Products 
How to start your very own spirits brand: we talk to the 86 Company’s Simon Ford
Simon Ford has worked at the big spirit companies, is known for bringing Plymouth gin to bartenders worldwide, and worked for a long time as an ambassador for Pernod Ricard. He’s traded all that in now for his own spirits company, The 86 Company, and his very own eponymous gin, Ford’s Gin. Bartender sought to find out more about where the market’s been and where it’s going.
Books: The Drunken Botanist
Hipster bartenders, gather round, cos this is a drinks book that is right up your alley. Get set to take over your local community garden or herb pot (as it is in Surry Hills) because this tome will take you on a journey through all the plants that are responsible for the booze in your sacred bottles. Think sake from rice, Scotch from, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn.
Pernod Ricard bring Olmeca Altos downunder
In exciting news for tequila fans, Pernod Ricard is bringing their Olmeca Altos brand to Australian shores. Available from July 1, the high quality tequilas were created by Jesús Hernandez with two of the world’s best bartenders — André Masso and the late Henry Besant.
Books: The Book of Gin by Richard Barnett
Definitely a book for the gin buff, rather than just a pleasure read and let’s face it, Gin has a juicy past, with lots of little gems to help spice up your bar banter. Gin has been a drink of kings infused with crushed pearls and a drink of the poor flavored with turpentine and sulfuric acid.
Punch – the granddaddy of all bartendery drinks
In those dark times, before the Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs and Fizzes, there was Punch. It’s the idea of the pub — an occasion in which people gather at a place in a shared (drinking) experience — where they gathered around the flowing bowl. Punch is for sharing en masse.
Stoli mixes its way around the country
Over the last couple of months Island2Island have taken Stoli to mix, muddle and mash its way across the country, wrapping up a successful tour yesterday in Sydney at the Village, Potts Point. The tour involved masterclasses that saw select groups of bartenders in all the major cities discover the rich history behind Stoli and where it sits in the vodka category, all the while catching up with other bartenders — and causing a ruckus or two along the way.
New French liqueur, Pavan, launches in Sydney
Bartenders and industry folk alike gathered yesterday at Brasserie Ananas in the Rocks, Sydney to celebrate the launch of new French liqueur, Pavan.
Club Suntory put on an event that evoked a sun-drenched south-of-France glamour and included a variety of cocktails, with matching canapes provided by the Ananas kitchen.
Ask an expert: Colin Scott talks Blended Whisky
What makes a great blended whisky? What’s the process involved, and is it a craft, art or science? We asked an expert – the knowledgeable Colin Scott from Chivas Regal – to find out more about blended whisky.
Mixxit Chronicles get rude and uncensored!
Mixxit Chronicles – winners of On Premise Training Program of the Year at last year’s Australian Bartender Bar Awards — is set to launch at the iconic 1806 next week 30th April & 1st May at 1pm, with a session titled “Scotch & Irish Whisky – un-Censored”! Led by Jason Crawley and Dylan Howarth, the lads are promising a fresh look compared with last year’s program, and best of all — it’s uncensored.
The Cocktail Studio connects bartenders with content
Campari’s National Brand Ambassador, Oliver Stuart, says that often the information that bartenders find most interesting during training sessions is the tidbits that come up in the course of presentations, often as an aside. And it’s this avenue he hopes their recently launched blog, The Cocktail Studio will go down. The blog has already had great feedback from bartenders, becoming the kind of place where bartenders can come and share ideas, recipes, stories — and these little gems of trivia.
Belvedere & Glenmorangie come to town
Over the course of two nights in Sydney last week, two international luminaries from the Moet-Hennessy stable – Belvedere’s Claire Smith and Glenmorangie’s Dr Bill Lumsden — put on a show for Australian audiences.
Marie Brizard’s Watermelon gets a push
It’s a liqueur that has been around for some time and its longevity is due to its popularity: it’s the bottle that bartenders reach for when they need to add a whack of watermelon to freshen up their drinks.
The Master of Mezcal visits Australia!
Ron Cooper, the founder of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, has kick-started his agave educational tour of Australia and last night Sydney bartenders were lucky enough to catch up with Ron on his first ever trip down under. Eight expressions of Del Maguey were sampled including the Tobala which is distilled from only wild maguey from the highest altitude canyons along with the Pechuga that involves suspending a chicken breast (yes, folks) in the atmosphere of the still!
More in this category:
- Three top new tequilas to hit bars
- How To: The Exotic Gin Drinks of Charles H. Baker
- Masterclass: around the world with a flagon of rum
- April issue now available on iPad!
- Blind Tasting: Bitters & Vermouth at Cushdy
- My problem with pushy cocktail comps
- Australian Made: Maidenii
- Cider, tax and politics
- Web watch: drinkhacker.com
- Editor’s Pick: The Tequila Ambassador, Tomas Estes
- The West Winds Gin… & Tonic too
- Simon Ford launches a new gin designed with bartenders in mind
- Gorgeous George gets into the Tequila game
- Bundaberg on the Road to Recovery
- Web watch: Silo Design
- Book review: Drinks by Tony Conigliaro
- Malacca makes a comeback; Maker’s Mark backflips
- Distillery Profile: Stolichnaya
- Funkin get sweet on syrups
- 1883 Routin swings three new syrups
- Pernod Ricard launch iPad-based training
- Gin Palace bartender brings out vermouths
- Challenger Beverages chalk up new brands
- Onlybitters is all you need
- Cocktail experiment: whiskey
- Think Spirits take on Del Maguey
- Pernod Ricard seeing Green Spots
- Moustachioed bitters smugglers from… NZ?
- A rendezvous with Utah’s High West Whiskey
- Gin: jacked up on juniper
- A select new rum from Bundaberg
- Nikka Whisky landing in Australia
- Pernod Ricard gets its Redbreast out
- Cocktail Experiment: Spirits & Smokes
- Masterclass: Cider
- White whiskey no longer for the underdogs
- Classic: Pearl Diver’s Punch
- Astronomical Ardbeg!
- New 200ml mixers from Schweppes
- Bundaberg MDC Dark Oak
- Hamada Shuzo Shochu
- The Botanist Islay Dry Gin
- Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
- New cachaca offering from Think Spirits
- Campo de Encanto Pisco
- G’Vine Gin
- Red Bull: the new Editions!
- Bundaberg’s Select VAT Rum
- Isfjord Premium Arctic Gin & Vodka
- H by Hine VSOP Cognac
- Oakheart Spiced Rum
- Vok Liquid Chocolat Liquor
- TMD Launches Sugar Cane Spirit
- Writer’s Tears Pure Pot Still
- 1806′s bespoke brew
- Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky
- Dalmore Cigar Malt Available
- Absolut Wild Tea now available
- Jack Daniel’s gets its honey on
- Johnnie Walker Platinum
- Jim Beam Honey hits the market
- Bulleit’s Rye Release
- Vok Beverages takes on Bearded Lady Bourbon
- Gold Rum from TMD
- Rekorderlig’s Mango-Raspberry
- Spey River & Glen Moray malts
- New Look for iconic Plymouth Gin
- Mount Gay Extra Old Giveaway
- Lillet additions now available through Cerbaco
- Kraken Black Spiced Rum
- Havana Club Añejo 3 Años
- Tovaritch Vodka. Just Add Instinct!
- Bacardi Scoops Leblon Cachaça
- Suntory Releases Opal Rossa-Blood Cherry
- The King’s Ginger Liqueur
- Viva la Cuban Rums!
- Auchentoshan 1975
- Inverarity’s Islay Expression
- Black Cherry Downunder
- Jameson Gold Reserve
- Absolut Elyx
- Auchentoshan’s Cask Strength Release
- Beluga Premium Russian vodka
- Magners Summer Flavours
- Bear Hug Infusions
- Ripe Cider available
- Book review – ‘Old Man Drinks’
- Crème Yvette liqueur
- An Islay dram worth its salt
- Crystal Head Vodka
- Glenfiddich 14 Year Old
- Royal Salute The 100 Cask Selection
- The Barman’s Friend
- Campari launches new calendar
- It’s a ‘blue ribbon’ gin from Cerbaco
- Rekorderlig Apple & Blackcurrant
- Jans Herbal Liqueur
- The Annual Manual for Bartenders, 2011
- Martell’s new release Cognac
- TMD’s Trade Push
- Elija Craig Bourbons
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- Book Review: The Flavour Thesaurus
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- Editor’s Choice – Formula iPhone App
- Hayman’s Sloe Gin
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- A Rocking Bourbon
- Pomegranate Perfection
- Think Fernet
- TMD’s Cherry Liqueur
- GlenDronach Scotch Whisky
- Schweppes’ New Elixir
- Suntory’s New Gins
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- 10 Cane’s New Look
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- Rise ‘N’ Shine
- No More Wobbles!
- Elements of Islay Available
- Esquire’s Handbook for Hosts
- Jim Beam Black
- TMD Cocktail Bitters Kit
- Rekorderlig’s Winter Cider
- Absolut’s Berri Açaí
- Upsynth 55
- The West Winds Gin
- Unique Tequila
- Haitian Rhum Here!
- Suntory Takes on Bitter Truth
- Les Vergers Syrups and Purees
- Company Profile: Hospitality Innovations
- Bundaberg Master Distillers’ Collection
- Book Review – Melbourne’s Bars and Pubs
- Speakeasy Book Review
- Thrice as Nice Gin
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- Eclectic Lighting Designs
- Sailor Jerry Rum
- Ilegal Mezcal is Available
- Upsynth’s new dry gin available
- TMD’s New Eau-De-Vie
- ATMs under the Spotlight
- New Range of Speakers
- Alessi Cocktail Shaker
- Scotland is Calling
- Chill Your Whisky
- Drink Historic Rum
- Iconic Spirits’ New Product Range
- Become a Certified Whisky Master
- Rémy Martin VS Cognac Returns
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- New Scottish connection for Island2Island
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- Magners Pear In New 330ml Size
- TMD Judged Australia’s Most Awarded Distillery at the IWSC
- Holy Dollar Success at 2010 IWSC
- Pretty in Pink
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- Le Shack Nabs Casa Noble
- Bar Tunes Bespoke Music Solutions
- More Gold for Tamborine Mountain Distillery
- Cohiba Behike Arrives to Australian Market
- Footy Fever at barmenus.com
- The Latest Shipment from The Flavour Merchants
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- Mixxit Launch ‘Prospect’ – Cutting Edge Bar Consultation
- 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka
- Manitowoc Ice Machines
- Vectron’s New Customer Reward Voucher Tool
- Mixxit Bartenders Hair Wax
- Hand Crafted Greek Beer Arrives in Australia
- Campari Australia Open For Business
- Inner Circle Green Dot Named ‘Spirit of the Year’
- Les Vergers Boiron Fruit Purees
- WEBWATCH: Mixxit.com.au
- Chairman’s Reserve St. Lucia Rum
- Jose Cuervo to Diageo
- The Luck of the Irish: Le Shack Gains a Trio of Whiskeys
- The Flavour Merchants Ship Out Pale Ale
- The Art of Change: Alchemia Comes to Australia
- Bye’s Liffey Valley Pinot Noir 2008
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- Tales from the Humidor: The non-Cuban Revolution
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- Angostura Bitters shortage hits New York
- WEBWATCH: Dwink.com
- Shure Super 55: Modern Muscle in a Vintage Body
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- Jose Cuervo Especial Silver Launches In Australia
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- New Tamborine Mountain Flavours
- Free menus online at barmenus.com
- Cuervo Unlocks a Treasured Family Secret: Jose Cuervo Platino
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- Tales from the Humidor: Nothing Beats a Cigar Dance
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- Tales from the Humidor: Cuaba 2008 Edicion Limitada Review
- Tales from the Humidor… An Introduction
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