Features

Features

The 10 Most Influential Aussie Bars

People always ask me what are the best bars in the country and to be honest I find it one of the hardest questions to answer. A good bar, or a bar that you want to go to is mostly about personal taste and what might rock my boat could be completely distasteful to someone else.

The Bundaberg Distilling Company

Australian history is awash with rum – that characterful sugarcane spirit the golden hue of good, fertile Aussie soil. And if you distill the history of Bundaberg Rum and you’ll find a heady mix of traditional Aussie values.

Summer Brews

Don’t think for one minute that we are telling you what to drink this summer. If you like sitting out in the sun clawing through a pint of Guinness on a balmy 35 degree day or cool down after tennis by knocking the tops of a few high a/v Belgium monsters then not a problem, go ahead – ill catch you later with a pint of cider and a bag of crisps.

Poor Old Absinthe

Poor old absinthe, the much maligned and ostracised liqueur of the late 20th century

iHeart my iPhone

Why this precious piece of technology is worthy of the hype.

Jolly Jamaica

Jamaica is no cocktail Mecca by any stretch. Far from it. It doesn’t have a classic drink that the world is thirsty for. There’s no Cuban Daiquiri to call their own.

RIP the Signature Cocktail

It’s been a long time coming. Once upon a time, signature drinks, or cocktails, or food dishes, were things you could only get in one restaurant, or perhaps one chain of restaurants, or from one chef. Ramos Gin Fizzes, Brambles, Lamb Cutlets Reform ( a la Soyer), TGI Fridays’ Jack Daniels Grill and Nobu Matsuhisa’s black cod are all examples of signature serves. Everyone can imitate these serves in any bar you like, but even an oxygen thief knows that you should have at least one Penicillin straight from Sam Ross, or a Tommy’s from Julio Bermejo. Done right, signature serves rock.

Beware of the Blog

Technology has done some wonderful things for our industry. The internet alone has allowed bartenders from Moscow to Melbourne to chat and learn from each other. But there has also been a downside in that now anyone can publish anything they want, becoming armchair critics and quasi experts on our industry overnight. Enter the cocktail blogger.