Scotch whisky gets a lot of the world’s attention in the global spirits market. But it’s not the only game in town and when it comes to mixing drinks and creating cocktails, bartenders seem to be turning to Irish whiskey more and more – partly due to its mixability (as we’ll see below) but also because it is a category that has been underdeveloped in Australia until recently, with the arrival of Redbreast and Writer’s Tears in addition to the forthcoming Green Spot.
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With a list put together by Matt Hewitt (ex-The Bowery, where he won Bar Manager of the Year in the 2007 Australian Bar Awards) cocktails are front and centre at this Brisbane bar.
Many a bartender in Australia has tried to track this brand down, often to no avail. Think Spirits have now secured distribution for these quality mezcals, of which a fair share of the attention given to mezcal these days can be attributed to.
There was a time – not that long ago – when bars were filled with the sound of whirring metal blades blitzing ice and fruit and booze; a time when the cocktail glasses were large, the drinks coloured bright, and the bartender was the boss of the blender.
Back in our June issue we brought you the news that this bar from Chris Denman (who placed 2nd to Jason Williams in the Bartender Magazine 2010 Bartender of the Year competition) and partner Stevie Wright would be coming. Its been open a few months now, and things are going well.
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that innovative Sydney publican, James Miller (Drink & Dine Group) has passed away.
He was a central part of the team that brought innovation to Sydney’s pub landscape, with each of their venues — The Norfolk Hotel, The Carrington, The Abercombie, and most recently, Santa Barbara — enjoying great successes and revitalising the local drinking scene.
Tequila. I love it. You love it. Heck, even punters are coming around to its agave spirit goodness be it sipped neat or quaffed in mixed drinks. But for a long time tequila has been viewed as a bit of a one trick pony when it comes to cocktails.
You know what you need more of in your life? Utah whiskey.
Living in today’s fast-paced, online world when something is trendy it spreads like the plague. Take the fashion industry, for example, one day an outfit is on the catwalk, it’s copied and sold everywhere, and a few weeks later everyone is wearing it.
The team behind Lily Blacks (nominated for Best Bartender’s Bar at Bartender’s Australian Bar Awards) are wowing Melbourne boozehounds with new bar, Mr. Wow’s Emporium. Exposed brick walls and long wooden tables and a curved bar house a wowing drinks program.
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.