John Hall Special
• 40ml Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 15ml sweet vermouth
• 7.5ml dry vermouth
• 10ml Cynar
• 1 Barspoon of maple syrup
• 2 dashes of Whiskey Barrel Bitters
Stir down with ice and serve up. Garnish with an orange twist.
Recipe by James Hughes, The Gresham, Brisbane
The team at The Gresham, up in Brisbane, know what they’re doing: the 2016 Bar of the Year is known as a destination for great whiskey, great beer, and good times, but they’re also dab hands when it comes to cocktails.
Take this very classically constructed drink, put together by bartender James Hughes. It draws inspiration from the Perfect Manhattan, he says. “I wanted to bring forward more of the earthy elements from both Buffalo Trace and the sweet vermouth (we use a blend of vermouths and pedro ximenez sherry at Gresham) via a balance between the rich maple and Cynar flavours.”
It’s an exercise which proves that the old ways often don’t need improving, and he leans on a hit of bitters to bring it all together. “A dash of whiskey barrel bitters rounds everything out,” he says. “I chose an orange twist for the garnish to add a sweet aroma to offset the dry and bitter elements as well for its colour vibrancy and simplicity under the pump.”
The Gresham is in a heritage-listed building in Brisbane’s CBD, so it’s fitting that the name for the drink pays homage to the original Gresham Hotel. “John Hall was the surveyor of the land where the original Gresham Hotel was located, and his architecture firm was also responsible for the design of the South Brisbane City Hall,” Hughes tells us. “He was an influential figure in Brisbane history, and we have a focus here of celebrating Brisbane and Queensland history.”
We’d say that focus includes making banging drinks, too.
The Banter
• Buffalo Trace picked up the 2016 Double Gold Medal for Best Straight Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition held earlier this year.
• The Buffalo Trace Distillery, situated on the banks of the Kentucky River, has been making whiskey on the site for over 200 years.
• The brand is named for the paths carved by buffalo through the American wilderness that led explorers to new frontiers.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon
This deep amber whiskey has a complex aroma of vanilla, mint and molasses. Pleasantly sweet to the taste with notes of brown sugar and spice that give way to oak, toffee, dark fruit and anise. This whiskey finishes long and smooth with serious depth.
SouthTrade