From Melbourne Cup to Australia Day, it’s officially party season in Australia. And how we love to party. It’s a whirlwind of celebrations from the Spring Racing Carnival, office Christmas parties, through Christmas and Boxing Day. We follow it all with the dog days of summer – beach and barbecue season. And it goes without saying most of us enjoy the best of the season with our favourite tipple.
Sometimes beer and wine don’t cut it. And the espresso martini is so 2012. Heaven forbid we flirt with frosé. Yes, New York’s Bar Primi made it the Instagram phenomenon of the Northern Hemisphere Summer. Australian punters are far too clever to pay $18 for a slushie of below average pink wine and sugar, aren’t we? Here are some of the far tastier alternatives for your drinking pleasure.
At Sydney’s Grain Bar (tucked in the Four Seasons Sydney), summer cocktails celebrate the unique with everything from fairy floss to figs and rocky road. The 2016 Hotel Bar of the Year is serving up the Murphy’s Law: a devilish mix of Bulleit Rye Bulleit Rye, Rocky Road Liqueur, Dark Agave and berries, garnished with a sizable slab of Rocky Road.
The Swipe Right is as naughty as the name suggests; Tanqueray shaken with Cointreau and fresh mango purée topped with Persian fairy floss. http://www.grainbar.com.au
G.H. MUMM is the official Champagne of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and from what we saw in the Bird Cage last year, people do enjoy it – a lot of it. In 2016, at Mumm’s ‘Club de la Plage’ marquee the Rosé Revolution continues with summer Mumm cocktails the drink de jour.
Australians have been a little slow on the Rosé Champagne bandwagon and GH Mumm is planning to change all that making a splash during the Carnival with 3 12L Balthazars flown from Reims for the occasion. Expect to see a lot of the limited edition Melbourne Cup Carnival Rose designed bottles too. www.mumm.com
Brisbane now has its fourth rooftop bar with the recent opening of Sixteen Antlers atop the Pullman and Mercure Brisbane King George Square hotel.
If up close views of Brisbane’s City Hall clock tower are your thing, you’ll love Sixteen Antlers Rooftop Bar. The airy retreat serves good beer on tap, French and Italian sparkling, Australian boutique wines and a small, curated list of fine summer cocktails. The Bushel Spritz may be the River City’s drink of the season – a cheeky blend of Absolut, Ketel 1 Citron, Chambord, lemon juice, mint and berries. https://www.facebook.com/SixteenAntlers