Photography by Christopher Pearce
The drinks list at Caterpillar has been pulled together by Italian import and well-known industry figure Lello Arzedi (formerly Will’s at Coogee Pavilion), who is now the Swillhouse Beverage Director. The drinks list is all about fun with a nudge towards classic ‘90s cocktails. Think frozen Pina Colada, Watermelon Martini, Mango Martini, or the Zombie on tap. If you’re lucky enough to get a pass into the Bamboo Room (the 30pax tiki bar at the back of the venue), you can try the Caterpillar Downfall, a minty green frozen delight.
1: Caterpillar Downfall
45ml White Rum
20ml Peach Liqueur
10ml Salted Manuka Honey Cardamom Syrup*
45ml Pineapple Puree
15ml Lime Juice
15 leaves Mint
Batch rum, liqueur & syrup. Combine 75ml batch and all the rest of the ingredients together in the blender with 12 ice cubes. Garnish, umbrella and straw
*SALTED MANUKA SYRUP – (500ml Manuka Honey, 500ml Water, 5 cardamon, 1 gram salt) Blend water max speed water with cardamom. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes, then strain it through a filter. Finally, combine the infused water with honey and salt.
2: Watermelon Martini
40ml Pink Peppercorn Vodka*
17.5ml Cinzano Dry 1757
3ml Saint Felix Bitter
45ml Watermelon water*
All ingredients are batched together and kept in the freezer at -5 degrees. Pour 105ml into chilled coupette. Garnish with a watermelon wedge.
*PEPPERCORN VODKA – Pour 1L of Vodka into a vacuum bag and add 2.5g of pink peppercorn. Allow it to infuse overnight at room temperature. The next day, strain the mixture through a cone filter.
*WATERMELON WATER – Peel the skin off the watermelon and juice it using a juicer. Add Ascorbic acid and pectin to the watermelon juice. Mix well and let it rest for 20 minutes in the fridge. After resting, strain the mixture through a filter.
3: Zombie Highball
10ml Appleton signature
15ml Pampero Blanco
2.5ml Wray and Nephew
2.5ml Maraschino Luxardo
15ml Apricot liqueur
5ml orange curacao
5ml Eucalyptus Grapefruit sugar 1-1*
15ml Magic Water*
30ml pineapple juice
75ml water
Combine all the ingredients in a Keg 19L Ball Lock Cornelius “corny” keg X 100 Portions. add 1.25 gm of Xanthan Gum. Carbonate for 24 hours at -2 degrees. Connect to tap and pour.
* MAGIC WATER – 1L water + 20g Malec Acid + 5g Citric Acid + 7.5g salt
4: Pina Colada
15ml Rum
30ml Blanco Rum + dry fig leaf*
5ml Wray and Nephew
15ml Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
30ml pineapple purée
15ml Lime Juice
2 scoops Coconut Sorbet
3 drops Blue Curacao
Combine rums and sherry. Add to blender with the rest of ingredients with 12 ice cubes and blend. Add 3 drops of blue curacao into the bottom of the glass, pour in the blended drink, and garnish with a pineapple slice, umbrella, and straw.
*FIG LEAF RUM – Dry fig leaves infused with Pampero Blanco overnight in a vacuum bag. Day after strain and bottle it.