Sling Lounge

I'd intended this post to be a scintillating rundown of Sling Lounge at West End. Unfortunately, it's going to be a bit more "broad brush" than usual.

Sling Lounge is a pretty innocuous looking spot from the street, just up from Tukka on Boundary Street. Luckily we nabbed some seats right at the front, which meant we could watch the always entertaining parade of people pass along Boundary Street as we sipped our cocktails.

As I ordered my first cocktail (which I think was a Polish Prince) I was counting on the webpage containing a full cocktail list. By the time I'd had two fairly potent cocktails at Sling Lounge, followed by a bottle of wine over dinner, any detailed recollection of the earlier cocktails had pretty much evaporated. I was however sharp enough to take a photo of their cool tiki glasses.

What I can tell you is that the list at Sling Lounge is huge - it's certainly the most impressive cocktail list I've come across in Brisbane. There are so many cocktails that it took me about 10 minutes just to skim through the list and pick my first drink. Not only is the cocktail list huge, but service is much snappier than it is at the Bowery or the Lark. There was a group of about 8 of us, but our cocktails came out pronto every time.

So if you're tired of the selection at your local bar, drop in to Sling Lounge next time you're feeling thirsty. I'll be going back next time I'm in West End, to try a few more drinks off their excellent list. Although I don't think it has the atmosphere of the Bowery, it's perfect for a few cocktails in West End.

Sling Lounge

153 Boundary Street

West End 4101

P - 07 3255 3522

W - http://www.slinglounge.com/

The Lark

I've been wanting to pay a visit to The Lark for ages. Sure I love The Bowery, but I'm always on the lookout for great cocktail bars. So the other night I rounded up a few friends and headed off to The Lark for my birthday.

There are a few distinct areas to sit in The Lark. You can take your pick from a few tables at the front, a stool at the bar, a table in the outside courtyard or the lounges upstairs. The lounges looked by far the comfiest, so it was a pretty easy decision in the end.

Once you've found a comfy spot, it's time to order a drink. The cocktail list is divided up into 3 parts - prelude, body and epilogue. Each part of the cocktail list contains about 18 drinks, so there are loads to choose from. Here are the ones which I was lucky enough to try during the night:

Lark Rum Punch - my first drink for the night - Matusalem Platino and Classico rum, Curacao, fresh lime juice, bitters and pineapple juice, served in a highball with a sprinkle of cinnamon ($15). This was a great, tangy punch, served with lots of ice, that I could have easily drank all night. A great way to kick off the evening.

Jackrabbit Slim - Calvados apple brandy and quince liqueur shaken with fresh lime juice and served in a Champagne flute ($15). Our waitress warned us this was very sour, but it was a good, tangy, refreshing kind of sour. The flute was topped with a wooden skewer that had small slices of apple fanned around it - a great presentation. Again another great cocktail to start off the night, and it also wins the prize for the best name on the list.

The 51 Martini - a vodka martini, made with Fino sherry as Vermouth and strained into a chilled, Cointreau rinsed glass, garnished with an anchovy stuffed olive ($15). I hardly ever order Martinis, but I thought if there was anywhere to order one, The Lark would be a good bet. It turned out to be excellent. Sure it was strong, but the fino sherry gave it a bit of a tang. I just found it to be a great mix of flavours. The 51 was served with the olive perched on a skewer, just touching the drink. I couldn't resist dropping it in, to give the drink a more salty, olive flavour. I also ate the olive at the end. Believe me, the taste of the anchovies completely wiped out the strong Martini flavour.

Spring Hill Fair - Martin Miller’s gin, Campari, vanilla sugar, pink grapefruit juice and orange bitters served straight up ($16). I only had a sip of this one, but it was a winner. You've probably guessed by now that I'm a definite fan of the zingy, tart cocktails.

Gibson Martini - Plymouth gin served in a slightly wet Martini, garnished with two balsamic cocktail onions ($15). Again, I only had a taste, but it was slightly less tangy/salty than the 51 Martini. The balsamic cocktail onions were divine.

Eastwood Fizz - Plymouth gin, peach liqueur, pineapple juice and lemon juice, topped with soda and a mint sprig ($15). Another refreshing, tangy cocktail that you could easily get wiped out on pretty quickly.

Although we got through a pretty good selection of cocktails off the list, there are plenty more that I can't wait to try next time, like the Silver Fox (Jose Cuervo Tradicionale Tequila, Falernum syrup, lime and Lark’s own apple reduction topped with a drizzle of blood orange), the Rum & Tea Swizzle (Mount Gay XO Rum, Pedro Ximenez sherry, chai tea syrup, lemon juice, Angostura Bitters swizzled till chilled), the Roisin Murphy (because she is so cool) and my old favourite, the Pisco Sour.

Service was a bit up and down. Although our waitress was excellent, and had an amazing knowledge of the list, the cocktails didn't come out very quickly. We were at The Lark for about an hour and a quarter, but only just managed to get 2 cocktails each. Not that anyone wants to rush a cocktail, but we had a dinner booking afterwards and were keen to have at least a couple of drinks at The Lark. Next time we may try popping downstairs to order straight from the bar, to speed things up.

The Lark also does food, including some tasty tapas type options. As we were off to dinner next, we only had a bowl of the blanched almonds with paprika and lemon salt ($6). They were very good - the perfect nibblies to have with good cocktails.

All up, The Lark is an excellent cocktail bar. I will have to go back a few more times before I can compare it to The Bowery, but I'm definitely looking forward to my next trip.

The Lark
1/267 Given Terrace
Paddington 4064
P - 07 3369 1299
E - info@thelark.com.au
W - http://www.thelark.com.au/

Istanbul Iced Tea

I was flicking through the new edition of Gourmet Traveller tonight and came across the recipe for a cocktail called the Istanbul Iced Tea (on page 24). The drink is from The Victoria Room in Sydney. It's exactly what I'd like to be drinking on a hot, sticky Brisbane summer night (and pretty easy to make). Here's the drill:

Muddle a handful of cucumber pieces in the bottom of a shaker or mixing glass.

Half-fill the shaker with ice and pour in 40ml of Plymouth gin, 20ml of St Germain elderflower liqueur, 15 ml of lemon juice and 40ml of Turkish apple tea (which you'll have had the forethought to make up and chill ahead of time).

Give it a good shake, then strain it onto a tall ice-filled glass, garnish with an orchid blossom if you're feeling exotic, and serve without delay.

I think it would be impossible to stop at just one...

Pisco Sour

I've already given a wrap to the Pisco sour, which is basically the Peruvian national cocktail. If you're keen to try one out, here's how to make it:

90 ml Pisco

30 ml sugar syrup or 1 tbsp sugar

30 ml fresh lime juice

1 egg white

4 ice cubes, crushed

4 drops of Angostura bitters

In a blender, pour in egg white and mix until foamy. Add ice half way up, mix and add the rest of the ingredients, except the bitters. Keep blending until ice disappears. Serve and top with drops of bitters. Makes 1 cocktail.

I haven't yet found a bottle of Pisco in Brisbane, but the extent of my search has been my local bottleshop (which I knew wouldn't have it anyway). When I track one down, I'll let you know.

If you'd rather have someone else whip one up for you, pop into The Bowery. I was there last night and was glad to see that the Pisco sour makes an appearance on their current cocktail list. As you can see, there's a fair bit of Pisco in the drink, so be warned.

The Bowery

Continuing on with the drinks theme from the last few posts, every now and again we all really need a cocktail or two (well at least I do). And when it comes to cocktails in Brisbane, look no further than The Bowery.

I'm the first to admit I haven't been to every bar in Brisbane, but for me, The Bowery has the best cocktails in this town. Sure, they aren't exactly cheap, but by the time you've had about 3 of them, you'll know it.

The cocktail list has been re-done just recently, but there are still plenty of favourites from the earlier lists. And we're not talking your everyday, boring, run of the mill cocktails here. Some of the drinks I've tried out here include the Zombie, Negroni, Pisco Punch, Gin Re Fashioned, Maryland Fair and the Corpse Reviver no 2. As the title suggests, you know you're having a drink the second a drop of the Corpse Reviver no 2 hits your mouth. A shaken cocktail of Plymouth Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, absinthe and lemon juice served straight up, it really packs a punch. Drink a few of those and you'll be under the table before you know it.

The Bowery isn't all about cocktails. The bar has an amazing range of spirits that you just don't see at most places. Their selection of Scotch Whiskies, American Whiskies, Vodka, Rum, Gin, Tequila, Cognac etc can make it pretty hard to choose which drink will be next.

The other thing I love about The Bowery is the bar itself. It looks amazing. Sometimes it can take the guys a few minutes to whip up your cocktail, but while you are waiting admire the view of the bar and the way the staff whizz around, flipping things in the air, shaking and sipping the drinks with straws to make sure they're all on track.

The only downside to The Bowery is it can get packed. That's because it's not the biggest place in the world. Friday and Saturday nights are especially busy, and you might be lining up outside for a while if you're trying to get in after 11. If crowds aren't your thing, head there earlier in the evening during the week, when you should have no problems finding a comfy seat to relax and enjoy their amazing drinks.

One other thing I should mention is if you don't know where The Bowery is, it can be a bit hard to find. It doesn't exactly have a big sign. If you are walking up the Brunswick Street mall towards the New Farm end, turn left at the top of the mall into Ann Street and the door is just past the little laneway.

So round up your friends, order a few cocktails off the list and its happy days.

The Bowery
676 Ann St
Fortitude Valley 4006
P - 07 3252 0202
E - info@thebowery.com.au
W - http://www.thebowery.com.au/