from the best of Australia and Italy,” McGoram says.

“Our list of mixed drinks and wine will be succinct and changing regularly – offering our guests the best drinking for right now.”

The venue also runs Bondi Radio, with the studio located in the middle of the venue, which plays a mixture of music including funk, soul, nu disco, indie dance and rock, as well as soulful and deep house.

143 Curlewis St, Bondi Beach, NSW, Ph: (02) 9365 2872

bars&clubs 15

OPENINGS

BAR DE HALCYON The latest addition to Perth’s Wolf Lane hospitality hub is Bar de Halcyon, the city’s first pintxos bar, offering a stylish taste of Europe with a Western Australian touch. bars&clubs caught up with Bar de Halcyon’s director, David Heaton, to find out more.

How long has the process been in regards to creating Bar de Halcyon?

Following a business trip to Europe a few years ago, my business partner, Linda Fry and I made the decision to open Perth’s first pintxos bar. We wanted to create a destination that caters for everything from a coffee fix first thing in the morning to lunch and evening cocktails.

Since receiving approval for our liquor licence it has been a fairly fast development.

Overall, it has been an extremely smooth process and we are very excited with the final outcome.

Who have been the key people that have helped create the venue and its offer?

There have been so many key players that have assisted us including Baltinas Architecture, Rod the builder, Bryce Varley and Ricky Stylianou.

Also we have a superb team on the floor including Alexander von Pfeiffer, General Manager; Kirsten McEnhill, Assistant Manager; Steven Scriven, Head Chef and Catherine Sharland, our wine consultant.

(Ed note: bars&clubs understands that Tim Wastell was also one of the creative forces behind the bar’s design and concept) How would you describe the venue’s layout and look to someone that’s never been there before?

Industrial chic with a distinct Western Australian flavour.

16 bars&clubs

Are there any stand outs in regards to décor and fit out?

The wood for our table tops and feature wall have been sourced from the historic Bunbury jetty and we’ve got some incredible artwork created by the very talented Moira de la Hunty. The bathrooms aren’t too shabby – which you will understand once you enter them.

DIRECTORS DAVID HEATON AND LINDA FRY WITH HEAD CHEF STEVEN SCRIVEN

What operating hours and capacity does the venue have?

We have a capacity for 120 pax and are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week, Monday to Saturday.

In regards to the bar, does the back bar and/or the cocktail list lean towards any particular style or category?

With the cocktail list we have taken some classics and put our own spin on them – incorporating Western Australian produce with high quality spirits. We’re keeping it light and fresh to complement the food – simple, accessible, delicious.

What is the wine list like?

The wines on offer by the glass cover a range of innovative and iconic Australian producers, including a limited release Beechworth Nebbiolo from Brokenwood, Shiraz from the revered Torbreck, and a project Cabernet Sauvignon from Gourmet Traveller Young Winemaker of the Year nominee Kate Morgan from Margaret

HEAD CHEF STEVEN SCRIVEN

River. We will also be one of the first venues in Australia to debut Xanadu Wines’ new ‘DJL’ range, kicking off with their 2012 Chardonnay.

The main cellar list is representative of the global world of wine as it stands in 2013 with a balance of new and old world regions and styles. Great Aussie producers are well represented by Torbreck, Brokenwood, Grosset, Vasse Felix and Moss Wood.

Being Perth’s first pintxos bar, how do you think the venue will be received?

We think the venue will be very well received – already there is excitement about the upcoming launch.

Yes, I think people will not only understand it, but embrace the idea of quality food ready to go and individually billed. It’s a simple concept which we think people will readily grasp.

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 FINALISTS Hotel Bar and Club Awards BEST NEW VENUE Alfred & Constance, QLD Bulletin Place, NSW Cobbler, QLD Frankie’s, NSW Hello Sailor, NSW Mechanics’ Institute, WA The Rook, NSW The Rum Diary Bar, VIC The Walrus Club, QLD The Wild Rover, NSW

BEST VENUE RENOVATION

PJ Gallagher’s, Enfield NSW The Bourbon, Kings Cross NSW The Everleigh, Melbourne VIC The Glenmore Hotel, The Rocks NSW The Newtown Hotel, Newtown NSW The Regatta Hotel, Toowong QLD The Warradale Hotel, Adelaide SA Whisky & Alement, Melbourne VIC

BEST SPORTS VENUE

Australian National Hotel, Woolloongabba QLD Bellevue Hotel, Paddington NSW The Cricketer’s Arms, Melbourne VIC The Golden Sheaf, Double Bay NSW The Highway Hotel, Plympton SA The Light Brigade, Paddington NSW The Sugarmill Hotel, Kings Cross NSW Turf Bar, Melbourne VIC

BEST GAMING VENUE

Hotel Sweeney, Sydney NSW Kinsellas, Sydney NSW PJ Gallagher’s Enfield, Enfield NSW Shenannigans, Darwin NT The Elephant and Wheelbarrow, Brisbane QLD The Golden Sheaf, Double Bay NSW The Sugarmill Hotel, Kings Cross NSW The Tankerville, Melbourne VIC

BEST NIGHTCLUB Air Nightclub, WA Amplifier, WA Eve, VIC Family, QLD Hugos Lounge, NSW ivy, NSW Kit & Kaboodle, NSW Marquee, NSW

BAR MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Ben Tua, Mechanics’ Institute, WA Charlie Ainsbury, Eau-de-Vie, NSW David Nguyen-Luu, Rockpool Bar & Grill, WA Evan Gamkrelidze, Hugos Manly, NSW Jason Williams, Keystone Group, NSW Joe Sinagra, Bobèche, WA Lewis Jaffrey, Baxter Inn, NSW Perryn Colllier, Alfred & Constance, QLD

BAR TEAM OF THE YEAR Baxter Inn, NSW Black Pearl, VIC Eau-de-Vie, NSW Mechanics’ Institute, WA EDV Melbourne, VIC Rockpool Bar & Grill, WA Press Club, QLD The Wild Rover, NSW

BEST ON-PREMISE TRAINING PROVIDER CCA (Mixxit) Club Suntory Pernod Ricard Australia Diageo (Alchemy) Bacardi (Sensology) Campari Local Craft Spirits SouthTrade International

BEST TAP BEER

Coopers (Pale) Feral (Hop Hog) Hahn (Super Dry) James Squire (One Fifty Lashes) Little Creatures (Pale Ale) Peroni Stone & Wood (Pacific Ale) Young Henry’s (Natural)

BEST ON-PREMISE SPIRIT OR LIQUEUR 666 Vodka Hendrick’s High West Double Rye Ketel One Kraken Patron Sailor Jerry The West Winds Gin

CO-HOSTED BY ON WEDNESDAY 23 OCTOBER, THE 20TH ANNUAL AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR INDUSTRY AWARDS (ALIA) WILL AGAIN LIGHT UP THE BIG TOP AT SYDNEY’S LUNA PARK. THE 2013 VOTING HAS CLOSED, THE VOTES HAVE BEEN TALLIED AND THE BEST OF THE ON-PREMISE CATEGORIES HAVE EMERGED.

BRAND AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR Ben Davidson, Pernod Ricard Australia Gee David, SouthTrade International Hugh Payten-Smith, William Grant & Sons Jeremy Spencer, The West Winds Gin Karel Reyes, Pernod Ricard Australia Loy Catada, Bacardi Lion Sean Baxter, Diageo Reserve Brands Sebastien Derbomez, William Grant & Sons

BEST HOTEL/BAR FOOD Gardel’s @ Porteno, Surry Hills NSW Hinky Dinks, Darlinghurst NSW Hugos Bar Pizza, Kings Cross NSW The Kodiak Club, Fitzroy VIC The Lion Hotel, Adelaide SA The Newtown Hotel, Newtown NSW The Roosevelt, Potts Point NSW Vue de Monde, Melbourne VIC

MAJOR ONPREMISE AWARDS BARTENDER OF THE YEAR

Adam Bastow, Black Coffee Lyrics, QLD Andrew Bennett, The Classroom, WA Ben Lancaster, The Kodiak Club, VIC Daniel Warren, 1806, VIC Dean Sykes, Eau-de-Vie, NSW Evan Stanley, Black Pearl, VIC James Connolly, Rockpool Bar & Grill, WA James Irvine, Hinky Dinks, NSW Kal Moore, Kerbside, QLD Phil Gandevia, The Roosevelt, NSW

PUBLICAN OF THE YEAR Justin Hemmes, Merivale John Duncan, The Keystone Group Chris Vivian, The Flying Scotsman Patrick Gallagher, Gallagher Hotels Rob Comiskey, Comiskey Group Jamie Wirth, Drink n Dine Patrick Coughlan, Riversdale Group Andrew McConnell, Builder’s Arms Hotel

BAR OF THE YEAR Baxter Inn, NSW Cushdy, SA Eau-de-Vie, NSW Pelicano, NSW The Bowery, QLD The Classroom, WA The Kodiak Club, VIC The Lui Bar, VIC

HOTEL OF THE YEAR The Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills NSW Brisbane Hotel, Highgate WA Helm Bar, Sydney NSW ivy, Sydney NSW Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross NSW The Lion Hotel, North Adelaide SA The Newtown Hotel, Newtown NSW The Regatta Hotel, Toowong QLD The Flying Scotsman, Mt Lawley WA The Wolf & I, Windsor VIC

GROUP OPERATOR OF THE YEAR Hugos Group Katarzyna Merivale Rockpool Solotel Speakeasy Group Swillhouse Group The Keystone Group

ON-PREMISE SUPPLIERS OF THE YEAR

On-Premise Liquor Supplier of the Year The beverage supplier that provided the best all-round service and product offering for on-premise venues for the past year, including marketing engagement and marketing support.

Carlton & United Breweries Coca-Cola Amatil Diageo island 2 island Lion Premium Beverages SouthTrade International Suntory Think Spirits Vanguard Luxury Brands

INITIAL OFF-PREMISE NOMINATIONS SUPPLIED BY

FIGHT CLUB

MELBOURNE

p U h as M

{ EDV Melbourne } GREG SANDERSON – GENERAL MANAGER JENNA HEMSWORTH – BARTENDER TASHA LU – BARTENDER RICHARD BLANCHARD – HEAD BARTENDER JACK SOTTI – BARTENDER ALAN RAYTHORN – BARTENDER

20 bars&clubs

FIGHT CLUB FOR THIS ISSUE’S BARTENDER FIGHT CLUB, WE TOOK SOME OF NORTH AMERICA’S FINEST BOURBONS AND RYES AND HEADED SOUTH OF THE BORDER TO RECRUIT TWO OF MELBOURNE’S REVERED COCKTAIL BARS – 1806 AND EDV MELBOURNE – AND ASKED THEM TO SHOWCASE THEIR SKILLS. Judging this spaghetti western showdown were: Callan Green – New Gold Mountain general manager, Paul Ramsay – Lee Ho Fook head bartender, and Lou Dare – Goldilocks venue manager.

{1806} ANDY WREN – BAR MANAGER TODD FINLAY – BARTENDER MORGAN FLANAGAN – BARTENDER DANIEL WARREN – BAR SUPERVISOR GEORGIE MANN – BARTENDER

bars&clubs 21

E

COCKTA

I

L

L

FIGHT CLUB

WINNER CO

I

L

L

E

ROUND 1

C K TA

Buffalo Trace Tash and Georgie start things off with a bang and a bottle of Buffalo Trace. Georgie prepares her Fair Game cocktail, a well made whiskey sour with blue foam and subtle flavours, which is presented in an inventive and eye-catching manner – with Georgie even matching her outfit to the drink. But it gets beaten by Tasha’s Le Cocktail, a classic looking drink made with a perfect balance of spicy and sweet flavours that gives it a dry taste and lengthy finish.

FAIR GAME Glass: Tall Ingredients: • 45ml Buffalo Trace • 30ml Lemon juice • 15ml Gomme • Egg white • Popcorn • Food dye and vanilla liqueur in two extra egg white layers Method: Shake and strain.

Top with foam Garnish: Popcorn

LE COCKTAIL Glass: Crystal Champagne Flute Ingredients: • 30ml Buffalo Trace • 15ml Domaine de Canton • 10ml Vanilla sugar syrup • Top with Moët & Chandon Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Lemon twist TASHA LU

OLD FASCIST

Bulleit Rye

22 bars&clubs

Glass: Balloon and small bottle Ingredients: • 35ml Bulleit Rye • 10ml Blood orange oleo saccharum and Peychaud’s Bitters mix (1:1) • 5ml water Method: Blaze

YE’ZAR A’R

D

Daniel and Jack are next behind the bar battling it out with a bottle of Bulleit Rye. Jack mixes up an Old Fascist, a drink with plenty of complexity and length, packing a gentle spice taste on the front and a sweet and savoury finish.

However, the round goes to Daniel and his Cha’rye’zard Blazer, which wins the judges’ vote due to its polished presentation, vivid colour, spicy and smoky aroma, and its Christmas cake flavours.

CHA’RYE’ZARD BLAZER

CH

ROUND 2

Glass: Rocks Ingredients: • 60ml Bulleit Rye • 15ml Averna • 5ml Muscovado sugar syrup • 1 Dash of Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanter Bitters Method: Stir down and serve in a chilled glass with no ice and foam floated on top Garnish: Foam made from one egg white, 20ml of Monin caramel and 10ml of Averna

WINNER BLA ER Z

DANIEL WARREN

FIGHT CLUB GREG SANDERSON

BO

URBON

WINNER & CO KE

Glass: Small Milk Carton Ingredients: • 60ml Hudson Baby Bourbon • 10ml White cacao • 15ml Agave nectar • 60ml Roast pumpkin infused milk Method: Shake and strain Garnish: A board with a colourful paper straw

Hudson Baby Bourbon Daniel sticks around for another round and goes up against Greg, with both bartenders flexing their skills with a bottle of Hudson Baby Bourbon. Greg produces his Pumpkin Express drink, which is creatively served in milk cartons and uses an original combination of flavours to deliver a rich and complex taste. But Dan gets to claim this round as well, with his clever twist on one of the world’s best known ‘not-tails’, the Bourbon & Coke, winning acclaim for its sweet and fruity taste, spicy aroma, viscosity and elegant appearance.

BOURBON & COKE

PUMPKIN EXPRESS

ROUND 3

Glass: Rocks Ingredients: • 35ml Hudson Baby Bourbon • 15ml Fig and Coca-Cola syrup • 10ml Pedro Ximénez • 5ml Lime cordial Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Lime wheels

THE GEORGIE JULEP GEORGIE MANN

HARBAN

C

O

UN

E

WINNER TY MU

S

HARBAN COUNTY MUSE Glass: Martini Ingredients: • 50ml Woodford Reserve • 20ml Fig infused barrel aged vermouth • 10ml Tawny Port • Rinse of plum eau-de-vie • 1 Drop of rhubarb bitters Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Grapefruit twist

Glass: Metal Goblet Ingredients: • 35ml Woodford Reserve • 15ml Calvados • 15ml Grenadine • Half a passionfruit • Orange blossom water spray Method: Shake and double strain Garnish: Mint sprigs and rose petals

ROUND 4 Woodford Reserve Georgie returns for round four and goes up against Richard, this time using a bottle of Woodford Reserve. Georgie impresses the judges with The Georgie Julep, a beautiful looking drink with a sweet, fruity taste and floral aroma.

But Richard claims the round with his Harban County Muse, a great twist on the Manhattan that packs a rich, dried fruit taste, a nutty grapefruit aroma and a smooth finish.

bars&clubs 23

FIGHT CLUB

THE TRAPPER’S WENCH Glass: Flute Ingredients: • 40ml High West Rendezvous Rye • 10ml Rinquinquin • 10ml Black tea • 10ml Aperol • 1 Dash of gomme Method: Stir and strain

K AN

Y PAN

K

Y

Alan and Morgan are the next two to step behind the bar, using a bottle of High West Rendezvous Rye for this round. Morgan makes a simple yet refreshing drink, The Trapper’s Wench, which has an approachable, well balanced taste, and lemon and stonefruit aroma. But Alan takes the round with his drink, The Yanky Panky, a classic looking cocktail with a beautiful colour, lovely spicy and herbal taste and subtle citrus nose.

Glass: Martini Ingredients: • 30ml High West Rendezvous Rye • 20ml Junipero • 10ml Liqueur de Genièvre • 5ml Fernet Branca • 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Beef jerky

WINNER Y

A

NK

Y

High West Rendezvous Rye

YANKY PANKY

Y

ROUND 5

Y PA N K

ALAN RAYTHORN

ROUND 6

JENNA HEMSWORTH

Knob Creek PERBOY PA

Morgan comes back for round six and goes head to head with Jenna and a bottle of Knob Creek. Morgan presents the judges with his One Night In Bangkok cocktail, which packs a big, rich and boozy taste coupled with an inviting aroma, but he gets beaten by Jenna’s innovative Paperboy cocktail, with its unique presentation, and numerous levels of flavour winning the judges’ praise.

WINNER PA

PAPERBOY

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK Glass: Balloon Ingredients: • 45ml Knob Creek • 15ml Domaine de Canton • 10ml Joseph Cartron Creme de Cacao • 5ml Rhum Clément Creole Shrubb liqueur • 1 Piece of dark chocolate Method: Blaze

24 bars&clubs

PE RB O

Glass: Milk Bottle Ingredients: • 60ml Knob Creek • 15ml Strega • 1 Scoop of ice cream • 2 Strawberries • Half an inch of chilli • 15ml Honey Method: Muddle, shake and strain Garnish: Newspaper soaked in Angostura Bitters

Y

FIGHT CLUB PARDON THE BIRD Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 45ml Wild Turkey Rye • 15ml Le Birlou Apple and Chestnut Liqueur • 5ml Del Maguey Pechuga • 1 Large dash of chinchoa bitters Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Discarded lemon twist

R D ON PA

WINNER

MY OLD PAL FROM MANHATTAN

TH

Glass: Coupe Ingredients: • 20ml Wild Turkey Rye • 20ml Hennessy VS • 20ml Antica Formula • 7.5ml Campari • 1 Bar spoon of cacao Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Campari dust

E BIR

D

ROUND 7 Wild Turkey Rye Jenna sticks around for another go, and takes on Todd in round seven, using a bottle of Wild Turkey Rye. Todd impresses the judges by twisting a few classic cocktails to create his drink, My Old Pal From Manhattan, which contains a bittersweet taste and a salty citrus aroma. But Jenna gets to claim another round with her cheeky drink, Pardon The Bird, which packs a sweet and slightly smoky taste, a spicy finish and a fruity aroma.

TODD FINLAY

RICHARD BLANCHARD

ROUND 8 Bearded Lady Bourbon A BOY NAMED SUE Glass: Highball Ingredients: • 50ml Bearded Lady Bourbon • 10ml Strega • 20ml Lime juice • 20ml Cherry juice (rye whisky macerated with cherries for six months) • 140ml Homemade cherry cola • Top with soda Method: Shake and strain over cubed ice in a high ball Garnish: Whiskey soaked cherry and lime wedge

BREAKFAST WITH A BEARDED LADY A B OY

WINNER N

AM

ED SU

E

Glass: Vintage Cocktail Ingredients: • 30ml Bearded Lady Bourbon • 30ml Hennessy VS • 1 Whole egg • 10ml Maple syrup • 5ml Banana oleo saccharum Method: Shake and strain Garnish: Candied bacon

Richard and Todd get back behind the stick for round eight, this time working their wonders using a bottle of Bearded Lady Bourbon. Todd creates a flip-styled drink, Breakfast With A Bearded Lady, a drink with a big, rich taste, excellent balance and mouth feel and a great garnish.

But Richard’s drink, A Boy Named Sue, wins the round with its heavy cherry flavour, its homemade cola component and its stewed fruit and floral aroma.

bars&clubs 25

FIGHT CLUB

ROUND 9 Elmer T Lee Andy and Tasha get back into the swing of things in round nine using some Elmer T Lee bourbon. Tasha creates a beautifully presented sharing drink, Elmer’s Bones, with a sweet and slightly tart taste that lets the bourbon shine through nicely. But Andy manages to win the round with his Elmer T’s Medicinal concoction, a well balanced drink with a strong citrus and ginger taste with hints of spice and smoke.

MER T’S EL

WINNER ME

DICIN

E

ELMER T’S MEDICINE Glass: Vintage Cocktail Ingredients: • 60ml Elmer T Lee • 30ml Lemon juice • 10ml Fresh ginger juice • 10ml Honey syrup • 15ml Brown sugar syrup • Egg white • Bruichladdich Octomore 5.1 float Method: Shake and strain Garnish: Star anise

ELMER’S BONES Glass: Rocks Ingredients: • 45ml Elmer T Lee • 10ml Red honey (honey with grenadine) • 15ml Grande Liqueur du Père Bertrand Method: Stir down and serve in a smoked rocks glass

ANDY WREN

WEST SIDE

ROUND 10 Wild Turkey 101 Morgan and Alan mix it up in round ten with a bottle of Wild Turkey 101, which Alan uses to craft his West Side drink, which has a fresh, sharp citrus taste that is well matched by the garnish. But Morgan claims the round with his Tribute cocktail, a well executed frothy drink with a smooth, buttery pumpkin taste with hints of caramel, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 60ml Wild Turkey 101 • 40ml Lime juice • 20ml Sugar syrup (2:1) • Freeze dried mint Method: Shake and strain Garnish: Orange chocolate, Tabasco chocolate and big red chewing gum

TRIBUTE Glass: Beer Mug Ingredients: • 60ml Wild Turkey 101 • 3 Bar spoons pumpkin puree • 10ml Frangelico • 5ml Agave nectar • 60ml Half & Half Method: Shake and strain Garnish: Top with maple syrup and nutmeg air

IBUTE TR

MORGAN FLANAGAN

26 bars&clubs

WINNER TR

IB UTE

FIGHT CLUB

ROUND 11 RE

D NE C K

WINNER RE

RED NECK RED EYE

THE SCOUNDREL Glass: Vintage Cocktail Ingredients: • 60ml Hudson Rye • 15ml Grenadine • 15ml Manzanilla sherry • 15ml Lemon • 10ml Grande Liqueur du Père Bertrand Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Lemon wheel

Glass: Big Glass Jar Ingredients: • 500ml Hudson Rye • 75ml Lemon juice • 1L Special pre-prepped juice: • Blitzed char grilled tomatoes • Blitzed semi dried tomatoes • Blitzed celery • Blitzed horseradish • 1 Blitzed bird’s eye chilli • Half a chopped red onion blitzed • 1L Tomato juice • 14 Dashes of Tabasco sauce • 75ml Shiraz • 10ml Pinot Noir • 5 Dashes of liquid smoke

D EYE

• • • • • • • • • • •

4 Pinches cracked pepper 4 Dashes of salt 8 Dashes of Angostura Bitters 8 Dashes of celery bitters 4 Pinches of cayenne pepper 40ml Worcestershire sauce 1 Bar spoon of goats cheese Small knob of wasabi paste 2 Table spoons bourbon sauce 1 Bar spoon oregano 2 Bar spoon house made mix spice Method: Build in a large jar Garnish: A rack of ribs, two venison and triple cream cheese sandwiches, olive and onion skewers

Hudson Manhattan Rye The two team captains, Andy and Greg, meet up toward the end of the Fight Club in round eleven, with both of them doing amazing things with the Hudson Manhattan Rye. Andy delivers The Scoundrel, a stylish looking drink with harmonious citrus and sweet flavours, and a spicy dried fruit aroma. But he gets beaten by Greg’s 80s inspired Redneck Red Eye, an over-the-top Bloody Mary-on-steroids drink that still manages to keep things balanced, and which is presented with a Metallica soundtrack and some flair moves.

THE WALKERVILLE CUP NO GOOD NAMESAKE

GOOD NO

WINNER N

AM

E SAK

E

Glass: Claret Ingredients: • 45ml Canadian Club 12 Year Old • 30ml Tio Pepe • 15ml Sugar syrup • Half a bar spoon citric acid • Sorbet: 30ml Moët & Chandon 30ml Passionfruit puree 30ml Lemon juice 2 Bar spoons of castor sugar 5ml Pernod Absinthe 5ml Ardbeg 10 Year Old Method: Shake ingredients in a Perlini shaker to carbonate the cocktail. Pour into a claret glass Garnish: Scoop of sorbet

Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 30ml Canadian Club 12 Year Old • 30ml Noilly Pratt • 30ml Lime juice • 5ml Lime oleo saccharum • 30ml Aloe vera juice • A handful of muddled peas • A pinch of mint Method: Shake and strain Garnish: Apple slice

ROUND 12 Canadian Club 12 Year Old Jack and Daniel meet up for the final round, using a bottle of Canadian Club 12 Year Old. Daniel comes up with an innovative and on-trend style of drink, The Walkerville Cup, which uses muddled peas as a savoury base to deliver a good, balanced drink. But he just gets beaten by Jack and his No Good Namesake carbonated cocktail, which impresses the judges with its spectacular appearance, strong, dry taste and nutty qualities.

JACK SOTTI

bars&clubs 27

FIGHT CLUB

l a n i F Score The

1806

5

28 bars&clubs

EDV MELBOURNE

7

SPECIAL FEATURE

PREMIUMISTAION

IAK KOD THE B’S DEE HE U CL WITH T GE OR EN ALL IUM GE . 8 O M PRE ICKEL N D

bars&clubs 29

PREMIUMISATION

DEMAND

FOR QUALITY SPIRITS AT A

PREMIUM

BY SACHA DELFOSSE

8116_George Dickel_Bars&Clubs DPS Strip Ad_FA_PRINT.pdf

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1

20/09/13

12:08 PM

PREMIUMISATION The trend towards premium spirits amongst Australian drinkers does not seem to be abating, in fact, demand for high-quality spirits – driven by discerning palates, engaging bartenders and increased access to new premium brands – continues to boom.

A

ccording to research by IBISWorld, over the next five years Australian consumers are expected to increase their spending on alcohol by 20.5 per cent – to a figure of $39.9 billion by 2017-18 – and this growth will be largely driven by premium products.

“While Australian alcohol consumption is expected to fall to a decade low of 9.80 litres per capita this year, down 2.4% from 2011, IBISWorld anticipates the move towards more premium products will see alcohol revenue continue to rise.

“In 2012-13, Australians are expected to spend $33.1 billion on alcohol – with $15.9 billion being spent in pubs and bars and $17.2 billion in liquor retailers. On-premise consumption – in pubs and bars – has experienced a resurgence over the past year, as consumer sentiment and disposable income has increased and more Aussies opt for a night out on the town,” IBISWorld General Manager (Australia), Karen Dobie, explains.

This trend was confirmed by recently released ABS data, which the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) says showed a drop in per capita consumption but a shift amongst consumers towards premium products.

“There has been a consistent trend over a number of years showing Australians were drinking less but drinking better. Bottled spirits have also seen a lot of interest in higher value segments among whisky, vodka, gin and rum, with spiced rum in particular showing a lot of consumer interest,” ALSA president, Giuseppe Minissale, says.

“Australians are increasingly searching for providence, natural and artisan products and it’s pleasing to see so many producers responding with a wide range of boutique

and interesting beers, wines and spirits.”

This growth in demand for premium spirits can be seen in nearly every category, driven in part by the rise of bars specialising in certain categories, especially with agave spirits, rums, and whiskies.

One supplier who is tapping into the rising demand for premium American whiskies is Diageo Australia, who has just launched George Dickel, a premium Tennessee whiskey, into the local onpremise channel.

“George Dickel is crucial in our focus and aspiration to become a market leader in deluxe and super deluxe American whiskey.

It plays an important role in Diageo Australia’s American whiskey portfolio, where our focus is on driving premiumisation in the category,” a Diageo Australia spokesperson says.

George Dickel complements many of Diageo Australia’s other premium North American whisk(e)y brands such as Bulleit and Crown Royal, and as the company points out, it’s a brand that already has a following amongst many bartenders who have been to the US. “From what we’ve seen so far, there is already a strong customer interest

in the brand and it’s coming from those who appreciate fine American whiskey and have tried it.

Diageo launching this finely crafted spirit in Australia was in response to the demand for George Dickel as a brand, rather than in response to premiumisation in general.

“We’ve received a great response from on-premise venues who have chosen to range George Dickel.

Our on-premise customers are pleased to be able to pour a premium whiskey like Dickel 8 in the well, providing fantastic value to consumers,” a Diageo Australia spokesperson says.

Another company seeing great growth and interest in its premium spirit portfolio is SouthTrade International (STI), which has also started marketing and distributing the Fever-Tree mixer range.

“SouthTrade has experienced strong growth over the past year. Growth for our premium brands is outpacing growth of standard brands in comparative categories,” STI’s marketing manager, Matt Rimmer, says.

bars&clubs 31

PREMIUMISATION

“There has been a significant rise in the demand for premium single malt whisky and rye whiskey. A factor driving this growth is the rise in whisky bar specialists that have focused on training and educating staff. Bars are increasing their back bar selection and rotating their stocks, in turn introducing more consumers to brands and styles of whisk(e)y they had not experienced previously.”

Vanguard Luxury Brands, a company entirely focused on importing and supplying premium spirits, has also seen growth due to the demand for the type of products it carries, and will be increasing its portfolio in response to this.

“Growth rates depend on the category and brand but in the realm of 40 per cent and above would be a good benchmark,” Vanguard Luxury Brands’ director, James France, claims.

“We have just added Fortaleza tequila to our portfolio and Simon Ford’s 86 Co. spirits range will join the portfolio later in the year. Also we are adding more products from existing producers like High West whiskey and Encanto pisco,” France says.

According to research by island2island, another company with a portfolio packed with premium spirits, the biggest uplift is coming from male and female consumers over the age of 28. “[The] result of higher disposable income, an emphasis on drinking occasions and evolving palates.

The negative impact of binge drinking is top of mind and so they prefer to appreciate rather than overindulge,” island2island marketing manager, Nathan Forde, explains.

When it comes to driving the premiumisation trend, bars are at the forefront, playing a crucial role in helping build new brands and educate patrons on different categories, which has in turn seen a huge amount of investment in the on-premise by spirit companies.

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DEE ALLEN BARTENDER The Kodiak Club

How did you get your start in hospitality and what places have you worked at?

The first job that really got me started in hospitality was 399 Bar (Perth). I started working there on their second day of trade. I was really lucky to be working in an environment where the older staff members had a lot to offer in terms of knowledge and experience. They were passionate about training and gave their staff every opportunity to learn. After three years at 399, I moved to Helvetica (also Perth). I was at Helvetica right up until my move to Melbourne.

When did you start working at The Kodiak Club and what has it been like?

I’ve been at Kodiak since mid July, and I love it. The fact that there are two huge spirit selections, American whiskey and tequila upstairs in Little Blood, is awesome because they’re both areas that I’ve been keen to learn more about. The team of people involved in the venue are all really dedicated and fun to work with. I feel pretty lucky to have landed on my feet at Kodiak after the interstate move.

What are some of the most popular drinks/brands sold at the bar?

Being an American focused venue, we definitely sell a lot of whiskey, neat or on the rocks. We have such a range that we prefer not to focus on any one brand, instead tailoring the drinks recommendations to the customer. The cocktails are popular too. In particular the Bacon & Smoked Maple Old Fashioned, and The Green Arrow with a Victorian single malt, ginger, pear and a hops essence made for us by Boneyard Brewing.

BEEKEEPER’S BRACER Glass: Coupe Ingredients: • 50ml George Dickel No. 8 • 5ml Herbsaint • 20ml Lemon juice • 15ml Honey water (2:1) • 1 Dash of Fee Bros Whiskey Barrel Bitters • 1 Dash of egg white Method: Dry shake, shake and then double strain into a coupe Garnish: Bee pollen

Do you think customers are moving toward more premium spirits?

Sure. But also, I think that as a general rule, the customers who might show an interest in premium products, are already there and expressing interest in trying new things independently from a bartender’s gentle push.

Do you think patrons are more willing to try a premium product like George Dickel in bars like The Kodiak Club?

With the range of whiskey available at The Kodiak Club, a lot of consumers come to us with the idea of picking a premium product from the back bar, or looking to be recommended a premium product.

And what role does a bartender play in introducing patrons to products like this?

The bartender is definitely in a powerful position when it comes to introducing a customer to a product. Especially if you have a little knowledge behind your recommendations.

How popular is George Dickel with your patrons? Why do you think that is so?

It’s definitely more of a hand sell product from my own experience, but I find it quite easy to get people interested in it, as it has its points of difference compared to a lot of the other American whiskey on the shelf, and it previously being a rare premium product in Australia.

Plus, its price range now makes it a viable option for a premium mixed drink which gives it a lot of range.

PREMIUMISATION

“SouthTrade builds all our brands in the on-premise and support the trade with comprehensive training and education.

Without training, the products in our portfolio would have no focus so it is critical that we allow bartenders the opportunity to taste and experience the brands while learning their history and unique ‘story’,” Rimmer says.

“SouthTrade look on bartenders as being the ‘front line’ in educating the consumer - we will always support them in any way we can. We engage with the on-premise through training, bartender incentives and competitions like SouthTrade Liquid Miles.”

As Vanguard’s James France points out, the onpremise allows people to try new brands that they wouldn’t otherwise try, with less risk than purchasing “a bottle of something unusual in the off-premise and working with it at home”, making bartenders key to exposing consumers to premium brands.

“Foodies and ‘drinkies’ are the types interested in premium spirits. As consumers become more and more interested in their food and drink, they are drawn to what is being offered in this new onslaught of bars and restaurants. They seek out information like never before,” France says.

“We engage the onpremise by close interaction with key bartenders and getting them the best booze available. Drink specials and recommendations to

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Most premium spirit companies provide some sort of support to on premise venues by offering training sessions and access to master distillers and blenders, to Australia to help engage and educate bartenders customers are the key ways to drive premium spirits sales in bars. Bars make great margin from these types of spirits and they also stand apart from venues with more mainstream offerings.”

Most premium spirit companies provide some sort of support to on-premise venues by offering training sessions and access to master distillers and blenders, to Australia to help engage and educate bartenders.

“Knowing your back bar where premium spirits are featured is most important. If you are going to stock a range of premium spirits, ensure that your bar staff are well educated on the taste profile, versatility and mixability of each one,” Forde says.

“This is a great way to engage customers, educate and up-sell. Presentation of the drink, including glass selection, will impact the experience for the consumer and the likelihood of repeat purchase.”

The trends towards classic and prohibition-era cocktails, as well as themed bars and quality drink menus, help deliver a unique experience that consumers cannot get at home, which can provide opportunities to introduce them to premium spirits.

“More consumers want a meaningful experience when they visit a bar and so personality and standards of service are critical.

Knowledge is a wonderful thing but without the correct delivery it can sound a little stale,” Rimmer says.

“Many consumers are tired of standard ranges and are looking for offerings that have providence and heritage. Some consumers also crave knowledge and will happily chat to an engaging bartender.” b&c

TOP SHELF

JACK MCGARRY

NEW YORK’S BEST BAR OPERATORS TO TALK AT TOP SHELF FESTIVAL

S

ean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, the pair behind awardwinning New York bar and pub the Dead Rabbit, have been confirmed as keynote speakers at Top Shelf, the new drinks festival and conference launching in Melbourne in February 2014.

Muldoon and McGarry are just about the hottest thing in hospitality at the moment, having won a slew of awards since their bar opened nine months ago. At this year’s Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New Orleans, the Dead Rabbit won in the World’s Best New Cocktail Bar and the World’s Best Cocktail List categories, while McGarry was named International Bartender of the Year.

Both men, who hail from Belfast, Ireland, will take to the Top Shelf stage on Sunday 9th and Monday 10th February at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne to share the secrets of their success and recount the highs and lows of opening and operating a cutting-edge venue in New York. Visitors to Top Shelf will even be able to sample drinks made by the maestros themselves.

Muldoon and McGarry have a wealth of experience between them. Before the Dead Rabbit, the pair ran the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, which was named World’s Best Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010.

“These two are the closest thing to hospitality royalty right now so we’re very privileged to host them at Top Shelf,” event director Paul Wootton said. “Sean and Jack are well-known for their pursuit of operational excellence and between them have an amazing knowledge of drinks and the international bar scene. Trade visitors especially will find these leading lights have plenty of invaluable advice to share.”

MEET BRUICHLADDICH’S MASTER DISTILLER JIM McEWAN AT MELBOURNE’S NEW DRINKS SHOW

V

isitors to Top Shelf will have the chance to meet one of the greatest whisky makers of our time. Jim McEwan, master distiller at the ground-breaking Bruichladdich distillery in Islay, Scotland, will be at the show to make another of the event’s keynote presentations.

SouthTrade International, which distributes Bruichladdich in Australia, will fly McEwan in from Scotland especially for the show. The title of his presentation will be ‘Provenance in Whisky’.

McEwan has a lifetime’s experience in the whisky industry, having started his career with Bowmore in 1963. He is now one of the most respected distillers in the world with a host of awards to his name. He was twice named Distiller of the Year by the International Wine & Spirits Competition, in 1995 and 2000, and Whisky Magazine bestowed the same title on him in 2003 and 2004.

Also appearing at Top Shelf will be Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s finest bar and restaurant designers. Kelly will address a trade audience on 10th February with a talk entitled ‘Using Design to Make Your Venue More Profitable’.

Kelly’s company, Paul Kelly Design, has been responsible for some of Sydney’s most recognisable venues in recent years, including Sokyo, Black by Ezard, Ivanhoe Manly, The Oaks and The Bourbon. His other multi-award winning ventures include The White Hart, Macquarie Hotel, Globe Hotel, Tongue & Groove in Canberra and Cargo Bar in Hobart.

Kelly will be illustrating his talk with examples of his own work as well as looking at bar and restaurant designs that have inspired him from his travels around the world.

JIM MC EWAN More speakers are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

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IT’S ALL ABOUT PREMIUM! • Top Shelf is Australia’s new premium and boutique drinks festival. Targeting both consumers and trade, it aims to showcase the best products in the market, to highlight best business practice and to promote the benefits of drinking quality over quantity.

• Show features include the Boutique Market, where visitors can sample and buy hundreds of premium products, the Tasting Room, for intimate meet-theproducer experiences, and a garden area with live music, where visitors can relax with a drink in the sun.

• The main stage will host keynote presentations from international speakers, cocktail competitions and panel discussions featuring some of Australia’s top bar professionals.

• The Chingon Food Truck will be serving up premium tacos, there’ll be an American-style BBQ and a number of stands will offer artisan food from some of Melbourne’s best local producers. Coffee and soft drinks will also be available.

• In addition, visitors will receive a special ‘passport’ giving them access to a range of discounted events in local bars and restaurants running throughout the week.

These Top Shelf exclusives include a range of discounted cocktails available in 16 of Melbourne’s finest bars, including Black Pearl, Kodiak Club and 1806.

• The show, which takes place at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, is open to the public on Sunday 9th February and to the trade on Monday 10th February.

• Tickets to the festival go on sale shortly. www.topshelfshow.com.au

Boutique Drinks Festival

CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

n a D

h t i w g n i Drink W

hen we found out that legendary actor and comedian, Dan Aykroyd, would be visiting our shores to promote his Crystal Head Vodka brand, bars&clubs thought it would be a great idea to get him in front of some passionate and professional local bartenders so they could give him a taste of the talent found behind the stick in this country of ours – while also demonstrating how versatile this premium vodka can be.

Eight top bartenders from Sydney and Melbourne were invited to come down to The Star’s Sokyo bar to craft two Crystal Head Vodka cocktails. For one of the cocktails they were asked to use only commercially available ingredients, and for the other one they were invited to run wild with their imagination and show off their creativity.

All the competing bartenders and their drinks left quite an impression on Dan, but in the end the accolades went to Ben Lancaster from The Kodiak Club. Lancaster’s commercial cocktail, Jaguar Sun, will be the official Australian Liquor Industry Awards drink, and be served throughout the night at the Crystal Head Vodka networking bar.

“This competition was exciting because we see the innovation and imagination of these tremendous mixologists and they really know their trade and they know their ingredients well and they know what they are using,” Dan Aykroyd says.

“I learnt a lot, for example, I had never seen sorbet used in a beverage before. But to me it was the simpler ingredients that impressed me. The competition was a good example of why we built Crystal Head vodka as a clean slate and blank canvas for bartenders to add their flavours.

“That’s why we are in the non-flavour business because we think bartenders are far more inspired than the manufacturers.”

The Competitors Tasha Lu – EDV Melbourne Jenna Hemsworth – EDV Melbourne Daniel Monk – Toff in the Town Ben Lancaster – The Kodiak Club Mike Tomasic – The Wild Rover Quynh Nguyen – Toko Brendan Keown – The Hazy Rose Rollo Anderson – The Rook

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RS WITH DAN

THE COMPETITO

BEN STER LANCA AND ROYD K Y DAN A

AYKROYD

CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

Creative Cocktail INSTANT ALCHEMY Glass: Vintage Cocktail Ingredients: • 60ml Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Noilly Prat • 3 Cardamom pods • Orange zest • Hop essence Method: Soak cardamom pods in vodka and vermouth, stir and strain Garnish: Eau de Hops spray

Commercial Cocktail BEN LANCASTER

The Kodiak Club

JAGUAR SUN Glass: Highball Ingredients: • 30ml Crystal Head Vodka • 5ml Pastis • 15ml Lime juice • 1 1/2 Muddled strawberries • 2 Dashes of Regan’s No. 6 Orange Bitters • Top with ginger beer Method: Muddle strawberries, add ingredients, shake and strain. Top with ginger beer Garnish: Lemon wedge

Creative Cocktail HEAD ON A SILVER PLATTER Glass: Crystal Ingredients: • 60ml Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Flavoured sugar syrups (three choices) • 2-3 Dashes of bitters (three choices) • 1 Spray of choice atomiser (two choices) Method: Stirred over block ice Garnish: Citrus twist (two choices)

Commercial Cocktail MENSA CLUB

TASHA LU

EDV Melbourne

Glass: Martini Ingredients: • 30ml Crystal Head Vodka • 15ml Monin Framboise • 15ml White cacao • 15ml Fresh lemon juice Method: Shake and double strain Garnish: Lemon twist

bars&clubs 39

CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

Creative Cocktail

Commercial Cocktail

WARRIORS, YOUNG MEN AND MOTHERS

PERSIAN DAISY Glass: Tall Glass Ingredients: • 50ml Crystal Head vodka • 30ml Fresh lemon juice • 17.5ml Orange blossom and honey water • 2.5ml Rose water Method: Shake and fine-strain into tall glass. Top with soda

Glass: Chalice Ingredients: • 45ml Crystal Head Vodka • 45ml Home-made macadamia horchata • 10ml Lime juice • 10ml Gomme Method: Shake and serve in sacrificial chalice

BRENDAN KEOWN

The Hazy Rose

Creative Cocktail

Commercial Cocktail

DARK HEART

TEA IN THE COLONIES

Glass: Nick & Nora Ingredients: • 50ml Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Illegal Reposado Mezcal • 5ml Brown sugar syrup • 4 Dashes of Frankincense Bitters Method: Stir down in mixing glass Garnish: Skewered maraschino cherry, dipped in a shot of Kubler Absinthe, placed on top of glass and set aflame then placed in drink

ROLLO ANDERSON

Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 45ml Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Licor Calisay • 10ml Pimm’s No.1 • 45ml Grape juice • 15ml Lime juice • 3 Dashes of Boker’s Bitters • 1 Squeeze of egg white Method: Dry shake then shake with ice. Fine strain into coupette Garnish: Skewered orange twist

The Rook

Creative Cocktail

Commercial Cocktail

COCKTAIL NAME

ALER’S GOOD TIME ALE

Glass: Flip Ingredients: • 50ml Crystal Head Vodka • 60ml Budweiser • 1 Whole egg • 12.5ml Maple syrup • 3 Dashes of celery bitters Method: Shake and strain Garnish: Half pink salt rim accompanied with bloody caesar caviar, fat washed vodka and maple syrup caviar,and diced bacon in separate ramekins served on a platter and a spoon

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Glass: Highball Ingredients: • 50ml Crystal Head Vodka • 12.5ml Luxardo Maraschino liqueur • 12.5ml Crawley’s Agave Syrup • 20ml Orange juice • 20ml Lime juice • 3 Dashes of cherry bitters • 45ml Dry ginger ale • 1 Dash of egg white Method: Shake and strain.

Top with ginger ale

QUYNH NGUYEN

Toko

CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA COCKTAIL CHALLENGE

Creative Cocktail

Commercial Cocktail

THE LIVING LIBRARY RAMOS Glass: Footed Ale Ingredients: • 40ml Cocoa Butter infused Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Caol Ila • 15ml Vanilla yoghurt • 10ml Lemon juice • 15ml Egg white • 10ml Sugar • Fresh passionfruit pulp Method: Dry shake. Shake vigorously. Fine strain into a footed ale glass. Top with soda.

Decorate with stencil red rose powder skull Garnish: Orange twist

THE THOMAS J MARTINI

DANIEL MONK

Glass: Martini Ingredients: • 50ml Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Koval chrysanthemum honey liqueur • 10ml Joseph Cartron White Cacao • 10ml Lillet Blanc • 1 Dash of Bob’s Orange and Mandarin Bitters Method: Stir and strain Garnished: Drop of New Zealand honey

Toff In The Town

Commercial Cocktail

Creative Cocktail

DÉCÈS VERT

FRAMED IN BLOOD

Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 60ml Crystal Head Vodka • 30m Fresh lime juice • 5cm Cucumber (chopped and muddled) • 15ml Sugar syrup (1:1) • 5m Pernod Superior Absinthe Method: Shake and fine strain Garnish: Salt half rim

Glass: Rocks Ingredients: • 45ml Crystal Head Vodka • 30ml Lime juice • 20ml Homemade lime cordial • 15ml Sugar syrup • Top with beetroot foam Method: Shake and strain.

Top with foam

JENNA HEMSWORTH

Eau-de-Vie Melbourne

Creative Cocktail

Commercial Cocktail

FLYING BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS

JOHN DOE

Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 30ml Crystal Head Vodka • 10ml Madagascar Vanilla Bean syrup • 100ml French champagne • 2 Scoops of passionfruit puree Method: Whisk with liquid nitrogen

Glass: Old Fashioned Ingredients: • 30ml Crystal Head Vodka • 15ml Salers Gentian Liqueur • 15ml Cocchi Americano • 15ml Dolin Blanc Method: Stir and strain Garnish: Grapefruit peel

MIKE TOMASIC

The Wild Rover bars&clubs 41

SOUTHTRADE LIQUID MILES 2013 ANNUAL TRADE PROMOTION

Tales

OF THE

COCKTAIL 2013 This year SouthTrade International’s Liquid Miles trade incentive featured two categories – one for small bars and one for large venues.

The winners of each category – Canvas (QLD) and Hotel Sweeney’s (NSW) – both received an all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans for this year’s Tales Of The Cocktail, as well as getting to visit the Finest Call and Buffalo Trace distilleries.

Marco Nunes from Canvas, and Gretta Henry from Hotel Sweeney’s, share their experiences with bars&clubs.

MARCO NUNES – CANVAS How would you describe your trip to Tales of the Cocktail? Was it what you expected?

Right, let me start by playing Rack City on my headphones to take me back down memory lane.

As we’re about to open a New Orleans inspired bar (Papa Jack’s), this trip was a bit more than just going to Tales. I had great expectations of NOLA but the reality blew me away.

The trip from Sydney started on a high note – an emergency exit window seat with a living legend, Jason Crawley, next to me. 13 hours of solid chat and [we] cleaned the plane dry of gin.

From what I gather, the town goes a little crazy at this time of the year as an invasion of bar industry people converge for mass looseness on the streets of the French Quarter. It’s an amazing platform to see old friends and meet new ones.

Tales in itself is a beast – with amazing seminars, a great networking environment and a unique opportunity to try loads of new products and stumble into limitless great parties.

What did your itinerary for the trip include?

I definitely went OTT on this one. I had a three pages long list of places I wanted to go to plus a self-made map of New Orleans – numbered and colour coded of course. I knew my mind might be a little hazy so I needed a solid tool to help me make the most of it – seminars, bars, gators, food, tattoos, pool, vintage and local shops, etc.

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What were the highlights or most memorable moments?

So many to say – every night and day was special. From bull riding at 4am in a hip hop nightclub to swigging whiskies with Dave Wondrich at the Maple Leaf listening to the Rebirth Brass Band live. Burgers at Camellia Grill and gumbos at Stanley’s were the most amazing day-after cures.

What were some of the things you learnt from the seminars and masterclasses you attended?

I was lucky enough to be part of the Pyrat Rum tasting room where I got to make a creation for sampling.

Overall it was fun and informative but also surprising – in particular the great two hour seminar about pineapples courtesy of Dean Callan and Jake Burger.

Which bars and restaurants did you check out while you were in New Orleans?

You asked for it – Bars: House of Blues, French 75, Old Absinthe House, One Eyed Jacks, Tujague’s, Napoleon’s House, Yo Mama’s, The Alibi, Carousel at the Hotel Monteleone, Pat O’Brians, Bourbon House, the Sazerac bar at the Roosevelt Hotel,

SOUTHTRADE LIQUID MILES 2013 ANNUAL TRADE PROMOTION

Tipitina’s, Cure, Cane and Table, Wayfare, Blues Nile, Apple Barrel, DBA, Spotted Cat, La Maison, Snug Harbor, Checkpoint Charlie’s, BMC, Bootlegers, Fat Cats, Funky 544. Restaurants: Stanley’s, Café du monde, Café Beignet, Camellia Grill, Old Coffee House, Elisabeths, Cochon Butcher, House of Blues, Bourbon House, Central Grocery, Tee Eva’s, Domilise’s, High Hat Café and Booty’s. My biggest regret was not trying the fried chicken at Willie Mae – closed on Sunday!

How was your visit to the Finest Call and Buffalo Trace distilleries? What did you take away from that?

The Buffalo Trace distilley tour was amazing.

Freddy, our tour guide is a legend. We got to see pretty much everything, taste the fermenting mash in the dona tubs, white dog off the still, bourbon as it was emptied from barrel, and we got to check out some of the whiskey concepts they got going on. We then had a great whiskey tasting with the master distiller himself, Harlen Wheatley and got to sample the Stagg Jr. Tasty!

I was pretty impressed with the Finest Call factory. I was a bit skeptical about it at the beginning but the lengths they go to be as fresh as possible considering the volumes they produce is remarkable.

GRETTA HENRY – HOTEL SWEENEY’S How would you describe your trip to Tales of the Cocktail? Was it what you expected?

The trip to Tales was above all inspiring. I knew enough to expect the unexpected in New Orleans but I was consistently amazed by the level of creativity and true hospitality there.

It’s absolutely next level – they aren’t slinging booze for some spare cash on the weekend. It was exciting to see what’s really possible when there’s no limits on creativity and otherwise.

What did your itinerary for the trip include?

For me the plan was food, drink and music. And all three were amazing, particularly when enjoyed at the same time.

What were the highlights or most memorable moments?

A highlight was being able to walk into almost

any bar, even the little dirty dives, and watch an incredible band. It’s so different to Sydney where everything is quite meticulous in presentation and the small bars have a very cultivated vibe of what someone thinks cool should be.

There were some amazing and gorgeous upscale venues in New Orleans as well, but my favorites were always the ones with a bunch of dudes onstage cutting loose with their horns and having a great time along with everyone else. The other highlight was having such an awesome group of people on the trip. Because of them there are too many memorable moments to count (and a whole lot of hazy moments too).

Did you attend any seminars and masterclasses?

Shayne and I were hell bent on going to all of the tequila seminars… and then we drank a lot of tequila the night before. We were really kicking ourselves for not attending more seminars but to be honest we’re more experiential anyways, which is probably why we ended up in hospitality. We learned an awful lot from doing, seeing, tasting, and experiencing.

Which bars and restaurants did you check out while you were in New Orleans?

Elisabeth’s had the best traditional southern food, gumbo and jambalaya and collard greens, and proof that a venue doesn’t have to be immaculately dressed to offer amazing things.

Butcher was a carnivore’s dream. And one burger joint served a burger with a toasted sandwich nestled inside. I grew up in the US so I was excited to gorge on anything covered in batter and deep fried that I could get my hands on.

Hotel Monteleone and the fitted out Carousel bar was unreal, and we had a really good chat to the bartender who proved the point that the hospitality industry is perceived a lot differently there.

How was your visit to the Finest Call and Buffalo Trace distilleries? What did you take away from that?

The Buffalo Trace Distillery was one of my favourite parts of the trip. We couldn’t have had a more engaging tour guide than Freddy and the history and significance of the distillery was mind boggling.

I had been prattling on about Pappy Van Winkle the night before and then suddenly we were watching bottles of it go down the line. It certainly sparked an appreciation for the art and science of bourbon – I’ve been obsessed since coming home.

With Finest Call it was interesting to see how important quality is to their brand. They take great lengths to make sure every single one of their products is perfect. There were a lot of people involved in the process. b&c

bars&clubs 43

WHISKIES OF THE WORLD

Whisky, Whiskey or Uisge – the water of life.

What does this mean to most of us? These days most inner city bars in Australia have a decent range of whisk(e)y that covers a large spectrum of flavours and crosses at least five countries, if not more. Has it always been like this?

No, definitely not.

W

e are now witnessing the new rebirth of cool with whisk(e)y. I remember what the back bar options for premium whiskies were like when I first started in this industry way back in the Jurassic period. Top shelf whisk(e)y meant Johnnie Walker Black, Chivas Regal, Jameson, Jack Daniel’s and if you were at a classy establishment and were feeling lucky, perhaps a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 Year Old. We’ve all come a very long way – leaps and bounds in fact – over the last couple of decades and no one is happier about this than me. Over the next few pages we’re going to highlight some new comers, some old timers and some whiskies yet to grace our shores. We’ll also take a look at some whisk(e)y royalty that have blessed us in the lucky country and the general ‘Whisk(e)y Movement’ that has exploded throughout Australia over the last 12 months.

Truth be told, whisk(e)y is the new black. It has never been this popular and never been this widely available. There are currently over 5,000 different whiskies globally available in 2013 and this is unprecedented. We are very lucky to be witnessing this explosion and I for one, am extremely thankful.

From Ireland to Scotland, over to the US and Canada, back to Japan, China, India and Australia, we’re going to completely cover the whole globe with this international whisk(e)y ticket so I hope you’re thirsty – I know I am!

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Think Global,

DRINK GLOBAL

Exploring Whiskies From Around The World

BY DAN WOOLLEY

WHISKIES OF THE WORLD

In the last year we have been lucky enough to have Brian Kinsman (from Glenfiddich), Dr Bill Lumsden (from Ardbeg and Glenmorangie) and Charlie Maclean (from Whiskypedia and Adelphi) visit us, and that’s just to name a few. We have seen Ardbeg Day, The Whisky Show, Whisky Live and The Whisky Fair. Masterclasses, food pairings, whisk(e)y cocktail competitions and whisk(e)y events for just about every commercially available whisk(e)y in Australia and this is all just the tip of the iceberg in regards to the next few years to come. Whisk(e)y bars have been sprouting all over the country and whisk(e)y cocktails are now seen in full force on every great list throughout Australia. But where did it all come from?

Let’s start where it all began. It is said that the Romans or possibly even the Normans brought their grape distillate or aqua vitae over to Ireland as they raped and plundered their way through the known world. This is as much a fact as fiction as there is not a shred of hard evidence to show for it. The Irish and Scots have been fighting for years over the claim that they were the first to invent whisk(e)y and at the end of the day I think they are going to keep fighting over it for years to come with no avail.

Whisk(e)y by definition is a fermented grain that is distilled and aged in an oak cask. Every country has different definitions, production methods, raw materials and ‘Appellations’ so let’s cast off and begin our journey.

SCOTLAND From the most beautiful country in the world comes the most elegant spirit ever tasted. Never before has a drink reflected so perfectly from the landscape from where it comes. From the majestic and mountainous Highlands to the harsh sea swept islands, from the rolling hills and meadows of the Lowlands to the peat-filled and romantic remoteness of Islay, Scotch whisky is truly the national drink of Scotland that is loved by all around the world.

A blended Scotch whisky must be made and aged in Scotland in an oak cask for a minimum of three years and also must be bottled in Scotland at a minimum of 40% ABV. A single malt Scotch whisky must be all of these things and must also be made from 100% malted barley and distilled in a pot still. Most importantly it must also come from just one single distillery.

This year Chivas Regal blessed us with a brief visit from its master blender, Colin Scott, and we are also starting to see the company’s beloved Scapa, Longmorn and Strathisla single malts in bars and bottle shops around the country.

Chivas Regal’s national ambassador, Laura Hay, has been doing an incredible job covering some staggering miles to spread the loving word of not just Chivas Regal but also the beautiful single malts that goes into Chivas Regal – with special attention paid to the love of her life, The Glenlivet.

Johnnie Walker launched its Platinum expression nationally and we were also lucky enough to witness the Talisker Storm, which is the iconic single malt Talisker’s no age statement expression – a new release that packs huge ginger and pepper spices. Clynelish and Caol Ila

have also been appearing everywhere en masse, which is something that I’m truly loving. What’s even better is the appearance of various Distillers’ Editions of Diageo’s classic malts. These are some of my favourite whiskies because they are the entry level classic malts finished in different oak casks. They are all fantastic with my favourite being the Lagavulin finished in a Pedro Ximinez cask – a truly magnificent expression.

Suntory has spoilt us this year with the oldest Islay single malt ever released, The 1957 Bowmore. At an age of 54 years, with a very limited bottling of only 12 of these beauties and a price tag of 100 thousand pounds sterling, I think I’ll be waiting a while to get a sample bottle of this relic.

The appearance of the Bowmore Tempest Batch 4, which is a fantastic 10 year old expression of one of my favourite distilleries released at cask strength, is very much welcomed by my salt and smoke loving palate.

This whisky packs a powerful punch of peat and spice at this age and also has a load of sweet orange citrus on the finish. Great to also see the Auchentoshan Three Wood flexing its muscle in more venues, while the Auchentoshan 1975 bourbon cask matured limited edition representing the Lowland category like never before in this

country. Well done Suntory, I applaud you.

Ardbeg Day saw the release of the new Ardbog expression and the iconic distillery also sent casks into space as an experiment to see what effect ageing whisky in zero gravity had.

To commemorate this the Galileo was released, which pays homage to its famous astronomer namesake, and is aged in a marsala cask, giving the whisky a sweet and syrupy fruit finish that plays well with Ardbeg’s signature smoke.

We were also lucky enough to see a small allocation of a superb new expression from Glenmorangie, the Ealanta Private Edition Single Malt.

This is aged for 19 years in heavily charred virgin white oak casks that are sourced from the Mark Twain forest in Missouri. What a whisky! This malt delivers thick, sweet orange, roasted nuts and tons of vanilla on the palate, just what you’d expect from the number one selling single malt in Scotland. It was also great to see Dr Bill Lumsden showing us some love in a brief visit this year to showcase some of his work in the form of tastings and master classes. Just another example of how the category is growing rapidly in Australia.

I was extremely happy to see Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich’s master distiller, visit our whisky embracing nation last year to host a number of tastings including one for the very rare Glenfiddich 50 Year Old. Glenfiddich have, as always, pioneered their way through the last year in Australia with the release of the 15 Year Old Distillery Edition, which is their cask strength whisky. They have

also released the second edition of the Malt Master, which sees their spirit not just finished but aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, a first time for them. I can’t express how much I adore this whisky, another true testament to the most awarded single malt Scotch whisky in the world. There will also be some rare releases coming to our shores within the next year including the 125th Anniversary Release which is lightly peated, and also a very rare 25 Year Old single cask of which only eight bottles will be allocated to Australia.

Great to see more attention being shown to the beloved hand crafted Balvenie with the release of their 17 Year Old Double Wood later this year. This is an extension of the 12 Year Old Double Wood, with an extra five years maturation, which gives the whisky an extremely rich and complex nose, packed full of sweet honey comb and spices on the palate.

Watch out for some unique events nation-wide to launch this expression.

We also witnessed the eighth release of the Tun 1401, which is a vatting of very rare and very old Balvenies. This is what old master distillers get up to after they ‘retire’. It’s great work from David Stewart, the old master distiller from Glenfiddich.

Beam Global are gearing up to release their Macallan 1824 series which is a welcome return to sherry casks for them. There are three different whiskies in

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WHISKIES OF THE WORLD

the set – Amber, Sienna and Ruby – which are all no age statement expressions.

I had the extreme pleasure of tasting these glorious whiskies last time I was in Scotland and it was almost like seeing a long lost friend that I had missed for a decade. I truly adored the old heavy sherry Macallans, as did the rest of the whisky loving world, so I’m more than pleased to announce these new arrivals.

Laphroaig treated us to a new comer, the Triple Wood. This mouth filling whisky is aged in American oak ex-bourbon casks, rebuilt quarter casks and European oak ex-sherry casks. What a treat for smoke lovers. We also witnessed the last of the 15 Year Old which has been replaced with the 18 Year Old and hopefully we might even get to taste a little of their PX release, fingers crossed for that little beauty.

Alex Bruce, from Adelphi independent bottlers, treated us to a rare visit with masterclasses hosted by himself and Charles MacLean in both Sydney and Melbourne, where some amazing older single cask expressions were showcased. A stand out was a 26 Year Old Cragganmore, as it is very hard to find an official distillery bottling at this age. Bruce plans to open his first single malt Scotch distillery in March next year and has graciously invited myself along for the opening, so I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this exciting new development in the category.

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Huge moves from SouthTrade International (STI) this year with the national distribution of Bruichladdich secured. I’m so pleased that a great company has finally grabbed this tasty whisky and is going to give it the love and attention that it deserves. STI’s national training ambassador, Gee David, has embarked on a fantastic journey of master classes and tastings nation-wide that are both directed at the trade as well as the public and it’s given the ‘Laddie the much needed push to introduce Australia to this sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes dominating and powerful single malt.

My favourite expressions from this mighty Islay distillery are the sweet and fruit filled Black Arts and the intense peat fuelled Octomore.

Look out next year for the Bruichladdich master distiller’s Australian adventure, Jim McEwan is certainly one of the most colourful characters in the trade!

The mighty Dalmore is set to make some big moves with the release of their 25 Year Old expression as well as the Constellation series later in the year. The recent success of the Dalmore Cigar malt, which has been created by Richard Patterson to accompany a fine Cuban cigar, is a great example of what this superb highland distillery is capable of. Aged in three different casks – ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and ex-cabernet sauvignon – this whisky ticks all the right boxes for my palate, and has a distinct red berry and currant finish on the palate.

It’s great to see Berry Bros and Rudd gaining ground with Glenrothes. This is another great whisky that was forgotten for years on the bottle shop shelf but this is all changing now with a spear headed attack being fronted by local brand representative, Daniel Hutchins-Read, throughout Australia. If you haven’t tasted this graceful single malt, now is the time, as they only produce beautiful whisky of first class quality. Another iconic single malt which has never been seen in this country until recenlty is the historic Glen Grant, and thankfully our good friends at Campari are shining the spotlight on it now. Releasing the Major’s Reserve, the 10 Year Old and the 16 Year Old expressions into the Australian market they will make a great impact and set the standard of things to come with rarer expressions such as the 5 Decades and the 170th Anniversary releases.

We’re starting to see more and more Scottish single malt distilleries represented in this country with the World of Whisky distributing Arran, Tullibardine, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh and independant bottlers Douglas Laing with a lot more in the pipeline. A very promising sign of bigger things to come.

IRELAND We saw some massive moves from the fastest growing spirit category in the world, Irish whiskey, in Australia over the last 12 months. Island2island blessed us with the introduction of Writers Tears, a beautiful pure pot still whiskey that works great neat, on the rocks and even in a

cocktail. Shane Fitzharris, Writers Tears’ international brand ambassador, treated us to a national tour with masterclasses and events and even let us try some of his very rare and sought after Writers Tears Cask Strength, which we will see a very small allocation of next year so keep an ear out for that.

Jameson, the number one selling Irish whiskey in the world, released its Select Reserve small batch in Australia in very small allocations this year, and I’m very pleased to see that they are now releasing Red Breast 12 Year Old and Green Spot.

Keep your eyes out for these pure pot still beauties as they are some of the finest Irish whiskies ever produced, with the Red Breast being my favourite. It has so much more to offer than any other Irish whiskey that I’ve ever tasted with loads of spicy cinnamon, vanilla, citrus and roasted nuts on the nose and creamy custard and dried stone fruits on the palate.

William Grant & Sons has been very busy with its Irish counterpart, Tullamore Dew, which is currently building a new distillery (pot still/malt) due to open in Tullamore mid-2014. The global launch of Tullamore Dew Phoenix, which is 55% ABV and non-chill filtered, is much anticipated with a small number of bottles to be seeded into Australia’s bars in the coming year.

There is also new premium packaging for Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old on the way too which will dress it up quite nicely for the back bar premium display where it belongs. It’s only a matter of time until Diageo, with Bushmills, and Beam

WHISKIES OF THE WORLD

Global with their Cooley Distillery acquisition, start to push heavily onto the Irish whiskey train and ride it into the sunset. This category is going to explode globally over the next few years.

USA Big whiskey waves flooded us from the US over the last 12 months with the introduction of a few new labels never seen before in Australia. Sadly we lost the beloved Elmer T Lee from Buffalo Trace, a man with as much character as his whiskey but I’m sure he would’ve been happy to know that we as a nation consume more bourbon per capita than any other nation on the planet. Statistics like this are (George T) Staggering. Hey, I’m a dad, I can legally make these kind of jokes.

Wild Turkey is gearing up to release the Forgiven, which I was lucky enough to debut to the public in the form of a masterclass food pairing at the Roadhouse in August. This whiskey is an accidental blending of Wild Turkey rye and bourbon that was going to be wasted until somebody tasted it and realised that it was incredibly smooth and tasty and I for one can attest to that, a very easy drinking whiskey that works best on the rocks. They are also due to release a spiced Wild Turkey before the end of year so look out for this one.

Woodford Reserve blessed us with a big push on their Masters Collection, some of the finest whiskey being produced in the US

today. Some of the new expressions are a Four Wood, a whiskey that is aged in four different types of oak to enhance and build richness in the character of the flavour profile. The other new release was a great double hitter, The Rye, which is released as two half bottles, one aged and one unaged. Great thinking, and great whiskies coming from this distillery with loads more to come over the next year.

Jack Daniel’s gave us an un-aged rye, which disappeared as fast as it arrived. I’m told that this is just the tip of the iceberg as they are going to release an aged Jack rye soon and let me assure you, this will be huge.

My good friends at Vanguard launched their new pony out of the stable this year, High West, straight out of Utah. This relatively new boutique style distillery is producing some very different types of whiskies.

They have a Campfire whiskey, which is a blend of bourbon, rye and peated Scotch whisky.

I was very dubious about this extremely different whiskey until Mitch Bushell from Vanguard insisted that I try it – and I have to tell you that I was very surprised, it’s pretty good. The main flavour is sweet honey from the ripe bourbon.

The enhancing flavour is floral, fruity spice from the mature rye whiskey. The accent is the smoke from the peated Scotch whisky. The proportions are – the bourbon mash bill is 75% corn, 20% rye and

5% barley malt; the rye mash bill – 95% rye and 5% barley malt; and the Scotch is a blended malt Scotch whisky made of 100% barley malt that has been peated.

All whiskies are at least five years old. The bourbon and rye are from the old Seagrams plant in Indiana, but where the Scotch comes from is anyone’s guess? Bulleit was given a huge push this year with a national tour through Australia by the man himself(Tom Bulleit) followed by countless events, tastings and general Tom Foolery with many a hangover to follow.

Buffalo Trace had yet another huge year as the most awarded distillery in the US, and it’s been making big moves across Australia with barrel aged cocktail programs and events. Buffalo Trace is also paving the way with premium first-pour bourbon, which is great to see in premium venues that pride themselves on the quality of their product.

Colonel E H Taylor is a new comer on the scene for this distiller. They have released a Single Barrel, a Barrel Proof and a Straight Rye. These are all fantastic whiskies and they all belong in the ultra-premium range on every top shelf back bar along with the Buffalo Trace antique series. Another ultra-premium American whiskey from this distillery to add to the STI portfolio this year is the dear ol’ Pappy Van Winkle.

I cannot speak highly enough of this whiskey, as its some of the greatest spirit being produced anywhere in the world.

After 35 years as president of Maker’s Mark, Bill Samuels Jr., the son of Maker’s Mark founder, continues to travel around the world as Chairman Emeritus for the brand.

Samuel’s Jr. visited Australia in August this year to share his passion and knowledge about the original handmade bourbon whisky with the industry, during a number of tasting events, media lunches, meet and greets and evening functions.

During his visit, Bill also hand delivered the first and only new product to be released in over 50 years from Maker’s Mark – Maker’s 46 – providing trade with the opportunity to sample the daring, more complex expression of Maker’s Mark for the first time.

Jim Beam’s great grandson Fred Noe will be visiting Australia early next year to launch two top-shelf bourbon varieties; Jim Beam Signature Craft 12 Year Old and the Distillers’ Masterpiece bourbon – thought to be Australia’s most expensive bourbon – to offer Australia’s loyal Beam drinkers a significant step up whilst remaining within the trademark.

Beam has responded to recent premiumisation trend by expanding the availability of premium products in Australia, with the launch of premium brands Devil’s Cut, Knob Creek and Maker’s 46 all launching within the last 12 months, providing multiple products to offer consumers who are looking to take a step up to a more premium spirit at a higher price point.

Beam plans to continue this portfolio expansion with the introduction of Jim Beam Signature Craft Full spirit in 2014.

It was only a matter of time until we saw William Grant & Sons take back Hudson from Vanguard and they are giving the Manhattan Rye and Baby Bourbon a decent push as they are appearing on more back bars and trade shows than ever before and

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WHISKIES OF THE WORLD

rightfully so. This boutique distillery is making some great whiskies and it’s so encouraging to see that the first distillery in New York State since prohibition is doing well and bearing the fruits of their labour.

JAPAN Finally we are getting some traction in Australia with this graceful addition to the wonderful world of whisky and rightfully so. Most people think that Japan is a newcomer or novice when it comes to whisky and compared to Scotland, Ireland and the USA a mere 90 years of commercial production is only a small drop in the bottle. Having said that Japan is the third largest producer of whisk(e)y on the planet today and they are currently making some of the most awarded whisk(e)y the world has ever tasted.

The big news over the last year has been the launch of Nikka whisky in Australia with a number of expressions including the Nikka From The Barrel blended whisky, the Miyagikio 12 Year Old single malt, the Taketsuru 12 Year Old pure malt, and The Yoichi 15 year old single malt. I adore Nikka whisky with my favourite distillery being the Yoichi.

It has the most subtle and alluring wafts of smoke on the finishing palate that I have ever encountered with a whisky from any country before, simply divine liquid gold. Local Japanese bartender Taka Shino, from Eau-de-Vie and Sokyo fame, has been appointed the Nikka ambassador with the promise of some great tastings, master classes and food pairing events to come.

Suntory have been showcasing their prize winning Yamazaki 12 Year Old single malt around the country this year and it’s readily available almost everywhere now which isn’t surprising as they just won best distillery in the world, again, for the third time.

I absolutely love this as they have put in the hard yards and paved the way for Japanese whisky in Australia. Next year we will witness the arrival of their much awaited single malt brother, the Hakushu and the smoothest blended whisky in the world, the multiple gold medal-award winning Hibiki.

I am in awe of Suntory’s whisky production techniques and constant striving for perfection in a whisky. With over one million barrels of whisky ageing they are going to be around for a very long time and will always be on top of their game.

There are also a few smaller Japanese whiskies popping up in Australia including the Akashi White Oak, the Karuizawa and the Chichibu. I will be featuring all of these in depth as well as Suntory and Nikka whiskies in my upcoming Japanese whisky book to be released next year.

CANADA A great introduction to the Canadian category in Australia over the last year has been the Caribou Crossing Single Barrel whisky. This is a fantastic blend of corn, wheat and rye spirit produced in Canada and then aged and bottled at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky. Very easy drinking, delicious drop that makes an amazing cocktail, especially an old fashioned. (For more information on Canadian whisky see page 54 and 55).

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AUSTRALIA This year Australian single malt whisky production celebrated its 21st birthday and its father Bill Lark, or godfather as he is affectionately known as, could not be prouder. Not enough credit goes to Lark for all his hard ground work, and without his trials and tribulations in the court room to have the laws changed in order to legally operate, produce and sell spirits from a micro distillery, the Australian malt whisky industry might not even exist. Lark whiskies are now exporting a large percentage of their production overseas which is a very promising sign for Australian whisky in general.

Overeem are gaining momentum in bars around the country as are Sullivan’s Cove who are also exporting a lot of their whisky overseas to both Europe and Asia and have now also broken into the market in the US. Starward is the new kid on the block this year sprouting from the inner city suburbs of Melbourne and headed up by David Vitale.

Already winning the Australasian Malt Whisky Awards gold medal in its first year of release, they are producing whisky that tastes far more mature than its time spent in the casks, certainly a whisky to look out for over the next coming years.

Nant have made a huge jump from distilling and have now

also set up a number of their own whisky bars in a few major cities around Australia with plans to expand, possibly even overseas.

Another new arrival that has made a rather large impact on the Australian Whisky scene is the independent bottlings of Heartwood.

A seriously good collection of independently bottled old Lark and Sullivan’s Cove whisky assembled by Timothy Duckett and released in very small, limited edition numbers and mostly either single cask or cask strength with occasional masterful marriages and finishes. Powerful and dominating flavour profiles are always present so be well warned, this is not whisky for beginners.

TAIWAN This year I was very lucky to attend a Kavalan masterclass at the 2013 Whisky Show that was hosted by Jim Swan. Swan set up both Kilchoman (Islay) and Amrut (India) distilleries, so he is no stranger to the challenge of ageing spirit in very hot and humid climates. This superb single malt from Taiwan is winning countless awards and gold medals around the world, and I’m extremely surprised at the quality of this new comer. Keep your eyes peeled for the Solist single cask series, some truly wonderful whisky being distributed by the World of Whisky.

As I finish this epic global whisky journey I’m sitting in my hotel room in Nagoya Japan after spending the day at the Yamazaki distillery getting loads of ground work (drinking whisky) done for my upcoming book on Japanese whisky.

Jared Plummer, who has spent the last few years working very closely with Beam Global’s whiskies and has just started designing a massive national training program for Diageo, had this to say about the growth of whisk(e)y in Australia:

“Education and excitement for whisk(e)y as a category has grown immensely in the past five years in Australia. The notion of whisk(e)y only being a single malt Scotch sipped neat is now welcomed alongside the demand for a plethora of options spanning across the globe. Experimental whisk(e)y is currently forging along to allow distillers to have their point of difference and its allowing the category to grow.

“The one specific style of whisk(e)y that excites me the most is American Whiskey.

After spending many years working within the category there has been a merging interest to be mixing it in a vast amount of ways outside of the general mixers and Manhattans.

From juiced cocktails to Juleps and even sipping on it like the Scots do with their Whisky. Bourbon Colada..? Yes please.”

There is no way that this could’ve been possible a decade ago, so I would like to thank all the Australian bartenders, managers, owners – and most importantly all our whisky loving guests – for making all this possible. Without all your contributions we would be stuck in a void of vodka lime and sodas forever. b&c

PROFILE

ANDY HANNAH

AN INTERNATIONAL MAN OF WHISKY Andy Hannah got his start in the liquor industry in 1998, working with Seagram UK as an assistant brand manager on their champagne and sparkling wine portfolio, before moving on to work for The Edrington Group as brand manager for The Famous Grouse.

I

n 2010 he joined the marketing team at International Beverage, where today he holds the role of brand development manager. bars&clubs caught up with him during his recent trip down under to find out a bit more about his work.

CAN YOU GIVE US A RUN DOWN ON WHICH WHISKY BRANDS YOU WORK WITH AND WHAT YOUR ROLE ENTAILS? I work on all the single malt brands (AnCnoc, Balblair, Old Pulteney and Speyburn), plus our biggest blended whisky (Hankey Bannister) and our premium gin (Caorunn). My role as Brand Development Manager involves the classic brand ambassadorial duties of representing these brands at trade shows and events, the creation of brand education materials and the training of global sales teams, local distributors, trade partners and consumers into the special qualities of each of our brands.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE OR STANDOUT ANCNOC, BALBLAIR AND OLD PULTENEY EXPRESSIONS/RELEASES? I am a big fan of all our brands and a true believer that the diversity of the malt whisky category means that there is always something to suit your mood, or a particular occasion.

However, at the moment I would say that my favourite expressions are Balblair 1989 (the most smooth and drinkable malt I have ever tasted), Old Pulteney 12 Year Old (a genuine product of the distillery history and location with a coastal note on the nose and palate), and AnCnoc 12 Year Old (a very versatile malt with broad appeal – smooth, sweet and refined).

ARE ANY OF THE DISTILLERIES YOU REPRESENT WORKING ON ANYTHING NEW OR INTERESTING THAT YOU CAN SHARE SOME DETAILS ON? Last year saw the opening of the new visitor centre at Balblair which involved the creation of a special “time capsule” room where visitors can experience the sights and sounds of particular vintage years, whilst enjoying their tastings. They can also fill their own bottle of Balblair and get an insight into the long history of the distillery with the time-line images and artifacts in the new reception area.

At Pulteney Distillery we opened a newly refurbished visitor centre this year where visitors can immerse themselves in the story of the maritime malt. At Knockdhu Distillery (the home of AnCnoc), two of the traditional dunnage warehouses have been rebuilt following the collapse of the roofs and a ground breaking natural system for processing waste product ecologically has recently been installed.

In terms of new product, we are constantly striving to offer our consumers new and interesting expressions whilst insisting that traditional production methods are continued and continuing to offer the core range, which is much loved by so many.

There is a new Old Pulteney product soon to be launched called Navigator, which draws on the brand’s maritime association. We currently have the second in a series of four limited edition AnCnoc expressions called Peter Arkle, which marks our association with the famous illustrator, who has designed the packaging for these special releases.

The Balbair Vintage range is continuously evolving as new Vintages are found to replace previous ones. However, later this year we should see the launch of the 1969 Vintage – a very rare and special Vintage, each one numbered and complete with a signed letter from distillery manager John Macdonald.

DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO VISIT MANY BARS OR ENGAGE WITH BARTENDERS? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE AND PASSION FOR WHISKY AMONGST THE TRADE? Yes I did. The local sales team in Sydney made it their business to get me around to as many outlets as possible – it was a whirlwind few days. To be honest I was totally taken aback by the new bar scene that is emerging.

There is an appetite for offering something very different from the traditional pubs. There seems to be an emergent young and knowledgeable group of bar managers and workers, providing something for like-minded drinkers for the first time.

The knowledge in the trade was incredibly high and you can’t fail to notice the passion. I believe the trade wants to find new and premium brands, find out more about these and pass this knowledge on to their customers.

FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE, HOW DO YOU RATE THE AUSTRALIAN WHISKY MARKET, AND HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHER MARKETS ACROSS THE GLOBE? The Australian market is undoubtedly small at the moment compared to more established markets in Europe and the USA. However, the potential is huge and I am not sure that I have witnessed such an impressive bar scene, [outside of] London or New York, as I saw in Sydney.

I also visited very impressive specialist off trade accounts selling in whisky and premium drinks brands only, which is a great sign for the development of the category.

ARE THERE ANY INNOVATIVE OR INTERESTING TRENDS IN REGARDS TO WHISKY (DISTILLING AND DRINKING) THAT YOU HAVE COME ACROSS IN YOUR ROLE? Our approach to manufacturing is to insist on the most traditional methods and not compromise these. Our industry is bound by several controls to ensure the integrity of the whisky category. However, in recent years there have been developments such as cask finishing and experiments with “young” spirit from distilleries.

In Taiwan I witnessed several blended malt brands, made specifically for this market, which is unique in that the malt category is bigger than blends. Also in Asia I witnessed how whisky is drunk through traditional toasts and also how it is sometimes mixed with soft drinks.

Although this may seem inappropriate to traditionalists, my view is that whisky should be enjoyed in any way you like. As long as it is done responsibly then is it only right that people continue to find new brands and drink them in the way they want.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WISH TO MENTION? Just to mention how much I enjoyed visiting Australia and how impressed I was with the recent development of the whisky category and the potential for further growth. I hope to make it back in the near future and visit some other cities to help support the development of our brands. b&c

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MONKEY SHOULDER BROUGHT TO YOU BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

E

arlier this year William Grant & Sons held two distinct Monkey Shoulder cocktail competitions, Monkey Shoulder Bartender Boot Camp and Subversive Serve, which rewarded the winner of each with a trip to Scotland to visit the three distilleries that make up the Monkey Shoulder triple-malt whisky blend; the not-so-closely guarded secret affectionately referred to as the ‘KGB’ (Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Balvenie).

The Monkey Shoulder Cocktail Boot Camp challenged bartenders to not just come up with a signature Monkey Shoulder cocktail and sell it in their bar, but also compete in a series of physical activities including go carting, paintball, archery and Segway racing.

After enduring physical exertion and having to come up with a cocktail on the spot with a limited number of ingredients, Sydney bartender, Stuart Morrow, took out the top spot in the national finals with his Monkey ‘Go Smash’ drink.

The Monkey Shoulder Subversive Serve competition also required bartenders to come up with a signature Monkey Shoulder cocktail, but they were also asked to present their drink in the most unconventional and unique way they could imagine.

Gold Coast bartender, Adam Bastow, won the competition with his entry, The Brass Monkey Flip, which was served in a handmade white chocolate egg with a Monkey Shoulder treacle crisp. “The idea was that the drink would leave the bar and nothing would come back,” says Bastow.

Both he and Morrow travelled to Scotland in August, heading to the town of Dufftown to spend a week exploring whisky in depth and hanging out with fellow bartenders and trade professionals from other countries, an experience Bastow describes as “exciting, informative and humbling all at the same time”.

Morrow had previously been to Scotland but never to the Highlands, and he spent

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y r e l l i t s Di Tour an additional week travelling around the area on his own, which left him in awe of the immense beauty of the region and the friendly nature of the people that live there.

“The stories I have taken away from the trip, the people I have met and the experiences I gained were amazing,” Morrow says.

Although the pair also got to visit a number of great Edinburgh pubs and bars during their Monkey Shoulder trip, perform some lip-synch karaoke, try their hand at shooting everything from bow and arrows to M 16s, as well as getting to race go karts (with Morrow winning the champion’s trophy) in the Highlands with Monkey Shoulder global brand ambassador Dean Callan, it was the distillery visits that really impressed them both.

The visit to the distilleries started off at the grave of William Grant, where everyone had a shot in his honour before moving on to the Glenfiddich distillery for a full tour.

“The highlight for me at the distillerieswas getting to taste each individual stage of the production, from eating barley off the floor in the malt house and then every stage up to 30 years old. This guy even drew some of the malt wine and the fermented undistilled liquid from the fermentation tanks for us to try which was a real privilege,” Bastow explains.

“And we got real hands-on experience, for example they showed us how the malts are tossed and then let us all have a go at tossing malted barley around a room with a big wooden shovel. Needless to say we did have to clean up afterwards. And then, get this right, after the tour they left us in a room with the entire portfolio of Grant’s, Glenfiddich and Balvenie and just said here you go guys just try it all.”

MONKEY SHOULDER BROUGHT TO YOU BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS

Moonnkkeeyy BBrraasssslM FFlip ip

Glass: Chocolate Egg Ingredients: • 30ml Monkey Shoulder • 20ml Frangelico • 10ml White Creme de Cacao • 15ml (to taste) sugar syrup • A 1/4 bar spoon of vanilla bean paste • A pinch cinnamon • 20ml good quality melted vanilla ice • Creme 1 egg Method: Add egg to shaker with spring from a hawthorn and beat by shaking. Add all other ingredients and vigorously shake over ice.

Strain into chocolate egg Garnish: Serve on a coffee plate with two straws and a Monkey Shoulder treacle crisp

By Adam Bastow

MonkeyhGo Smas

Glass: Tankard Ingredients: • 50ml Monkey Shoulder • 25ml Lemon juice • 8 Muddled grapes • 2 Bar spoons of sugar • 6 Mint leaves Method: Shake and strain into metal tankard. Serve over crushed ice Garnish: Three speared grapes

By Stuart Morrow

And on top of getting a chance to experience every step of the whisky making process they also had a chance to visit the cooperage.

“We got to see the coopers at work, repairing and treating the barrels that would be used to house the whiskies for the next 10 plus years or so. We saw them scraping the barrels, fixing staves, re-charring and putting the barrels through pressure testing,” Morrow says.

The group also visited the Balvenie distillery where they got to try their hands at malting and turning barley before stopping off at the barrel house, where they got a chance to bottle their own cask strength Monkey Shoulder.

“We used a copper tube sealed on one end and attached to a chain on the other. This is known as a ‘dog’ and we were told stories of how the employees used to steal whisky from the warehouses by ‘taking the dog for a walk’,” Morrow muses.

“I also got to bottle my own single barrel, cask strength Glenfiddich 15 Year Old. This is something available only in the visitors centre at the distillery and unique as once all the whisky is sold, it can never be created to taste exactly the same.”

On the final day, the Monkey Shoulder team organised a few competitions for all the bartenders on the trip, which included fun challenges such as making drinks with boxing gloves on and stocking the fridge while handcuffed.

“The whole trip was amazing and everybody really bonded well. It was such a great experience, not only

experiencing the making of the whisky, but also having the opportunity to hang out with all of the people that were on the trip. It’s my understanding that it’s going to become an annual event, and one that if given the opportunity, I would recommend anybody to take part in,” Morrow says.

“I loved Scotch whisky before the trip and love it even more now. It was great getting to travel to where the spirit is made and seeing exactly what makes the category so versatile. I love the diversity of the category and it was great going to the various distilleries and experiencing the production methods, seeing how different processes can completely change the final dram.”

Bastow has also returned from the trip with a deeper appreciation for Scotch whisky, a spirit he has always been fond of, in particular walking away with a greater understanding of the age differences in Scotch whisky.

“Before the trip it was just ‘yeah 18 years is just 18 years in a barrel’, [which] makes it taste different. It’s not. It is 18 years of solid nurturing and caring daily for this product until its ready,” Bastow says.

“Having been to whisky trainings and tastings before, I had felt that I had a fairly good grasp on the whisky industry, but to see everything first hand was out of this world. It’s the real deal and to see it properly, solidifies and extends your knowledge. And it just puts into perspective the time, effort and devotion these people put into the production of this product and the mastery of getting a consistent and incredible whisky every single time.” b&c

bars&clubs 53

CANADIAN WHISKY

If you can’t remember the name of your favourite Canadian whisky it’s probably because you don’t have one. It’s generally regarded as light and one-dimensional.

At best, it’s a dependable mixing whisky; at worst it’s a low-quality spirit without significant character. It’s whisky with a public relations problem – though it hasn’t always been like that.

BY SARAH MILLER

T

he United States has had a colourful relationship with Canadian whisky for over 150 years. American distilleries during the Civil War became neglected due to the constraints of war. Demand and prices skyrocketed – and Canadian distillers came to the rescue. Something they also did, though in less legitimate ways, when the Volstead Act was enacted in 1919.

Though Canada had an important role to play during prohibition, and despite the romantic ideas we have about bootlegging and late-night dashes across the border, the less glamorous reality is that many distilleries were forced to shut down due to decreased demand.

The labels that managed to survive remained fashionable for a time but the caprice of industry and consumer trends resulted in them falling out of favour around the 80s. Since then Canadian whisky has languished, dreaming of the prestige it once had.

Why did Canadian whisky fall to the wayside while both American and Scottish whiskies grew to enjoy a modern renaissance? It’s hard to say. Most whisky experts agree it’s partly explained by producers not spending time educating Canadians about their own whisky.

Japan, Ireland, Australia and others get props for their whisk(e)y from around the world while Canadian hooch doesn’t get the respect it deserves. When contacted for comment, Canadian whisky expert, author and blogger Davin de Kergommeaux (from canadianwhisky.org) explains.

“The whisky is good [producers] have just not promoted it. Some deliberately avoid expanding their market because they don’t have enough stock to meet continued demand.”

Which is true – the whisky is there but no one seems to be doing anything about it. Unfortunately, Canadian food and drug laws leave the door open for inferior products.

A lack of regulation combined with many misconceptions, have left the Canadian whisky industry stigmatised for decades. Compared to those for bourbon and other American whiskeys, Canadian requirements seem minimal and leave huge gaps for creative interpretation.

At a glance, it might seem that anything mashed, distilled and aged in Canada – as long as it smells and tastes like whisky – can have a label slapped on it and sold as whisky.

Not quite. Yes, Canadian whisky laws allow the addition of colour and flavouring and, yes, the idea of spirit caramel is controversial amongst aficionados but nobody bats an eyelash at the rum industry’s unabashedly loose practices.

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CANADIAN WHISKY

And even the high-andmighty Scotch permits caramel from time to time.

So why are some spirits getting a free pass while Canada gets put through the wringer?

Let’s get down to brass tacks. Traditionally, Canadian whisky is a blend of a base whisky and a flavouring whisky. Originally the base was produced mostly from wheat then later on from corn, which remains the predominant choice and in most cases makes up the bulk of the product.

It’s an evolution that has contributed to its identity crisis. Order ‘whisky’ in the US and you’ll probably get bourbon. Do the same in Scotland and you’ll probably get Scotch. In Canada, when you want whisky, you ask for ‘rye’. But if Canadian whisky is made with wheat or corn, why is it called rye?

In the early days of production, Canadian distillers threw some rye into their batch to lend their whisky character and flavour. The addition of rye creates a considerably spicier and more flavourful product than traditional wheat spirits would allow.

Whiskies that incorporated rye became a huge hit with customers and when they wanted whisky with rye in it they asked for ‘rye whisky’. Over time, the term would become synonymous with any type of Canadian whisky.

It was almost 150 years after the coinage that the US legislated an official definition of rye whiskey. Judged by that standard, Canadian whisky is rarely rye whisky but – confusingly – not calling it rye whisky is also a kind of historical fallacy.

Today, Canadian whisky may contain some percentage of malted barley and/or rye, though there are no legal requirements for how much. Grains are distilled separately, the ‘grain bill’ is blended afterwards and – another misconception – there is absolutely no neutral grain spirit used. The high-proof spirits used in the grain bill are aged in wood for a minimum of three years and are legally defined as whisky.

As for colour and flavouring additives: there’s no point denying that some labels use spirit caramel.

It keeps colour consistent, but also has a very bitter taste so amounts used are minimal. In most cases, it’s practically undetectable on the palate and many labels don’t use it at all. The practice is mainly reserved for bulk production of bottom-shelf whisky.

So-called ‘flavouring’ components are usually just a flavouring whisky with a high rye content. Bulk whisky sent to the US allows for some American spirit and other non-Canadian ingredients to be added (generally because producers get huge tax breaks). Even this is a small percentage of the final product that goes into the bottle and must meet Canadian whisky regulations.

No synthetic flavouring is used – ever.

In the last few years Canadian distillers have started taking charge of their craft, breaking down the stereotypes and taking baby steps towards redefining Canadian whisky’s image. Small-batch brands are finally winning over whisk(e)y lovers and bartenders.

Most of these whiskies are not yet available on the international market, but the wheels are in motion and while we patiently wait for more Canadian hooch to hit the Australian market, we should be getting out there and drinking the ones we do have.

Canadian Club is Canada’s oldest, possibly most influential whisky brand. During American prohibition, thousands of cases of Canadian Club were smuggled across the border from Windsor to Detroit every week.

These days, Canadian Club produces many variations but the stand-out is definitely Canadian Club 20 Year Old. It is exactly the same whisky as Canadian Club Premium – you know, “CC and dry” – but it’s been aged for fourteen more years and that long wait is worthwhile.

Recently, Caribou Crossing Single Barrel was purchased by the Sazerac Company. It’s smooth, creamy, and far richer than most Canadian whiskies and throws all their associated stereotypes out the window.

It’s Canada’s first single-barrel whisky to be produced by a major company since the nineteenth century, and is carefully selected from a stock of 200,000 barrels. Most importantly, it’s a glowing example of the new standard of Canadian whisky.

Anything Crown Royal is also going to give bang for your buck. The brand is Canada’s number one selling whisky and if you get the chance to get into a bottle of the hard-to-find Crown Royal XR First Edition – don’t pass it up.

A blend of rare whiskies from the Seagrams Waterloo distillery in Ontario that caught fire in the early 90s, this bottling has pretty much been sold out internationally except in Australia, but even our reserves are starting to run low. When it’s gone it’s gone, so get in there.

The growing demand for whisky as a whole is forcing Canadian stuff to develop a new lease on life. The pressure on distilleries that are producing small-batch bottlings is increasing. As Kergommeaux says, “[Canada] has a lot more good stuff they could export and they most likely will in the coming years”.

With whiskies everywhere feeling the love, shouldn’t this be the time for Canadian rye? A new dawn for Canadian whisky has begun so get your drink on already – but this time, keep the dry ginger ale out of it. b&c

bars&clubs 55

RUM

Rum has long been one of bartenders’ most favoured drinks, either as the base spirit in a mixed drink or served neat. Some believe that rum will be the new vodka; however, it is the sheer number of rum producing countries that leads me to believe that rum has a further influence on drinkers than any other spirit in the world.

Since the very beginning, rum has often been a national symbol of pride and identity. In Jamaica, for example, rum is used to cure colds, christen newborns and even purify the dead. When building a house, a bottle of rum is sprinkled around the foundation to keep away the ‘duppies’ (evil spirits).

Here in Australia, the land down under was literally built on rum. When Captain Bligh was governor of England’s southern penal colony, the British pound was the official currency but the much more available medium of trade was rum. When Bligh decreed that rum was no longer to be used as currency in the colony the NSW Corps arrested him for being unfit to govern. This short-lived revolt, called the Rum Rebellion, was the only time the government of Australia has been forcibly changed.

A

lthough Australia has long supplied local rum lovers with Bundaberg rum, the past few years has seen an emergence in more and more new rums landing on back bars across the country.

Bundaberg itself has expanded its range and introduced its premium Masters Distillers Collection, while both the Beenleigh and Inner Circle local rum brands have been given a new lease of life by their new owner, Vok Beverages, and even smaller, boutique distilleries such as Lark and Tamborine Mountain Distillery have released their own quality Australian rum.

Further more, we are seeing more and more quality rums from all corners of the world landing on our shores while at the same time a number of rum focused bars – such as The Walrus Club, Rum Fire, The Rum Diary Bar, Mojito Joe’s, Chimmi’s, Los Barbudos and The Lobo Plantation – have opened their doors in the past year or so, adding to the excitement within the category.

56 bars&clubs

Other bars, while not labelling themselves as rum-specific bars, are still offering their guests a great selection of sugar cane spirits and championing the category as part of their overall offer.

One such bar is Sydney’s The Corner House, which is currently sitting on 35 different rums, the best selling of which, according to bar manager Ben Blair, are Gosling’s and Flor De Caña, whilst in terms of rare stock the bar is very proud to have Ron Millonario from Peru, Havana Club Cuban Barrel Proof and Lemonhart 151.

“Rum these days has shaken most of its stigma, people are learning that there are wild variations in style and flavour – there really is something for everyone.

The best way is to give them a sample,” Blair says.

Over at Mojito Joe’s, owner Nigel Weisbaum says the biggest selling rum is Mount Gay Silver Eclipse, as it is the bar’s rum of choice for Mojitos, while the most popular spiced rums brands are Sailor Jerry and Kraken.

RUM

ON THE RISE

BY MATT COLLIARD AND SACHA DELFOSSE

The bar does a good trade in the standard classic rum cocktails such as Mojitos, Zombies, Mai Tais and Treacles, Weisbaum says, and it recently entered a Cubaney rum venue incentive in July that proved that most rum is sold in cocktails.

“We have had loads of success in introducing our guests to the category by serving traditional rum drinks. We think there is huge potential for good rums in Australia, in my experience consumers here like sweeter dark spirits and rum fits that bill perfectly,” Weisbaum asserts.

“We hold monthly rum tastings for our guests. Whether it is the history of the specific style of rum, or how rums are made, the difference in style etc. The passionate boutique suppliers have been really supportive as we are aiming for the same goal.”

As of yet Mojito Joe’s hasn’t made a big effort to source more of the world’s rarer rums, however, Weisbaum is excited about a few recent finds in the form of a Mexican single barrel rum, Mocambo 20 Year Old, Ron Barcelo from the Dominican Republic, Pyrat 1623 and he is proud to be the only venue in NSW with the entire Cubaney rum range.

Rum is one of the most multipurpose spirits in the world. It can be served neat, on the rocks, or as an ingredient in hot or cold mixed drinks. Few drinking-age people today have not heard about such classic rum cocktails such as the Daiquiri, Mai Tai, Piña Colada and the Mojito. It is perhaps due to the popularity of these tropical cocktails that rum is often linked to pirates, treasure islands and sun kissed tropical beaches.

There is no such thing as the best rum.

Like wine, diversity is pivotal amongst sugar cane spirits. And no spirit is more diverse than rum. While no rum is perfect for every occasion, finding the rum for the

moment however, that’s the fascination of rum, which is why many venues will have a staggering selection to choose from.

Hula Bar – Perth’s first Tiki bar which opened its door in 2005 – stocks 117 different rums, which bar manager Pete Long says “are all killer no filler” with the pride of this collection being the rare Appleton 50 Year Old. The most popular rums for neat consumption, Long says, are Sailor Jerry Original Formula, the El Dorado range, Ron Zacapa 23, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, as well as the Appleton Estate, Angostura and Havana Club ranges.

“The most popular for mixing would be Sailor Jerry (regular), Appleton VX and Havana Especial,” Long explains.

The bar also stocks a beautiful range of unique rums including the El Dorado Single Barrel, the Gosling’s Family Reserve in a black sealed champagne bottle, Lemon Hart 151 Demerara rum, Cacique 500 from Venezuela, Smith & Cross Jamaican OP rum as well as Wray & Nephew OP white, to name but a few.

“I think the average Australian consumer has been wary of rum for a long time due to the lack of availability of good Caribbean and South American rums.

Having a stubborn refusal to try good rum can be countered by making them try these rums in cocktails first and bringing that trust back,” Long says.

“With more accessibility to a broader range of rum over the past few years I think at this point there is a great demand for it, especially the higher end products as consumers start to understand that good rum can be as complex and mind blowing as a high end Scotch or whiskey.”

At Sydney’s Pelicano bar the team find they are selling all styles of rums, although there is a definitely a trend towards spiced rum and lighter bodied

bars&clubs 57

RUM

dark rums – with the bar also stocking a lot of the rums “from what the guys have grabbed on trips to the Caribbean”, bar manager Alex Raclet says, including Caroni 1994, Santa Teresa 1796, Appleton 30 Year Old, Cockspur and Lemon Hart.

“There is definitely a strong following of rum in Australia, especially towards rum based cocktails, as well as an enthusiasm for sweeter Demerera styled rums such as El Dorado which we find is very popular neat or just on the rocks.

“We find that the main demographic for rum is mainly men in their mid to late 30s who enjoy spirits and are curious to try new spirits and once they try rum, generally to try a different expression of the same style to compare,” Raclet explains.

As Australia’s number one rum producer, Diageo prides itself on having a diverse portfolio consisting of four rum brands, all of which offer a range of variants to accommodate a variety of tastes and occasions. As Bundaberg rum celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, the brand continues to lead the Australian market accounting for 81.7% value share of the total rum category.

“Whilst catering to a mainstream audience with Bundaberg Rum Original’s hallmark taste, the brand is now making significant in-roads in the premium market, both with its Select Vat (hand selected Bundaberg Rum Original which is double aged for a more balanced character) and its Master Distillers Collection range, which contributes 12.1% to Diageo’s entire premium portfolio (Aztec MAT August 2013),” a company spokesperson explains.

“The Master Distillers Collection will this year be providing signature expressions of the brand’s history through a focused distribution drive on-premise. Continuing on its premium journey, the company holds Pampero rum – a smooth yet robust rum from Venezuela, and Ron Zacapa rum, which is used by some of the country’s best bartenders in the Diageo Reserve World Class competition, where its distinctive and fullflavoured taste attracts unparalleled praise.”

According to Diageo Australia, over the past year, there has been a noticeable shift in the rum market, with the demand for spiced rum steadily increasing, with the company’s Captain Morgan Spiced Rum seeing a 58 per cent growth over the past year alone.

“Premium rums have also continued to drive growth in the rum category, with steady growth over the past year,” a Diageo Australia spokesperson says.

The company sees the small bar resurgence over the past few years as having driven an increase in demand for cocktails, and with this

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THE CORNER HOUSE’S BEN BLAIR

BRAAAINS Glass: Tiki Mug Ingredients: • 30ml Appleton 8 • 15ml Stolen Gold • 10ml Gosling’s 151 • 10ml Yellow Chartreuse • 5ml illyquore coffee liqueur • 2 Dashes of tonka bean tincture • 50ml Fresh ruby grapefruit juice • 20ml Fresh lemon juice • 20ml House passionfruit syrup • 20ml House grenadine Method: Shake and strain, serve over ice in a Tiki mug Garnish: An orange wheel, cherries and a flaming umbrella

By The Corner House HULA BULA’S PETE LONG

CUBAN BREAKFAST Glass: Coupette Ingredients: • 50ml Havana 7 Años • 10ml Lillet Blanc • 1 Bar spoon of Rose’s Breakfast Marmalade • Half a bar spoon of citric acid • 5ml House Vanilla Syrup • 1 Dash of Angostura Bitters Method: Shake and fine strain into a coupette Garnish: Orange twist

By Assembly

“Rum these days has shaken most of its stigma, people are learning that there are wild variations in style and flavour – there really is something for everyone. The best way is to give them a sample.”

ASSEMBLY’S CHRIS PETTITT

The BUNDABERG word, the BDC and Bear devices and associated logos are trade marks. Š The Bundaberg Distilling Company Pty Limited 2013.

RUM

increased demand, rum (especially dark rum) has fast become a favourite for bartenders from smaller, niche bars.

“Rum is seen by many as one of the most exciting spirits available thanks to its vast and distinctly different taste profile. Additionally, the romanticism associated with a particular rum’s place of origin, age and distilling method has led to the category’s array of unique flavours, and invites experimentation from bartenders,” a Diageo Australia spokesperson says.

Another plausible reason for such a dramatic increase in the growth of the category is the number of tourists now visiting the rum drinking regions which has lead to the increase of rum mixed drinks consumption.

By today’s standards, white rum gives vodka serious competition as the spirit of choice in a number of markets, rum is just as fine a spirit to any other, and added to a slow induction of age and the special bottling of rums, has given all major producers a chance to show consumers there is more to rum than just cola. Aged rums have gained a new standing in the public eye in the same vein as single malt Scotch whisky, brandy and small batch bourbon.

Angostura brand manager, Auriane Bourdin, says the brand has experienced an ongoing growth across the range over the past five years, and she believes the category growth locally has mainly been driven by the success of dark rums, while globally premium rums are “seriously challenging the best whiskies and cognacs as premium after-dinner drinks”.

“Rum consumers are

60 bars&clubs

ANDRES WALTERS BARTENDER THE LOBO PLANTATION How did you get your start in hospitality and what are some of the venues you have worked at?

I started as an underwater ceramic technician (aka dish pig) when I was 16 and moved into the bar when I was 18. I’ve worked at such places as Grandma’s, the loft, The Bourbon, Raval, Candy’s Apartment and a few random pub gigs, and now I’m at The Lobo Plantation.

How many rums does your bar stock? Which are the best selling/most popular?

We stock around 200. The highest selling would have to be Ron Zacapa 23, Kraken, Sailor Jerry’s, Gosling’s, the regular Havana Club’s, Appleton Estate’s and Mount Gays, which are in cocktails.

BLACK STORM Glass: Tall Glass Ingredients: • 60ml Mount Gay Black Barrel • Ginger ale Method: Pour rum into a tall glass over ice and top with ginger ale Garnish: Orange wedge with ground pepper on top

Do you think there is a strong demand for rum in Australia, and who tends to be the main demographic for it?

Rum is in great demand at the moment. It may be because I often have 200 plus standing behind me while I work but it’s definitely a growing category.

Once we break down the barrier of peoples’ perceptions of rum it’s great to take them on a journey from country to country and let them find for themselves that rum isn’t that scary. At Lobo I wouldn’t say there is one particular demographic that drinks rum. We do get most people through the door trying something they haven’t had before and I think that’s half the fun.

RES AND ERS T WAL

Are you finding that many patrons have the wrong idea about rum, and how do you go about explaining the category for them?

Not all patrons have a bad perception of rum but we do have a few at the start of their night saying they don’t like rum. Toward the end of the night they’ve usually had the taste of a few different ones (straight or in cocktails) and after that our job is complete and they are drinking Daiquiris. They may and or may not be blue.

What are some of your favourite rum cocktails to make and/or drink? And what rums do you use for them?

I do prefer a treacle with anything, Knickerbockers with 1919 (thanks Grandma!), Swizzles with Jamaican or Cuban style rums, Daiquiris with rums under the age of five and a Hemmingway with blancos. But if you want to drink a cocktail with whatever rum you want I’m never going to argue.

What are some of your favourite rums?

El Dorado 12 Year Old would be my pick of the bunch but Bristol Classic Peru or Mount Gay Extra Old would be up there along with English Harbour 5 Year Old, Cadenheads Green Label, Santa Teresa and I can’t forget the lovely Ron Botran (Zacapa’s little brother no one knows about). Oh and I forgot about Woods – amazing.

What do you think of the new Mount Gay Black Barrel?

What flavour profile does it have in your opinion?

Mount Gay Black Barrel is a great example of rum for people that drink bourbon or whisky. Its nose has most of the traditional characteristics of rum like vanilla, molasses and brown sugar but when you give it a taste it jumps out with dry oak and spices.

What type of drinks do you see it working well in?

It can be used for anything like a Dark & Stormy, Treacle, Knickerbocker or even with a general mixer like soda or dry.

It’s extremely user friendly.

Havana Club A単ejo Especial The authentic Cuban Rum for authentic Cuban cocktails

For more information on Havana Club sales or to book an educational session with our Havana Club Brand Ambassador contact your Pernod Ricard Account Manager or Customer Service 1300363153

RUM

more discerning and tend to be more educated on rum and spirits in general. They are becoming brand specific when ordering their drinks in bars. Interestingly, younger consumers seem to be going for rum instead of Scotch and are following the global premiumisation trend.

“The trend of spiced rums is still going strong in Australia and will continue to do so, however it is unlikely that the current growth trend is sustainable in the long term,” Bourdin states.

One of the newest rum importers to set up shop locally is La Rumbla, which currently has 10 Cubaney rums (from the Dominican Republic) in its portfolio – from a three year old to a 30 year old. La Rumbla owner, Justin Boseley believes the public’s awareness that rums from the Caribbean don’t taste like Australian rum is slowly growing with good momentum.

“I have converted multitudes of bourbon, vodka and whisky drinkers to rum in the past eight months by showing them that indeed there is a rum taste, age and style to suit everyone,” Boseley says.

“The consumers’ willingness to now try neat rums and appreciate its qualities and attributes is a good sign that there is a country of rum fans out there keen and eager to join the rum revolution that’s sweeping across Australia in 2013.”

Boseley says there are over 100 bars stocking the Cubaney range and they range from high end establishments such as Black

by Ezard, rum-specific bars like Mojito Joe’s and Airlie Beach Rum Bar, to small bars like The Hive.

One of the most popular

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rums in the Australian market, Barbados’ Mount Gay rum (which will be celebrating its 310th birthday this year) has just added a new expression to its range, which is sure to bring in more drinkers into the category.

The new Mount Gay Black Barrel is made from double pot and single column distillates that are aged separately in their own toasted oak whiskey barrels until they reach maturity, like all the other Mount Gay rums.

“What makes Mount Gay Black Barrel different is that when rums have matured, Master Blender Allen Smith selects and blends aged single and double distillates with a higher proportion of double distillates than in the Eclipse blend,” Suntory Australia brand manager, Jeremy Church, says.

“The Black Barrel blend is then aged a second time, in deeply charred bourbon barrels, hence its name.”

According to Church, there is a clear polarisation in the rum category, between the low priced rums, which still represent more than 60 per cent of the global production, and the premium and super premium expressions, which expect to compete with other categories.

“From our point of view, and considering Mount Gay’s craft and character, there is no doubt which rum sub category we intend to continue to play a role, in the future.

Mount Gay offers all the credentials required to play in the super-premium segment: authenticity, craft, refinement, inspiration and character,” Church says.

“Education will be a core platform to express our double distillation process [which has been] providing the character and style of Mount Gay since 1703, and illustrate the art of blending single and double distilled rums that offer the wide, complex and refined set of flavours and texture experienced in Mount Gay rums.”

Another brand with a great heritage and history behind it, is Bacardi. According to Bacardi’s senior brand manager, Demetrius Giouzelis, the rum category is growing at a faster rate than the total spirit market.

“Rum is gaining popularity and we are seeing that consumers are much more willing to explore the rum category than they have been in the past. I am also really pleased to say that the Bacardi Rum Spirits portfolio has grown by double digits in the same period,” Giouzelis says.

“By far the biggest contributing factor to rum

RUM

CLET ’S ALEX RA

PELICANO

category growth has been the introduction and popularly of the spiced rum segment.”

Giouzelis also sees the growth of rum bars as helping drive more interest in the category, which he assumes is “filtering through to growth in the off-premise”, and he states that the brand has been working with the duo behind Tio’s Cerveceria – Jeremy Blackmore and Alex Dowd – on their new Tiki bar, Cliff Dive.

According to Sally Byrnes from Campari Australia – which has Jamaican rums Appleton Estate and Coruba as part of its portfolio – the dark rum category has witnessed a slight decline in sales recently.

But the premium and

spiced segments have both seen solid growth, including premium brands like Appleton Estate which has seen strong performance over the past 12 months.

The considerable increase in rum-focussed bars nationally obviously benefits the category, Byrnes says, since in the past Australians have understood rum to be one style only, but now these rum bars are opening up “a whole new world” to consumers.

“Bars need to ensure they range a portfolio of rums that are strong in authenticity, heritage and quality so they can capitalise on the growing interest in rum,” Byrnes advises.

“As premiumisation is the current trend, they should encourage consumers to trade up to a premium rum which will drive profitability for their venues and, at the same time, grow the rum category for the benefit of the industry.”

Alice Hemming, brand manager for Vok Beverages, whose portfolio includes Beenleigh, Inner Circle, Rebellion Bay Spiced and Frigate rums, also believes that the trend towards premiumisation is a key factor driving growth in the rum category.

“Much of the rum category only began premiumising to a great extent over the past decade, meaning the category has been, in essence, late to the premium party,” Hemming says.

“Cocktail usage is also having a positive impact on growth and category awareness as many bartenders are not just

using low-priced, standard white rums for cocktails but branching out, incorporating aged and premium rums in their cocktail repertoire as well as a broader range of dark rum cocktail offerings.

“We have worked on cocktail recipes with bartenders to produce… cocktails that we can share with the on-premise accounts to help develop cocktail menus for the warmer months that feature versatile and approachable rum cocktails which will help boost full strength sales,” Hemming says.

Smaller importers have also helped open up the category by coming to market with more brands, according to James France, director of Vanguard Luxury

RUM

Brands, which imports the Flor de Caña range, and until recently was distributing the Stolen Rum range in Australia.

“Also, peoples’ knowledge has increased with better coverage of what’s available from the internet. Visits by master distillers and Rum Clubs have raised a lot of awareness and interest,” France says.

Although a percentage of the population has proven to be following the rum trend, there are still some regional areas where the perception of rum is very one dimensional, according to Assembly bar manager, Chris Pettitt. He believes that there is a lot of confusion amongst those who have had very little exposure to the category, or the wrong kind of exposure.

Those who might otherwise be adventurous are often intimidated, because they don’t know where to start and they’re anxious about being disappointed. Pettitt tries to find a way to ease people into rum with a cocktail like a Dark & Stormy, building up to a Daiquiri and then let things take their natural course.

“Everyone has their favourite combinations, but I guess it comes down to your own palate and personal preference,” Pettitt says.

“I try not to fixate on a specific rum for a specific cocktail but mainly flavour profiles, for example if a cocktail works well with citrus notes then I will lean toward a Pyrat XO or something similar. It leaves your options open if a customer is not thrilled with your initial recommendation.”

The most worrying aspect of the recent rum boom is… is it sustainable? Are there ways to improve sales?

Staff education is key, explains Hemming, as staff are the gatekeepers to pass information on to the consumers drinking in their venues, to encourage people to try new products and up sell to premium product offerings.

Bourdin agrees that category knowledge is the key for growth, as drinkers want to understand why they should be paying a premium, and saying ‘it tastes great’ no longer cuts it.

“They want to know more about the rums they are drinking – the origins, what makes it special and the best way to drink it,” she states.

As always the suppliers are there to support, encourage and work with the bars in providing uncompromised service standards and style for the product in hand. Companies like Diageo Australia encourage using initiatives such as themed drinking vessels, innovative mixes and perfect serves when creating a unique and memorable drinking experience to improve not only the product and the bar, but the industry as a whole.

“We’ve had a great training with Papi (Karel Reyes – Havana Club brand ambassador) on the Havana range, which was great and gave us a lot of history about the brand but also his experience of rum being from Cuba was a great experience,” Raclet says.

“Also having so many rums in our bar which aren’t available in Australia means that we are doing a lot of research through the team which we find is great when we all get together and just have a chat about a certain brand as we don’t want to make it too formal and just have some fun.”

Things are similar over in Hula Bula, with the bar holding

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a monthly ‘Rhum Club’ where different rums are tasted and discussed, and many times the session will feature a guest presenter from the rum brands.

“The bar being what it is and basically smashing through several varieties of rum on a weekly basis, we get huge support from the brands. There are a lot of things we do here that couldn’t have been sustained without the help of these brands,” Long says.

Boseley believes that consumers are looking for something different, something that isn’t found in every bar across Australia, and he recommends that bars and bartenders take the time to try the different labels and ages and experiment with various cocktails that work with individual brands.

“When you have a bartender that truthfully loves the product not just the price tag or the perks that come with many big brands you have a partner that in turn pushes the product. Education lies in the hands of every bar with their duty to pass on their knowledge to the consumers,” Boseley says.

He believes that changing the drinking habits of non-rum drinkers and bringing them into the category through education (which in turn increases sales) should be what bartenders should aim to do each night – but keeping the patrons engaged and entertained is just as important, as France nicely sums up.

“Educate the staff, create fun drinks, serve them in novel ways and don’t take any of it too seriously. Rum is about fun!” b&c

I t ’s a

n a e b Carcib limate c

TOM BULMER – SYDNEY RUM CLUB As I stand here realising it’s time to head out for a cheeky afternoon drink, the choice doesn’t come down to which rum bar is better. I’m just trying to figure out what mood I’m in. A little Cuban salsa? Relax into a rum hideaway? Or should I just let loose at the nearest Tiki party bar?

I was recently asked why rum is taking off in Australia.

I was surprised with the question because with rum sales dwarfing that of any other spirit, I found myself asking what has actually happened. I feel like the shift isn’t actually towards rum, but rather towards the culture of the Caribbean and tropical island lifestyle.

With the massive increase in Caribbean rum available in Australia and recent movie trends, there has been a renewed interest worldwide from Miami to New York and even London. The difference in Australia has been our limited association of rum to one source, Queensland.

Australians are becoming educated drinkers and can see the difference in the quality being put into their drinking experiences and the Caribbean is the perfect escapism, especially coming into this Summer.

Creating a feeling of escapism is nothing new as was seen in the 1930s Polynesian pop trend, now we are seeing a renewed love of all things cheeky in Hula Bula (Perth) and LuWOW (Melbourne) with a Tiki bar focus. The history felt in the story of the Spanish islands like The Lobo Plantation (Sydney) and Chimmi’s Rum Cantina (Bondi).

The quaint little rum hideaways such as Grandma’s (Sydney), The Walrus Club (Brisbane), Melbourne’s latest The Rum Diary Bar, or try The Rum Diaries (Sydney). Of course we wouldn’t be finished without some real island style beach houses such as the recent Caribbean focus of The Watson’s Bay Hotel, The Rum Bar (Airlie Beach), and a taste of the Pacific in Cliff Dive. Maybe even act like a pirate at Hotel Street or The Anchor.

It can seem like a big list, especially in such a short amount of time, but for me the curiosity is how little they overlap. These are different trends and new concepts throughout Australia, not a single theme as we saw in every Mexican cantina. We are seeing the diversity that rum has as only the true international spirit can offer.

Rum has taken on the flavours of each harbour it touched and every nation that made it. We are starting to embrace the bars that really represent the culture of rum.

As I iron up the Tiki shirt the decision is made, time to pour some rum on it.

Much Love, More Rum.

RUM

What makes a rum bar?

As part of our rum feature, bars&clubs decided to sit down with some gentlemen who know a thing or two about rum and bartending, and while enjoying some tasty rum cocktails at The Lobo Plantation, we delved into the question of what makes a rum bar.

Sharing their thoughts and knowledge were: Tom Bulmer – Sydney Rum Club and Sugarcane Session organizer, Karel ‘Papi’ Reyes – Havana Club brand ambassador, John Gakuru – Think Spirits trade marketing manager, Joel Christie – Think Spirits WA rep, and Jared Merlino – GM and owner of The Lobo Plantation.

How did you first get into rum? What did you start of drinking and how did you progress through the category?

Karel: Technically my grandmother used to rub Havana 7 on my gums when I was a kid, it’s an old tradition in Cuba but objectively I was 12 years old, my father used to take me to the bar with him – the rum was called Puerto Principe. To be honest it’s really hard to be Cuban and not drink rum.

Jared: My first experience with rum was at hemmesphere about nine years ago, I drank Matusalem Gran Reserva, I never really used to drink dark spirits on the rocks but I got into it and really fell in love with that one. I usually drank bourbon or vodka when I was younger, but I got into rum that way and then I spent time in the Caribbean. Since 2008, I spent a lot of time there and the culture of it is what really got me into the category, and as the market has grown in Australia being able to try more has been a big thing.

John: I started out at TGIF and my first rum experience back then was Bacardi, it was the house pour and it also made for a pretty good flair bottle if I recall. I progressed through the category of rum quickly. Cane spirits eventually became my specialty subject – I didn’t know that then – but cane spirits have always been a favourite of mine. Once you get into it, you started experimenting and tasting a few different ones, talk to friends and they have favourites then they become your favourites and then you go off and find your own tasting favourites – and then you end up representing six different cane spirits in Australia (laughs).

Joel: I started working in a bar at age 16 in Queensland, going that far back in time clearly we consumed Bundaberg and then as the category has progressed in the country it’s given me the opportunity to taste more rums. At age 16 you drink Bundaberg because that’s what’s there and you’re in Queensland, then you taste rums from abroad and you never look back.

I really enjoy the back story of rum in general, every other distillery has its own story and I find them really entertaining and I guess I’ve just evolved as the country has, I’m loving where it’s at now the fact there are so many great rums available.

REYES, KAREL ‘PAPI’ O, JARED MERLIN , TOM BULMER D AN RU KU JOHN GA JOEL CHRISTIE

Tom: For me it all started when I was 14 on my first trip to Bali with the family. I’ve showed up to the bar, a young smart ass kid – I’d had a few beers with my dad before but I’d never really drunk anything else – and I roll up to the bar and say ‘can I have a drink please?’ and the guy says ‘what kind of drink do you want?’, and I say ‘how about something with coconut?’ and he looks at me and laughs and goes ‘how about something in a coconut?’. He then takes a giant machete, lobbed of the top of this coconut, poured in this homebrew rum, a whole bunch of tropical juice and that was it for me.

Jared: And then you started wearing the Tiki shirts (laughs).

Tom: I fell in love with being a bartender and I fell in love with rum straight away. I didn’t really hone in on rum until later, at the Sydney Rum Club in fact, before I went to work in London, with just meeting some of the guys that were doing it back then, it was very small but I got my first taste of a real good quality rum. And meeting John in London as well going to work at Mahiki, it wasn’t so much the rum itself but the culture.

What would you define as a rum?

Karel: Obviously a rum bar has to be mainly focused on rum, always friendly, able to know about the different rums on the back bar and the different styles. You always try to educate customers and have a chat about it. This is how it is at least in Cuba, it’s not about just having 125 rums behind the bar, it’s about educating and organizing the bar depending on the styles, knowing the cocktails and the tales and history around the rums and the production, that’s what makes a rum bar.

bars&clubs 65

RUM TOM BU

LMER AN

Jared: For me having just done one, definitely a rum bar to me is not just having X amount of rums in the bar it’s more of an investment in your staff and their knowledge of the rum. In this day and age, and I’m talking about the Sydney market more than anything, people walk into your bar and they don’t just want something different they want the knowledge behind it. They expect it here at the Lobo, they expect some back story, and the great thing about rum is the majority have fantastic back stories. So I, and most rum bars, need to ensure that what sets us apart from just putting rums on the back bar and being a rum bar is that the staff have the knowledge to back it up, they know how to sell rums in certain ways, they know how to present them, they know the differences, they know the names and stories behind the distilleries, that’s the difference between a real rum bar and a bar that just sells rum.

Tom: Rum is about culture. It’s a culture of the people and it could be the Caribbean, or a different island, it could be Australia – rum is one of those spirits that crosses the cultural bounds.

With other spirits, bourbon always came from the US, Scotch from Scotland, but rum was made by all nations, each to their own palate. I think that’s the most important thing about rum. When trying to categorise a rum bar, is not so much really about how many rums you have – you can do a rum bar with one rum if you really nailed down the culture, or you could do it with 100 rums – the culture isn’t necessarily in the back bar it’s in how you serve people, how friendly you are and how approachable you are, that’s really what defines rum.

What else do you need to have in a rum bar aside from the rums?

John: I don’t necessarily think there are rules.

When your’re about to own or set up your own rum bar it’s totally up to you how you present your business. What I’ve seen internationally being relatively successful during the GFC was venues that did have a specialty subject – it wasn’t 100% of what they did – but a tequila bar that specialized in good tequila seemed to do quite well during the GFC, same as a specialist rum bar, same with a restaurant that had one specialty subject.

Those venues seems to pour their passion and energy into that specialty subject and that is palpable from a customer’s perspective they can feel the attention to detail, the love, the training, the décor, the interior, it doesn’t matter what it is you’ll be able to feel it from the top down, from the owner to the manager to the staff to the bar back, you’ll get to feel whatever that venue has decided to be its specialty subject.

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D JOHN

GAKURU

In this particular context it would be rum, Lobo has made rum its specialty subject, they’ve chosen a concept in terms of design, look, feel, culture, attitude, ambience – a decision has been made about everything and it really shows. Although there aren’t any item cast iron rules, you need to nail your concept, invest in your people and the guests will come to you.

Jared: The passion has to be there, I [don’t] think people [should] pick a category and try to build a profitable business out of it purely because they think it’s good. There has to be a passion behind what you do, that has to be believed, as John said, from the management down to the staff. If [your bartenders] believe in the spirit, your back bar will move, they’ll introduce customers to new rums and will steer them towards new experiences rather than just the same old drinks and that makes a big difference at a specialty bar.

Joel: It’s back to that authenticity behind it and the culture. Rum is one of those categories that is bound by very little rules so encompassing that culture that comes with the different regions where it’s made, having that authenticity is key with having a rum bar. Those back stories speak volumes, that’s where the décor comes from, that’s where the tropical feel comes from, that’s the feel that the category is intended.

How important is it to have rums that are rarer, harder to source or unavailable in the country?

John: It doesn’t matter one bit if you have or don’t have rums that are unavailable in Australia.

Those rums have to have a reason for being there. If it’s just there because it’s unavailable that’s not enough. We’ve all talked about having passion or knowledge, if you have something that is not available in Australia and you can’t explain why you have it then it’s just a gimmick and it’s transparent. There are a lot of rums commercially available in Australia, it’s growing every day, and there are ways to get pretty much every rum on the planet into Australia if that’s what you want but again I think you need to have a reason and the knowledge to back up why you have that product.

Jared: It’s one of those things, we have over 160 here and obviously being an owner and GM of a business, you never want to sit on stock just for the sake of it sitting on it, but one of the most amazing and brilliant things as an owner to

I’ REYES

KAREL ‘PAP

watch is everything on our back bar pretty much is moving to a degree, and the ones that aren’t moving we have the staff research one a week and present that knowledge to the rest of the staff so they can move that product. And when new stock arrives from overseas everyone gets excited about it because there is that passion amongst the team, so everyone tries it, we get a bit of back history on it, we talk about it and then it’s that exciting new thing to bust out on that Thursday or Friday night for their regulars who come down – and that’s what a rum bar should be. When a customer walks through the door, don’t just put something on the back bar and hope that they notice it, it should be like ‘here you go here’s this product’ – there should be no product on the back bar, no matter how big your range is, that doesn’t sell.

Karel: I agree with John. I’ve seen so many rum bars here, in London and around the world that got so much stock that is hard to get, really rare stuff and then you talk to the staff and they have no idea. Whatever you got on your back bar you have to have a passion about it, you can have 250 types of rums in the back bar but why – because of the different styles? Then you have to be able to educate and explain the different characteristics, and different flavours.

One of the amazing things about rum is that it’s always changing, evolving every year, for example Cuba, they never made a spiced rum but now they are thinking about it, just to find a way to do something different. It’s always a challenge, there are so many brands, but you need to know what you are selling and the history behind it.

RUM

Tom: One thing I want to mention, you can have a rum bar with 1 or 100 rums, but rum is one of those spirits that is so diverse from bottle to bottle and country to country that it does take a few rums, for any bar not just rum bars, to actually experience the category. You need to have rums in a Spanish style, a colonial style, a French style etc. Rum can be from anywhere in the world and made for completely different palates, which is why rum bars have so many different rums.

There are many well-known rum drinks like the Daiquiri, Cuba Libre, and Mojito but are there any other rum drinks that you think are worthy to be as well known? And where does the Tiki side of things fall into it?

Jared: When we were setting up Lobo Plantation we didn’t want to take the Tiki route, not because I have anything against it but because Tiki has held people’s minds for such a long time of what rum is and I wanted to show the Caribbean side of what rum was, and a bit of a different side of rum so we steered away from the traditional Tiki style drinks. We do have some that are a little along those lines but we really wanted to show the other side of rum so for us it was a conscious decision to.

When it comes to many people’s history of rum in Australia, if anything they’ve experienced a bit of Tiki, so we get people coming down and I’ll recommend a Daiquiri to them and they’ll say ‘oh no’ I don’t want a blue drink, that’s the misconception behind it and I’ll tell them ‘no let’s get you a traditional shaken Daiquiri’ and that’s one of the most amazing experiences giving someone a traditional Daiquiri with a beautiful white rum, freshly squeezed lime juice and sugar, and for them to be blown away and completely change their concept of what rum is and how it’s presented.

We can still do big blue blended drinks if we wanted to but it’s just about that understanding of how beautiful rum can be when just married with some simple ingredients, that’s what we want to do here.

John: Again there are no rules. There’s nothing wrong with a Tiki bar, they’re fun, but if you are going to do Tiki go hard, don’t half ass it; you just have to attack it if that’s what you want to do.

You cannot do half Tiki. And then there’s other styles of rum bars, like Lobo, going for a different take on service of rum and the explanation of it.

Tiki doesn’t tend to explain rum, it just tends to push it in your face, which is great but they don’t take the time to explain the difference in rum so an environment like this one is a welcome breath of fresh air. As much as I love Tiki there is only so much coconut a man can deal with.

Jared: A lot of our rums are darker or aged rums, so a good entry level is the standard Old Fashioned; it makes it a little bit sweeter and palatable for people who aren’t used to drinking rum. Personally I wouldn’t touch many of the rums expect for putting in ice. But for people that you need to introduce rum to, a standard Old Fashioned or Daiquiri is as far as I’d go, because I really want them to understand and taste that rum has so much depth to it. I know some of my bartenders would go the other way, blend things up and make them blue (laughs) but that’s the angle I take.

John: I think if we are looking at trends or stats for rum, the Australian market is massive, per capita Aussies are the third largest consumers of rum in the world, in Australia 84 per cent of that is Bundaberg. So all of the rest of these rums, play around within that 16 per cent of the rum category, but that 16 per cent is bigger than the entire tequila category in Australia. So there is a lot of volume, and within that volume we are seeing a 10 per cent annual decrease in white rum, we are THE LOB O PLANTA TION seeing 160 per cent increase in spiced rum, which says a lot, and we are seeing a healthy 7 to 9 per cent growth in dark rum. So what does that say? If we are going to look at trends, spiced rum is the highest rum category at the moment so if you are preparing a drinks list you want to tap into the commercial realities of the rum category and take advantage of that, and that’s spiced rum right now.

Karel: To Tiki or not to Tiki? It’s black and white, if you’re Tiki you’re Tiki, if

you’re not then you are not. I don’t think you can have too many Tiki bars in Australia, in my point of view. I prefer more of a classic bar but if I was going to do a Tiki bar I’d go all the way. On the other side, as John says, is that Tiki bars are fun they’re not the type of place that you really want to educate the customer… a Tiki bar is a party bar.

Educating Australian customers on rum is still hard work, it’s not impossible, it’s doing really well actually now the market is more flexible and we got more variation of rum which helps. But there is always the stereotype when talking about rum, people expect – Tiki full of flowers, funny, with a lot of booze – or expecting the Cuba Libre, Mojito or Daiquiri. But there are so many other classic beautiful rum cocktails like The Nacional, Mary Pickord, El Presidente, Greta Garbo, so many classic rum cocktails that will eventually emerge thanks to all these new rum bars in Australia.

Tom: To Tiki or not to Tiki? I think definitely Tiki, and you know why, because I enjoy the Tiki movement, and that’s what it’s all about, the individual and how the individual wants to enjoy themselves. There’s six rum bars opened up in Sydney this year alone, and you see all these different culture and styles and none of them are the same, you see South American, you see Cuban, you see Island, Carib bars, Polynesian bars – we haven’t seen a full Tiki bar yet, just saying – but that’s what its all about, delivering on a culture for someone at any given movement and that’s as simple as giving someone a blue drink if they ask for it, or a Piña Colada if they want one, you got to remember these drinks aren’t all about the right rum or stirring down an Old Fashioned, it’s also about delivering what the customer wants, and in every glass and every drink delivering a bit of that passion and culture we were talking about before.

If you are going to make a Tiki drink, make sure it is a damn Tiki drink, go all out, because Tiki is a laugh, it’s full on and in your face and that’s what you want to deliver.

In terms of drinks I would like to see more off, I wouldn’t just say Tiki drinks, I would like to see more real Daiquiris, with fresh lime juice for example. The ability of delivering classics well, outside of the elite bars we might go to is important. These classic are still being made the wrong way or poorly in the younger bars in a way that affects our whole category, it affects people’s request for a Daiquiri because they are used to getting it blue or blended. Every classic rum cocktail can be made quite poorly in those young bars and to me making a difference in rum cocktails is in those younger bars making good classic drinks like Daiquiris, Rum Old Fashioned and Mojitos making them well first before we move further. b&c

bars&clubs 67

MASTERCLASS

7

The Rum Diary Bar’s venue manager, and self-proclaimed head rum runner, Josh Crawford has been working in the hospitality industry for over eight years now.

He did stints behind the stick at Cookie, Match and EDV Melbourne, before joining The Rum Diary Bar crew a few months ago.

For this issue’s masterclass, Crawford decided to make a Rum Milk Punch – which he originally was going to name Rum Dairy – one of the more popular drinks on the menu.

“It’s a digestif style drink; you could say it’s like chocolate milk for adults. It’s one of my favourite drinks, it sells heaps because it’s a good segue for people used to drinks like Baileys,” Crawford says.

RUM MILK PUNCH

Step Step

Glass: Jam Jar by Ingredients: HEADING •Glass: 45mlText Mount Gay Extra Old • 10ml Pedro Ximenez • 15ml Chocolate malt orgeat • 60ml Milk • 3 Dashes of Fee Bros. Aztec Choc Bitters Garnish: Cinnamon and grated nutmeg

RUM MILKPUNCH 68 bars&clubs

MASTERCLASS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW JARVIE.

3

1

4

STEPS

2

5

1. Add Mount Gay Extra Old 2. Add Pedro Ximenez 3. Add Chocolate malt orgeat 4. Add milk 5. Add Fee Bros. Aztec Choc Bitters 6. Add ice 7. Shake 8. Fine strain 9. Garnish 10. Serve

8

6

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10 bars&clubs 69

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

THE CHANGING FACE OF COCKTAIL CULTURE

BY GEE DAVID – SOUTHTRADE INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL TRAINING MANAGER

Having travelled extensively for most of the year frequenting a large number of bars and general watering holes, I can honestly say the cocktail culture of Australia is rapidly expanding and there is an inherent excitement in the air, or should I say, in the glass.

I

n the regional areas and major cities I have visited, there is an increased amount of licensed bars and an ever growing popularity in cocktails. Owner-operators are more and more aware that there are large profit margins to be made on cocktails that not only give the venue another dimension but also allow the staff to bring the fun back into bartending.

Seasonal drinks lists are a great way to keep your staff on their toes, offer your guests a variation around a standard list of ‘favourites’, and play on the emotions that the weather brings That being said, there seems to be a common ‘problem’ to which previously a solution wasn’t easy to come by. The fluctuation on fresh fruit costs throughout the year continues to be a sore point for many bars around the country.

And when faced with the added pressure of consistency, more and more owners and managers are turning to an alternative to save money, control their costs and yet still provide a great selection of cocktails to their punters.

The fact is that there are only a small percentage of bars that are able to create good cocktails, made with fresh ingredients, at a consistently

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high level.

Bulletin Place in Sydney is a perfect example of ‘Fresh is Best’, where these guys select their own fresh fruit from markets on a daily basis and create drinks around the quality of the fruits.

An amazing idea and an exceptional bar – and did I mention it’s owned and operated by arguably the best bartending talent in the country.

Sadly most bars are never going to have this luxury, and even if you’re able to get daily fruit deliveries, do you know where the fruit has come from? Do you know what the quality is like?

Let’s pick on strawberries as an example.

From one day to the next

they are different and they very rarely hit the spot in terms of full flavour.

Skilled bartenders are then faced with balancing the lack of flavour by introducing sugar to sweeten or ripen the fruit.

And in most cases they’ll have to add a liqueur made with the same fruit and added sugar to finally create the flavour that was first in mind when placing the fruit order.

This process now has an added cost of the sweetener and the liqueur and the time and effort of the skilled bartender.

It’s also a fact that the ability of bartenders fluctuate not only from bar to bar but from shift to shift and if you are not able to continuously assess and train the staff you have, you are in danger of losing punters by a great cocktail being served badly, without the balance and finesse that it deserves.

Because transient and unskilled staff make up a huge proportion of all bar jobs in the licensed venues across the country, it takes

time, effort and money to train them to the standard you desire, and then comes the inevitability that they will move on within six months because they have a better offer.

Throughout North America, Finest Call (which is distributed locally by SouthTrade International) has at least one product present in 75 per cent of all licensed venues. These guys have an incredible portfolio of cocktail mixers and fresh fruit purees that are a huge part of the US cocktail culture.

Last year at Tales of the Cocktail I was amazed to see so many venues with Finest Call products in their speed rails. It was either a fresh fruit puree (raspberry is amazing), a cocktail mixer (Margarita and Bloody Mary were personal favourites), or bar basics like sweet’n’sour and grenadine.

The underlying factor was that it didn’t matter what kind of bar I visited, from top cocktail bars (Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone), music venues like The Spotted Cat, and general ‘pub’ style venues – you were always guaranteed a good drink.

So come on. Summer is around the corner, so get your thongs out of the cupboard and your swimmers in the wash, and get ready to add a splash of fruit to your cocktails. b&c

HOT LIST

ANIMAL HOUSE TRUFFLED WHITE NEGRONI

TROJAN CRUSTA

JUN G LOV LE E

Glass: Wine Glass Ingredients: • 45ml Metaxa • 5ml Plomari Ouzo • 15ml Orgeat syrup • 20ml Lemon juice • 1 Dash of cherry bitters Method: Shake and strain over ice Garnish: Vanilla sugar crust and lemon peel

TROJAN CRUSTA

SMOKY BOBBY BURNS Glass: Cocktail Ingredients: • 40ml Talisker • 10ml Ardbeg • 10ml Dom Benedictine • 10ml Antico Formula • 1 Dash of Angostura Bitters Method: Stir other ingredients with ice and fine strain into glass. Mist with more Ardbeg Garnish: Cherry

JUNGLE LOVE Glass: Tall Ingredients: • 45ml Skinos Masticha • 15ml Agave syrup • 30ml Lime juice • 6-8 Mint Leaves • Soda Method: Build ingredients, fill with ice. Churn and agitate mint. Charge with soda and top with ice Garnish: Mint and rosemary sprigs

SMOKY S BOBBY BURN

T

he Animal bar, located upstairs in the recently renovated Newtown Hotel, has just launched a new cocktail list just in time for the summer months.

The new drinks list, which features both accessible and more alcohol driven drinks, was developed as a group effort by The Animal team, in particular Raji Vanniasinkam, Michelle Wassink and Amanda Harradence, with Keystone’s group bar manager, Jason Williams, lending a hand.

“We wanted to develop the offer upstairs a bit more, make the drinks a bit more serious. First we split it up into three easy categories and then added a bit of Greek influence.

“We have upped the ante with the drinks offering at The Animal. A new cocktail list, extended spirits listing and lots of training,” Williams says.

The list includes some great twists on classics, such as the Smoky Bobby Burns, the Trojan Crusta, the Saltbush Margarita and the Spiced Tequila Treacle, which have all proven to be an instant hit with patrons. b&c

bars&clubs 71

IN THE COOLER

AN EXTRA SPECIAL BREW The team at 4 Pines Brewery have launched their new ESB (Extra Special Bitter) brew just in time for the summer months. 4 Pines ESB is a 5.6% ABV full-flavoured, ambercoloured English ale with robust complexity. It contains a rich toffee and sweet raisin taste with a firm bitterness and a fresh herbal hop aroma.

Distributed by 4 Pines Brewery Ph: (02) 9976 2300

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED One of Colombia’s most popular beers, Aguila (which means eagle in Spanish) has recently landed on our shores. Brewed in Colombia since in 1913, Aguila is a smooth and clean drop with a full finish and an ABV of 4.0%. It is made using Perle and Nugget hop varieties that gives it a subtle spicy note on the palate.

Distributed by Foster’s Group Ph: (03) 8626 2000

UK BEER CHAMPION COMES TO AUSTRALIA A range of award-winning beers from one of the UK’s leading brewers, Fuller’s, are now available in Australia, including Fuller’s London Pride, ESB and Chiswick Bitter – which have all been named Champion Beer of Britain.

Other key Fuller’s brands now available locally include London Pride, London Porter, I.P.A., Organic Honey Dew, 1845 and Golden Pride.

Distributed by Empire Liquor Ph: (08) 8371 0088

CAPS OFF TO SAN PELLEGRINO San Pellegrino Sparkling Fruit Beverages 200ml glass range is now available with a unique and innovative ‘twist off’ cap, to provide added convenience and eliminating the need for a bottle opener. The new cap contains a pilfer proof tab that highlights the point of difference while ensuring superior quality and optimal preservation of the natural ingredients.

Distributed by Rio Coffee Ph: (08) 8362 3376

A FINE TONIC WATER Quina Fina is a new premium tonic water made from cinchona – the natural source of quinine – ethically grown in Ecuador, then blended and bottled in New Zealand with spring water and organic lemon, resulting in a clean and dry tonic water that can perfectly complement a range of spirits.

Distributed by Vanguard Luxury Brands Ph: 1300 DRINKS

THE FLAVOUR OF SUMMER Rekorderlig Cider has launched a new summertime variant, Apple-Guava, which blends crisp apple cider with a burst of tropical guava. The new cider is recommended to be served over ice with a squeeze of lime to make a great summer drink.

Distributed by Red Island Marketing Ph: 1300 673 362

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F A L L I N L O V E W I T H

B E L G I A N 1 0 0 %

A pple 5.4% A lc.

C I D E R

N A T U R A L F R U I T

Elde r flo wer & L i me 4% A lc .

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BEHIND THE BAR THE PRODUCTS EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH

OF THE 1MASTER BARRELS

Bundaberg Rum’s newest release, the Master Distillers’ Collection (MDC) Two Eighty, was created by maturing rum reserves in 280 whiskey barrels from Kentucky, USA. The result of this intricate crafting process resulted in a 40% ABV top shelf rum, with a rich flavour, a spicy character, and a smooth, clean finish. The new MDC Two Eighty is a limited release, with only 60,000 individually numbered bottles available.

Distributed by Diageo Australia Ph: 1800 066 931

NEW SHIRAZ 2 LIQUEUR WINS ACCOLADES Seppeltsfield’s Indigo Liqueur Shiraz, a new contemporary take on a fortified wine, has recently been awarded the Saury Trophy for Best Fortified Wine – Premium Classes,

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at the 2013 Barossa Wine Show.

Indigo Liqueur Shiraz is an un-oaked and fruit-driven liqueur with vibrant aromatics and fresh black-fruit characters, which can even be utilised as a base mix for a cocktail.

Distributed by Seppeltsfield Ph: (08) 8568 6217

SPICES 3CUBANEY THINGS UP

La Rumbla will be welcoming a new addition to its portfolio, which includes 10 different Cubaney rum expressions, in November. The latest member to the family, Cubaney Spiced Rum, is made using 15 year old solera rum and infused with malts, cinnamon, anise, rosemary and wormwood peppers.

Distributed by La Rumbla Imports Ph: 0448 044 860

4

BLACK GOLD Suntory Australia has just

released Mount Gay Black Barrel, which is made from double pot and single column distillates that are aged separately in their own toasted oak whiskey barrels until they reach maturity. Once the rums have matured, Mount Gay master blender Allen Smith selects and blends aged single and double distillates with a higher proportion of double distillates than in the Eclipse blend. The Mount Gay Black Barrel blend is then aged a second time, in deeply charred bourbon barrels – hence its name.

In addition to the launch the new expression, Mount Gay will also be transforming its packaging across the brand’s portfolio.

Distributed by Suntory Australia Ph: (02) 9663 1877

5BLUE FOR YOU

ASM Liquor has just relaunched Tequila Blu Reposado, which is made from 100% blue agave grown in four

different regions of Mexico. The hand picked agave is then fermented and double distilled before being rested in American oak barrels for six months, and then cold filtered using pristine volcanic spring water.

Tequila Blu Reposado also sports a new packaging design, inspired by Mexico’s Dias de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.

Distributed by ASM Liquor Ph: (02) 9692 0008

COLOUR OF 6THE WHISKY

The Macallan has just released The 1824 Series, a new range of single malts that features three expressions – Amber, Sienna and Ruby – made using specially selected oak sherry casks. Each expression is named after the natural colour they each develop during maturation in different casks types, which are chosen for the range of colours as well as the different

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flavours and character the woods from the expertly picked casks give each expression. The distillery says it is using colour to drive and define its whisky range, differing from the conventional age approach, which allows it to explore different casks and gives it a more flexible approach to its stock. The Ruby and the Sienna have an ABV of 43% while the Amber comes in at 40% ABV. Distributed by Beam Global Ph: 132 653

7A FLY NEW BOTTLE

In a testament to the brand’s growth in popularity, the awardwinning Aviation gin is now available in a new custom designed sleek glass bottle that is shaped to look similar to a flask and helps communicate the brand’s story and innovative style.

During the design process, Aviation worked with bartenders to give the bottle a shape that makes it easy

to handle behind the bar and which allows it to fit well in the speed rail.

Distributed by Vanguard Luxury Brands Ph: 0408 411 859

by maceration of the traditional herbs hyssop, lemon balm and petite wormwood.

Distributed by Distillery Botanica Ph: (02) 4365 3968

ACCOLADES FOR 8 LOCAL ARTISANAL LOVELY WAY TO DISTILLERY 9AFINISH Australia’s Distillery Botanica’s Lemon Myrtle Liqueur and Absinthe Reverie have been awarded Gold and Silver, respectively, at the recent International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London. The artisanal small batch distillery uses a traditional copper still, grows many of its own ingredients and hand bottles its products on site. The Lemon Myrtle Liqueur has a beautiful and intense aroma of lemon and honey with a sherbet like taste. The Absinthe Reverie is hand crafted in a French style, made using florence fennel, green anise and ground wormwood, and is naturally coloured

Hellyer’s Road Distillery has released a new single malt whisky that has been finished in premium pinot noir casks, which gives it citrus fruits, lemon and orange flavours with a sweet gentle layer of pepper and spice.

Distributed by Local Craft Spirits Ph: 0412 843 446

PACK A 10JUNIOR PUNCH

The Buffalo Trace Distillery released the first batch of its new Stagg Jr. Bourbon, an uncut and unfiltered bourbon whiskey with a 67.2% ABV. The first batch is comprised of barrels

that have been aged for eight and nine years, and is described as having rich, sweet, chocolate and brown sugar flavours mingled in perfect balance with a bold, rye spiciness, with a finish that lingers with hints of cherries, cloves and smokiness.

Distributed by SouthTrade International Ph: (02) 9460 1672

11MAKING A MARK

Maker’s 46, the first new product from Maker’s Mark in 50 years, is now available in Australia.

Maker’s 46 starts off as fully matured Maker’s Mark before being further aged in barrels with 10 French oak staves added to them, which gives the whiskey a greater intensity, nose and longer finish. It is made one barrel at a time to ensure quality and only a limited amount is made each year.

Distributed by Beam Global Ph: 132 653

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THE KODIAK CLUB’S 3RD BIRTHDAY

TEAM UK

THE KODIAK CLUB, MELBOURNE

The Kodiak Club let its hair down – in a manner they are infamous for – last month to celebrate the venue’s third birthday. As part of TEA MN EW ZEA the rambunctious and colourful LAN D dress-up birthday party, The Kodiak Club hosted the inaugural Bartender’s Olympics, which featured teams representing Australia, NZ, UK and North America.

MERON SAM CA DISCIPLINE HAD TO TAYLOR N NATHA THE NIGHT DURING

EECHLY

THOMAS SP

The team captains – Greg Sanderson (Australia), Andy Griffiths (New Zealand), Paul Ramsay (UK) and Sarah Miller (North America) – led their allstar teams through a series of challenges that included making a Tommy’s Margarita and ironing a shirt, coming up with an outlandish drink using some Alizé, and mixing up a Daiquiri and sinking a hole-in-one, with Team NZ taking out first place and earning themselves plenty of bragging rights.

S RYAN SCOBLE

SCENE GOLF PUNKS

THE PARTIES, THE PEOPLE, THE FASHION, THE DRINKS

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SCENE

SAM CAMERON

TEAM NORTH AMERICA

JAVLA FITZGIBBON AND SEAN BAXTER

PAUL RAMSAY

SHOE

TEAM AUSTRALIA

KNOW

WHO

THIS

IS

WORTH A HEMS

D JENN

LU AN TASHA

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DAREBIN MUSIC FEAST BAIN MARIE, MELBOURNE

The lads from Tequila Tromba, with some help from their mates at The West Winds Gin and 666 Vodka, set up a pop up bar FOX STUDIOS, SYDNEY as part of the Darebin Music Feast, which Maker’s Mark and Vox Vodka joined spanned over a few weeks and included forces with Myer for the launch of the over 150 events. The pop up bar, Myer Spring Summer 2014 Collections in named the Bain Marie, the 200 person Sydney, providing a range of colourful capacity guerilla venue was housed in cocktails that were designed to match the Northcote Town Hall Civic Square the Outback theme of Myer’s summer where thirsty festival goers were able to fashion collection. The cocktail menu grab some fresh cocktails. featured seasonal cocktails such as the Burnt Orange Swizzle, a combination of Maker’s Mark and ginger beer finished with a bold burnt orange and vanilla syrup. Also on offer was the Bush Spring Spritz, a combination of Vox Vodka and Regal Rogue Vermouth with sparkling mineral water, finished with a snippet of fresh dill. Native Honey Spiked Sours were also served, made with Maker’s Mark, fresh lemon juice and spiced honey and apple syrup.

MYER SPRING/SUMMER SHOW

BEAM S GLOBAL’ KRISTY E, URN RATHBO BUSH, E CANDIC LLOYD A MICHAEL ES JON

HOTEL STREET 12 KELLETT ST, SYDNEY

Sailor Jerry took over the 12 Kellett Street site in Sydney’s Kings Cross and turned it into Hotel Street – a pop up bar that for several weeks through September and October, was dedicated to live music, film, clothing and an exhibition of artwork from legendary tattoo artist Norman ‘Sailor Jerry’ Collins.

The pop up bar was named after the notorious Hotel Street district, in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Collins honed his craft and built his reputation. The venue was transformed into an interactive and integrated space where people could experience the culture surrounding the Sailor Jerry brand while enjoying some great drinks and music – with an outstanding selection of different bands playing each night.

In addition to great vibes, awesome drinks and banging tunes, guests were also treated to American BBQ street food courtesy of ex-Tetsuya chef, Stuart McGill from Eat Art Truck, who even created a special BBQ sauce made with Sailor Jerry’s rum for the festivities.

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SCENE L NTE CHA CIA, GAR -ERIN IE JAM OOD W

MIKKI TRACTON, JAZZ BRELL

TEQUILA BLU LAUNCH PARTY ROLLING STONE LIVE LODGE, SYDNEY

ASM Liquor celebrated the recent relaunch of Tequila Blu with a Blue Party, which guests were asked to wear their best blue attire to. The bar team served up a range of Tequila Blu cocktails including Passionfruit Margaritas, Strawberry Coolers and signature shots served with an orange wedge dipped in vanilla sugar, with plenty of Mexican cuisine on offer as well.

TIM SIMOSZONYI JULI N SIBIA , AN M , OSS

CHR IS GAL TOPHE R E, REIF KELLY FER FAY KOO, CINDY YOON

ZAC RK, NMA STE RDAN JO RK NMA STE

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION FESTIVAL SYDNEY SYDNEY TOWN HALL, SYDNEY

TOM WILLIAMS

Peroni Nastro Azzurro continued its relationship with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney, signing up as the official beer sponsor for the fourth year. This year the brand introduced its Passaggio activation at the MercedesBenz Fashion Festival Sydney, which showcased a selection of iconic Italian locations shot exclusively in Italy for Peroni that gave attendees a digital taste of Italy.

KRISTIE MILLER, DAMIEN GERARD, CARA LEUPUSCEK

ANTONIA MAGIROS, DIANA MAGOULAS, OLGA ARFANIS, DEMI RAISSIS

VOGUE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT DAVID JONES, SYDNEY

Ultimat Vodka and Patrón Tequila partnered up with Vogue as part of the magazine’s annual Fashion’s Night Out, a glamorous night of extravagant shopping and VIP treatment held across various fashionable shopping hubs in Sydney’s CBD. As part of the event, Vogue set up a ‘central hub’ called The Social Party on Level 7 of David Jones, where guests such as Megan Gale, Camilla Franks and Sophie Falkiner got to enjoy Ultimat Vodka Martinis and Patrón Tequila Granitas cocktails.

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CANADIAN CLUB LAUNCH PARTY

TRENT CHAPMAN

SODA FACTORY, SYDNEY

Canadian Club recently launched two new RTDs – Canadian Club Premium Dry and Canadian Club Summer Crisp – with a decadent celebration at Sydney’s Soda Factory.

Dapper guests were treated to an array of prohibition-era themed food, drinks and entertainment, with Canadian Club brand director, Trent Chapman, praising the trade during the night for its support in helping make the brand grow.

ORGNL.TV LAUNCH PARTY FOVEAUX ST, SYDNEY

AGUILA LAUNCH PARAMOUNT BUILDING, SYDNEY

The eagle has truly landed with the local launch of Colombian beer, Aguila, which was celebrated with a fiesta filled with yellow confetti and plenty of Colombian music, dancing, food, and of course, cold Aguila beers.

Stoli hosted a big night of fashion, art, music, technology and taste, for the launch of its ORGNL.TV content platform.

The night featured entertainment from Brendan Maclean, Softwar and Ariane, and there were five different Stoli cocktails to keep the 300 guests refreshed. Drinks on offer included the Catwalker – made with Stoli, grapefruit, lime and lavender, and the Tastemaker – made with Stoli, pineapple, passionfruit and lime. In addition, Le Petite Mort provided an artistic light display while Limedrop hosted a fashion installation, which included a limited edition gift for guests.

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SCENE GLENFIDDICH PIONEERS FINALS SETTLERS ARMS, ST. ALBANS OLD GROWLER, SYDNEY

BEEFEATER 24 GLOBAL BARTENDER COMPETITION THE BARBER SHOP, SYDNEY

The Australian final of the Beefeater 24 Global Bartender Competition (GBC) was recently held at The Barber Shop in Sydney, where the twelve finalists – Jason Williams, Nick Selvadurai, Neilson Braid, Nathan Beasley, Cristiano Beretta, Mischa Bonova, Perryn Collier, Merlin Jerebine, Fred Siggins, Gerald Faundez, Mike Tomasic and Simon Hough – showcased their skills.

The bartenders had to create a classic cocktail using Beefeater Dry, as well as a modern variation of the cocktail using Beefeater 24. Competitors, while also presenting the story behind the two serves had to explain the rationale behind their choices. Williams took out first place and will now be heading to London to compete in the global final on November 7.

HOT GIN PUNCH TOURNAMENT THREDBO, NSW

This year’s Hendrick’s Hot Gin Punch Tournament national final was held at Thredbo, where Julius Yates, John Sharman, Samuel Tripet, Martin Lange, Perryn Collier, Krystal Hart, Dominique Cacioli, Alexandre Raclet, Eoghan O’Neill, Andrew Bennett, Ben Tua and Hiroaki Teraoka (from New Zealand) battled it out over three days of challenges.

The final round, which was kept a secret from the finalists, required each competitor to create an original punch, but this time served cold, using one T homemade ingredient they WHA S AT EN HAPP O STAYS were allowed to bring, and B D THRE HREDBO AT T other ingredients sourced from a ‘Hendrick’s Pantry’.

Collier emerged as the victor, and was declared ‘the master of all punches’, earning himself a trip to the UK to visit the Hendrick’s Gin distillery, as well as attending London Bar Week and an exclusive Hendrick’s event.

Nine of Australia’s leading bartenders battled it out EVAN STANLEY for a chance to win a trip to Scotland at the 2013 Glenfiddich Pioneers Cocktail Competition national final last month.

The finalists – Adam Bastow, Evan Stanley, Eoghan O’Neill, Blake Schill, Christopher Amon, Chad Hanson, Ev Liong, Phoenix Naman and Daniel Monk – were taken to one of Australia’s oldest pubs, The Settler’s Arms in St. Albans on the NSW Central Coast where they had to present two Glenfiddich signature cocktails, as well as explain the connection between their drinks and the pioneering character that inspired them, to a panel of judges that included fellow competitors.

After the presentations were concluded, the judges and contestants were flown back to Sydney’s by helicopter to attend the official finale event, held at Old Growler in Sydney’s Kings Cross, where guests had the chance to sample some of the finalists’ cocktails while awaiting the announcement of the winners.

First place went to Stanley, with second place going to Bastow, with both bartenders earning themselves an adventurous trip to Scotland that will include a visit to the Glenfiddich distillery as well as a Loch Ness winter cruise, a dog sledding tour through the Scottish Highlands, and an Edinburgh bar crawl.

Third and fourth place went to Hanson and Naman, respectively, with both bartenders earning themselves a trip to central Australia, were they will be exploring the outback on AN IX NAM PHOEN quad bikes.

HENDRICK’S BRAND AMBA SSADOR, SEBASTIEN DERBOMEZ WI TH WINNER, PERR THE YN COLLIER

CHAD HANSON

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THE CREW 1

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4

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1. THE TEAM FROM FAT RUPERT’S 2. THE TEAM FROM THE LOBO PLANTATION 3. LAUREN BESSE AND AMBER MCEWAN 4. LOW 302’S RODRIGO VEGA 5. CUSHDY’S SHAUN PATTINSON 6. FRED SIGGINS, NICK REID AND JAMES SHERRY 7. THE COLLINS’ MONNIE PLACE 8. DYLAN HOWARTH WORKING HIS MAGIC

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BARS&CLUBS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER INDEX

BRANDS AND COMPANIES INDEX 3R Tequila, 62 4 Pines Brewery, 72 666 Vodka, 78

A Aguila, 72, 80 ALIA, 6, 38, ALSA, 30, 31 Appleton Estate, 57, 58, 60, 63 Ardbeg, 44, 47 ASM Liquor, 8, 74, 79 Aviation, 75 Auchentoshan, 47 Australian Turf Club, 10

B Bacardi Lion, 31, 50 Balvenie, 47, 52, 53 Beam Global, 8, 47, 75 Bearded Lady Bourbon, 25 Beefeater 24, 81 Beenleigh, 56 Bowmore, 47 Brown-Forman, 31, 50 Bruichladdich, 36, 47 Buffalo Trace, 22, 42, 43, 48 Bulleit Rye, 22, 48 Bundaberg, 9, 44, 56, 74

C Canadian Club, 27, 52, 53 Campari, 59, 60, 63 Carribou Crossing, 49, 52, 53 Chivas Regal, 44, 46

Club Suntory, 8 Caol Ila, 46 Clynelish, 46 Coca-Cola Amatil, 8 Cragganmore, 47 Crown Royal , 52, 53 Crystal Head Vodka, 38, 39, 40, 41 Cubaney, 57, 58, 60, 63, 64, 74

D Diageo Australia, 8, 11, 29, 30, 3, 46, 74 Distillery Botanica, 75

E Elmer T Lee, 26, 48, 75 Empire Liquor, 72

F Fever-Tree, 34 Finest Call, 42, 43, 70 Foster’s Group, 72 Fuller’s, 72

G George Dickel , 8, 29, 30, 31, Glenfiddich, 44, 47, 81 Glenmorangie, 44, 47

H Havana Club, 8, 57, 58, 60, 63, 65, Hellyer’s Road, 75 Hendrick’s Gin, 9, 81 High West, 24, 34, 48 Hudson, 23, 27

I IBISWorld, 30, 31 International Beverages, 49 island2island Beverage Company, 31, 32, 34, 80

J Jack Daniel’s, 44, 48 Jameson, 44, 47 Jim Beam, 48 Johnnie Walker, 9, 17, 20, 46, 50, 56

K Kavalan, 49 Ketel One, 11 Keystone Group, 10 Knob Creek, 24

L Lagavulin, 46 Laphroig, 24, 47 Local Craft Spirits, 75 Liquid Miles, 42, 43 Little Drippa , 11

M Maker’s Mark, 12, 48, 75, 78 Merivale, 13 Monkey Shoulder, 52, 53 Mount Gay, 1, 57, 58, 59, 60, 68, 69, 74

N Nikka, 48, 49

O Overeem, 49

P Patrón, 79 Paul Kelly Design, 36 Peroni, 79

Q Quina Fina, 72

R Red Island Marleting, 72 Regal Rogue, 78 Rekorderlig Cider, 8, 72

S Sail & Anchor, 8 Sailor Jerry, 57, 58, 60, 63, 78 San Pellegrino, 72 Seppeltsfield, 74 Solotel, 8 SouthTrade International, 31, 32, 34, 36, 42, 43, 47, 75 Starward Malt Whisky, 49 Stolen Rum, 8 Sullivan’s Cove, 49 Suntory Australia, 47, 49, 74 Sweet & Chilli, 11

T

Tempus Two Wines, 8 Tequila Blu, 8, 74, 79 Tequila Tromba, 78, 82 The Glenlivet, 46 The Glenrothes, 47 The Macallan, 47, 74 The Whisky Show, 44 Think Spirits, 65 Time Out, 8 Top Shelf, 36 Tullamore Dew, 47

U Ultimat, 79

V Vanguard Luxury Brands, 32, 34, 48, 58, 62, 64, 72, 75 Vodka O, 8 Vok Beverages, 56 Vox, 78

W West Winds Gin, 78 Wild Turkey, 25, 27, 48 William Grant & Sons, 47 Woodford Reserve, 23, 48 Writers Tears, 47,

Y Yamazaki, 49

Tales of the Cocktail, 42, 43 Talisker, 46 Tamborine Mountain Distillery , 11, 56

BARS & CLUB INDEX 1806, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

B Bank Hotel, 8 Bar de Halcyon, 16 Bar Lou Lou Bulletin Place, 70

C Canvas, 42, 43 Chimmi’s, 56, 64 Clock Hotel,8

D Dead Rabbit, 36

E EDV Melbourne, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41

F Fat Rupert’s, 15 Firefly, 12

G Golden Sheaf , 8

H Hello Sailor, 12 Hemmesphere, 13 Hinky Dinks, 12 Hotel Sweeney’s, 42, 43 Hula Bula, 58, 59

K Kings Cross Hotel, 8 The Kodiak Club, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 76, 77

L Los Barbudos, 56, 58, 60 Lotus, 13

M Mojito Joe’s, 56, 57, 58, 60, 64

N Neighbourhood, 15

O O Bar and Dining , 15 Old Growler, 81 Opera Bar, 8

P Paddington Inn, 8 Papa Jack, 42, Pelicano, 58, 60, 62, 63

Q QT Hotel, 12 Quo Vadis, 13

R Reserve Wine Bar, 14 ReviveR, 10 Rum Fire, 56

S Settler’s Arms, 81 Soda Factory, 80 Sokyo, 38, 39, 40, 41

The The The The The The The The The

Collins, 12 Corner House, 56, 58, 59 Emerson, 8 Hazy Rose, 39, 57 Island Bar, 8 Laneway Lounge, 14 Lobo Plantation, 1, 56, 58, 64, 65, Rum Diary Bar, 56, 64, 68, 69 Walrus Club, 56

W Wilcox & Co, 15

T The Animal, 71 The Barber Shop, 81 The Californian, 14

PEOPLE INDEX A Allen, Dee, 29, 32 Anderson, Rollo, 38, 39, 40, 41 Arnott, Jessica, 11 Aykroyd, Dan, 38, 39, 40, 41

B Bastow, Adam, 13, 52, 53 Baxter, Sean, 10 Blair, Ben, 57, 58, 60, 62 Blanchard, Richard, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Boseley, Justin, 57, 58, 60, 63, 64 Bruce, Alex, 47 Bruhn, Matt, 11 Bulmer, Tom, 64, 65, 66, 67

C Callan, Dean, 52, 53 Cameron, Sam, 76, 77 Carter, Alex, 14 Christie, Joel, 65, 66, 67 Clark, Kevin, 11 Collier, Perryn, 81 Collins, Grant, 14 Collins, Norman, 78 Cranswick-Smith, Chris, 14 Crawford, Josh, 68, 69

D Dare, Lou, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 David, Gee, 70 De Souza, Eddie, 15

Derbomez, Sebastien, 9, 81 Dobie, Karen, 30, 31 Duff, Jamie, 8 Duncan, John, 10

E Enright, Mike, 13

F Faraone, Marco, 12 Finlay, Todd, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Fitzharris, Shane, 48 Flanagan, Morgan, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 Forde, Nathan, 30, 31, 32, 34 France, James, 30, 31, 32, 34, 58, 59, 60, 64 Fry, Linda, 16

G Gakuru, John, 65, 66, 67 Gibbs, Andrew, 8 Gracie, Lesley, 9 Green, Callan, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Griffiths, Andy, 76, 77

H Hannah, Andy, 49 Hanson, Chad, 81 Harradence, Amanda, 71 Hart, Krystal, 11, 82 Hay, Laura, 46

Heaton, David, 16 Hemsworth, Jenna, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Hodgson, Keith, 15 Hysted, Chris, 11

K Keown, Brendan, 38, 39, 40, 41 Kneale, Lewis, 11 Knight, Dan, 12

L Lancaster, Ben, 38, 39, 40, 41 Lange, Martin, 82 Lark, Bill, 49 Little, Mark, 11 Long, Pete, 59, 60, 62, 63 Lu, Tasha, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 Lumsden, Bill, 44, 45

M Maclean, Charlie, 45, 47 Mann, Georgie, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Mant, Paul, 13 McEwan, Jim, 36 McGarry, Jack, 36 McGoram, Simon, 15 Merlino, Jared, 65, 66, 67 Miller, Sarah, 54, 76 Minissale, Giuseppe , 30, 31 Monk, Daniel, 38, 39, 40, 41 Morley, Andrew, 8

Morrow, Stuart, 52, 53 Muldoon, Sean, 36

N Naman, Phoenix, 81 Ng, Samuel, 9 Nguyen, Quynh, 38, 39, 40, 41 Noe, Fred, 48 Nunes, Marco, 42, 43

P Payten-Smith, Hugh, 40 Piper, David, 9 Place, Monnie, 12 Plummer, Jared, 11 Polito, Dominic, 12

R Raclet, Alexandre, 62, 63, 64, 81 Ramsay, Paul, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 76, 77 Raythorn, Alan, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Reid, Nick, 82 Reyes, Karel, 65, 66, 67 Rigby, Myffy , 8 Rimmer, Matt, 30, 31, 32, 34 Ryan, Gordon, 10

S Sahr, Shane, 10 Samuels, Bill, 12, 48 Sanderson, Greg, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 76, 77

Scoble, Ryan, 76, 77 Scott, Colin, 46 Sherry, James, 76, 77, 82 Shipley, Jeremy , 8 Siggins, Fred, 78, 81, 82 Sofo, Daniel, 12 Sotti, Jack, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Speechly, Thomas, 76, 77 Stanley, Evan, 82

T Taylor, Nathan, 76, 77 Tomašic, Mike, 38, 39, 40, 41

V Vanniasinkam, Raji, 71

W Walters, Andres, 1, 56, 57, 58, 60, Ward, Michael, 11 Warren, Daniel, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Wassink, Michelle, 71 Wastell, Tim, 16 Weisbaum, Nigel, 59, 60, 62 Williams, Jason, 71 Woolley, Dan, 44 Wren, Andy, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

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