Bars & Clubs January - February 2016

LUXURY

SPIRITS How luxury spirits can work in your venue and how to train your staff to sell them

FOOD MATCHING

THINK OUTSIDE THE WINE BOX WITH COCKTAIL AND BEER MATCHING IN YOUR BAR

OP TECH

THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE YOUR BAR RUN SMOOTHLY

ALL ABOUT BEER

EVERYTHING FROM ROTATING TAPS TO PROPER STORAGE – MAXIMISE YOUR BAR’S BEER POTENTIAL

PLUS: SOCIAL MEDIA & PR DO’S AND DON’TS • SPOTLIGHT ON WHITE SPIRITS • AUSTRALIAN GIN • DARLO COUNTRY CLUB

WANT MORE? http://tiny.cc/qf40yx

FIRST DRINKS

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MANAGING DIRECTOR Simon Grover PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia. com.au EDITOR Stefanie Collins scollins@intermedia.com.au CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Spotlight: Simon Taylor (Shot on location at Public House Petersham) NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Mark Ryu mryu@intermedia.com.au (02) 85866123 GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP Shane T Williams stwilliams@intermedia. com.au GRAPHIC DESIGN Ryan Vizcarra ryanv@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper PUBLISHED BY The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd ABN 940 025 83 682 41 Bridge Road, GLEBE, NSW Australia, 2037 Telephone: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 1883

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nvestigating the bar scene in far-flung countries is always an interesting experience. Not that Switzerland is that exotic, the bar scene in Geneva just isn’t exactly what you would call worldrenowned. Nevertheless, with the help of some local family knowledge, I managed to track down two great cocktail bars to spend some evenings in.

One was a classic Euro-style wine bar that just happened to have a great cocktail selection, while the other wouldn’t have looked out of place in some of London’s more hipster boroughs. Incidentally, the latter occasionally flies in some big name bartenders from old London town to serve for the night – it’s apparently always a big hit with the large English expat community in the city and goes to show how there really are no limits to how far a bar will go to make themselves stand out with patrons.

Apart from relishing the chance to exercise my atrocious French speaking skills, the bars served as an interesting examination of all things menus. Yes, I know that’s a bit specific but it fits with our on-going investigation on our website (professional.topshelf.com.au) and in the mag of how to construct a menu that is interesting, engaging, and informative – I’ll give you a hint, it’s like asking how long is a piece of string. Anyway, the different menus in each bar proved to be all three of these things, despite being presented in vastly different manners.

In L’Apothicaire Cocktail Club the vibe is the aforementioned Euro-style with small complimentary tapas plates and, conversely, a menu that presents like a 1920s broadsheet newspaper. Neatly divided into sections like “New Cocktails”, “Martinis”, and “Classics”, the rather flowery descriptions (in French they all sound amazing) are interspersed with 1920s booze ads, a picture of Sean Connery as Bond, and old school cartoons. It’s visually engaging without being overwhelming and suits the cheeky vibe and friendly staff that the bar has going on.

Two streets away in Le Verre a Monique, the hipster reign and they take their cocktails very seriously. The leather bound tome might seem a little staid on the outside but with headings like “Disco Drinks” and “Serious & Strong” – as well as potentially the greatest drink name pun ever,

Large Hadron Colada anyone? – on the inside the menu is well thought out and easy to navigate, even for the newbies I was drinking with. To show their cocktail cred and inject a little bit of fun, there are a smattering of quotes from the Savoy Cocktail Book (regarding the Corpse Reviver) and famous drinkers (that Orson Welles line about the Negroni is in there), as well as a series of “Guided Tours”. These are sets of three cocktails that are delivered to you in the order they are intended to be drunk – for example the “Don Draper” is a Dirty Harry (Hendricks, olive brine, green Tabasco and a caperberry), followed by a Manhattan, and finished with a Clockwork Orange (Makers Mark, Morand Cognac a l’Orange, brown sugar and Angostura Bitters). Interesting stuff.

On a totally different note, at this point I assume everyone has been checking out the crazy social media storm surrounding the Inception Negroni from the Prohibition Lounge in Vancouver? If anyone would like to drill a hole in a partially frozen ice ball, fill it with a classic Negroni, then drop it in a glass filled with a white Negroni, and pop it next to my tea mug on my desk… that would be amazing, ta.

Cheers,

Stefanie Collins Editor, bars&clubs

CAB YEARLY AUDIT PERIOD ENDING 30TH SEPTEMBER 2015.

@BARS_AND_CLUBS

FACEBOOK.COM/BARSANDCLUB

@BARS_AND_CLUBS

PROFESSIONAL.TOPSHELFSHOW.COM.AU

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FLAVOURS IN

JANUARY/FEBRUARY

32 LUXURY BRANDS

Take advantage of the expanding luxury market and extend your top shelf offering.

FEATURE LIST

REGULAR LIST

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NEWS All the latest industry news.

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AUSTRALIAN GIN The rapidly growing category and why you need to be across it.

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OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY Keep your bar running smoothly with the latest tech updates.

4 bars&clubs

26

16

SOCIAL MEDIA & PR

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OPENINGS

Bar industry experts on how you can make the most of your options.

The new, the revamped and the rebranded venues opening around the country.

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Think beyond wine when it comes to offering more on your menu.

Everything you need to know about making the most out of beer in your bar.

The history of the American classic born in New Orleans.

FOOD MATCHING

ROUND TABLE

SAZERAC

OPERATOR PROFILE Matt Clifton on carving a niche in suburban Sydney.

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CATEGORY SPOTLIGHT The white spirits that you need for your back bar.

MONDAY 21 MARCH 2016 Venue: Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND “The summit is a great opportunity to be in a room with so many of the industry’s leaders. We’re looking forward to picking the brains and learning from some of the best and most experienced people out there.”

Guy Greenstone, The Local Taphouse

“With our ever-changing landscape, the summit represents an opportunity to come together as an industry to discuss opportunities and challenges.”

Justine Baker, Solotel

“I’m looking forward to attending the Pub Leaders Summit to gather information on trends and ideas which I can take back to my hotel and implement. I am also keen to share my own ideas and bounce them off industry leaders. There really is no other format like it.”

Brett Strauss, Chippendale Hotel

ALL THOSE WORKING IN HOSPITALITY ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND Take advantage of our earlybird savings ($195 + GST) when you purchase tickets before February 20!

After February 20 regular ticket prices are $295 + GST.

REGISTER NOW AT WWW.PUBLEADERS.COM.AU

NEWS VIBE THE BARS, THE EVENTS, THE THE DRINKS, DRINKS, THE THE PASSION BRANDS

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SYDNEY’S ISLAND BAR TO RELOCATE After five years Sydney’s iconic pop-up bar, The Island Bar on Cockatoo Island, is relocating after it finishes up for 2016 on February 29. It has been reported that the owners of the award-winning bar, Marco Faraone and Mike Edkins, have not renewed the lease with the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. However, the new location of the bar – complete with trademark shipping containers, pizza ovens, astro turf, and European beach-style furniture – is yet to be released. According

to the press release, the bar will be moved to “another equally iconic location in time for next summer”.

According to co-owner Edkins, it was time for an update to the well-known concept while Faraone says that there were additional difficulties reaching an agreement with the site’s management. Since it opened for trade in 2010, the Island Bar on Cockatoo Island has seen 350,000 visitors pass through its doors, as well as setting records as the longest standing pop-up of its kind in Sydney. The new location will be announced before next summer.

STARWARD WHISKY TO EXPAND PRODUCTION WITH DIAGEO DEAL

ARCHIE ROSE IS A “MASTER” Sydney distillery Archie Rose has had its consumer experience recognised by leading UK spirits publication The Spirits Business. In its inaugural Distillery Masters awards, The Spirits Business named Archie Rose a “Master” for Consumer Experience, alongside Bombay Sapphire and the Cotswolds Distillery. Archie Rose founder, Will Edwards told us that he was both surprised and delighted with the recognition. Edwards said that he thought Archie Rose’s tailored spirits offering, which was launched last November, helped push it into the Master league.

“We do Blend Your Own Gin classes, so you can come in and play with our botanicals and distillates in exactly the same way that we do. Maybe the kicker was the Tailored Spirits offering that we launched in November. As far as I am aware, there hasn’t been another distillery anywhere in the world that has offered people the chance to create their own gin or vodka or whisky online, so I think that might have been what gave us the edge.”

The Spirits Business judge Lucy Richardson said: “They’re doing something different and I think the younger discerning consumer would engage with that very well. The detail they’ve gone into shows it’s very much about educating people.”

The Melbourne-based New World Whisky Distillery, home of Starward Whisky, has successfully attracted a range of investors in order to expand production at its whisky distillery and take the brand to the international market.

A funding round of more than $10 million dollars has now been completed with new capital coming from a range of local and international investors including new minority stakeholder, and Diageo’s accelerator for new spirits brands, Distill Ventures. Starward was selected for investment due to its outstanding commitment to creating a distinctive modern Australian whisky. Since its launch in 2013 Distill Ventures has invested across multiple categories in Europe and Asia.

The structure of the investment means that the Melbourne distillery will remain independent, increasing production and expanding internationally as Distill Ventures supports them in “realising their vision for growing their businesses, through mentoring and access to expertise”.

MORE AMERICAN CRAFT BEER AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA The Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), the fifth largest craft brewing company in the US, has launched Craft Revolution a new Australian beer distributor that is bringing a fresh range of beers to our shores. The brands include Portland’s Widmer Brothers Brewing, Seattle’s Redhook Brewery and Hawaii’s Kona Brewing Co, with the portfolio including the likes of Widmer Brothers ‘The Original’ American Hefeweizen, Kona Big Wave Golden Ale, Redhook ESB, Redhook Long Hammer IPA and Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. CBA has been interested in the Australian market for a while but was searching for the right distribution partner, which they have found in Craft Revolution, which has been established by wholesaler Paramount Liquor, with Julie Hancock as national sales director.

NEWS

TINY MELBOURNE BAR THE BEST DESIGNED IN AUSTRALIA The bar section of the fourth EatDrink-Design Awards has been taken out by South Melbourne bar Smalls.

The 24-seater wine bar was created by the multi-talented Jess Ho – the ex-Time Out bar reviewer, and Chin Chin media manager – and was designed by Fiona Lynch Office. The transformed garage space, located in Yarra Place next to St Ali café, is “a very welcome addition to the local bar scene” that “whispers in a husky Belgian accent of its European aesthetic roots” according to the judges.

The bar features handmade ceramic tiles, leather hide wall coverings, herringbone parquet and Carrara marble table tops, and the overall design blew the judging panel away. In addition, Icebergs by Lazzarini Pickering was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Awards Hall of Fame.

NEW MALTED GIN FROM SULLIVANS COVE Renowned Tasmanian whisky distillery Sullivans Cove has decided to try its hand at gin distilling, releasing Hobart No.4 in late December. The soft launch of the gin has been such a success that the distillery’s distributers are already facing a demand for the spirit says Bert Cason, sales and marketing manager. The distillery team enjoy drinking gin so decided to create one to amuse themselves in between creating the internationally renowned single malt whisky they’re famous for.

For a point of difference, the base spirit is made from malted barley, rather than a wheat-based spirit.

The spirit is sent through the charcoal filter twice and then turned into gin. The filtering softens up the spirit slightly and takes a little bit of the edge off the new-make spirit and makes it slightly rounder and gentler.

For the botanical profile, the classic London Dry Gin botanicals have been used, alongside lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, wattleseed and lanceolate (Tasmanian pepperberry).

THE TIME OUT BAR AWARDS The Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards 2016 covered 11 categories with winners from all facets of the bar industry. The Speakeasy Group took home Bar of the Year for Eau De Vie, as well as Best Bar Team for the same venue, while new family member Boilermaker House was named Best New Bar. Classic Fitzroy bar The Everleigh was named Best Cocktail Bar, while its newer, late-night dive bar sister, Heartbreaker, was crowned the Best Party Bar. Black Pearl bartenders Nathan Beasley and Luke Sanderson claimed the Best Bartender and Hot Talent awards respectively. And to acknowledge years of service to the bar industry, the Legend Award was bestowed upon Melbourne institution Gin Palace.

Time Out Sydney’s eighth Bar Awards saw a total of 13 awards handed out with Lobo Plantation taking home the Bar of the Year award and This Must Be The Place named Best New Bar. Lord Mayor Clover Moore was the winner of this year’s Legend Award, in recognition of her efforts to bolster Sydney’s small bar scene. Starting with the Small Bars Legislation in 2007, the Lord Mayor has continued to support the passionate people behind Sydney’s bar scene, helping to sustain industry growth despite challenging times. The Baxter Inn took home two awards with James Irvine recognised as Best Bartender and Rachelle Hair as Hot Talent, while The Best Bar Team award went to Newtown favourite Earl’s Juke Joint.

MELBOURNE BEST NEW BAR Boilermaker House (Highly Commended: Bar Exuberante) BEST WINE BAR Bar Clarine (Highly Commended: Smalls) BEST BAR FOOD Hihou (Highly Commended: Le Bon Ton) BEST BARTENDER Nathan Beasley – Black Pearl (Highly Commended: Jack Sotti – Boilermaker House) BEST BAR TEAM Eau De Vie (Highly Commended: Black Pearl) BEST COCKTAIL BAR The Everleigh (Highly Commended: Bar Americano) BEST PARTY BAR Heartbreaker (Highly Commended: Mr Wow’s Emporium) HOT TALENT AWARD Luke Sanderson – Black Pearl (Highly Commended: Wiremu Andrews – Smalls) PEOPLE’S CHOICE Polly BAR OF THE YEAR Eau De Vie LEGEND AWARD Gin Palace

SYDNEY BEST NEW BAR This Must Be the Place (Highly Commended: Dead Ringer) BEST COCKTAIL BAR Eau De Vie (Highly Commended: Bulletin Place) BEST WINE BAR 121 BC (Highly Commended: Monopole) BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD BAR The Bearded Tit (Highly Commended: Wilhelmina’s) BEST BAR FOOD Sokyo Lounge (Highly Commended: Surly’s) BEST BARTENDER James Irvine – The Baxter Inn (Highly Commended: Tom Egerton – Eau De Vie) BEST BAR TEAM Earl’s Juke Joint (Highly Commended: Lobo Plantation) HOT TALENT AWARD Rachelle Hair – The Baxter Inn (Highly Commended: Nathan Pepper – Papa Gede’s) THE PARTY STARTER AWARD Astral People (Highly Commended: Picnic) BEST PARTY BAR Freda’s (Highly Commended: Goros) PEOPLE’S CHOICE Papa Gede’s BAR OF THE YEAR Lobo Plantation LEGEND AWARD Lord Mayor Clover Moore

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NEWS

HAVE YOU SEEN PROFESSIONAL. TOPSHELF.COM? All the latest industry news, along with features, tips and tutorials.

NOMA FEATURES AUSSIE DISTILLERS AT EXCLUSIVE POP-UP As the latest international dining juggernaut rolled into Sydney on Australia Day, some local distillers were delighted to confirm that their craft distilleries have now been thrust onto the world stage in a big way.

The restaurant is, of course, the world-renowned Danish restaurant Noma’s pop-up. With the entirety of the $500-plus bookings sold out in 90 seconds it caused distinct waves across the country and the rest of the world.

The two Michelin-star restaurant is run by chef René Redzepi, and it was the chef and members of his team who personally travelled around Australia, not only to source ingredients but also to investigate the local craft distilling scene.

While the list was a closely guarded secret until the restaurant’s debut on January 26, nine local distillers were selected to be a part of the menu: Belgrove Distillery, McHenry Distillery, Loch Brewery & Distillery, Castagna Vineyard, Black Gate Distillery, Stone Pine Distillery, Young Henrys, Hoochery Distillery, and Overeem Distillery.

Kathleen Davies of Nip of Courage – the distribution company that represents eight of the nine distillers – was understandably excited about the achievement. In a statement on Facebook Davies thanked Noma for “believing in our distillers”.

“On the opening of Noma Australia today we proudly announce that 22 of the products from eight producers on our portfolio are represented in the two-Michelin Star restaurant alongside our friends at Overeem Distillery. Boy oh boy what a glorious feeling! We are all so excited to be part of this project and we are extremely humbled to work with such awesome distillers and the wonderful Noma team.”

Highlights of the selection include Stone Pine Distillery’s Limited Edition Orange Blossom Gin, Overeem Distillery’s Sherry Cask Whisky, McHenry Sloe Berry Eau De Vie (made especially for Noma), Young Henrys Limited Release 100% Wheat Vodka, and Black Gate Quandong Eau de Vie (exclusively made for Noma).

A selection of local wine producers and craft brewers were also selected for the menu.

While reservations have been exhausted, diners can still apply to the waiting list to snag a seat at the pop-up.

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Learn ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VERMOUTH IN A VODKA MARTINI WITH LUCA CAPECCHI OF THE COMMONS AND ELIT BY STOLICHNAYA.

PUB LEADERS SUMMIT HOTS UP The inaugural Pub Leaders Summit will be held at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont on 21 March, and buzz around the event is steadily building.

The programme will cover a wide variety of topics of relevance to both bar and hotel operators alike, including financing expansion, innovations in the pub industry and trends in both food and beverage offerings. Brett Strauss, who will be talking at the Pub Leaders Summit about his implementation of an innovative new food/spacing strategy at The Chippendale Hotel, is excited about both what he can share and what he can learn at the event.

“It’s a great place for likeminded individuals to get together and talk all things hospitality.

There really is no other format like it.”

Tickets are on sale now at www.publeaders.com.au.

NEW TASMANIAN SLOE GIN DISTILLERY LAUNCHES Nonesuch Distillery specialises in Sloe Gin and a new Sloe Malt spirit, which according to the distillery is a new make whisky spirit into which sloes are added – something they believe is a worldwide first.

According to Rex Burdon, the distillery came about through a chance encounter with the godfather of Australian craft distilling, Bill Lark, who encouraged him to change direction somewhat and start making sloe gin. The distillery was also lucky enough to have the input of William McHenry, of William McHenry & Sons Distillery. The McHenry distillery actually made and stored the first batch of Nonesuch’s sloe gin while its 300 litre copper pot still – her name is Pandora – was on order from Peter Bailly at Knapp Lewer. As far as the name of the distillery is concerned, according to Burdon, ‘nonesuch’ is an old English word that means ‘something without equal’. The first product out of the distillery, and what will be its signature spirit, is the Sloe Gin, alongside the aforementioned Sloe Malt and a Dry Gin. The latter uses a botanical blend that includes juniper, citrus, liquorice, orris root, angelica, coriander, cardamom and wattle seed.

NEWS

QUEENSLAND RULES DIAGEO’S STEEPED & SPRITZED COMPETITION The winners of the World Class Drinking Steeped & Spritzed spring and summer rounds have been announced, with Queensland taking out both first places.

Inspired by Jim Meehan and Jeff Bell, the duo behind esteemed New York batched cocktail bar PDT, the Diageo World Class Drinking competition challenged bartenders to create a batched cocktail using a specially designed draught cocktail kit.

The competition attracted more than 150 entrants over two rounds, with two Queensland bartenders taking out the top prizes.

Adam Bastow of Black Coffee Lyrics on the Gold Coast and Tristan Green of Canvas Bar in Brisbane came first in the spring and summer rounds of the competition, respectively.

Bullet Rye whiskey was the centrepiece of Bastow’s cocktail ‘110 In The Shade’, and he will soon be on his way to the US to visit the home town of Bulleit whiskey in Kentucky, as well as being treated to a VIP bar tour of New York city’s cocktail bars with Bell, the General Manager of PDT and former Diageo World Class USA winner.

Green on the other hand will be travelling to The Netherlands early next year to visit the home of Ketel One vodka in Schiedam – where the Nolet distillery will be celebrating 325 years of distilling tradition – after his “very unique and innovative recipe” for the ‘The Don Cantaloupe’ featuring Don Julio Reposado tequila.

Propelled by industry leaders such as Bell and Meehan, the batched cocktail trend is taking off around the world, with bars in Australia – such as Heartbreaker in Melbourne – also getting into the action. The runners up in the competition each received a copper carbonation keg to help them continue “steeping and spritzing” in their venues.

STEEPED & SPRITZED TOP TEN – SPRING Adam Bastow – Black Coffee Lyrics, Gold Coast (1st place winner) Kitty Gardner – Black Pearl, Melbourne (2nd place winner) Max Gurtler – Rockpool, Sydney (3rd place winner) Paul Hammond – The Beaufort, Melbourne Andy Galloway – 1806, Melbourne Hugh Taylor – Cobbler, Brisbane Steve Fanning – Sake, Brisbane Phil Gandevia – Bentley, Sydney Alyce Murphy – The Animal, Sydney Mattia Arnaboldi – Stitch, Sydney STEEPED & SPRITZED TOP TEN – SUMMER Tristan Green – Canvas Bar, Brisbane (1st place winner) Mitch Wilson – Henrietta Supper Club, Sydney (2nd place winner) Sacha Leonard – Double Happiness, Melbourne (3rd place winner) Alex Carter – Waterman’s Lobster Co, Sydney Kitty Gardner – Black Pearl, Melbourne Hugh Taylor – Cobbler, Brisbane Nick Royds – Maker, Brisbane Andrew Watson – O Bar & Dining, Sydney Ryan Gavin – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney Jeremy Earnshaw – Mamasan, Gold Coast

SYDNEY LOCKOUTS UNDER FIRE AGAIN Bruce Solomon, the CEO of pub and bar group Solotel, has blasted the Sydney lockout laws, saying that they have destroyed part of what the city is all about. Speaking at the 2015 Australian Hotels Association NSW Awards for Excellence at The Star, Solomon said that the laws leave tourists to the harbour city “scratching their heads,” wondering why there is not a late-night precinct. He went on to say: “Our family has been in Kings Cross since 1938 and I’d like to say a few things about Kings Cross. The one big change that I have seen in the industry is that regulation has been a one-way street in this state, and it’s really upsetting to see how there has been a political kicking campaign about Kings Cross.

“I think when history looks at what has happened in the Cross, I think a lot of people will say ‘what a mistake it was that we have completely destroyed one part of our culture’.

We have completely destroyed one part of what Sydney is all about.”

FRENCH SCOTCH WHISKY While Scotland may be the home of Scotch whisky, one French whisky company has been quietly working on creating its own version of the famed eau de vie.

Imported by Cerbaco, and newly arrived as of 2016, the latest Michel Couvreur whisky is a unique blend of Scotch whisky with a French flair.

Based in Burgundy, the Michel Couvreur whisky company sources its base spirit from Scotland, before shipping it to France to be aged in its unique limestone cellars. Although the eponymous distiller passed away in 2013, the company has forged ahead with its whisky program, releasing its latest extremely rare expression, the 2005 X 2015, under the guiding hand of cellar master and blender Jean-Arnaud Frantzen.

With only 1495 500ml bottles of the whisky released, the 2005 X 2015 was distilled in Scotland in 2005 before being shipped to France to age for 10 years in Pedro Jimenez sherry casks. Passing the whole maturation in Sherry casks – rather than simply finishing in them – gives the whisky a unique selling point.

According to the distillery, the spirit features a “delicate, soft nose, white floral fragrances, subtly woody” with a “very nice balance in the mouth with a nice fresh-full length helped by the alcohol concentration of 47% ABV”.

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OPENINGS

DARLO COUNTRY CLUB

With new life breathed into the former Victoria Tea Room space in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, general manager George Armstrong walks us through the creation of the new venue’s distinct identity.

Where did the concept for Darlo Country Club come from?

We did the pop-up for The Chalet in the space for three months and during that time we were really trying to decide what sort of place the age demographic from late 20s to early 40s would want to hang out in. Our four owners and our senior management team often go to California and we love those LA country clubs. They’re not like the old world European country clubs, instead anyone and everyone is welcome to come in, chill out and relax in a really friendly environment where the food and the drink are second to none – albeit in a casual environment. It’s that fine dining quality but with a very relaxed feeling to it. We thought Sydney could do with that sort of place, where you can come and have dinner or a few cocktails or come and have a dance, without it all being too serious. It’s a lot of fun.

What thought went into the distinct design of the venue?

Design is not our forte, but it was less about trying to get our ideas across about how we wanted it to look and more about how we wanted it to feel. Our design firm was great with coming up with suggestions about how, for example, we could make our custommade banquettes really user-friendly and functional. And then how we could make

them social. So we have a banquette that can sit 12 people but they can then easily be opened up so they can accommodate up to 30 people which makes it more fun and very social. So the brainstorming was all about trying to sort out the feel of the place, like a social club instead of just trying to have a venue that looks sort of swanky.

What did you learn from The Chalet?

I think the biggest benefit that we took from it really was having a few months to really train our staff. We were constantly recruiting, always with the end goal of having the Darlo Country Club. Within reason the pop-up was very successful but our eyes were always on Darlo Country Club, and the best thing for us was the constant staff training and recruitment so when we opened we had a very strong team. We all say, honestly, if you have the opportunity to do the same, it means that when you open, you know exactly who your staff are, and you know which ones need a little more training in certain areas. It makes a lot of difference.

What was the idea behind the cocktails menu offerings?

Through Eddie and Mikey from Lobo we actually stole Julius because they have one too many awards and that team is ridiculously strong. So he has been working

on the concepts. The brief we gave was that we can’t be too serious, but we want the actual liquid in the glasses to be world class. We wanted a bit of something for everyone. So if we have a table of people come in and say one of them was my father, he could try the gin and strawberry-based drink without it being a sweet and “girly” drink – it might have sweet flavours but it wouldn’t be a “sweet” drink. And we realised we needed to have some fun and some theatre as well as some classics, but every single drink needs to stand up on its own – we wanted each to be competition worthy on a world class level, rather than specifically tailored for different types of clientele. It’s fun and theatrical, which I guess is what Lobo is well known for.

OPENINGS

NEW, REFURBISHED, REFITTED & RESTORED VENUES NOW OPEN AROUND AUSTRALIA.

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OPENINGS

LONG CHIM David Thompson has opened an outpost of his famed Thai street food restaurant Long Chim in Perth. With a fabulous location in the newly restored State Buildings in Perth's CBD, the restaurant will echo the food served at his Marina Bay Sands location but with a particular focus on the bar. And with veteran bartender James Connolly in charge it is already hugely popular. The Asian-inspired cocktail program includes the Birds Eye Phew, a Becherovka (herbal bitters) based drink with a solid chilli burn, the Sapporat Sazerac, and the Or Tor Kor Mule #2, a Moscow Mule updated with kaffir lime. The wine list is also solid, with Nahm general manager Greg Plowes curating a list of whites and light-bodied reds that are well-matched to the food offering. With all the food and cocktail magic, the setting is equally important, and the designers have delivered with the basement space of the State Buildings – once home to government records and archives – making the most of its heritage archways, curved corrugated iron ceilings and exposed brick. The courtyard also features a giant street-art mural for a great outdoor drinking and eating space.

Barrack St & St Georges Terrace, Perth WA (08) 6168 7780

J&M WHISKY BAR Located on level two of the historic Angel Hotel in Sydney’s CBD, J&M has an obvious focus on whisky, with the bar featuring exclusive whiskies not available for purchase anywhere else in Australia as well as a personal trolley service for visitors. The Sidecar is a collaboration between Jim Meehan and Moore & Giles that “weds world class bar design and traditional woodcraft”. There is also the additional option of sitting at the bar to chat whisky with the trained bar staff. J&M also has a rotating cocktail list of inventive concoctions, like the Modern Gentleman, which features Chivas Regal 18yo, Antica Formula, burnt oak and apricot infused Campari, and a cold drip ice sphere; the POPSCOF with buttered popcorn washed Chivas Regal 18yo, salted caramel syrup, bitters, and Himalayan salt; or the Blood and Marie with Chivas Regal 18yo, Cynar, Cherry Heering, Antica Formula, pink grapefruit, and cherry dust. There is also a short menu of small dishes to have alongside the cocktails, designed to be before or after dinner snacks. The bar itself is a tribute to the late, legendary Mr. John and the multi-level fashion outlet, House of Merivale, that once stood at the historic hotel. The eponymous bar is an homage to all things fashion and history, featuring “sumptuous interiors” with rich green velvets, sleek brown leathers and copper accents alongside the chesterfield sofas and the long glass bar.

125 Pitt St, Sydney NSW (02) 9233 3131

GEORGE’S BAR A bar that is based almost entirely around George from Seinfeld has opened in Melbourne in the midst of an international social media storm.

So much so that Jason Alexander, who played the iconic character, tweeted about it and was seemingly quite chuffed with the honour.

Named George's Bar, the venue will feature autographed items, Seinfeld paste ups and a toastie and cocktail menu tailored around jokes from the iconic series.

The neurotic character-inspired cocktail menu features a few notable George-related puns for fans of the show, with the likes of The Hand Model, a cocktail that features Jack Daniel’s, creaming soda, lemon, and cinnamon powder.

The fun continues on the toasties menu with names like The Art Vandalay, The Costanza and The Mom and Pop cropping up.

Housed in a heritage listed building, but with a casual atmosphere, the bar describes itself as the perfect place to “enjoy your martinis and old fashioneds without the pretentious tone”.

120 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC (03) 9416 4385

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CLASSIC COCKTAIL

THE

THE SAZERAC GLASS: Old Fashioned INGREDIENTS: • 15ml absinthe • 60ml St Agnes Brandy • 15ml simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water) • 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters METHOD: Rinse a chilled glass with the absinthe, fill with crushed ice and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass and strain the drink into it. Garnish and serve.

GARNISH: Lemon twist COMMENT: According to Difford’s Guide there are a few variations to consider. The Grand Sazerac has Grand Marnier and bourbon replacing the Cognac; the Highland Sazerac has a Green Chartreuse rinse and a half Cognac, half Speyside single malt combination; and the Chocolate Sazerac features bourbon and white crème de cacao.

T

he Sazerac is often referred to as “America’s First Cocktail”, however, as with most cocktails, the origin story is somewhat hazy, with few details being agreed upon.

Even the key ingredients differ rather broadly. Nonetheless, the classic has retained its popularity with bartenders and cocktail geeks since its inception. There is even the world famous Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt, New Orleans – a must-visit for Tales Of The Cocktail pilgrims.

SO WHAT HAPPENED? Well, it really depends on who you ask. One thing is generally agreed upon: the cocktail was born in New Orleans.

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One version has it that in 1838, Antoine Peychaud created the drink in a French Quarter bar and named it for his favourite French brandy, Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils.

A dash of absinthe was added by bartender Leon Lamothe, until 1912 when absinthe was banned and so Peychaud substituted his special bitters in its place.

However, that story seems a little sketchy and, according to cocktail historian David Wondrich, what actually happened is that some time around 1850, a fellow named Sewell T. Taylor created an imported liquor business. Funnily enough, he was importing a brand of cognac named Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils.

Now Taylor used to own a bar, and its new owner – one Aaron Bird – changed the name to Sazerac House.

The specialty drink was a “Sazerac Cocktail” – a “Cock-Tail” made with Sazerac cognac and some local bitters made just down the road by an apothecary named Peychaud.

The bar changed hands until one Thomas Handy – prior to his demise in 1889 – commited the recipe for the house specialty to paper and, bingo, the Sazerac was born.

WHERE TO DRINK IN OZ Try the St Agnes version at Bad Frankie (VIC), The Savage Club (VIC), Opera Kitchen (NSW), Haines & Co (SA) and Publishers Hotel (SA).

HANG ON A MINUTE… So, why does the New Orleans classic now feature rye whiskey? Excellent question.

The answer lies in the 1870s and 80s, when Europe's grape crops were decimated by invading American aphids. The little blighters decimated the wine and brandy production of the area, with drinkers having to switch to whiskey – in New Orleans that meant rye – to get their kicks.

Hence, our mate Handy would have have been forced switched out the recipe when Cognac proved too hard to source. Therefore it was this later version that found its way into the 1908 edition of William Boothby’s The World's Drinks and How To Mix Them. Made to the same method, that recipe has: 60ml rye whiskey, three dashes Peychaud's Bitters, two dashes Angostura Bitters, and a demerara sugar cube.

LOCALS ONLY With the global gin renaissance underway, we take a look at why home-grown gin deserves a place on your back bar.

T

he Australian gin distilling renaissance is well and truly underway, with new distilleries opening all the time. With the charge being led by brands such as The West Winds and its irreverent approach, it’s clear to consumers that this isn’t their grandmother’s drink. Throw into that mix the inventive Australian botanical-focussed gins from Stone Pine and Four Pillars and the trend is upon us. Now, the first distillery in Sydney in 150 years has been kicking around for 12 months, MGC has created a uniquely Melbourne style of dry gin, the Tasmanians came to the party with the launches of Nonesuch and Poltergeist, while the whisky powerhouses Sullivans Cove and Lark have also got in on the act.

FLAVOUR REVOLUTION

LOCAL LOVE

have the Australian ingredients are

For Seb Costello, owner of Melbourne’s Bad Frankie bar and stockist of exclusively Australian spirits, the global trend for “localling” is driving the thirst for Australian gin.

“People want to buy clothes from around the corner, they want to eat paddock to plate, and they want to get more involved in their community,” he says. “I think we’re a bit prouder now of what we are and what we do, and I think that really contributed to the start of it.”

He goes on to add that the chances of getting a “dud gin” is very slim, with all 67 of the Australian gins on his menu standing up well under scrutiny.

“You can have a gamble on a new Australian gin and it will taste amazing – that is why people keep coming back to Australian gin,” he says. “The first time it’s all about being local and the second time it’s all about the flavours.”

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Kathleen Davies, of Australian spirit distributor Nip of Courage, believes

it’s the unique Australian botanicals that have given the gins a sellable point of difference.

“If you look at the major international gins, Australians aren’t trying to reproduce exactly the same thing, they’re producing a recipe that is unique to Australia,” she says. “We have a large range of Australian gins in our portfolio and the ones that outselling the ones that don’t.”

Nigel Weisbaum, from Sydney’s Archie Rose distillery, believes that flavour is the driving force behind the gin revolution, with consumers looking for something new.

“It is still a white spirit, it is still light and still refreshing but it has interesting flavours,” he says. “And you don’t have to just enjoy one gin, you can have 20 gins in your cabinet – it’s an accessible way of trying different flavours.”

Jon Carr, one of the bartenders at the Archie Rose bar says that he has

seen an increased interest in people looking for more flavour.

“It’s certainly in our bar but also in the city bars as well,” he says. “I think people have gotten over the whole vodka-lime-soda because they’re realising that a gin and soda is a much more flavourful option. It’s certainly shed its old-person-drink image.”

According to Costello, customers are loving the Australian botanicals – he names pepperberry, lemon myrtle, river mint, and strawberry gum as a few favourites – and they are also loving the diversity that they can choose from over the bar.

Likewise Weisbaum talks up the unique potential of truly Australian gin botanicals.

“A lot of traditional gins have your traditional botanicals but because we’re in Australia and we’re at the arse end of the world, we’ve got some cool stuff that people haven’t tried before,” he says. “Like wattle seed and bush tomato which West Winds use, or we use blood limes and river mint. They’re inclusive but different and they’re not available anywhere else in the world.”

ABSI N COR THE NER

GIN

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Disti llerie fondée en 1890

“WE’RE AT THE ARSE END OF THE WORLD, WE’VE GOT SOME COOL STUFF THAT PEOPLE HAVEN’T TRIED BEFORE.” COCKTAIL OPPORTUNITIES

WHY BUY AUSSIE? Jono Lui, who also works in the bar in Archie Rose, says that consumers are actively looking for new gins to try, creating a space for bars to diversify their offering.

“I’ve seen a change in consumers’ thought processes in ordering,” he says. “They’re much more educated in terms of the amount of gins that are available on the market. We’re seeing gin drinkers asking ‘what’s new?’.”

Weisbaum believes that people understand the economics of drinking “local” and are actively seeking out options.

“There are Australian beers and Australian wines, but there had never been Australian spirits like there are now.” He says. “And people will prefer to choose something that is made here by people that work here and that is owned here.”

Costello concurs, adding that he loves to support the little guys as well as offering his customers more options.

“The fact is people want to have more choice now, there is a lot more information around and they want to make a choice, not just be marketed to,” he says. “Now they actually want to find some stuff themselves. I can ring up Andrew Marks from MGC or I can send an email and he’ll be the one sending it back. And because they’re so small you can feel proud about helping someone out – that’s what I like with having a little bar, I like to help out people who have little businesses.”

And the opportunities and range of Australian gins is constantly expanding, says Davies.

“At this point, we’re only looking at the tip of the iceberg,” she says. “And I think bars that do range Australian gin have a really nice point of difference. The flavours are different, the styles are different and you can do some really unique cocktail recipes with them. And the bar that is leading the way with that is Bad Frankie, they have unique, Australianstyle cocktails.”

There are unique opportunities presented by the botanical profiles in Australian gins, and according to Costello it means your cocktails can be truly unique.

“The best thing about the gins is that most of them are very mixable and have a really great base spirit on them so the botanicals really float off them. The best thing is that if you can get your botanicals in Australia, the local herbs and spices, you can only get them in Australia,” he says. “So if someone in New York wants to recreate your drink, they can’t.”

And what are some of those cocktails?

Currently Bad Frankie has a delicious selection of Australian-centric cocktails – Cornflake Old Fashioned, anyone? – and in the gin department they have the Pepperberry Fizz with Melbourne Gin Company gin, lemon and pepperberry syrup, egg white and soda; or the Salty Dog Martini, a twist on a dirty martini with West Winds Cutlass, dry vermouth and “very special” Salt Bush saline solution.

The Genius of the Absinthe from Father to Son. Val Travers, Pontarlier, France

GIN & TONIC IS DEAD. LONG LIVE GIN & SODA Nigel Weisbaum: We noticed that we’re making all these amazing gins with all these lovely flavours – some of which are pronounced and some of which are subtle – and when you mix it with tonic, although everyone is used to that and it’s what most gin will be served with, it’s got sugar and it’s got quinine – or quinine flavour – and it can mask the flavour of the gin. So we’re experimenting by serving our gin with soda and a squeeze of citrus, because then it enhances the flavours of all the botanicals we’ve put into our gin and we think it’s something that other gin drinkers could possibly enjoy – a gin and soda instead of a gin and tonic. For bars the gin and soda is a better GP as well because they don’t have the mixer to pay for and for consumers it is easy to mix at home – it’s simple, easy, tasty and refreshing. What’s not to like?

Exclusively distributed by

For more information contact Cerbaco Distribution on 0396468022 or cerbaco.com.au

STRAPLINE

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OPERATOR PROFILE

n o t f i l C t Mat

With Donny's and The Woolshed attracting a raft of loyal locals in Manly, Matt Clifton has made his mark on the Sydney bar scene.

Growing up in western New South Wales and cutting his teeth in hotels in the areas of Parkes and Forbes, Matt Clifton believes that his ending up in the hospitality industry was inevitable.

“I’ve been involved in hospo for close on 15 years now in one way, shape or form,” he says. “My family have also been in hospo for quite some years, so I guess it was love at first sight.”

Moving to Sydney to go to university, Clifton expanded his horizons, and headed to the US to work for SOS Hotels in LA and New York, as well as working for a large number of Australian hospitality groups including Merivale, NLG, and Applejack.

“Just like every manager, every operator has their own style. They manage their venue in a different way and have different ideals. Some have more attention to detail, some are more customer service orientated, and some don’t give a shit. They just serve beers and go for it.”

While capital-raising is always the biggest hurdle, Clifton worked smarter not harder.

“It’s always the first barrier you come to,” he says. “I have a great concept, now how do I fund it? I worked closely with lenders and developed comprehensive investments plans so I was able to finance the project myself.”

BUILD ON WHAT YOU KNOW

Clifton was living in Manly while searching for a venue and it is an area with which he is quite familiar.

“It was a part of Sydney that I knew and was familiar with. It was luck of the draw as well and it popped up, more or less, at exactly the right time.”

When it came to the style of the venue, Clifton had a set idea of what he wanted his bar to look like, drawing inspiration from a variety of places.

“I always had an idea of what I wanted to do. It was a case of managing to find a venue that fit what I wanted. I redeveloped it quite a bit to make it look like what I wanted it too, but design and atmosphere are two of the most important things for me. I drew inspiration from all the venues I had worked at, mostly from the years I spent in New York, and obviously growing up on a farm gave me the rustic/industrial design concepts.”

While most operators might look elsewhere to open a new concept, Clifton diversified within his existing space.

“Donny’s is all about small intimate spaces, so the rabbit warren works really well.”

HOW THE LOCALS LIKE IT In a suburb like Manly, Clifton stresses how vital it is to gain the trust of your locals and to keep them excited about the venue.

“It’s so important. Manly is very much a ‘locals’ area. It’s a tourist destination in summer, but you still have to keep the business alive during winter with locals,” he says. “It does take time, but if you continuously provide a great experience for one customer, they will tell a couple more.”

bars&clubs 17

OPERATOR PROFILE

LEARN FROM THE MASTERS With two venue openings under his belt, Clifton says that he learned “heaps” from each experience.

“Like any new solo operator there were many lessons learnt,” he says. “But ultimately it’s so important to always ask questions, and listen to others. Any advice I could give would be to embrace other people’s opinions, learn from them.”

While Clifton says that there isn’t anything he would necessarily avoid the next time he opens a venue, he does think there is plenty of room for improvement.

“Just the process of design and styling and putting a model into a venue,” he says. “I went the long way around in trying to figure that out. There are a hell of a lot of shortcuts you can take which I learned by doing it.”

So what was the best advice he received?

“You can never be too prepared,” says Clifton. “If you don’t have your procedures and policies in place – which a lot of people forget about, they just sort of open doors and wing it for a while – it doesn’t work out well. If you’re not prepared, it will slowly start going pear shaped.”

Thankfully working with some of the best in the business helped Clifton when it came to branching out.

“Justin Hemmes is an unbelievable operator with an eye for detail,” he says. “The knack I may have for making sure even the smallest things get the appropriate attention would be thanks to him.”

CAN YOU HEAR THE MUSIC? With the live music aspect of the venue, how do you find acts and in turn attract crowds?

“99 per cent of the live music at Donny’s is from local musicians. There are so many talented people out there. Its not about finding musicians that have massive followings, it’s the quality and consistency of musicians that keep bringing patrons back to the venue.”

Is it a fine line between too much entertainment and not enough? How do you tackle the issue of people leaving as soon as the bands are done etc?

“Yes and no. I do take pride in Donny’s for giving great live music every night of the week, but its just one component of the customer’s experience. Its important to have all the other areas just as good; food, drinks, service, décor, lighting and sound. We play all live music until close, as to avoid patrons from leaving.”

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DON’T BE AFRAID TO GET SPECIFIC The Woolshed is craft beer and whisky specific – what drove your decision to ‘theme’ the bar?

“We always look to see what hasn’t been done in the area. Manly has some great small bars, restaurants, etc, so it’s important to develop that little point of difference. And I love craft beer and whisky.”

How important is food in the venue and how do you keep the offering fresh and relevant?

“It’s the old saying; without one, you don’t have the other.

Yes, food is very important. We follow a homestead style tapas menu that continuously changes with seasonality to ensure the freshest ingredients.”

FINDING GOOD PEOPLE While Clifton admits that finding great staff is a battle, he believes that it is all about teamwork and family.

“Being a casual industry, people do come and go a lot, but we do have a handful of key staff who have been with us for quite some time now,” he says.

“We work closely as family and have bonding times outside of work to build relationships further.”

The easiest way, according to Clifton, is acknowledging great work.

“You go out for drinks, you go out for dinners, you give them a lot of praise so that they know they’re doing a good job – have staff member of the month – all those little things put somebody up so they can walk around with a proud head,” he says. “These people are the face of your business, if they are not on side, then you have no chance.”

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM “There is a lot of things you can tell someone but the main one is: ask a lot of questions of bar operators and get a lot of advice on operating. I didn’t ask enough questions which was my downfall.

Ask and listen. Listening is most important. Because, I asked but then I thought, ‘Nah, well I can do it better than that’. But it didn’t work out that way and I should have listened.

So align yourself with like-minded people who can bring different things to the table. You’re not going to build an empire by yourself. Today’s food and drink industry is incredibly competitive and customer expectation is high, so it's all about being smart with location and offering.”

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MUST HAVE AUSTRALIAN

White Spirits THE WEST WINDS GIN THE CUTLASS The Cutlass was made to showcase the distillers’ rebellious streak. Something made without thought to alcohol and alcohol by volume. New world and interesting, The Cutlass is what they call a new-age gin, using new, nontraditional ingredients, The Cutlass has a grassy, green, herbaceous characteristic from fresh coriander root, followed by soft sweet umami notes of the bush tomato, which creates cocoa and sun dried tomato-like characteristics. The creamy, white pepper mouthfeel displays the definition of the botanicals present in The Cutlass, while the high alcohol does not dominate despite its presence. www.thewestwindsgin.com

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WHITE SPIRITS PROMOTION

ARCHIE ROSE WHITE RYE Uniquely distilled from rare malted rye and small parcels of Australian barley, this ‘white’ spirit represents the distinct personality of these grains unaltered by maturation.

While unaged, it is perfectly mature, and crafted to be enjoyed neat or as a variation to classic whisky cocktails. Mashed in by hand, it is fermented for seven days to ensure complexity and clarity of flavour. On the fifth day, a wild fermentation is allowed to influence the wash which after distillation contributes to the rich mouthfeel and floral notes. Twice distilled, only the pure heart of the spirit is selected for bottling. This rye brings together the traditional power and weight of the malt with complexity and refinement. www.archierose.com.au

ARCHIE ROSE ORIGINAL VODKA

ARCHIE ROSE SIGNATURE DRY GIN

Crafted from Australian wheat and twice carbon-filtered Sydney water, the vodka is carefully redistilled in a handmade copper pot still. It’s complex, clean and crisp. The result is a unique vodka made for sipping, or as the base for cocktails.

The nose is vibrant and focused with initial characteristics of lemon meringue pie, fresh lime, whole English mint and orchard leaves. The palate is sweet, with flavours of Fuji and Granny Smith apples that develops into cream pastry and lemon zest.

The texture is supple, with light oils and a malleable mouthfeel. The finish effortlessly evolves into black pepper, fruit tingles and sherbet. www.archierose.com.au

Copper pot-distilled with fourteen carefully selected botanicals, Signature Dry Gin draws equally on tradition and innovation. The distillers painstakingly distil each botanical individually, allowing them to select the infusion point and yield the optimal pure botanical distillate. After fourteen runs, the individual distillates are meticulously blended together to create the final gin. Rich and with a distinct clarity of flavour, the gin is accented by native Australian blood limes, Dorrigo pepperleaf, lemon myrtle and ethically grown river mint, underpinned by a defined juniper backbone. The result is a perfectly balanced and wonderfully complex gin that fuses the old world with the new. www.archierose.com.au

bars&clubs 21

FIRE DRUM VODKA This all-natural Tasmanian vodka is an expression of its raw ingredients and their origin. Small batch, 100 per cent copper pot distilled from two of Tasmania’s finest ingredients: 100 per cent Tasmanian barley and pure Tasmanian mountain water. Instead of following the trend of chasing neutrality, Fire Drum allows the natural pure Tasmanian ingredients to shine, showcasing them in their purity. With alluring notes of cacao, vanilla, macadamia nut and anise on the nose, the palate is voluptuous, seductively smooth yet unashamedly bold. Serve on the rocks with a wedge of pink grapefruit or in a classic martini with a lemon twist. www.firedrumvodka.com

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THE GROVE CARIBBEAN COCONUT To perfect this Caribbean Coconut, distiller James Reed uses high temperature ferments and a heavy gravity molasses wash through an artisan Arnold Holstein pot/column still to release the flavour component and aromatics that is the signature of the spirit.

This results in a clean white spirit that is a full strength 40% ABV Caribbean-style rum of mature coconut flavour with notes of molasses and sweet burnt sugar. According to “Rum Wisdom”, barbecuing began in the Caribbean, so served alongside barbecued crayfish, prawns and fish, or for a sweet treat a creamy mango or dark chocolate mousse. www.thegroveexperience.com.au

VANTAGE AUSTRALIA Australians are a unique bunch, which is why Vantage Australia has launched Australia’s very first own spirit. Australian botanicals, lemon myrtle, Tasmanian mountain pepperberries with a hint of mandarin oil from Australian-produced imperial mandarins, are at the heart of this unique premium Australian tipple, creating a national spirit that can be enjoyed on the rocks or in your favourite cocktail. Reflective of the Aussie outback, Vantage draws its inspiration from native flora the smoky flavour comes from only using natural bushfoods to create a blend that blurs the lines between sweet and dry. www.spiritofanation.com

WHITE SPIRITS PROMOTION BEENLEIGH WHITE RUM To craft a range of world-class rums, Beenleigh starts by using only the finest ingredients: pure Queensland rainwater, premium molasses and their own proprietary yeast. Then comes the special part: The Old Copper pot still. The Old Copper is very special, modified a long time ago by an old German guy; it’s the only one like it in Australia. By now, the rum has already developed its unique, complex character.

The final stage that makes all the difference is the aging process. Beenleigh White Rum is matured for a full two years in small exbrandy vats, before carbon filtering to remove the heavier oak notes and its colour. www.beenleighrum.com.au

IRONBARK CORN RYE MOONSHINE

SULLIVANS COVE HOBART NO.4

Using all-Australian grain, this moonshine has a brilliant, crystal clear appearance. Its lifted bouquet features corn chip, ryvita biscuit and hints of caraway with excellent definition and purity. This repeats on the palate with a concentrated, medium dry, toasted rye and corn chip fusion that concludes in a vibrant, dry, pure and pleasantly peppery finish with the rye closing bread-like and long. With the strong corn and rye notes it is best suited for bacon and roasted meats, as the smoky notes work well. In the warmer months it works well with cucumber and the coolness of fresh green salads. www.ironbarkdistillery.com.au

Hobart No.4 is a small-batch Tasmanian Dry Gin from the makers of Sullivans Cove Whisky. This rich spirit is double distilled in their pot still from Tasmanian barley and soft water, and enriched with four native Australian botanicals – lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, mountain pepperberry and wattleseed. The nose features bright lemon, fresh pine needles, white pepper, and malt spice, while the palate is herbaceous with notes of cracked peppercorns, orange peel, grapefruit, vanilla, and liquorice. It finishes with cloves and cinnamon giving way to a slightly sweet malty smooth and long finish. www.sullivanscovewhisky.com

bars&clubs 23

MAKING LIFE Researching and investing in the right back-ofhouse technology can make your venue more profitable and easier to run. With technology developing all the time, we’ve taken some of the legwork out of the equation for you.

C

hoosing technology – whether for a new venue or upgrading an existing one – can seem a bit daunting, there is so much of it out there. We spoke to the experts at Sage WageEasy about how venues can tackle potential pitfalls.

What do you need to consider when choosing op tech?

As bar managers have many things to do – including payroll, processing orders, managing staff and liaising with suppliers – they need back office solutions that are reliable and easy to use. This includes cash register systems, POS systems which may record staff hours, sales and stock management. It is also important to have systems that integrate with the payroll system.

To avoid costly fines and potential bad publicity, bars need

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to have systems that meet Fair Work obligations. That means having systems in place which can easily collect hours and transfer to a payroll system, which can then calculate all pay accurately including penalty rates and overtime. This provides a useful layer of efficiency for the business.

For most bars, the biggest cost to business is labour, so systems should also produce a journal to input into accounting systems to provide accurate detail on labour costs.

Avoid common mistakes when choosing op tech Choosing the cheapest solutions due to tight margins, rather than looking at the overall picture and making an assessment about time and money savings that can be achieved by putting in a system which is affordable and also provides

significant time and cost savings to the business. Larger upfront costs can lead to long term savings and accuracy. Make sure your systems make things easier.

Keep up with innovations in operational technology Recent developments include technology that allows the linking of systems already in place (POS to payroll, payroll to accounting etc); new time collection devices to assist in running the business; and mobile access to new technology and systems – allowing the business owner greater flexibility and freedom to run their business.

How do you identify what technology you need?

Identify what currently works and what causes pain to the business and seek advice and solutions to

address these pain points. Ignored pain points can lead to business losses in the long run. So speak to existing suppliers and see if they know of solutions which will assist you.

Learn how to exploit technology to create efficiencies that will lead to higher profits • Work out which aspects of the business take a lot of time (such as gathering timesheets, calculating pay components and keying this into your software).

• Identify areas where errors occur because systems are too complex or confusing for managers to easily understand.

You can then investigate new systems and implement procedures which alleviate these problems, giving management more time to do other important tasks.

OPERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

SAGE PAYROLL ONLINE It is well recognised that the bar industry can be frenetic and fast paced. As a consequence of this, the way the industry is staffed often presents a complex payroll challenge, and this is where the right payroll software can make all the difference. With that in mind, Sage WageEasy Payroll now has a Private Cloud option. This means that all those critical elements for managing your payroll are now available online, providing access to payroll software securely online from any internet connection, and eliminating the need to maintain an expensive IT environment. For bars and clubs owners, managers and back end staff running operations, having the program accessible from anywhere you need to work from, via online access, will free you up from being in the office.

NUPOS LIVE STOCKTAKING CONTROL APP Nupos Solutions and DESS Point of Sale have partnered together to provide a solution that brings comprehensive management control to all aspects of running a venue. This includes full stock control with liquor monitoring, cash management, membership/ loyalty programs, staff management and security. The app can help detect problems such as theft and wastage before they get out of hand as the inventory is tracked in real time with up to the moment processing of sales transactions. The total system can be centrally managed from one host PC using back-office software. Rather than logging into your in-house system you can access a web portal so that you can review all systems whether you are in the office or elsewhere.

General features of the app include: • Unlimited venues with real-time sale reporting • Full tracking of bar staff via RFID • Scheduled Happy Hour price levels • Integrated fully with Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, Reckon Accounts plus more • CCTV Interface for extra security and identification • Up to four drawers per POS for full staff accountability

ALBERT BY COMMBANK The Commonwealth Bank’s innovative EFTPOS tablet – Albert – has been engineered to help businesses tailor their customer offering and gain unique business insights through a more mobile, user-friendly, secure and customisable pointof-sale device. The merchant device features a slew of features that make it ideal for tailoring a customer’s buying experience in a hospitality setting. Key features include the option to email receipts and invoices, split the bill up to 10 ways, open a customer account that can be paid later, record and track daily, weekly and yearly payments, as well as collecting useful business analytics and insights. The Albert EFTPOS tablet comes with both wi-fi and 3G built-in for ‘alwayson’ connectivity and pre-loaded with the payment app and other CommBank app functions, including Split Bill, Cash Counter, Daily IQ, Open Tab and Community Giver (which adds an optional charity donation to a transaction). The tablet also features apps that offers integrated social media, rewards systems and more, while there is additional potential to build customised apps for Albert that cater specifically to a single business.

WAVELINK With many venues now using smartphones for communication between back of house and front of house, especially in the busiest trading periods, there are increased issues with sensitive business information potentially being accessed if smartphones are lost or stolen. Wavelink’s internal voice-over wireless Local Area Network (LAN) devices use the venue’s internal wi-fi, giving all the advantages of smartphone communications, with the added security of not being operable on a public network.

IMPOS & DEPUTY INTEGRATION ImPOS has partnered with cloud-based work scheduling and people management platform, Deputy, to give users access to Deputy’s intelligent work scheduling, timesheet management and employee communication tools.

The integration means that users are able to optimise staffing and manage wage costs more efficiently, helping to schedule employees based on sales forecasts; and maximise efficiency benefits through better staff management and communication.

Business owners and managers are able to communicate with employees through the cloud via the Deputy app on their smartphone, tablet or smart watch. They can also automatically assess employee pay based on the appropriate rates and hours logged via ImPOS. Employees will also benefit from the tasking feature, which will help them understand what their manager expects them to do each shift to stay on top of priorities.

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… o l l e H ? e m r a e h u o y n a C PUBLIC RELATIONS

What does having a PR strategy or an active social media platform actually entail and do you really need to get involved? We asked our panel about their experiences and there were a lot of opinions.

THE PANEL • • • • • •

Emily Lloyd-Tait, Time Out Bars Editor for Sydney Meg Smith, SideCar Toby Hilton, Swillhouse Michael Nouri, The Exchange Jeremy Shipley, Solotel Russ McFadden, Bar Manager of EDV Sydney

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MS From a PR point of view, sometimes we have to push back to the clients to get them to clear up their messaging – be honest and to the point. And to be honest you can lose some credibility by employing a middle man. You want the press to have your direct contact details, rather than the details of a PR agent they have probably heard from 10 times already that day about other things. The number of bloggers – sorry, online journalists – who have moved into PR and tell me that they’re representing 10 different bars, I always ask ‘Well, what are your qualifications for doing that?’ and they’re answer is usually ‘I can write a press release’. Surely, a) that is a conflict of interest, but also, b) I don’t know what you’re charging but it’s probably too much. Bar PR is about relationships. It is about the initial burst and then it’s about making sure the bar is top of mind when something comes up – it’s not about pushing that journalist to be in every feature that is coming up because it’s probably not relevant.

ELT New bar owners who are just starting out would potentially be better serviced by hiring their own photographer rather than a PR firm and simply sending an email direct to us rather than through a third party. So often we get the big PR spin but there are no images, no address, no opening hours – and the email says “If you need anything, email me back”. But we actually don’t have time to play the game of email cat and mouse with someone who is charging the venue per email that they send out.

Please send me all of the information all in one go as I am more likely to care. And later on when I’m doing, say, a Halloween article, I can get onto you straight away and ask ‘Are you doing anything for Halloween?’. I don’t have to email someone who has to email someone else who has to email someone else. And then most of the time we don’t get the information that we need anyway.

PR & SOCIAL MEDIA 101

A SOCIAL NETWORK

ELT Embrace the business Facebook. You’ll keep coming up in people’s feed. Take good photos of your drinks and put them up – then on a Friday people will be scanning through and think ‘Actually, I do feel like a margarita’ and they will call their friends. Having a website is static, people have to come to you but with Facebook you will get in front of them.

JS People need to be smart about it as well. We might have a reminder in a manager’s phone at 3pm on a Friday to take a good photo, usually of a drink, and not necessarily as a “come-on-down” but so it’s on someone’s feed so they think ‘Oh yeah, that looks good’ and they remember it. It works for Opera Bar for example because, visually, it’s stunning, especially on a sunny day – you’ve got the bridge, you’ve got the harbour, you’ve got everything. It makes sense.

RM The problem about working with PR companies is that they are all about building a “brand”. And that is fine for when you’re creating a “brand”. But working with bars, they are not a brand and you can’t just blanket it like that – it’s someone’s life, it is someone’s dream, it’s all about finding the right market through word of mouth rather than just doing a branding exercise. It becomes too onedimensional. There is too much ‘We want 18-35 year olds who live in the area and earn 60K a year’. But that’s not how it works.

MN Honesty is the ultimate goal. And from a venue point of view it isn’t difficult to find and email the right people in the media. Also, it’s not about a quick buck – it’s about the long game and what good you can do long term by having people talk about your venue in a positive way.

TH On the PR front, spend less time and money flogging your venue, and just get some better staff. Pay your staff more, put your money on your front line and let word of mouth do the marketing for you.

MS The Facebook thing works for some venues but not necessarily for others. For some it’s just not right. It’s not going to work somewhere like Baxter Inn. I was asked recently, by a client, about social media, and I said ‘If you don’t have anything to say, don’t do it’. If you can’t resource it properly, don’t do it. I’m so bad at it, our Facebook page never gets updated and it’s shit. I just don’t have the time and I honestly don’t think about it because I’m just not that interested in engaging people through Facebook.

TH With Baxter Inn and Shady Pines, the social media is done for you by other people.

I think the most instagrammed moose in the world is at Shady Pines. It pops up in everyone’s feed. So I think by having an interesting fit out and doing a good job, I belive it sometimes gets done for you.

MN I think sometimes it’s a fine line.

Like Ramblin’ Rascal. I personally find their Instagram feed hilarious – I absolutely love it and they don’t suit Facebook – but the immediate catch of their Instagram feed, it’s hilarious and I wait for it because it makes me laugh and it’s authentic. It’s them. You look at those guys and they come across in that feed.

It’s totally relevant to their venue, it’s totally sincere and it works. And people love it. You’re never going to please everyone, and you can put that on your ‘what to watch out for’ list.

You’re never going to please everybody and if you try you’re going to fail from the get-go.

PH 1300 DRINKS

VANGUARDLUXURYBRANDS.COM

While the art of matching food and wine is well documented, there is plenty of scope for expanding the principles to other drinks, with beer, cocktails and straight spirits all viable options for adding a bit of interest to your menu. It may seem like a daunting task, especially if your venue only has a small kitchen and basic finger foods, however the growing consumer passion for food and beverage pairing can be easier to pull off than you think. Cheese platters and charcuterie selections are ripe for pairing, while a basic craft beer selection can offer a multitude of ways to switch up your menu and get customers talking about your bar.

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FOOD MATCHING

WHISKY AND CHEESE MATCHING WITH STEVE DAVIS, OPERA BAR The Opera Bar’s Meat + Cheese Room diversified this summer, moving into matching whisky with cheese, and the response has been incredibly positive, with Davis seeing plenty of customers returning to try new whiskies and new cheese matches. Believing that it is a privilege to have people trust him and the staff to create matches for them, Davis shared a few tips with us on how to navigate the task in your own venue.

What are the basic principles of matching whisky with cheese?

You have to try everything, and work with what you have on the back bar and in the fridge (a tough job, I know).

Just when you think you can predict the perfect pairing for a new product, some subtle flavour will reveal itself and you find yourself trying different combinations until one hits home. However, there are definitely a few rules that we’ve stumbled across along the way: Complementary pairings: • Softer whiskies (lowlands, Japanese) love softer, creamier cheeses – both texturally and in terms of flavour (brie, washed rind etc).

• Cheddar and sharper goats cheeses need a very defined dram to stand up to them.

• You can tie the whisky and cheese together with one common element, eg the fruitiness in Lagavulin 12yo ties in with the thicker fruit flavours of cloth-bound cheddar (even though usually Islay and cheddar butt heads).

Contrasting pairings: • Bigger whiskies love savoury cheeses • Softer goats cheeses can work very well with sweeter whiskies, like bourbons, some Australian styles, and even some Japanese.

Do you have a favourite match?

I’m a massive fan of peated whisky, and I love to get a big ball of buffalo mozzarella (or burrata) and make my way through a few different Islay styles.

The savoury cheese acts as a bit of a blank canvas for this style of whisky, so you pick up on the subtle differences between the expressions. If I’m not in that smoky mood, I love an Aultmore 12yo with a lemon myrtle chevre.

KEEP IT SIMPLE There are so many articles and blogs and books dedicated to the intricacies of exactly what pairings work best and how to exploit the best in your menu that it is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of information. In reality, there are two key principles: complement and contrast.

The terms are fairly self-explanatory.

The former involves choosing a drink that is similar in some way to the dish or food stuff that you’re serving, while the latter involves combinations that are dissimilar.

So far so good.

However, we’re not just talking about flavours here. The characteristics that can be either complemented or contrasted are: flavour, intensity of flavour, texture, and weight (or body).

Some complementary examples are: an intensely flavoured cocktail with an intensely flavoured Thai dish, or a chocolate-forward stout with chocolate pudding, or a creamy chardonnay to match the creamy texture of lobster.

On the flipside, a rich creamy cheese with a crisp IPA, or an earthy mushroom dish with a fruity wine, or a fruity dessert with an herbaceous pilsner.

The possibilities are endless.

How should bars work with their clients to educate them around whisky and cheese matching?

Staff are key – the people in there need to truly enjoy what they’re doing. If they have whisky as a staff drink, that’s a good sign. The right personality behind the bar will be able to make guests feel comfortable trying new things, not scared.

One final tip: Drink as much whisky as you can, all the time.

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FOOD MATCHING

TOP TIPS ON WORKING COCKTAIL AND FOOD MATCHES INTO YOUR VENUE WITH SEAN FORSYTH, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE BRAND AMBASSADOR 1. There has to be a link Create experiences that encompass not just flavour, but texture as well.

The food and the cocktail must have a relationship, they have to come together where the experience becomes the sum of its parts.

2. Look overseas for inspiration For simplicity you cannot look past the Italian aperitivo tradition and the Spanish tapas culture. A Bombay Sapphire Negroni served with antipasti is such a simple and enjoyable way to match cocktails and food as well as a fantastic way to start an evening. You also cannot go past a goblet of Gin Tonica, garnished with imagination, and served alongside Spanish olives or Espinacas a la Catalana (a Catalan dish of spinach, pine nuts and raisins).

3. Do your research at home I love fresh seafood like oysters and scallops served with a frozen shot of Star of Bombay – check out the Beaufort in Melbourne when they do there Sunday Shuckers event, it’s epic.

I also can’t beat an expertly crafted Tom Collins served alongside kingfish ceviche – it will change your worldview.

4. Avoid common pitfalls Before you serve it to the customer you have to taste it. The most important element is tasting the food and the cocktail together and really embracing the experience. Don’t just think about how the flavours work but also the taste, the texture, the temperature and finally the balance/seasoning.

It’s not good enough to a have a little bite and a sip and say that works, you need to enjoy the full experience to make sure that everything works together.

5. Get online Use all the tools and resources available to you such as www.foodpairing.com.

6. Most importantly Don’t be afraid to have fun with it.

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USE A FLAVOUR WHEEL Learn to describe flavours in terms that your staff will understand and in turn will be able to explain easily to customers. That’s where flavour wheels come in handy. Just like the beer flavour wheel we have featured here, there are plenty out there for wine, whisky, and other spirits, and they can help you to name elements of flavour and then in turn work at complementing and contrasting.

Find it at www.beerflavorwheel.com.

FOOD MATCHING

BEER & FOOD Kirrily Waldhorn is known as the Beer Diva for a good reason, so we sat down for a chat about how easy it is to integrate beer and food combinations into a venue.

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It doesn’t have to be complicated But it should always be fun. There aren't too many major catastrophes that will be encountered when using the principles of compare and contrast, and I always encourage experimentation when it comes to finding great pairings. Just have a give it a go attitude and the magic will follow.

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Beer and cheese is a match made in heaven It’s one of my favourite pairings and definitely not a new thing. The classic Ploughman's lunch consisted of a pint of ale and a chunk of matured cheddar.

The Belgian monks have been brewing beer and making cheese for centuries.

They’re natural partners. Again, balance is important when finding great pairings and there are many complementary flavours to be found. When serving a cheese platter, it's a great idea to offer a sample of different beer styles, so that everyone can taste and discover their own favourite combination. Think along the lines of fresh goat's curd with a delicate Belgian Witbier, a good quality matured cheddar with an ESB and, one of my favourites, an intense blue with a rich stout.

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There is no such thing as a perfect pairing There is no food that beer cannot enhance, and one person's perfect pairing could be another's disastrous duo. As long as the beer is fresh and the food is prepared with love, everything should be just fine. One of my most memorable pairings was actually divine in its simplicity – a freshly shucked oyster with a light, citrusy German Kölsch. So clean, so simple and so wonderful.

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it’s the broken record again: train your staff Run some sessions with bar staff using beers and dishes from the menu, and find the popular pairings amongst the group. From there, the element of surprise and delight always works wonders. If a client orders a particular dish that the staff know is going to work well with a particular beer, give the client a sample and let them decide for themselves. The look on their face is worth everything. Also allowing staff to experiment themselves and discover and discuss their favourite pairings will enable them to genuinely provide fantastic recommendations.

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Involve your customers from the beginning Pairing suggestions on menus are also a great idea, which can be kept simple at first and can then evolve based on the clientele's response. Be different, don't always default to the wine suggestion, the clients will love it.

COOPERS ALE ‘N SPICE PROGRAM Beer and food matching has become so popular that Australia’s largest home-grown brewery has launched a venue-centric program to introduce the concept of mixing hops in beers and spices in dishes.

Unlike lagers, Coppers’ naturally conditioned ales complement spice

without extinguishing flavour – good information to know when recommending beers for customers.

According to Cam Pearce, Coopers National Sales and Marketing Director, a good rule of thumb to follow is: the higher the International Bitterness Unit (IBU) in the beer, the more it will enhance the spices in the food.

“For bar owners it has been a relatively easy promotion to activate,” he says. “As most kitchens already have spicy and/or Asianstyle dishes on their menus.”

While there are no hard and fast rules to follow, as everyone will have a different opinion, Pearce says that beers with a lower bitterness level go well with chicken and fish

dishes with lots of cardamom, cumin and turmeric, or shellfish and pasta dishes. Conversely, something with a high IBU would give already hot dishes too much of a kick, and instead works best with milder Asian-style dishes, barbeque, or Italian cuisine. Bitter dark beers of course match desserts, but also pork and shellfish for a bit of a change.

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LUXURY SPIRITS

A little bit As the luxury spirits market expands, drinkers are more likely to be willing to drop some serious cash on top-notch tipples. So what exactly is a luxury spirit and how can you incorporate some into your venue?

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LUXURY SPIRITS

DOLLAR DOLLAR BILLS Y’ALL One aspect of luxury is the expense involved, but what exactly does that mean in relative terminology? It means serious cash being dropped on booze, worldwide.

• The category was worth US$10.4 billion in 2010 according to Euromonitor International data.

• The global luxury spirits market is set to nearly double by the time we hit the year 2020.

• The prediction is that the luxury spirits market will be worth $19.4bn by 2020.

W

hile global alcohol consumption is plummeting – when measured by volume – all around the world, the actual amount people spend is steadily climbing up into the tens of billions of dollars. And it’s no surprise with the global and local thirst for luxury spirits continues to expand unabated as the trend for premiumisation balloons, and the message to “drink less, drink better” starts sinking in.

Now, it might seem like an easy proposition in the current market – buy fancy booze, wait for punters to spot it and start paying top dollar.

Unfortunately there is a bit more to it than that.

According to Allan Shearer, CEO of island2island – which distributes elit by Stolichnaya – consumers look to bartenders to help them find brands that work best for them, and broaden their repertoires.

“Luxury spirit drinkers place a great deal of

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importance on provenance and heritage. They want to know more about what they are drinking and the origins of the drink,” he says. “The more authentic the story, the deeper the connection and therefore the stronger the loyalty.”

Stuart “Chewy” Morrow, manager of the internationally renowned Sydney whisky bar Baxter Inn, is straight up about how any bar can sell luxury spirits over the bar: it’s a matter of investing time in your staff so they can invest their time in your customers.

“Make sure all you staff are 100 per cent clued up on what they've got. The last thing you want is something that cost a fortune to bring in just sat on the back bar and for no one to know how to sell it,” he says. “If the staff know what it is, how it's made and what it tastes like then they're very well versed in how to promote it and offer it to their guests.”

Baxter Inn has its staff taste every single

whisky in the venue, even the bottle that cost 17 grand and retails at $740 per nip. With a busy bar and a clientele that is generally not at whisky expert level, Morrow says that the focus on staff training is front and centre at all times.

“A lot of our customers have no experience or expertise at all so when we have our staff that are trained to be able to talk to them, walk them, through things and answer any questions they've got and then recommend something, then it reassures them that the purchase is going to be worthwhile.”

He expands on that, adding that while the bar does stock eye-wateringly expensive whisky, the most expensive is not necessarily going to be the best option for a customer.

“We try and offer a product that they are going to be happy with as opposed to something that is going to be an expensive product that they're probably not going to enjoy,” he says.

LUXURY SPIRITS

WHY DO YOU NEED THEM BEHIND THE BAR?

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Matt Redin: Stocking luxury brands and becoming known as a venue that caters to those with higher end taste can allow a bar to in itself become a luxury outlet.

With this comes higher paying customers and higher revenue.

Anyone can make a Sazerac using a base brandy but only a truly trendsetting venue will dare to make one using an XO that has been handcrafted and aged for 40 years to give their customers a truly unique experience.

Olivia Preston: Consumers like to be educated by bartenders and are happy to be traded up to more luxurious options if the trade up is accompanied by a compelling brand story or justification for the extra cost (production method, raw materials used etc). With such a plethora of bottles on the back bar, a bartender recommendation is often the best way to learn about the wide world of spirits and spending $15 on a nip verses $180 for the whole bottle retail is a great way to try what's out there.

For the bar, more premium top shelf SKUs offer an attractive profit opportunity.

Allan Shearer: Consumers are drinking less volume in spirits and instead putting more emphasis on value and quality as they tradeup to more premium brands. People continue to question what they are drinking and where the ingredients are sourced. It’s a great way to engage customers, educate and upsell. If you are going to stock a range of premium spirits, ensure that your bar staff are well educated on the taste profile, versatility and mixability of each one.

Josie Healy: Over the past few years the increase in the volume of spirts sold in Australia is less than the dollar value of those spirits. High quality ingredients create a better tasting experience which in turn encourages higher sales and better customer loyalty.

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WHAT DEFINES A LUXURY SPIRIT? Allan Shearer: Price is one factor in determining a luxury spirit but is probably the last factor; instead we look at the quality of spirit, the age, and its rarity.

Prue Andrews: Luxury is personal so brands need to look at how they can enrich the lives of consumers. Ultimately, they will decide if you are a luxury or not.

Olivia Preston: Whether it is alcohol, clothing, a car or jewellery, luxury is defined by its quality or the craftsmanship – it’s the finest quality that customers are willing to pay for.

Matt Reddin: A luxury brand is typically one with a long history of consistency in providing the very best quality. Most often they are bespoke, handcrafted or limited in their release and hard if not impossible to replicate.

Josie Healy: Luxury brands are those that offer a point of difference in terms of flavour, variety and sophisticated ingredients as well as local or exotic provenance, authentic heritage and traditional artisan means of production.

“It's often the case that we'll take them in there and say ‘this is great, this is great, but if you want to spend a bit extra, this is really great’ and they'll come back with ‘yeah, I'll spend the extra’.”

AVOIDING THE BANDWAGON Stuart Morrow gives us his five tips on building a luxury offering: • Don't just stock expensive spirits for the sake of having a luxury product on the back bar.

• You need staggered progression to build a portfolio. You don't just need one regular and an upsell.

• Look at what people will want to buy. We get offered expensive products quite frequently and some of them you just have to look at and say "we wouldn't sell it". It will just sit there and not sell.

• Do your research. Brands like The Macallan are very collectible and for that reason people are willing to spend the money on them.

• Look at what you're going to stock and make sure you can actually sell it.

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LUXURY SPIRITS

PRO TIP: CREATE AN EXPERIENCE AND THE DRINK WILL SELL ITSELF

TO MIX OR NOT TO MIX? So should your top shelf be given the respect it deserves and only be sipped out of crystal or is ok to mix and match? Well, it’s a bit of column A and a bit of column B. According to Healy you need to be driven by customer demand.

“At the end of the day it is all about what the consumers wants to drink, and how they want to drink it,” she says.

Though you also need to take your customers on a journey, so cocktails are a no-brainer. Preston is of the firm opinion that luxury doesn’t mean precious, and that mixing is an excellent option.

“Obviously a more basic serve would showcase the taste profile of the product more clearly,” she says. “But a beautifully presented, well-balanced cocktail can be equally as effective in driving volume and awareness of these lesser utilised products.”

Luxury spirits are more versatile than you might think, and when it comes to the bottom line, Shearer points out that you’re going to make a better margin on a cocktail with a luxury element.

Over at St Agnes, Redin and his team are actually actively encouraging bartenders to mix their XO range in cocktails as they “bring greater depth and character”.

PRESENTATION IS KEY When it comes to luxury spirits, people are going to be shelling out a significant investment, so how you present them on the menu once you’ve decided to mix them into some fantastic creation is something that will require some consideration.

Of course there are plenty of opinions on the topic, and your choice has to fit with the style of your bar.

Luxury serves are about connection and engagement. Shearer suggests that because you can invite the customer into a new and exciting experience, your bar stands a better chance of upselling if you tap more into the emotional

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rather than the rational.

“We have seen some fabulous descriptive and evocative cocktail names and recipes that scream out “try me”,” he says. “Our advice would be don’t hold back, make your upsell cocktail or serve as attractive as possible – it’s definitely worth the effort.”

Don’t be afraid of creativity. Andrews suggests presenting visual cues to your customers on the menu that hint at the luxury behind the price point. She suggests anything from font changes, to colour choice, to even giving a single cocktail a whole page.

Utilise your staff. Andrews notes that it’s great to be able to connect a luxury experience with a person.

“EDV Melbourne use images and names of their managers and owners to call out staff recommendations,” she says. “It’s really powerful to see a picture in the menu of a senior staff member recommending a brand, then look at the bar and see that person mixing your drink.”

Work with what you have. If your menu doesn’t have the space to get fancy with images, then, according to Preston, it can be as simple as adding a small written cue.

“A simple one line justifying the additional cost, rather than simply including them at the bottom of a price list, can help,” she says.

Include specific details that staff can then work into their chat. Redin suggests adding specific detail that can then be worked into a story about the brand by the bartender.

“Use their age, region and maker in a brief description of the spirit that would not normally accompany a listing,” he says.

Create flights or guided tastings. Healy suggests that for less well-known luxury spirits, flights and guided tastings are going to add an important layer of experience for the customer and “an important part of the ‘value’ communication and education process”.

Stuart Morrow: The experience is very important. Coming from a busy bar, we try to make sure we have enough staff on to be able to talk to the guests and give them enough service but it is tough when you've got another five people waiting to be able to spend the necessary time with somebody.

So I think it’s really important to be able to take them away from that environment, take them somewhere completely quiet and closed off and give them one on one time.

The Whisky Room has been a bit of a draw card itself, without the booze even in there. People know they want to go to the Whisky Room, but they don’t know what they want. Some people know what they want and we'll take them into the Whisky room to give it to them. But some people just say ‘I want to go into the Whisky Room, how do I get in there?’ So that gives us the opportunity to take them in, stand with them for five to 10 minutes and ask them what they’re looking for, and actually just walk them through what they’re going to buy. It’s not all really expensive but the going rate for most whiskies in Baxter Inn is about $20 a nip, so when you look at that in comparison to a lot of other venues, it’s a pretty good spend per head. People generally won’t even bat an eyelid at spending that per serve because most of what we sell is premium anyway. But going in there and being able to offer them something from $20 to $740, it’s often the case that we'll take them in there and say ‘This is great, this is great, but if you want to spend a bit extra, this is really great’ and they'll come back with ‘yeah, I’ll spend the extra’. That stuff you can’t really get away with on the bar, because you don’t have the time to talk people through it.

LUXURY SPIRITS

ALTERNATIVE LUXURY

INSIDE THE BAXTER INN WHISKY ROOM Stuart Morrow talks us through the birth of the Baxter Inn Whisky Room and how it’s the experience not necessarily the spirits that pulls in the punters.

“We were just getting to that point where we had so much booze that we had nowhere to put it and we had this little cabinet down the end of the bar and that used to be where we kept all our good stuff. So the idea was hatched that it would be as lot nicer if we had the good stuff in a better kind of setting. Something that would better represent what we were storing, so we came up with this room for not necessarily expensive whisky but the rarer stuff that we're not able to get constant supply of and have it there. And it was to give the guest a bit more value for money as well. If someone is going to spend $740 on a whisky, giving them that extra little bit of service, being able to take them into room and have complete one on one time with them and walk them through it and make sure that they're 100 per cent happy and they're comfortable, and I suppose at the end of it they walk away having spent x amount of money on not just a 30ml nip of whisky but also the whole experience to go with it.”

While most drinkers are aware of the appeal of luxury whisky and can understand the price can spiral upward quite quickly, there can be issues when expanding that concept to other types of spirits. However, according to Prue Andrews, brand manager for Grey Goose Vodka, it’s easy enough to build on a customer’s knowledge of one luxury spirit to sell them into another category.

“Where you have a drinker who loves rare single malts, talk to them about the things that excites them in a whisky they love, then present another spirit that captures that same authentic experience,” she says.

“Where a whisky might have a clear connection to the place it is made, then present Grey Goose, where every bottle represents one square meter of wheat farm in Picardy, and the distiller, François Tibault, knows the farmer personally, and tastes the wheat before harvest. Then that same consumer experience of a unique place is delivered in a different spirit.”

According to Olivia Preston, brand manager of Herradura, education in a bar can come in many forms – a conversation, a spiel on a menu, or even simple neck tags hanging around your top shelf bottles. And in busy bars, simply have a little chat about your luxury option ready to go – keep it simple so that they can repeat it to their Tinder date to sound knowledgeable, of course.

“The most effective is a trade up,” she says. “When somebody orders two tequilas a simple, ‘Have you tried Herradura Ultra? They add a hint of agave nectar so it’s just a little sweet’. Nine times out of 10, in a premium venue, consumers are happy to take the bartenders lead.”

Josie Healy, of The Pisco People, agrees, adding that research shows a consumer’s willingness to accept an upsell, or experiment, is directly related to their perception of the bartender’s knowledge of and interest in the spirit being offered.

“If a bartender doesn’t understand the taste profile of certain styles and brands of a luxury spirit, they can’t convince the customer it’s worth spending extra to buy it,” she says. b&c

bars&clubs 37

All about

We gathered the experts to find out how to get the most out of the beer offering in your venue.

38 bars&clubs

ROUND TABLE

STORE IT WELL GW Keep it cold and fresh. You should be rotating your stock and you should store it cold and treat it right. Make sure you don’t get old stock, you don’t want to be that venue that gets lumped with a brewery’s old stock.

DR The timetable is changeable though – for hoppy beers, fresh is best but there are other beers where age and everything else is a good thing.

CS With venues that don’t have the ability to store cold, it’s on the brewer to let people know how it should be stored.

Where there’s beers specifically intended to do one thing – like what most of we do is fast and fresh – it’s on us to educate around that.

AF And it’s important to ensure that the beer has been dated so if you have different batches of the same beer you know which one is older and what needs to be sold first.

AE We’ve definitely had issues with brewers saying that it’s fresh and we can taste that it’s not. And you have to be careful because most kegs don’t have dates. We’ve also got beers going on that are 16 to 18 months old and they taste better than they do fresh. But those a styles like Belgians, Imperial stouts and barrel-aged beers – the kinds of beers that you want the hops to die out of really.

PUT IT AWAY

The Panel

• Aaron Edwards, Bitter Phew • Andrew Fineran, Batch Brewing Co • Chris Sidwa, Batch Brewing Co • Darren Robinson, Doctor’s Orders • Grant Wearin, Modus Operandi • Laura Twomey, Kingston Public

We just have to order small amounts LT and have a ute if we need to go and pick up extra stuff. It is a bit of a struggle, especially with bottled beers because for a small place we have quite a few bottled beers, we just have to cram them in.

AE We have issues too – at any one time we have about 60 kegs on hand and about half of those are stored for a year’s time. To manage that is a lot of work. We order pilsners, lagers, pale ales and IPAs week to week and then everything else is done on a monthly cycle.

So we might order four or five stouts, four or five double IPAs, and once they’re gone we order them again. But it doesn’t always work that way. We’ve got stuff coming from overseas and you don’t really have the luxury of choosing when it’s going to come in. Sometimes the suppliers deliver it when they want to do it, not when you want it. It’s an ongoing battle – the amount of times a pallet has shown up and we don’t have a pallet’s worth of space. We just have to cop it every now and then. Just be careful with third party distributors – you’ll deal with five different people and get five different answers.

EY LAURA TWOM

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ROUND TABLE

YOU SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND LT I like to take responsibility for rotating the bar fridge because ours is so tiny. In the fridge out the back we can see most things so it’s not as difficult. With taps we have one tap that is contracted, so that is always one brewery. The other two taps we can do whatever we want with and we mostly rotate them to do with the seasons. Winter we will always put a dark one on and it will just flog for the whole season. And we are more of a winter venue than a summer one. For summer we have a cider on at the moment, which we were a little hesitant to do, but when it’s this hot it is a no-brainer.

The other taps we just rotate stuff that we’ve found. We’ll have a beer on for a week or two then we’ll find something else just to keep it interesting.

AE We just do a monthly check.

I’d say that about 80 per cent of our bottled stock can sit in there for years anyway so it’s not a huge issue, but with some of the sours and things like that you need to know what drinks well and when.

We divide our taps roughly into three: entry level, medium, and advanced. The beers don’t always necessarily fall into those categories but they’re close. We always have a cider on, always have a lager or a Pilsner on, always have a pale ale and then everything is up for grabs, within reason, but there is also usually an IPA in there too then we work up to an imperial stout or something similar. We don’t have any contracts but we try to make sure everyone gets a turn – within reason, we don’t just put beer on for the sake of putting it on. We have definitely put on some beers we shouldn’t have. And we should probably be putting on more local beers. But also who else has those taps on comes into play – I definitely check out everyone else’s taps. So if I know if one of the close-by craft beer venues has the same beer on, because it’s pretty useless having five different venues all with the same beer on tap. It’s a strategy.

40 bars&clubs

IF THE (GLASS) SHOE FITS AF It’s important to have beer served correctly. We started off having jars which was a necessity – we had no money and they were cheap. But we have now moved on to a tulip style glass, which has improved the flavour and the taste of the beer immensely.

GW Glassware was important to us from day one – we invested in A CHRIS SIDW standard half pint and pint glasses as well as conical tulip glasses for certain types of beer and we found that some of our customers liked and appreciated that but some didn’t really care. Though for me the important part is not the shape or the size, it’s the cleanliness and sanitation of that glass that needs to be the focus. They need to be sanitised on a weekly basis, not just run through a glasswasher – have some sort of training system with your staff in place so that all the skunk off that glass is getting cleaned off.

AE having all different glassware is probably not that feasible in a small venue. Just for example, I completely changed one of our glasses to match a wine glass. It’s a tulip but it has two lines on it so we can use it as a beer or a wine glass. It works really well for us because it means that we’re reducing glass numbers and it works to the beers. Unfortunately they’re really expensive – a standard schooner is a tenth of the cost, so when one in every 10 glasses break, it’s punishing.

But it’s our contribution to the beer being served properly.

DR Glassware is hugely important and it makes a huge difference to the beer but it will always be a compromise between what you have the space for and what you have the budget for, and also what beer you’re serving. When you have a range of beers you can’t be like a Belgian beer hall and have a different glass for every single tap that you have.

GET SOCIAL

GRANT

WEARIN LT It works well with the brewer and the bar working to help each other out and social media is the way that we function now. Having that relationship via social media – cross promoting each other – it’s a match made in heaven. People come in and reference it all the time.

They’ll say “We saw on Instagram that you have [a beer] on” and then we’ll sell out of it in a week.

DR You have to work together. One post from a venue isn’t going to get the social distance you need because there is so much in people’s feeds. It takes a couple of relationship pieces to get you pull through into the venue. When it all works together, then it can be quite something. There is no secret formula either. You have to keep adapting and changing. Different social avenues produce different results at different times.

AE It starts with each brewery with a tap contacting their followers then our followers, and our regulars, then before you know it, you have 100 people in the venue. It’s very crucial. In terms of strategy, we have a very different one for each channel – Instagram comes with a story, Twitter is just a blast machine, and Facebook ties it all together and we use it for events.

BEER EVENTS AF I love beer events and I love tap takeovers. They help get more people across craft beer and gets them having a good experience with the brewers so it’s good for everyone.

AE Tap takeovers don’t really work for us – we did try. It comes down to our clientele. So we do what we call “showcases” now. We do usually up to six beers from a brewery – any more than that it just clogs the taps up. We also pick themes instead of a single brewery. So we did Scandinavian beers and that worked really well because we picked the best beers from each brewery.

I think for a venue that doesn’t really move a lot of beer, even having just two taps featuring a local brewery and free tastings can really get things moving.

AARON EDWARDS

ROUND TABLE

MOVING THE SLOW COACHES

STAFF TRAINING DARREN ROBINSON

AE We have the bottle share option on the menu – it’s like a tasting paddle but with a selection of bottled beers – and it always tends to be whatever we have the most of. It is always fresh and drinkable, but for whatever reason it just isn’t moving. Sometimes we just have staffies from the case that isn’t moving. If a beer isn’t selling it isn’t really anyone’s fault, but some beers everyone likes, just no one is buying. It’s just something that happens. I think writing a little blurb goes a long way, it comes back to making the customer feel comfortable because they don’t always want to ask. And if staff can’t give a one-liner about 95 per cent of the stock, they’re not doing their job.

LT It can be a simple thing like changing where it is positioned on the list as well. If it’s closer to the top, people won’t have lost interest by the time they get to it. We tend to have the bigger, quirkier bottles at the bottom and they do take longer to sell, but if we move them up a couple or even changing the name a little or describing it differently to get people’s interest. Instead of ‘Brett IPA’, call it ‘Tropical Fruit Salad IPA’.

Just simple things make it a bit catchier for someone. There is a really fine line between funny and AN ANDREW FINER catchy and weird, though.

CREATING A BEER LIST DR When you go to a venue that has 50 taps and they’re all pale ale – what the fuck is the point?

AF We’re always turning over new beers, so we always try to keep a nice range available – we always have the American Pale Ale and the West Coast IPA on – we try to have something light and crisp and easy drinking, and then move into an IPA or something dark and that changes with the season.

LT We’ve got a loose template of how many of each type of beer we have at any one time. It happens all the time that you find something that you really like but then you find that you have way too many of them on the list. So it’s important to have the template and just change a few at a time as you run out.

Make sure they are from a variety of places and there some that are the new cool beers out, but also some that are the good old standard favourites that people just want to drink and not have to think about. It’s super important to have entry level beers, not everyone knows as much or wants to know as much – they just want to drink. I think that’s where we can step in and make people feel ok that they don’t know any of the beers on tap – you have to make people feel comfortable, even if they don’t know what they like.

CS We do flavour training for our brewers and we always encourage our staff from the bar to come and experience that. Anything that broadens people’s minds to what beer is, and how it’s not what they think it is, is beneficial.

AE We’re also encouraging our venues to come into the brewery more often and when we’re able to we also try to get out and get to the venues and try to tell them about the beers. We have two Cicerones [qualified beer sommeliers] available to us and they love to talk about beer and the history of beer and things like that and we try to get them out to the venues.

GW We run a weekly tasting panel that comes from all walks of life, including winemakers, brewers, bar staff and even some of our customers. We go through everything from the same beer at different ages all the way through to new beers. It’s been really helpful for us in maintaining a high quality benchmark and I think it’s a great way to train staff and we also encourage our staff to come to those events and learn more about what a three month old IPA tastes like versus a one month old IPA or a one day old IPA. LT We drink the new beers, obviously. It’s incredibly important that the staff taste all the beers we have in stock, but I think it’s quite daunting. Not everyone is as into beer as us, so it’s really important to let your staff that are still learning to think for themselves and not just tell them what something tastes like or just have them read out the tasting notes that are there. Otherwise you just end up regurgitating other people’s information and something like taste is so subjective as well. As soon as they’re able to realise what they’re tasting and how they’re tasting it, that will make them be able to actually listen to what someone wants – we have some pretty weird beers on, mostly in bottle, and people get put off. This isn’t a specialised craft beer venue, we’re just a neighbourhood venue that likes good beers, but people are put off by the fact that we don’t have Coopers or similar so our technique is to ask people what they normally drink and help them feel ok that they don’t recognise something. Then our staff can point them in the direction of something that’s most similar to it, then it makes them feel like they’re trying something new and exciting and they’re not going to think that craft beer is shit.

DR It does vary on the level of the staff member as well – I’ve done staff training for a number of venues and you learn pretty quick that when someone isn’t that interested in how to taste beer and how to relate that to a customer, it’s a really hard conversation to have. But what we do is give them a guideline of what we think, and let them form their own opinions.

AE Most of our staff have a secondary passion for beer, it’s not their primary passion. We definitely make the staff try everything on tap before they start a shift, regardless of whether they have had it before or not. With bottles it is a little harder because sometimes we do only get six bottles of something so we can’t really have everyone taste it – so we do a lot of research. At the end of the day if it has been a good shift, we’ll crack something nice and it’s a reward slash education moment. It’s a slowly, slowly approach – I’m still learning and I don’t think there is an end to the learning process.

bars&clubs 41

Boutique Drinks Festival Championing Premium Drinks

Top Shelf returns earlier this year, Sat & Sun 16-17 July 2016.

Our premium drinks show will again be held at the magnificent Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens in Melbourne and be bigger and better than ever!

Consumer and trade attendees 8,000 Consumers & trade

500 Premium drinks brands

200 Stands

OVER

4,000 2014 OVER

6,000 2015 OVER

8,000 2016* *PROJECTED FIGURES BASED ON THE GROWTH FROM 2014 TO 2015

98%

RATED THEIR EXPERIENCE AS EXCELLENT, VERY GOOD OR GOOD

87%

THOUGHT TOP SHELF WAS SUCCESFUL IN ‘CHAMPIONING PREMIUM DRINKS

To obtain a floor plan, rates and the media kit please contact Mark Ryu E: mryu@intermedia.com.au M: 0404 803 356

kwp!CPR12876