Month: March 2013

Watch Cristiano Beretta make the Ramos Gin Fizz

It’s a drink that takes a long time to make, so we thought we enlist a bartender who’s been around a long time too. Veteran bartender Cristiano Beretta (The Rook, Sydney) has made his fair share of Ramos Gin Fizzes through the years, so press play below and pay attention…

Drinks With: Washington D.C’s Derek Brown

He’s a bartender, owns the Passenger D.C. and the Columbia Room (named in GQ’s top 25 bars), has written about drinking for The Atlantic, and bantered with President Obama. He’s also a genuinely nice guy behind the bar. Meet Derek Brown…

The WSJ’s Bourbon Mania & the global demand for booze

In a sign of growing interest in bourbon and in quality spirits generally, Josh Ozersky writes in the Wall Street Journal that as demand for artisanal products has exploded, brands like Pappy Van Winkle — spurred on by ringing endorsements from celebrity chefs — are increasingly hard to find. And they are increasingly expensive.

First Look: The Wild Rover

The much-anticipated opening of the Wild Rover, after a couple of setbacks, is finally here. Opening at the end of next week, the two-level bar from James Bradey and Warren Burns (owners of Grandma’s) will hold 120 people, with the same drinks and food across both levels — downstairs it’s expected will be a quieter affair, and upstairs, with a plan down the track to have live music, is expected to be a little more boisterous.

Web watch: drinkhacker.com

Yep, it’s American, so there is a bit of a yankee-centric feel about this website but if you’re interested in hunting down new and unique spirits, you’re sure to find something here.

Manager Profile: Ben Clark

The Zetter Townhouse, London, was nominated for two awards 2012’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, taking out the World’s Best New Cocktail Bar award. We met up with its Aussie ex-pat bar manager, Ben Clark for a couple of drinks when he was in Sydney recently.

Tequilaworld steps back in time to… 2004

Take a squiz at the video below from Australian Bartender Advisory Panel member and all-round Tequila guru Phil Bayly. You’ll see a younger Bayly, Tom Estes, Angus Winchester, and Dre Masso step behind the bar at the legendary La Capilla, on Julio Bermejo’s first Writer’s Tour of Tequila in 2004.

Brisbane location frustration

Why in Brisbane in particular, does location seem to be one of the most important factors to consider when opening a new venue? Are the people of Brisbane less adventurous than in other cities? Is it correlated to our infrastructure? Is it simply a lack of population?

Lock, stock & smokin’ charred barrels

Sure, barrels were used to keep things in for a long time, from one harvest to another, say. But the idea that the character of the liquid inside happened to change — in a way that people found pleasing — is really a secondary, happy happenstance.