Australian Bartender

Most Influential List Top 50 Announced

With such a fantastic response to the voting for Bartender magazine’s Most Influential List it has certainly shown that Australia’s bartending fraternity is proud to get behind the people they think are doing a great job.

With more than 650 votes from trade professionals the results have revealed a good mix of bartenders, operators, brand managers and trainers, among others. Beginning in 2009 and running every second year this wonderful industry focused initiative really rewards those people who help make the bartending and hospitality industry a great place to be.

The Strawberry Hills Hotel

The last time the Strawberry Hills Hotel (est.1870) had a makeover was in 1921 when Sidney Warden transformed the Surry Hills icon into one hell of a hip watering hole decked out in the latest Art Deco style and catering to jazz aficionados. Ninety years down the track and the Strawberry Hills Hotel has emerged from an 18-month restoration costing six million dollars that is sure to set the historic public house up for another century of trading.

Pelagic Bar & Dining

Canberra is hosting a small boom in new bars and restaurants lately, and the new Pelagic Bar & Dining is looking to focus on a seafood driven menu, a solid wine selection and most importantly classically driven cocktails. Head bartender Geoff Fewell is proud of the team and what they are bringing to Canberra’s drinking and dining scene.

Bar @ 10 William St, Paddinton

Can a bar with no name have an identity? Well, the venue at this address certainly does and it is a sensational place to come and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, friendly service and good food and wine served by some of the welcoming staff, Giovanni, David and Zea.

ATMs under the Spotlight

Everyone knows what an absolute pain it is heading out for a night only to find that you’ve got no cash on you, and we all know that when you’re looking for an ATM, they are just about the last thing you’re going to find – like petrol stations when your fuel light comes on.

XO Lounge Restaurant Lounge & Bar

Located on the ground floor of Exchange Plaza in the heart of the Perth CBD, The central feature of the venue is the glowing white onyx marble bar and a state of the art surround sound system – that pumps out old school tunes.

Australia’s Top Bar Training Programs

Bartender education is possibly one of the most crucial elements to running a successful business. It’s no help to have the back bar primed with the best spirits and liqueurs if those making the drinks don’t know what goes with what, or the different flavour profiles available. Furthermore, bartending is not just about the ‘hear and now’ of making a drink. It’s about the past and the future, so learning about the diverse nature and history of the bar industry is key to becoming a professional in your trade.

Belgian Beer

Belgium, the home of the European Union, waffles, and damn good chocolate has a land area of only 30,528 km² – less than half that of Tasmania. Despite its diminutive territory Belgium is the forth largest brewing nation in Europe with an estimated 125 breweries in operation putting it behind only Germany, the United Kingdom and France despite all three having at least six times the population. It’s not Belgium’s output that is impressive, however, but rather the myriad traditional styles that are still available to this day.

PM24

Continuing to shake up the Melbourne drinking and dining scene, the Press Club Group has recently opened another sophisticated venue; PM24. The highly acclaimed chef Phillip Mouchel has come on board and the new addition is a modern French bistro that is sure to help set the trend for 2011.

New Range of Speakers

JBL have recently added two new products to the Control Contractor range (Control 50S/T and Control 52). Now that there is quite a range of speakers what is it that makes these new ones stand out from the crowd? The Control 50S/T is a surface mounted single 8″ subwoofer and the Control 52 is a surface mounted 2.5″ satellite speaker.

Discussing the Heavenly Spirit with Dan Woolley

Dan Woolley is a self confessed lover of the liquid gold dram, and will soon be behind the helm of his own whisky palace, ARCANE. When Bartender caught up with him recently for a chat about all things malt he extolled some of his whisky wisdom and we thought it was good enough to share.