Bartenders have long been touting mezcal as the next big spirit to take over back bars, cocktail lists and even earn a trending hashtag on Twitter. The reality is it’s got a long way to go with high entry level prices, limited availability and challenging flavour profiles meaning it’s mainly bartenders serving mezcal to other bartenders at the moment.
Not long ago a couple of cracking gins appeared on the market; lo and behold they were Australian. The West Winds gins caught the fancy of juniper-prone bartenders across the country (their stand at Bar Week Drinks Fest was as full on as the botanicals in the Cutlass gin they make), so we caught up with rabble-rouser-in-chief, Jeremy Spencer, to find out more about what they do.
Think Lui Bar and you’ll probably think that Skipper Josh has been at it again, or some other brave soul is testing the waters of tiki mania. But if you’re looking at the pictures on this page, you might be wondering if he’s a bit confused.
Things are looking up for Sydney’s North Shore. Whilst the area has always had some great pubs, things have been a bit hit and miss when it comes to smaller drinking around North Sydney.
But The Botanist looks set to change that.
Sydney is the new bar capital of Australia. Yes that’s right folks, after more than 13 years of publishing this humble little magazine and always referring to Melbourne as the city with the best bars I now feel it only fair to give credit where credit is due.
What do James Bond, Hugh Hefner and Eminem all have in common? Stolichnaya is their vodka of choice.
Monopole is the new Potts Point wine bar from Bentley owners, chef Brent Savage and sommelier Nick Hildebrant. While the focus might be on wine, the drinks list isn’t to be neglected: it’s one for the spirits geeks too.
Queen Victoria was one memorable monarch. She might not be a picture of beauty, but Victoria’s reign as Queen of the United Kingdom stretched for over 63 years – the longest of any British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history.
After thinking long and hard, I have made the decision to bring to a close the Drinks Fest exhibition side of this year’s Sydney Bar Week. Sydney Bar Week will continue with our amazing trade parties and the influential Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards.
We all know Funkin as a supplier of premium, top quality purees that offer consistent product each and every time you use them. Well, the fine folks at Funkin have now expanded their range in Australia to include a suite of handmade syrups too.
It’s that time of year again, when bartenders across Australia start thinking about whether they’ll…