Cocktails, from left: Boomer Things, Jack Rose and sidecar. Boomer Things
A nod to the tastes of yesteryear, Boomer Things was created by Ollie Margan of Adelaide’s Maybe Mae, one of Australia’s most lauded cocktail bars. This drink is of the rich, spirit-forward, after-dinner kind, with layers of complexity, courtesy of the fine brandy, Australian fortified wine and native honey.
30ml St Agnes XO 15 Year Old
20ml DP117 Seppeltsfield NV Solero Dry Flor Apera
20ml lemon myrtle honey syrup*
Place all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, or a rocks glass with a large chunk of ice, and garnish with a fresh lemon myrtle leaf or a twist of lemon peel.
*To make the honey syrup, add 125ml of Australian eucalyptus honey, 125ml of water and a handful of fresh lemon myrtle leaves (or 1tbs of dried lemon myrtle) to a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and allow to cool.
Jack Rose
Brighter, fresher and more fruit-forward than the sidecar, the Jack Rose is a summery sip that makes use of apple brandy, lime and grenadine. It’s another classic, often attributed to a New Jersey bartender named Frank J May (otherwise known as Jack Rose) and gets a shout-out in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”. Add a dash of absinthe to make it a Pan American Clipper (or, in this case, a Pan Tasmanian Clipper).
50ml Charles Oates Apple Brandy
25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
25ml Crawley’s Grenadine Syrup (don’t use a cheap brand — it will ruin your brandy)
Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is very cold to the touch (10 to 15 seconds). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass using a fine strainer and serve straight up (no ice). Garnish with a twist of lemon or lime peel.
Sidecar
Probably the most famous brandy cocktail out there, a sidecar is quick to make and uses simple ingredients. Popularised by Harry’s New York Bar in Paris following World War I, the sidecar combines American cocktail- making techniques with French spirits (brandy and Cointreau), adding a good measure of fresh citrus to create a balanced, refreshing and sophisticated cocktail. For something different, this version uses Australian brandy crafted in the Balkan rakia style and a locally produced orange liqueur made on a brandy base.
50ml 36 Short Gold Rakia
20ml Marionette Orange Curaçao
20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is very cold to the touch (10 to 15 seconds). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass using a fine strainer and serve straight up (no ice).
Optional: If you like your drinks a little sweeter, run a slice of lemon over the outer rim and then dip the rim in granulated sugar.
