5 minute read
DRINKS: SOOTHING SIPS
Soothing sips
An underground bar is embracing the chill with a bespoke cocktail list.
WORDS Aristine Dobson
PHOTOGRAPHY Steven Woodburn and Jiwon Kim
THE TEMPERATURE HAS offically dropped outside, which means fruity refreshers have been swapped for slow sippers. Bartenders are creating citrus-driven cocktails with dark spirits that are rich in flavour and heavy on complexity. Hot toddies, mulled wine and liquor-spiked lattes have become the go-to as the drinking public embraces the cool season with seasonally appropriate options.
Sydney bar Apollonia has taken a classic yet contemporary approach with its current menu, which revolves around warming spices and barrel-aged spirits. Beverage Director Jason Williams talks to Hospitality about working with different spirits and creating winter cocktails that bring the heat.
When asked to define a winter cocktail, Jason Williams says it should generate a sense of warmth. “I don’t necessarily mean the temperature, but the flavours and sensations that psychologically make people feel more comfortable and fuzzy on the inside,” he says.
Cool-season drinks tend to be sweet and rich, evoking dessertlike characteristics. “Baking spices or stewed fruit, chocolate, vanilla and caramel are perfect for winter-style cocktails,” says Williams. “Cinnamon is probably the most common. If you drink a cocktail and the first thing you smell is nutmeg or cinnamon, it indicates it is going to be a warming cocktail.”
-Jason Williams
Certain spirits and liqueurs can also enhance and complement such flavours. Williams tips dark barrel-aged spirits as a must. “Anything aged in a wooden barrel for a long period of time is perfect for winter cocktails because you’re going to have an inherent sweetness from the spirit,” he says. “Particularly when it comes to American whiskies or rums because they have a big sugar base. The volatile spirit interacts with the wood over a number of years and takes on its characteristics.”
Any dark spirit can fit the bill, with common examples seen in quintessential cocktails. “Winter cocktails are traditionally dark spirit-forward Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and even simple two-ingredient cocktails such as a Whisky Mac, a Godfather or a Rusty Nail, which all have a dark spirit with a liqueur,” says Williams. “Other famous cocktails are literally hot drinks such as a Hot Toddy, hot buttered rum or Blue Blazer; they’re all quite spirit-forward cocktails and really pack a punch when heated up.”
Apollonia’s cocktail menu is geared towards classic Italian-style drinks that have been tailored to reflect the season. An example is the chinotto Manhattan, which has a peppery foundation and uses a house chinotto-flavoured sweet vermouth. “We do a little twist on it with American rye whiskey as the base and then we use dried native Australian pepperberry,” says Williams. The chinotto is reduced with vermouth before it’s combined with a juniper-based amaro from Never Never. “You’ve got lots of spice, dark citrus and aged spirits blended together in a spirit-forward cocktail,” says Williams. “We also add a few dashes of a homemade tincture.”
The Old World Ways, which is a recent addition to the menu, is another example. The drink also uses American whiskey as a foundation. “It’s basically a macadamia chocolate and orange Old Fashioned,” says Williams. “We use Brookie’s Mac, which is a macadamia liqueur from Byron Bay, and some Australian orange liqueur from South Australia.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum is an amaro highball that proves a good winter cocktail doesn’t have to be high in alcohol content. “Amaros have perfect winter flavours,” says Williams. “They’re quite sweet, herbal and honeyed, so we lengthen them with fresh citrus, a little bit of strawberry and some eucalyptus to brighten it up. The drink is still quite dark, herbal and moreish, which is what you might expect from winter flavours, but it’s in a tall low-alcohol application.”
Presentation is integral to building any cocktail, no matter the season, and choosing the right glassware is part of the process. “Glassware is important for winter cocktails because it can also add some comfort,” says Williams. “If you have a nice whisky on a big block of ice or an Old Fashioned, it will come in a double Old Fashioned glass and have a heavy base or a cut pattern. It’s quite thick and sturdy and indicative of what you’re drinking. You know it’s going to have a warming effect on the body and the mind.”
Whether it’s a classic cocktail or a bespoke creation, winter is the perfect time for bartenders to experiment with heavier spirits and rich flavour profiles. A cool-season cocktail can be anything from a whisky-centric sipper to a drink that highlights citrus season or spices — the options are endless.
-Chinotto is made from bitter orange
-Old World Ways is $24 at Apollonia
-Brookie’s Mac liqueur is crafted with macadamia nuts and wattleseed
-The amaro highball uses strawberry gum
