Andy Griffiths, one time bar manager at Melbourne’s award winning Cookie, has finally given us the inside word on what he has been up to since giving up his post last year. Griffiths has been busy planning the bar for Mesa Verde a new venue opening in Melbourne next month.
The Perth bar scene is alive and well it seems, with a bit of musical bartender chairs being played. It appears that Luxe bar is ground zero for a lot of this too. Not only is owner Andy Freeman setting up a new bar, called The Varnish (as we reported in October’s Bartender) but other Luxe alumni are making moves too.
You have six packs of cream charges, a cream canister, a load of fresh berries and all sorts of party supplies like balloons and cocktail parasols. You make a note to ignore the knowing looks you get from the barely post-pubescent checkout guy.
OK. Let’s get this straight from the beginning. Genever is not gin. Though gin was definitely based on the Dutch genever, genever has more in common with moonshine than it does gin.
Building on the success of Bundaberg Select Vat Rum, Bundaberg Distilling Company’s Master Craftsmen have hand selected the next vat to be used in the premium series.
Beer is more important to Aussie bars than ever. Tippler’s Tap is testament to this – as manager Carl Rhodes describes it, Tippler’s “is a small neighbourhood bar with no pretense, no dress code and no crap beer.” Seems they’re clear about what they want to do with the place.
Gilt Lounge is tucked away above Gowings Bar & Dining in the quirky QT Hotel, Sydney. It is luxurious, it is exclusive, but don’t take that as bywords for a lazy bar program – this place has invested seriously in doing drinks and drinks service well.
The Japanese whisky market in Australia is set to explode with the arrival of Nikka Whisky.
It seems Bob Hawke is having a bit of a renaissance in the eyes of Australian drinkers – first, by christening the Workers in Balmain, and now as a part of the Print Hall venture that took over the The West Australian newspaper’s former headquarters (and including a $2.5m wine program). Bob’s Bar is adorned with the wise words muttered by the man himself: “Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work today is a bum!”
Pernod Ricard are bringing out the highly-sought after Irish drop, Redbreast 12 Year Old.
Compiled by Sam Bygrave We were beginning to think that the day was cursed. The…
2011 was a cracker year for the Walkers Arms Hotel. They scooped the pool at the South Australian AHA Awards and were given the title of best overall hotel. Yet this revamped and tech-savvy hotel, just a short distance from the Adelaide CBD, has had a long history that runs parallel with the history of South Australia itself.