So, by now Trader Vic’s Mai Tai is pretty well established in the bartender’s…
Tag: Richard Boccato
You know an operator means business when they head to NYC, scouting out one of their best bar operators and getting them involved here in Australia. That’s exactly what Damian Griffiths — the man behind Alfred & Constance — did, snagging NYC tiki man Richard Boccato, with the result being a pitch-perfect Tiki bar by the name of White Lightning. Boccato was recently out in Australia to do some training at White Lightning, and we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions.
Richard Boccato is at the centre of all things tiki in New York. He started his bar career manning the door at Little Branch before getting behind the bar, ending up at Milk & Honey. He then went on to open Dutch Kills and then tiki bar PKNY (originally called Painkiller). His talent with tiki caught the eye of Damian Griffiths, who brought Boccato out to Brisbane to help launch the tiki bar at Alfred & Constance, White Lightning. They’ve put a new cocktail list out recently, with Boccato visiting to implement it, and we asked him to walk us through the 1934 Zombie he’s put on the list.
There’s a lot going on at Alfred & Constance. In fact, there are four venues in one. And more drinks lists, food menus and nooks and crannies to peruse than one outing will allow. It seems the era of Brissie’s pumping super-nightclubs is coming to a close with patrons clamouring for more eccentric and intimate places to spend their downtime.