Month: August 2013

Take a step back in time to Honkytonks

Red Bull Music Academy’s magazine has a great story on the storied old Melbourne nightclub, Honkytonks. As the article by Nick Connellan points out, in the spot where Honkytonks once resided there is now an Indian restaurant, called Tonka: “It’s typical of the city: new, upmarket, pricey. Totally hidden unless you know it’s there. Achingly cool, then.”

UK drinks maven to head up Merivale’s mixology

There have been a number of personnel changes taking place at Sydney’s Merivale, among them the departure of long-time group bars manager Mike Enright (who has opened up The Barber Shop since his departure). But in big news for Merivale and Sydney drinking, the UK’s drinks maven Paul Mant is stepping into the role.

How to make Trader Vic’s Mai Tai

There’s no secret that drinking leads to everything from little lies to egregious exaggeration; but perhaps there’s no stories quite like those that sprung up around the tall tales of tiki culture.

Just 5 weeks until Sydney Bar Week kicks off!

There’s just 5 weeks to go until Sydney Bar Week 2013 kicks off! Tickets for the workshops are selling out quick, all the massive trade parties are locked down and there’s a host of great consumer events planned for each night of Bar Week.

Classic: the Dubonnet Cocktail

Quinquinas. These under-appreciated, herbal, bitter wine-based drinks might seem a little dowdy, but they pack a lot of flavour. Oh, and they are downright delicious when mixed, like in this Dubonnet Cocktail.

Sour beers: the wild, wild yeasty frontier

Lift open the lid on most mainstream beers and what you’ll find is pretty good; but it is also pretty tame. You’ll get some combination of various proportions of malted barley, hops and water. And most will taste very much the same. But some brewers are doing things a little bit differently.

Red Bull Curates an arty lock-in at Home

Sydney’s HOME nightclub has undergone a little but if a revamp thanks to their longstanding partners, Red Bull, through the Red Bull Curates program.

The partnership goes back some time, with the nightclub (which opened in 1998) being Red Bull’s first Australian on-premise account.

The Idiot Savant Prizes happening at Sydney Bar Week

Sydney Bar Week. That wonderful time of year when the cream of our glorious industry converge in our country’s only significant city to celebrate our finest sons & daughters for their contribution to the year been. But often as we are wowed buy the technical grace and encyclopedic prowess of some we forget the true warriors of this fair trade. The characters, jokers and raconteurs who don’t just make up the numbers but bring us the colour & music needed to fill our bustling drinking halls with life.