Three top new tequilas to hit bars

Kansei Beverages are bringing to Australia these organic artisan-made tequilas from 3R Tequila. Both the aged varieties, a Reposado and an Anejo, are aged a little longer than the average — their Repo is aged for 10 months, the Anejo for two years.

Receivers appointed to leading Sydney pub group

Sydney pub group J & J O’Brien — who operate the iconic Jacksons on George, along with The Watershed Hotel, Cohibar, and the Belvedere Hotel — have gone into receivership, sources have told Australian Bartender. ANZ has appointed receivers and have taken on oversight of the venues, they said.

Classic: Martinez

No one really knows who invented the Martinez. Big shock there. Some say it’s named for a guy called Martinez who whipped together some gin and vermouth. Others credit it to the Granddaddy of all things bartending, the Professor Jerry Thomas who created it for a fella who travelled to Martinez, California every day.

Cantina Sociale – not just another wine bar

One thing that is inescapable in Adelaide is wine. It’s everywhere, and it’s little wonder given the rich, plentiful supply they have in them there Hills surrounding the city. So the advent of a new wine bar might be a little pedestrian; does Adealide need another wine bar? Well Cantina Sociale does things a little differently.

Creative 1883 cocktails wanted!

The folks at Posi Pour are inviting bars to get creative and submit a signature cocktail using their range of 1883 Gourmet French Syrups. The winning signature cocktail will be showcased in Australian Bartender’s Staffies page along with the bartender’s name and venue. The winning bar will pick up a dozen 1883 Gourmet French Syrups of their choice while the bartender who came up with the drink will receive a gift bag of assorted bar utensils.

How To: The Exotic Gin Drinks of Charles H. Baker

Reading through the pages of most cocktail books written before the second world war can get to be a pretty dull read pretty quickly — particularly if there isn’t a well-stocked bar at one’s disposal or the hour is unsociably early. Yet Charles H. Baker Jr’s prose stands apart from the pack.

Masterclass: around the world with a flagon of rum

The world of rum is a diverse one. And, thanks to there being no unifying authority, the types of products that are called rum vary widely in their flavour profiles. There are, loosely speaking, a few different styles of rum that drinkers can identify. They’re based on old geographical and cultural roots and it is remarkable how these styles have come down the ages.

April issue now available on iPad!

The April issue of Australian Bartender has gone live in the App Store. It’s a cracking issue — we’ve taken an old school approach to the drinks with old-fashioned illustrations, a How To on shrub and a masterclass in punch. We’ve also debuted our new Blind Tastings section — this month our panel sniffed, sipped and scored 28 of the country’s best craft beers.

Cafe Pacifico to close after 15 years

After 15 big years, countless bottles of tequila, and more hangovers than anyone cares to remember, Sydney institution Cafe Pacifico will close its doors this month. Problems renegotiating the lease and leaky ceilings left owner, Phil Bayly with no choice but to move on.

Shebeen

Here’s a charitable idea we can get behind: head to new Melbourne bar, Shebeen, buy a beer like Tusker (which is from Kenya) and see the profits from the sale of said beer go to help Kenyan farmers get access to tools, education and insurance so that they can get out of hunger.