Story by Andy Ratcliff, email him at andrewjohn@me.com

I first met Josh when we worked together at The Baxter Inn in 2017. He was fresh from London and arrived like a powerhouse on to the bar scene. Josh works like a controlled tornado. It’s simply impossible to keep up with the way his brain processes information, but I’ve tried. He has a hilariously dark sense of humour and makes the most delectable drinks imaginable.

To give you an idea of his international reputation, I was once in a cab with Erik Lorincz (Kwant, The Savoy) and he asked me who I thought made the best drinks in the country. Without a moment’s pause, I blurted out,” Josh Reynolds makes the tastiest drinks I’ve ever had.” He looked at me and said, “Ali’s little brother? I don’t doubt that for a second.”
We talked with him today to hear his story, which has taken him from his hometown of Derby (which he affectionately calls Dar-bay-dos) all the way to Sydney.

For more on The Point (The Dolphin Hotel, Shell House & more) head to
the-point.com/venues

Tell us about your start in hospitality. Where did you grow up and how did you make it into the industry?
I grew up in England and started hospitality at the age of 18 down in Nottingham as a barback after Ali (my older brother, now head of advocacy and global ambassador for Stauning Danish Whisky) got me a trial shift at this weird bar called Eschucha. It was super seedy, but I was on the bar in 6 months or so, making some classics and on menu drinks, a good experience, if I’m honest. Some extremely talented bartenders at that time in that little city have gone and accomplished some incredible things.

After heading down to the big smoke that is London Town, where did you work and what did you learn coming away from that experience?
Ali called me one evening when I was working in Bristol to move to London and help him really kick start Pollen Street Social, a venue owned and run by Gordon Ramsey’s protégé Jason Atherton in Mayfair – I learnt that service was everything, cleanliness was paramount and hard work got you places. Hours were daunting but thick skin was attained in abundance in that place. Then it was onto Hawksmoor Spitalfields, joining Ali once more, where I’d say my career really set alight, learning every single day from London’s finest, an incredible restaurant and bar. The training was second to none, and you were held accountable for standards in every aspect every single day. I loved it. I spent five years there. Three of them as head bartender, taking that bar to Tales and winning best international restaurant bar was incredible.

“Try not to drown. Listen to your gut and have fun. Sometimes, things don’t go the way you think they should go in your head, you’ve just got to roll with the punches.”

Your brother Ali has been a big influence in your life. What’s it like working together? I’d imagine a melting pot of emotion and classic Reynolds chat.
He absolutely has, I love him to death. I worked with him pretty much from age 21 to 27, it’s a joy man, intense at times but that’s two brothers for you who hate to lose, at anything, ever.

You spent a lot of time working with Matt Whiley at Scout (London & Sydney). How did that shape the way you made drinks or just add another element to the arsenal?
He made me realise that there are so many ways to approach the construction of a drink, the man is a genius and I still ring him to ask him questions about all things weird and wonderful. The best thing about Matt is that he is more than happy to educate anyone at any time.

We had so many great times over the years in many bars. You’ve got a lot of energy and drive and a commitment to quality that should demand respect. What keeps driving you? What motivates you to “make it perfect” every time?
The drive is to make something I’ve never made taste incredible – that excites me. And the “make it perfect every time” mantra is simple. The answer for me is this. – “Would I pay for that?” That’s it!

Tell us about your experience winning Chivas Global and Wild Turkey. How did the travel and accolades change you and the way you approach hospitality?
Never again will I experience those trips, once-in-a-lifetime sort of stuff. Making drinks on the Great Wall of China, travelling Asia for three years, making whisky with Colin Scott, talking to Jimmy Russell, bourbon dinners at castles in Scotland, and meeting legends of the industry left, right and centre, to name a few. Something I’ll cherish until my day is done. It didn’t really change my approach; it just opened my eyes to drink-making around the world. Priceless!

Tell us about your role with the Point Group. It’s a massive undertaking being a group beverage manager. What are some tips for bartenders looking to make the jump into a role like yours?
It’s a plethora of things, really; I’m based at the Dolphin because that’s my baby, and it’s also where my workspace is for all drink creation. It is not easy constantly coming up with drinks on your own, but it’s a lot of fun for sure. Training across the group, instilling passion wherever possible. I’m a stickler for standards and getting the basics perfect.It’s all well and good making clarified mandarin juice but if you can’t make a well-constructed gin and tonic, you’re probably missing something.

Some tips for bartenders: The weeks are lightning quick in bars and restaurants so prepare to move and keep up with the times. Try not to drown. Listen to your gut and have fun. Sometimes, things don’t go the way you think they should go in your head, you’ve just got to roll with the punches.

Tell us about the new menu for Shell House. What makes a great winter style cocktail and how have you achieved this in the new menu?
It’s 12 drinks each allocated to where we see it working within the four venues of Shell House. I love seasonality, always have, always will. It’s the height of flavour. I also like tongue-in-cheek mixed in with, say, the seriousness of the preparation all the way up to the serve. There’s flavours that appear throughout the drinks I’ve created like, The Roasted Chestnut Negroni, Buddha’s Hand Alpine Negroni, Truffle and Cacao Boulevardier, Rhubarb and Vanilla Clarified Custard Punch, A Hazelnut and Pine Mushroom number with Whisky, the Feijoa Libation with quince, guava and salted plum and a Kumquat Jack Rose, I also created a chocolate brownie Ron Zacapa drink with toasted cardamom, hay caramel and walnut wine, a winter spritz with fresh yuzu and riesling vermouth. It’s been the most intense prep but also the most fun I’ve had creating a menu for a long time. A great winter drink is something that lends itself to the word Winter – which can mean many, many things. Use your imagination.”

Last question! What’s your favourite bar on earth, and if you could only have one last drink, what would it be, and who would it be with?
My favourite bar on earth doesn’t exist and it never will. However, my last drink would be a pint of the greatest Guinness with a pack of salt and vinegar crisps with my brother, in our 70’s. He’s my best drinking partner hands down. The end!

Story by Andy Ratcliff, reach him at andrewjohn@me.com

Photography by Audrey Carpentras

I don’t remember when I first met Kenney, so we must have had a good time! Raised in the Sydney hospitality scene, Harrison, affectionately known as “Kenney”, has had an incredibly short rise to fame amongst the global bartending community. So it should be, Kenney is polite, fun and loves to joke around. He’s an incredible young talent with a breathtaking sense of style. We sat down with him to learn about his career and what brought him to the City of Lights.

Hi Kenney, Thanks for sitting down with us today. Tell us a bit about how you got started in the scene. Where did you first work, and what were some of the best and worst memories from that time?
Kenney: Certainly, there was some nepotism involved. At 18, fresh out of high school, eager to travel, and in need of income, a friend of mine got me a job at the bar where he worked. That place was The Beresford, under the Merivale umbrella. I have some pretty great memories there, including two of those million-dollar staff parties—haha! I was young and clueless about the world of hospitality, and being taken to the hipster cocktail bars (there weren’t many) for after-work drinks made me feel like a part of something.
I wouldn’t describe them as bad times, but anyone familiar with Beresford Sundays and the responsibilities of a glassy/barback would understand what those shifts were like.

I think there was a point (possibly at Cantina, OK!) where you hit the ground running and went through a metamorphosis from being a good-time party guy to a serious contender for any competition in the industry. Can you tell us a bit more about this process? Was it a shining light moment, or did you just gradually take on more responsibility?
“The hour of metamorphoses, when people half hope, half fear that a dog will become a wolf.” I will call it a shining light moment. It was a small, ephemeral, yet powerful idea: a vision of my ideal future self, a vision that guided, inspired, and propelled progress, originating within the walls of Cantina OK!.

It was a place where my love for hospitality blossomed, and I realised our industry’s vital importance. All the while, surrounded by individuals who believed in me more than I believed in myself, I gained the confidence to dream big. We all dreamed big!

You’ve had your fair share of success with competitions. The Patron Perfectionist competition in 2022 (that you won) gave you an opportunity to travel pretty extensively. Can you tell us about that phase and how it changed you?
It all unfolded quickly, albeit not without considerable hard work. This aspect is often overlooked; while people see you celebrate your victory online, they rarely see the countless hours invested. It was the first big moment of putting myself outside my comfort zone, a practice I’ve since embraced.
The travel, of course, has been, and continues to be, amazing. It’s a bit surreal to think that I first ever got a job in order to pursue it.

“[Cantina OK!] was a place where my love for hospitality blossomed, and I realised our industry’s vital importance. All the while, surrounded by individuals who believed in me more than I believed in myself, I gained the confidence to dream big. We all dreamed big!”

You absolutely nailed your role at Cantina OK! and Bar Planet then moved over to the UK to work with Remy Savage at Bar With Shapes For a Name. What sort of advice have you got for bartenders wanting to move across the ditch?
Be patient and take time to learn what’s out in the world. You possess the potential to accomplish whatever you commit to as long as you’re prepared to dedicate the effort and recognize that genuine greatness is achieved over time.

After this, you moved on with Remy to work at Bar Nouveau in Paris. How was working in a bar in a foreign-language-speaking nation? What were the challenges, and what was the reward?
Paris attracts 40 million tourists annually, and given the international nature of cocktail bars, it’s generally easy to navigate. The main challenge lies in striking the right balance of translatable Australian humour and idioms. Every day brings its rewards; I took on a challenge that made me uneasy, I followed through, and I find it remarkably beautiful. What if I fall? But, my darling, what if you fly?

Can you tell us why we should add Bar Nouveau to our bucket list for the next trip to Paris?
1. Paris is objectively the best city in the world.
2. Le Marais is the greatest neighbourhood to be perfectly tipsy.
3. 16m2 of Art Nouveau.
Bonus: I’ll make you the world’s best smoky ramos in three minutes.

Remy seems like a groovy art Dad, and you guys look like two peas in a pod. What’s it like working together?
He is indeed all of those things, and we consider each other extraordinarily close friends (Mon best), so yes, peas, if you will. I’m very grateful; he understands where I can grow and keeps me accountable. Undoubtedly, he possesses remarkable talent, but above all, he’s exceptional company.

Are there any huge culture shocks about working in hospo in another country? Are the tips good? Are French people really that rude? Can you actually get a good coffee at 10pm in Paris?
Healthy work-life balance is a fundamental right, Bleu Blanc Rouge! The tips are good; tourism plays a significant role in this. French people are delightful. It depends on where you choose to eat dinner; the wine is better.

Story by Andy Ratcliff, email him andrewjohn@me.comandrewjohn@me.com

The whisky sour is one of the oldest cocktails in existence. It dates back to the 1860s, but sailors had been drinking something similar for long before that. There are a bunch of early references to it, but the first official record of it is from our boy Jerry Thomas in 1962.  It’s also still around today and is one of the most ordered drinks in Australia. I think I’ve made over three thousand of them during my years as a bartender. It’s a simple and delicious cocktail that somehow became top of mind, probably thanks to bars like Shady Pines Saloon and The Baxter Inn. But if you’re bored of making it and want to suggest an alternative to your guests to mix it up, here are a few ideas…

Penicillin
Possibly the most important drink of the century from our guy Sam Ross of Attaboy in New York City. Sam created this riff on the Gold Rush at Milk & Honey and it gained momentum so fast that you could order it in most cocktail bars on the planet without explaining what’s in it.

He originally used a couple of Compass Box Whiskies, one blended for the body and one smoky to cap it off and he used a combination of ginger and honey to sweeten and spice it up.

Don’t serve this drink with a straw.

Scofflaw
The term ‘Scofflaw’ was used in the early 1920s to describe a lawless drinker, and it’s easy to become one after realizing how many of these you can pound in a single session. They go down easily because the cocktail is sweetened with Grenadine. The addition of Dry Vermouth gives it some nice body, and adding Orange Bitters or Peychauds gives it a bit more depth.

Cameron’s Kick
The Cameron’s Kick first appeared in a 1922 book by Harry MacElhone called the ABC of Mixing Cocktails and it’s basically just a perfect mix of Scotch Whisky and Irish Whisky coupled with Orgeat (a French almond syrup) and Lemon juice. It’s an interesting mix but worthy of any iteration on the whisky sour.

Gold Rush
This is a ripper of a twist thought up by T.J. Siegal while drinking at the legendary New York bar Milk & Honey. It blends equal parts honey water and lemon with a high-proof Bourbon, originally Elijah Craig.

Algonquin
This is the worst drink ever. Jenna Hemsworth is the only bartender in the country who admires this drink, but despite her epic talent, she’s wrong. Sorry, Jenna!

New York Sour
This weird and wonderful twist was allegedly thought up in the late 1880’s in Chicago. It’s been labeled the Continental Sour, The Southern Whisky Sour and the Claret Snap but let’s be honest… It’s a Whisky sour with a float of red wine. It’s ok if you dial back everything else in the drink, but there nothing to write home about…unless you’re a sommelier.

Rattlesnake
You can thank the Savoy cocktail book for this not-so-well-known classic riff with the addition of absinthe to a Rye Sour, which was named appropriately because it will either “cure a rattlesnake bite, or kill rattlesnakes, or make you see them”. The Savoy cocktail book always delivers! This riff is absolutely killer!

Interview by Andy Ratcliff, andrewjohn@me.com

Mikey Nicolian is our operator of the month. Mikey has come a long way from the shores of the United Kingdom and has since won several accolades and the hearts of many Sydneysiders. Mikey currently runs both Bar Louise in Enmore and Continental Deli in Newtown.

You’re certainly not new to hospitality but tell us about how you got involved in the business of service and what made you want to make a career from it.
I come from a family of bartenders in that both my older brothers were working in London bars, bartending and making names for themselves. When I was 17, one of them needed a glassy and someone to collect ashtrays (showing my age there), and I’ve got an obsessive personality, so I think any job I took on at that stage of my life was full of energy and motivation. I was going to throw my all into it. I was lucky enough to work with some really great guys who were passionate and skilled at what they did, so it drew me in.

Tell us about how you got involved with the Porteño group. What made you want to be a part of the company?
I initially landed in Melbourne and lined up a job with a restaurant that was opening a bar, while I was waiting for it to open, I’d come close to running out of money and my mate in Sydney offered me his couch to sleep on, when I got here and he took me to his work which was Porteno, on Cleveland street at the time. It was so beautiful there, I was taken aback, and they were looking for a bartender, so I decided to stay put.

What’s special about hospitality in Sydney is owner-operated venues, and this was the case at Porteno; it was and still is the coolest mother fuckers I’d ever seen working their arses off to make their dream venue come to life, which really drew me in. Once I’d started, there was no looking back, really; I think we all knew early on I was going to be sticking around for some time.

What does your role entail with the group? What’s a regular day look like (if there is such a thing in hospitality)?
So, I’m now essentially an operations manager at Continental Deli and Bar Louise and a drinks consultant for the Porteno precinct on Hold Street.

It feels weird to say because my background is service, whether that’s from behind the bar, maître’d or even in a section or polishing glasses. It’s what I love and who I am. But what my job really requires and involves is that the functions are all ticking the way they should be, i.e. are the managers training the staff, is there appropriate staffing, are the teams happy and excited to come to work and put pride into everything they do? Is the best-selling item on the menu the best GP on the menu? Pretty much everything that needs to be taken into account for a business to be viable.

I’ve had the pleasure of dining with you several times. You seem like you have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening around town. What are some of the key issues facing hospitality operators in 2024?
Key issues facing hospitality this year!? I think we’ve already faced them all in 2021/2022/2023, haven’t we? Look, I think we’re on the up as an industry; Sydney already feels more alive than it has in previous years, and it’s still early days, which is great.

For me, though, if I had to focus on one of the struggles of Sydney hospitality small operators, it’s a lot of hospitality media. Where small operators used to get the support and attention from media platforms with huge followings, that love and attention now celebrate grand dining rooms and soulless venues (all be it with hard-working individuals within them) that already benefit so much from buying power and having deep pockets. If we keep heading in that direction, then the future of the Australian identity of food and drink will be doing something not as good as somewhere else in the world: shaving truffle on top, putting it on a gold platter and saying it’s better than the original.

“My only real skill, the only thing that got me to where I am today, I think, is working my arse off. The guys I work with lead by example, I’m obsessive, I was never going to shy away from following suit and we just clicked in that sense.”

You’ve also just returned from an overseas holiday where you got to experience some amazing restaurants and bars. What are they doing that we aren’t? How do Australian venues stack up with overseas ones?
The best of Australia is up there with the best in the world, particularly in terms of produce and mixed drinks, where it can’t compete is history, heritage and soul.

Unfortunately, that’s just built up over time… (when you travel, Google the oldest bar in town, not the best… trust me on that) no amount of money we throw at venues will make our venues feel like, say, Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas or Snake & Jake’s in New Orleans. So if we focus on what makes Australian hospitality great (small owner-operated venues), then in time, we will not just have our handful of venues that are as good as the rest of the world but be toe to toe on many, many fronts.

In your opinion, how does an aspiring youngster work their way up to your position? Is it education? Is it working for one operator for years or should they go out on their own?
Working for the right people is one part, I was fortunate that I fell into a bar job with amazing guys but that’s only part of it, lots of people have come and gone with these guys. I don’t know how popular this answer is going to be… my only real skill, the only thing that got me to where I am today, I think, is working my arse off. The guys I work with lead by example, I’m obsessive, I was never going to shy away from following suit and we just clicked in that sense. Oh, all that and obviously not being an absolute cunt!

Where do you see the hospitality landscape going in 2024? Especially in the now (very busy) precinct on Enmore Road.
Hospo landscape in 2024, I see people finally starting to drink and dine later into the evening. For the last couple of years, with the lock-out laws, I think we really started to see the long-term effect on our culture; first sittings are great, and second sittings could be dire even on weekends. This year I see that changing, late night venues cropping up that everyone is getting behind them will hopefully encourage us to book in for dinner at 8:30 and go out after… it would be great for Sydney.

Thanks for speaking with us Mikey!

Story by Andy Ratcliff. Email him andrewjohn@me.com

Thanks to an influx of bars (and expat bartenders) over the past few years we are blessed with an array of options for drinking Japanese-style liquor. Al Robertson from Sonny in Hobart stocks hard-to-find and surprising Japanese wines, while in Sydney, you can sip on Sake to a vinyl soundtrack at Ante or tour Japan’s finest whiskies at Bar Besuto. Needless to say, we are spoilt for choice without even going wheels up on a 747.

Sake
Described as wine, brewed like beer, and tasting patently like neither, sake’s undefinable complexity is just one part of its intrigue. Steeped in history, it possesses a rich cultural legacy – spanning from ancient ceremonial offering to a premium global export poured in some of the world’s best bars.

While ubiquitous throughout Japan, sake’s flavour oscillates between crisp, clean, robust, complex and everything in between, due to fluctuations in the volume of water used to soak the rice, in addition to differing production styles.

Sake’s very name is exquisitely vague, translating quite simply into ‘alcohol’. Its earliest mention predates the Roman Calendar, and domestic records suggest it was fermented using enzymes found in human saliva. Villagers were said to have chewed on rice grains before spitting them out into a communal pot, known then as ‘kuchikamizake’.

“Al Robertson from Sonny in Hobart stocks hard-to-find and surprising Japanese wines, while in Sydney, you can sip on Sake to a vinyl soundtrack at Ante or tour Japan’s finest whiskies at Bar Besuto.”

Thankfully technique has refined considerably since then, though the main components are largely the same: water, rice, yeast and koji – a fermentation culture known formally as Aspergillus Oryzae (or mould).

Another little fun fact about sake for anyone who suffers from heartburn is that it has about 1/3 of the acidity of a standard glass of wine and is one of the only alkaline alcoholic drink options.

Shochu
While sake is synonymous with Japanese drinking culture, it would be remiss not to mention the country’s ‘other drink’. Shochu is a traditional hard liquor pounded by any self-respecting salaryman, with flavour descriptors that seem more at home on a dating profile than a drinks list (think ‘bold’, ‘masculine’ and ‘intense’).

Although a decent proportion could be written off as little more than cheap piss, shochu is enjoying a renaissance right now, and with it, an emerging class of refined and elegant spirits. The best of them goes by the name ‘honkaku’, regarded as the most authentic, and the only choice for the shochu connoisseur.

While Sake is fermented using rice, Shochu has a more diverse and interesting array of ingredients, including rice, barley, and even sweet potato. It’s also distilled, making it bolder and a stronger drink, sitting around 25-35% ABV. So, let’s be honest, it’s more of a party starter.

It gets weird when shochu makers opt for a different base material paired with an alternative koji variety. Picture a sweet potato shochu crafted with rice-derived koji or a brown sugar shochu featuring barley koji in its production. The potential flavour combinations are vast, contributing to the individual aspect of shochu production.

Upon completion of fermentation, the beer undergoes distillation, typically a single round for most producers. This meticulous distillation process demands an experienced touch to extract the authentic character of the ingredients.

Whisky
Japanese whisky, rooted in Scottish traditions, has gained global acclaim in recent years for its unique craftsmanship. Pioneered by two legendary figures, Shinjiro Torii (Suntory) and Masataka Taketsuru (Nikka), Japanese whisky mixes traditional methods with innovative techniques. Characterised by meticulous attention to detail, Japanese whiskies often showcase delicate flavours, balanced profiles, and a harmony of malt and Mizunara oak influences. The artistry extends to the labels, embodying cultural aesthetics such as the Hibiki bottle representing the twenty-four seasonal changes in the lunar calendar.

So, what makes it differ from Scotch Whisky? Obviously, the environment plays a major factor. Yoichi up North has a very different climate from that of Yamazaki in the South. The water source they use will also play a part, and of course, the wood they use to age their whisky.

Mizunara is an indigenous type of oak from Japan and translates to “water oak” due to its high moisture content. They’re very pretty to look at but absolute bastards to work with because they don’t grow straight and so the staves have to be cut slightly thicker than their Scottish counterparts and they also need to be two hundred years old. That doesn’t make life easy! Being indigenous to Japan, they were used for whisky production during and after the war, as imports were cut off and the supply of whisky was still in demand.

These days Mizunara-aged whisky is held in high regard and is usually only used in finishing a whisky as opposed to a full-term maturation.

Rising to prominence in international competitions, Japanese whisky reflects a commitment to quality, captivating enthusiasts with its rich history and evolving excellence in the world of fine spirits. Unfortunately, it’s a victim of its own success. If only they had more whisky, then it’d be cheaper than a house in Sydney.

Botanical Highball
Bar Besuto, Sydney

30ml Roku Gin
10ml Tsuru-Ume Yuzushu
Top with Shiso Leaf Tea
Ice provided by Bare Bones Ice Co.

Shiso Tea Sosa Recipe by James Russell.
Heat 3L of filtered water to boil
Add 200g of crystalized rock candy and stir
Let cool to 80 degrees
Tear 20g of shiso leaves three times
Leave to steep for 6 minutes
Use a Chinois and filter paper to remove as much fine particle as possible
Add 100ml of Kochi yuzu juice

Bottle and let cool, in an ice bath.
Carbonate to 40psi, three times with 30-minute intervals.
Keep refrigerated and carbonated.

The Magpie
156 Enmore Road, Enmore
Tue- Fri 4pm-12am, Sat-Sun 12pm-12am
@magpieenmore

Photography by Chris Pearce. Supplied

The much-anticipated venue from the boys that brought us Jakoby’s Tiki Bar, The Trocadero Room and Earl’s Juke Joint has opened The Magpie, their nod to classic Australian sports pubs.

The inspiration behind the venue is former Rugby League great Tommy Raudonikaus, the quintessential Aussie larrikin whose personality resonates through the room.

“It’s a tiny sports bar celebrating all things Australiana with all the quirks.” Pasan Wijesena, Owner

The pub features all of the things you’d expect from a classic pub, including televisions playing a variety of sports, with one dedicated to classic 90’s action films highlighting the golden age of Civic Video.

They are pouring Guinness and an exclusive Old Ale in collaboration with the Grifter Brewing Company. The cocktail menu points towards the whisky category and a frozen Irish coffee to round it out. You can also expect some sparkling red wine like lambrusco on the menu.

General manager Russell Martin (Previously Jakoby’s, Tios) is at the helm and he’s recruited several talented bartenders like Geoff Spruce (formerly Tios and The Excelsior).

It’s embracing nostalgic Australiana in a fun way, from the RSL-inspired carpet to the tiling along the walls. It’s intimate and cozy, with plenty of space to grab a beer and pop good old Aussie lean.

Story by Andy Ratcliff, andrewjohn@me.com

Bitters are a concentrated infusion of herbs, roots, and spices that were traditionally used as medicines. Today, they play an integral role in the world of cocktails. The roots of alcoholic bitters can be traced back to ancient civilizations where herbal remedies were a staple of medicinal practices. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all had their own versions of herbal concoctions designed to alleviate various ailments. These early herbal remedies often included a mix of botanicals, many of which are still found in modern formulations.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the use of bitters as a medicinal remedy reached its climax. Pharmacists and physicians often prescribed these elixirs to treat a variety of ailments: from digestive issues to anxiety. The jury is still out on whether they were more effective than Lexapro…but hey, they were probably more fun.

The following are just a handful of the hundreds of bitters on the market today that we tasted.

Angostura Aromatic Bitters
This brand needs no introduction. The original mass-manufactured and most popular brand of bitters was birthed in 1820 by Johann Sigert, a German Doctor who used his medical knowledge to create a tonic that would stimulate the appetite of soldiers and aid their digestion.
The famous yellow-capped bottle is essential for every Old Fashioned cocktail. Don’t be put off by the oversized paper label. This was a manufacturing mistake that the company never corrected because they appreciated it more than the original.
It’s the staple for the entire category and the absolute must-have for your bar and pouring a shot of ‘ango’ for new bartenders on their first shift has been a right of passage since the early noughties. Proximo Spirits

Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters
Seattle bartender Miles ‘Scrappy’ Thomas created this brand in 2009 out of his love of using local ingredients. There are plenty of interesting options in the range like Lavender and Black Lemon but the Cardamom is by far the best of the portfolio. Proof & Company

Fee Brothers
Family owned since its founding in 1864, Fee Brothers have the most extensive array of products on the marketplace with a whopping twenty two flavors to choose from. The Aztec chocolate and black walnut bitters are the most widely used flavors and they both perfectly compliment an old fashioned or boozy, stirred down drink. Amber Beverages

Mr Bitters
Australia’s first bitters company began in Melbourne in 2014 out of a collaboration between local bartenders and alcohol enthusiasts. They use Australian ingredients sourced locally and have a wide array of interesting flavors to offer punters. Their fig and cinnamon bitters add an interesting take on any stirred drink with dark spirits and their honeyed apricot and smoked hickory offer amazing depth to any drink spiked with agave or gin. Only Bitters

Boudreau’s Cherry Bitters
Jamie Boudreau, the owner and operator of legendary Seattle cocktail bar Canon created the most incredible cherry bitters several years ago but good luck sourcing them unless you’re at the bar in Seattle. I wish I’d brought a bottle home with me. Only Bitters

Underberg
I rarely see this brand in bars these days but it’s a complex and delicious blend of herbs and botanicals allegedly sourced from 43 different countries. The ingredients are confidential and the closest list I could find explains it as “natural flavors from herbs and roots from the genus Gentiana”. These ingredients are aged in Slavonian oak. The 20ml bottles which come wrapped in a tiny paper bag are not recommended for cocktails but for drinking straight up or over ice. The result can be both intoxicating and dangerous. Hot tip: If you keep the lid cap you can mail it to their office and go into the running to win an array of cool prizes. Only Bitters

Of all the bitters we tasted and tested there is still nothing on the market that can come close to Angostura’s Aromatic bitters. It’s the benchmark of the category and it still holds the depth and complexity that can elevate any cocktail from average to brilliant. Even after almost two hundred years on the market, ‘Ango’ still reigns supreme. Pour me a Trinidad Sour, please!

Story by Andy Ratcliff. Email him andrew.john@me.com

I must confess that I’ve never liked this drink. It’s just a fizzy gin sour served in a flute and it’s made me stare lustfully at beer taps instead of a fix of fermented bread water. That is, of course, until I found out the correct method of preparation. It changed everything.

Ten years ago, my favourite bartender, Jeffrey Morganthaler (formerly of Clyde Common, Portland), posted a video online describing the second iteration of the drink. It contained 30ml gin, 30ml lemon juice, 15ml sugar syrup, Shake it and pour it into a Collins glass with cracked ice and top it with champagne. It’s essentially a Tom Collins with Champagne instead of soda water and it’s a damn fine drink for the middle of summer. It’s a sleeper of a classic cocktail.

“It was a French bartender in 1915, Henry Tepe, of Henry’s Bar in Paris who named it the ‘Soixante-Quinze’ (Seventy-Five). There are several different recipes over the last hundred years which call for ingredients like applejack, grenadine, calvados and even absinthe…”

The French 75 is named after a badass gun that was used in World War One to shoot the crap out of tanks and aircraft. It was a mechanical pipe dream used in the war against Germany.

It was a French bartender in 1915, Henry Tepe, of Henry’s Bar in Paris who named it the ‘Soixante-Quinze’ (Seventy-Five). There are several different recipes over the last hundred years which call for ingredients like applejack, grenadine, calvados and even absinthe but the most enduring and the real mainstay is that of gin, lemon, sugar and Champagne. You read that right. Not that stale, horse-piss house sparkling reminiscent of a western suburbs baby shower. Champagne!

The glass changed from a coupe to a Collins (in the 1920’s) then to a flute at some stage between the 1930’s and the 1980’s. And what a shame that was because this drink has devolved into a bastardized version of something that used to be great.

It’s great to play with different styles of gin with this one. A lot of Australian gins can dramatically change the flavour profile and if lemon sherbet or oleo saccharum are your thing, they can add a zesty kick to the drink.

So next time you’re looking for something to wow your guests on a disgustingly hot day in the Australian heat, try this out. I’m sure you’ll be converted. Santé!

Story by Andy Ratcliff. Reach him andrewjohn@me.com

Photography: Nikki To (supplied) Christopher Pearce (Bar Awards)

Matty Opai is the Bar Manager of Icebergs Dining Room in Bondi. Possibly the most iconic restaurant in the country with sweeping views of our most famous beach. If you’ve met Matty, you will never forget him. A giant amongst men with a smile to match, he has forged his career through a friendly and skillful approach to serving his guests. After nine years at Icebergs, he recently won bar manager of the year at the Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards.

Where did you get your start in the industry?
Back home in New Zealand, hospitality wasn’t my thing. But when I had a chance for a three-month holiday in Australia, I landed a kitchen gig at Northies in Cronulla, washing dishes for the summer. I arrived in December, planning to head back in March with a newfound appreciation for life.
I climbed up the kitchen ladder, realizing I was better at crafting pizza, pasta, and salads than scrubbing plates. The manager offered me extra hours as a glassy, and I found joy in carrying glasses, competing to hold as many as possible, all while having a blast. Within eighteen months, I became one of the duty managers.
After a change in ownership, I took a break and landed a job at the Rum Diaries in Bondi, but it wasn’t my vibe. Luckily, a friend hooked me up as a barback at Icebergs. Those initial shifts blew my mind! I hadn’t anticipated the level of difference and the concept that the more you learn, the less you know. It was one of the best summers of my life.

You’ve made some great drinks over the years, how did you learn your craft?
As a barback, I’d collect every spec from every menu and plaster them on the scullery wall. I’ve got a decent memory, but I’d read and re-read those specs every chance I got.

This year marks your ninth year at Icebergs. What has it been like to see the venue evolve over the years?
I’ve seen some serious characters over the years but due to the transient lifestyle in Bondi, we can turn over around eighty casuals a year. It’s heartbreaking not being able to sponsor all these incredibly talented people that work with us but I’ve forged some great relationships and I’ll always have a place to stay when I’m in Europe.

Do you have a mentor that has helped you through the years?
Oh yeah! Lenny Opai, my cousin. I don’t want to give him more of an ego boost (and you can print that!) but he’s taught me everything I know. We butt heads constantly but we’re good together and it’s worked well. He used to work at the Bayswater Brasserie back in the day and has trained some of the best talent in the industry.
Another is Rachel Duffy, who is a hardass Kiwi that busted my balls but once we got to know each other I realized she has a heart of gold. I’m pleased to say we are great mates.
And of course, Maurice Terzini. He’s an icon, a genius and a savant. He’ll rock up some days, set the room up depending on where the sun sits in the sky and I’ll try to copy it and paste it in my brain. He’s a genius for the tiny details. He really cares about the people who work for him. I feel like he’s almost too far ahead of the times. He predicts trends years before they happen.

“A friend hooked me up as a barback at Icebergs. Those initial shifts blew my mind! I hadn’t anticipated the level of difference and the concept that the more you learn, the less you know. It was one of the best summers of my life.”

You probably get more celebrity guests than any venue in the country. How do you navigate that and keep them coming back?
We have a really good core of people who are in every week. It’s a community vibe with hugs on the door and positivity. We have a lot of well-known people who come in and we offer them complete discretion and a place where they can relax and be themselves without having to worry about the judgment of the outside world. We protect our guests and we’re very professional.

Do you think you’ll stick around for a while or do you have plans to do your own thing one day?
I’ve got no plans of leaving but one day it would be good to open my own place I’d love to do something similar to what the boys at Chuck Trailers are doing. I like that sort of small bar vibe.

You’ve recently won Bar Manager of the Year. Have you got any advice for the younger bartenders or managers out there?
The most crucial bit of advice I could give that shaped what I do was given to me by Len. It was my first few weeks barbacking and thinking I could be a bartender. I had a bit of a whinge to him and he flipped around and said, ‘If you don’t like something, work your ass off, get to the top and change it!’. So I worked my ass off and got to the top and realized, fair enough, he was right all along.

Can you talk us through the experience of winning the award?
To be honest it took me ages to get up there on stage as I wasn’t expecting to win it and was then mobbed! I have a great memory of Toby Hilton putting my jacket on me and then picking up Wee James on the stage. I couldn’t have done anything without the team around me so this is as much theirs as it is mine.

You can visit Matty at the recently refurbished Icebergs Dining Room & Bar.

Interview by Andy Ratcliff, reach him at andrewjohn@me.com

Jackson Littlewood is one of the most talented people I have ever worked alongside. Back in the glory days of The Baxter Inn, Jackson commanded the bar with his incredibly speedy service, his obsession with perfect drinks and his down-to-earth country-boy smile. We’re talking to him today about his experience in the industry and his newest role as General Manager of Bare Bones Ice Co.

Q: Hi Jackson, you’ve come a long way from the pubs of your hometown in Parkes (NSW). Can you tell us what brought you to Sydney and a little about your first jobs in hospitality?
It’s a bit of a cliche—I followed a girl across the state, had a really average crack at studying, worked at some bog-standard pubs, and inevitably walked into a heaving Shady Pines Saloon one night in 2012. I was served by a pack of shirtless maniacs carrying on like one big homogenous master of ceremonies. I wanted in, so I immediately dropped everything and pursued a career in bartending, which I am sure made my parents very proud. I heard of a new bar opening, Earl’s Juke Joint on King Street in Newtown, I walked in during the build and harassed them to put me on as a barback, the rest is history.

I have extremely fond memories of working alongside you and one thing I admire about you is your formidable insistence for quality and your work ethic. Where did this come from and what advice would give to lazy sods out there that aren’t as motivated or passionate as yourself?
Persistence trumps talent. So many talent-touting schmucks with dirty stations all over this city. Please, for the love of Dale DeGroff, dry your fucking chopping board.

You’ve worked for some of the best managers in the industry like Pasan Wijesena and Stuart Morrow. What are some of the things you’ve picked up from them along the way?
Pasan and Chewy—and Anthony Moore, Kelly Egan and Stef Forte while I’m at it— went so far beyond teaching me the fundamental skills required to work behind a bar or in a restaurant. Managers like that share a philosophy about what it means to work in Hospitality, a deep understanding of how to blow a guest’s mind with humility and grace. They also taught me other things I won’t put in writing.

“Persistence trumps talent. So many talent-touting schmucks with dirty stations all over this city. Please, for the love of Dale DeGroff, dry your fucking chopping board.”

You’ve also managed Restaurant Hubert. It’s one of the fastest paced and highly regarded restaurants in the country. What did you learn from this and how have you applied it to your current role?
When you mix the busiest restaurant in the city with one hundred staff chomping at the bit to prove themselves, the only important thing is to make sure it’s a ripping environment to work in. Sometimes that feels like an impossible task but I’ll try to make that happen everywhere I go from here on out.

You’re now running Bare Bones Ice Co. What’s the service the company provides and how did you know you were best suited in the role?
We provide premium handcrafted cocktail ice, drop us a line at ice@barebonesice.co! I grew up in my dad’s panel beating shop so I’ve always been drawn toward a workshop setting with dangerous tools and working with my hands.

Can you give us any more detail into what your average day looks like? What obstacles and challenges do you face in such a fast paced role?
Briefing is at 8am, the production team then gets in their Alaskan oil rig suits for a packaging session. During the next hour, I perch on a trestle table and reply to orders that rolled in overnight, organise the logistics, invoicing, and ice-cutting quota for that day. Then if I’m not on the road, I’m currently spending the rest of the day buried nose-deep in whatever project is a priority at that time. The whole thing is new to me so making it happen with precision is an obstacle in itself.

You were hired by owner and operator Damien Liot, another legend of the industry and a close friend. How do you maintain such a good working relationship along with a professional one? Do you need to wear different caps or do you work seamlessly together?
Damien and I have always shared a pile of interests, from Japanese design to classic cars, we kept in touch over the years mostly by showing each other cool shit we like. We also spent time in the trenches at Baxter and Hubert together so were already plenty aware of each other’s idiosyncrasies. We don’t always share the same opinion but we certainly always share respect.

Can you tell us a little about the expansion that the company is going through right now? How have you managed to grow so quickly and yet maintain such a positive experience for your customers?
We recently moved to a new world-class facility in Marrickville, please come check it out, it’s absolutely ridiculous. The vision is clear, the brand is strong and we maintain a focus on rock-solid products and service. The transition was particularly smooth due to the well-drilled production team and Damien’s relentless planning.

Now that clear ice is a lot more common in the industry, where do you see it evolving? Is it going to be available on a more consumer level, perhaps in local corner shops (as you see in Japan) and vending machines?
We are currently working with multiple big retailers including Dan Murphy’s and Woolworths. I’d love to see a Collins spear in my McDonald’s long black, maybe someday. For now, keep an eye out on our Mate Rates program, we will be dropping some very exciting stuff soon.

Thanks for your time Jacko! Best of luck in the role!

Bare Bones
Barebonesice.co
Bare Bones Ice Company is the producer of premium quality drinking ice, trusted by Sydney’s most loved and frequented bars and restaurants. Sydney only.