The first we heard of Australian-made gin was when our friend the lovely Caroline Childerley – officially The Gin Queen – told us about Four Pillars Gin coming for their first launch in Sydney. It was great to meet Cam and the guys from Four Pillars, and their gin really is exceptional. If you’ve had … Read more
A friend jokingly said the other day he could go to a new small bar in Sydney every day of the week and not return to the same place twice in a year. I think it’s more like two years, but I didn’t tell him that. Instead I elected to contradict him on the internet. … Read more
Gone are the days when the only beer you could find in a pub was soapy flavourless mass-produced suds on tap or over-priced imported beer in the fridges. Come again are the days where a publican can take pride in the delicious quality beer he or she serves, knowing where it’s come from – maybe … Read more
For a long time, Mrs Romance and I didn’t drink red wine. Crazy, isn’t it? These days we drink more red than white – especially in the winter months when we can snuggle up in front of a movie and crack open a hefty Shiraz or a handsome Malbec. But all those years ago, feeling … Read more
As you may know, we love our cocktails and high-end spirits. There’s nothing better than sampling an expensive champagne or sipping an XO cognac, but we also love experimenting with recipes at home. This has led to us investigate the strange moonshine-esque practice of ‘dishwasher vodka’. When we first spotted it in the paper, we … Read more
Hemingway was surely the first hipster. His was a lover of adventure, chivalry, and a non-mainstream life – and of course, later on, a big beard. He also loved a good drink. So who better to build a bar around than a man renowned for his love of libations, food and an eclectic lifestyle? Hemingway’s … Read more
Zeta Bar at the top of the Hilton Sydney has always been a pretty damn fine bar. Its outlook over the beautiful Queen Victoria Building and down into the pulsing soul of the city is enticing and glamorous. From Valentine’s Day, ’14 Zeta is embracing the romance of the exotic. Their Arabian Nights theme, which … Read more
Whenever I think of rosé wine, I immediately think of sickly sweet alcopop with lashings of hangover. I’ve always avoided this type of wine more than any other. However, when we were in Provence in southern France last year, we were very surprised by what we found. Rosé is in fact very much de rigueur … Read more
England’s ale and craft beer industry is once again booming. After a long time of nothing but poor-quality mass-produced lagers being pumped from pub bars around the country, the drinking folk there are starting to see a change. This change is very welcome indeed, and, on a recent visit there, I decided to do a … Read more
Drinking beer on Australia Day is about as Australian as you can get. It’s the best way to celebrate our national day, but that doesn’t mean you have to drink beer and forsake all other beverages. I first heard of a beer cocktail a year or two ago in a rooftop bar in Sydney. Initially, … Read more