“Goldy is your slightly rough around the edges but very loveable aunt. She’s uncouth, bounces to the beat of her own drum, calls everyone ‘love’ and ‘darl’ while downing a brandy and flashing some lippie on her front teeth.” – Owner, Rebecca Feingold
She started working in restaurants at home in France, but got properly interested in the industry once she arrived in Melbourne in 2017. After travelling around for a while she landed in Brisbane, starting at Canvas in Woolloongabba where, in her own words, she picked up some “bartending tips and rules – if there are any!”
Rescued from relative obscurity by the craft cocktail revolution, the Negroni is now a fixture on ‘most popular’ and ‘need to know’ lists worldwide and even my local pub, not renowned for its mixology, is happy to whip one up.
Mitchell currently hangs her hat at The 18th Amendment Bar in Geelong, and credits joining the team there with sparking her passion for hospitality.
‘Amaro’ means bitter in Italian (‘amari’ is the plural), and covers an incredibly wide category of bitter herbal liqueurs made by steeping botanicals in spirits or wine, and adding sugar. Amari were originally made by monks and thought to be medicinal (where would we be without those tonic-touting monks?! Living in a much less flavourful world, that’s for sure).
Brandy’s raisiny richness has always been something to return to in the colder months; a comforting hug. You can drink it neat, of course, but when it comes to mixed drinks there are really only two seminal brandy cocktails: the Brandy Crusta and the Sidecar
Introducing Jaine Eira: Cara Devine interviews the pub bartender and champion of whiskey & underdogs
She got her RSA in 2005 and came up through pubs including Melbourne faithfuls the Grace Darling and the Charles Dickens before starting to work with her current employers at the Dan O’Connell (RIP).
Ask any bartender about their sherry selection and their eyes will light up with a feverish passion. And port, once the preserve of red-nosed captains of industry straight out of a Dickens novel, has finally taken its rightful place on cocktail lists alongside the vermouths and quinquinas who have reigned as undisputed champions of the fortifieds for far too long.
“Long hours, physically and emotionally demanding work, patchy pay… It’s not difficult to see why there was an exodus of seasoned hospitality professionals, and those that have stayed are more aware of their worth and what they will tolerate.”