Bushmills heads to Melbourne for Backbar Series

Andy Ratcliff and Brad Cuff.

Whiskey Specialists, Andy Ratcliff and Brad Cuff, will hit up Melbourne for a week of Bushmills Irish Whiskey events in early July, fresh off the back of their trip to the Old Bushmills Distillery in Ireland for the Bushmills Long Day – a bar convention for future leaders.

The Bushmills Backbar Series will kick off at well-known bartender hangout, Hats and Tatts, with a masterclass rolling into a takeover, when Ratcliff and Cuff will join Jason Chan, Josh Nicholson and the team to serve a list of much-loved whiskey classics reinvented. 

Next up is an Old vs New Whiskey tasting at the Starward Distillery. For just 40 people, the tasting and masterclass will explore and compare the traditional techniques used at Bushmills, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, with Starward’s more contemporary approach to whisky making.  

Cuff says, “Neither method is better nor worse. What’s interesting is the different results the techniques give to essentially the same liquid. And what better way to test and compare those practices than with one of the world’s oldest whiskey brands and one of the newest.”

Finishing up at Talk to Me, Bushmills will run a masterclass first and then push into a takeover to join Bonnie Nicol behind the bar for a night of banging drinks and tunes.

Ratcliff says, “Bushmills is a whiskey that has stood the test of time. It’s survived wars, prohibitions and changing trends. In its 400 years, Bushmills has stayed true to traditional whiskey making and is an awesome whiskey to work with.

“People don’t often think of whiskey when they order a cocktail, but Irish Whiskey is really accessible and works perfectly in a range of cocktails when mixed well. The Bushmills Backbar Series is all about showing people just how good whiskey cocktails can be.”

Details
Monday 8 July – Hats & Tatts, 78 Cecil Street, South Melbourne 

Masterclass starts at 3pm. Email bcuff@proximospirits.com if you’re interested.

Takeover from 5pm. Entry is free and no reservations necessary.

See FB for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/608118013010952/

Tuesday 9 July – Starward’s New World Whisky Distillery, 50 Bertie Street, Port Melbourne from 3pm. Only 40 spots available – email bcuff@proximospirits.com to claim your spot.

Thursday 11 July – Talk to Me, 153 Commercial Road, South Yarra, Melbourne 

Masterclass starts at 3pm. Email bcuff@proximospirits.com if you’re interested.

Takeover from 5pm. Entry is free and no reservations necessary.

See FB for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/306183290268573/