We’ve received a lot to let you know about on this newest Version.
Rooftop bars and festivals of sunshine (with corresponding cocktails in fact), new and wonderful experiences to have at Uluru, excellent new Sydney gins, huge birthday partakings at a spirits pageant (and a wine tasting tacked on too), pretty mates visiting who we haven’t seen for ages, cheese fests and, not least, bunny chow!
We hope you get pleasure from this Version
Jim & Christina xx
Christina and I do love a rooftop bar – we even discuss it a bit right here – and Zephyr in Sydney’s Darling Harbour actually scratches an itch.
Tonight, we’re up right here to take a look at the lights of Vivid and the bar’s particular choices for this annual crowd-drawing pageant of sunshine.
A part of the Hyatt Regency Sydney, Zephyr already holds excessive stakes within the cocktail world. Its spectacular bar, which appears out over the most important pure harbour on this planet, has been serving excellent drinks since 2017 and the one factor to alter about that’s the menu.
For this yr’s Vivid pageant, Zephyr has teamed up with 4 Pillars Distilling Co to create some wonderful cocktails.
First we strive the Uncommon Concord – 4 Pillars Uncommon Dry Gin, Rhubi Mistelle, Marionette Bitter Curacao, and pineapple and lime juice – and Yuzo Glow Bitter – 4 Pillars Recent Yuzi Gin, Marionette Blue Curacao lemon juice and sugar syrup.
They’re each very vivid colors (on objective in fact), that are helped together with enjoyable coasters that gentle up when your drink’s positioned on them. The Uncommon Concord sounded fairly candy once we first heard the elements, however the result’s a beautiful balanced drink. As for the Yuzu Glow Bitter, the blue color is a bit off-putting at first, but it surely’s an excellent drink. The bar has been daring about its sourness and hasn’t held again, which is as refreshing as this little blue quantity.
Subsequent we give the particular 4 Pillars martini trolley a roll, the place a mixologist makes the signature drink – Pillars of Humanity – at your desk. This drink consists of two gins, the excellent 4 Pillars Olive Leaf and their Recent Yuzu Gin, together with a dry vermouth and orange curacao. It’s gentle but punchy, easy but has a nice citrus zing.
We additionally strive the Shiraz Breeze, terribly served in a light-bulb-shaped glass – one other nod to Vivid. This makes use of 4 Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, lime, sugar, mint and soda, and brings gin mojito vibes.
To maintain us firm and the drinks protected, we even have a run on the meals menu. Standouts for us are the fried chevre balls in a pleasant panko crumb and the popcorn lobster. The ‘popcorn’ chunks of lobster have been deep fried and the lobster shell serves as a dip receptacle. Scrumptious and ingenious.
Thanks, Neilson the bar supervisor for these suggestions.
Ensure you recover from to Zephyr throughout Vivid to strive a few of these excellent delicacies – twenty fourth Might-Fifteenth June 2024.
This afternoon, Christina is on the Museum of Modern Artwork to listen to about an incredible new providing from Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia – the identical individuals who introduced the astounding Wintjiri Wiru drone show to Uluru which you can learn extra about right here.
This time spherical, CEO of Voyages, Matt Cameron-Smith informed the assembled media about Dawn Journeys – a conscious gentle and sound expertise that highlights historical tales from Anangu, the individuals of Uluru, and the brand new Australian Native Excessive Tea – a scrumptious assortment of snacks made with native bush tucker entrance of thoughts.
These experiences each occur on the attractive stage the place the Wintjiri Wiru present is seen from with the dramatic panorama of Uluru and Kaka Tjuta as its backdrop.
Each of those new day by day experiences will begin from August 1st 2024, however bookings are open now, so don’t miss out!
Tonight, Christina and I are out with a few friends in preparation for the Sydney Spirits Pageant that we’re all going to. The 4 of us have made our solution to an previous favorite: Hickson Home Distilling Co.
This Rocks-based distillery can be some of the elegant bars within the metropolis they usually also can make a banging martini. Much more so now they’ve simply launched a model new gin: Harbour Bridge Gin.
Not solely is the distillery nearly instantly below the Harbour Bridge, the constructing was used to retailer the steel and timber beams because the bridge was being constructed. And because the centenary of the Harbour Bridge approaches (it was opened in 1932), Hickson Home have introduced their plans to launch a brand new gin yearly till 2032.
This, the primary of the sequence, celebrates breaking floor for the bridge in 1923.
As we speak, Christina is with our pretty good friend and completed journey author Kate Hennessy. They’re at Rozelle’s White Bay Energy Station to take a look at the Sydney Biennale earlier than it finishes on June tenth.
This have to be Christina’s Fifteenth journey to the Biennale this yr, so she’s one thing of an skilled. Nevertheless, she nonetheless extremely recommends occurring an organised artwork tour for the deeper meanings and historical past behind these spectacular items.
Don’t neglect, there’s a free bus from the QVB that takes you proper to the doorways of the Biennale right here, and on the weekend, there’s a free shuttle bus that takes you proper into Balmain correct so you’ll be able to take a look at the fun of this distinctive Sydney suburb. We’ve received extra particulars on this on IG right here.
It’s lastly right here! My birthday and the Sydney Spirits Pageant – what an alignment of the celebs. And after this quantity of liquor, it’s most likely the one factor that will probably be in a line!
On the Abroad Passenger Terminal at Round Quay, an enormous variety of each small native distillers and big world producers have arrange stalls to showcase their wares.
At all times a standout in the event that they’re right here, Ester Spirits from Marrickville make their presence recognized. Felix is a legend btw. Their Robust Gin is a perennial favorite for us, however the issues Felix is making now are unbelievable.
We trek spherical the large house and check out as many alternative spirits as we are able to. There’s every little thing right here, from craft gin to mezcal to bourbon to rum to curios like Australian-made soju and fruit-flavoured tequilas. It’s a hell of a whole lot of enjoyable.
It’s additionally stunning how ‘efficient’ small, 5-10ml pours of spirits can creep up on you. By the tip of the three-hour pageant, we’re all fairly merry!
It’s time for lunch so we head to Ribs N Burgers. I don’t know who advised it, however everybody appears fairly blissful! Peter, Ben and I are anyway. I don’t learn about the remainder of the patrons!
As a result of three strong hours of tasting spirits hasn’t been sufficient for us, we’ve determined (this was my concept truly) to move to a really particular little spot within the Rocks.
Sydney’s solely cellar door for a Barossa vineyard, Chateau Tanunda, certainly one of Australia’s oldest present wineries, has opened a tasting room within the historic confines of Nurses Stroll, tucked properly and really away within the alleys of Australia’s oldest colonial district.
We style some wine, we purchase some wine, we discuss some wine. And I hope we aren’t annoying Justin the cellar door supervisor an excessive amount of. He’s a pleasant man. However if you’d like a superb wine tasting expertise of a few of Australia’s finest Barossa wine, go to the Rocks and annoy Justin slightly bit!
This night, Christina is again at White Bay, however not for the Biennale! She’s right here along with her good friend Rex to see The Different Artwork Honest.
This can be a nice solution to uncover unbiased artists with work on the market from $100. This yr was the truth is on the White Bay Cruise Terminal, not removed from the facility station and the Biennale, and it’s an important house to discover the artwork, meet the artists, and watch epic artwork battles in ‘velocity portray’ rounds.
Preserve a watch out for dates in your metropolis as this very cool artwork truthful strikes world wide.
This afternoon, we’re excited to be hanging out with our glorious buddies Chris and Sonia, who we’ve recognized for years. They used to stay in Adelaide, however now reside in Lennox NSW. It’s good to have them in our state, however it will be even higher if they may come a bit nearer to Sydney!
In an try and woo them south, we’re displaying them a few of our favorite native spots: exhibit A – the Bald Rock Resort in Rozelle. Simply my favorite pub, this place does glorious burgers they usually hold their beer properly too.
As we roam the Balmain Peninsula, we lastly discover ourselves at Cinnamon – a splendidly cosy restaurant and bar that makes a number of the finest Thai/South East Asian meals round.
Excessive on the record to re-order once we come again right here (top-left to backside proper):
Salt lemon and pepper squid, rooster chilli basil stir fry, panfried mataba roti with yellow curry minced wagyu beef, and massaman beef curry however with mantou buns – scrumptious steamed-then-fried pillows of dough good for mopping up massaman sauce!
Additionally, they promote their little spherical desk lights right here, which Sonia kindly gifted us. They’re 3D printed and seem like the moon. pleasant.
This afternoon, Christina is having a gathering with the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce, the writer of native journal Darling (hold a watch out for this coming winter version Problem 14) for a little bit of a cameo).
They’re on the very cute Bar 26 in Lilyfield, tucked away like a speakeasy. However this place additionally has an unlimited distillery subsequent to it, the place the homeowners of Bar 26, Eduard and Julie Otter, craft their very own gin, vodka and whiskey. Take a look at Otter Craft Distilling’s spirits right here.
The rationale for this venue – aside from the wonderful cocktails – is that Christina is talking at a Girls in Enterprise occasion for the Chamber of Commerce and Bar 26 is internet hosting.
Sadly, this occasion is bought out now, however hold a watch open. I’m certain this gained’t be the final.
Tonight’s meal: bunny chow!
In case you’ve by no means heard of this dish earlier than, don’t fear. However earlier than we get began, no; no rabbits had been harmed on this story.
This can be a conventional South African dish from Durban when the cane trade was in full circulation. Indian migrants – particularly these from the service provider or ‘bania’ caste – made a residing from making this hearty dish of curry in a hollowed out loaf of bread. A bit like a cob loaf dip. However curry.
We first had bunny chow in Durban and fell in love with it. We’ve had a crack at this dish earlier than too, however this time I believe we nailed it due to a particularly Durban curry sauce we present in Aldi and my present favorite kitchen gadget: my bread machine. Sure, I made the bread.
Yearly, Bon Fromage – a joint incentive between European Cheeses, Cheeses of France and the EU – brings a metric tonne of cheese to Sydney to point out us simply how good they’ve it on the Continent.
This morning, Christina and I are on the Abroad Passenger Terminal at Round Quay for the beginning of this cheese extravaganza, which all the time begins with a media brunch.
This brunch options 4 completely different decadent dairy derivatives (triple cream brie, bleu d’Auvergne, comté and epoisses) for us to style, guided by the sensible cheese thoughts of one of many world’s high 10 cheese mongers Aurore Ghigo.
We’re additionally fed a cheese-inspired multi-course meal by the daring Chef Jimmy Wong from Masterchef.
The main target of this yr’s cheese pageant is about seasonality. Do you know cheese tastes completely different relying on when it’s made – primarily attributable to what the cows have been consuming.
Cheese made out of milk made in spring will style vibrant with grassy notes and have a softer texture as a result of the cows have been consuming wealthy younger tender grass. Nevertheless, Cheese made with autumn milk could have a robust flavour and really dense aroma due to the regrowth grass the cows feed on right now of yr. Fascinating.
We hope you’ve loved this Version. Catch you once more quickly.
Jim & Christina xx
