covermore
Bars

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

What’s better than one month of tequila? Two months of Tequila (and Mezcal) at Grain Bar.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Diego Bado

For the months of July and August, Grain Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is hosting Two Months of Tequila, a special agave-focussed cocktail list and flights, a mini festival and a series of activities, activations and events celebrating tequila. 

Two special cocktail menus dedicated exclusively to tequila and mezcal are designed to highlight the spirits over the two month period. Here’s a preview of the highlights of the Two Months of Tequila cocktail list including some of our favourites.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Habanero Soda

Prime your taste buds with the Habanero Soda ($20), a simple but super tasty mix of Ocho Blanco tequila infused with habanero and topped with soda water. It may sound as simple as a Gin & Tonic or a Vodka, Lime & Soda but it packs a lot more punch. It’s refreshing with a good kick of chilli, has no sugar and makes a good primer to the rest of the cocktails. The drink is garnished with lemon zest and a dehydrated habanero chilli.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Mexican Penicillin

The Mexican Penicillin ($20) is an agave-based version of the modern classic Penicillin cocktail by bartender Sam Ross. Using El Jimador Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, ginger juice, lemon juice and agave syrup, it balances the sweet and sour with a hint of smoke. The ginger juice gives the cocktail more intensity as the palate enjoys a long finish with the kick of ginger and lingering smoke.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Grapefruit Margarita

The Grapefruit Margarita ($20) with its combination of Ocho Blanco, grapefruit syrup, grapefruit juice and blood orange Cointreau takes your taste buds on a spectrum of flavours from sour to bitter with a hint of sweetness. The drink utilises all elements of the grapefruit. For example, the peel is baked in butter and sugar to create a paste that is dehydrated and used to rim the glass.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Diego’s Affair

Another favourite from the Two Months of Tequila cocktail list is Diego’s Affair ($20), a bright crimson coloured cocktail consisting of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, habanero shrub, hibiscus syrup, hibiscus water and raspberry salt rim. Bring it to your lips and enjoy the smokey aroma before sipping on a perfect balance of mezcal with the heat from the habanero shrub and hibiscus notes. This drink is good to the last drop, and easy to find yourself ordering another.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Mezcolada

Mezcal goes Tiki in the Mezcolada ($20), a blend of Del Maguey Vida infused with jalapeno, coco lopez, pineapple puree and orange. It’s a fun drink that textural, well crafted and brings a creamy and smoky element to the cocktail list.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

Frida’s Kiss

It may look like an Espresso Martini but Frida’s Kiss ($20) is far from that. The combination of Del Maguey Vida, creme de mure, Cherry Heering liqueur, house-made grenadine, egg, lime juice and plum bitters is a layered and textural drink that lingers with gentle smoke and red fruit flavours. It’s almost like all the flavours of the Black Forest cake came together in a drink without the chocolate.

Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar

WHAT: Two Months of Tequila at Grain Bar, a mini festival and a series of activities, activations and events celebrating tequila.
WHEN: 1 July – 31 August, 2pm – late daily
WHERE: Grain Bar, Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, 199 George Street, Sydney

SPECIAL EVENTS:

  • Monday 23 July from 12:30-2:00pm: Masterclass hosted by Tio’s Cervezeria Surry Hills
  • Thursday 16 August, 5-7pm: Bar Takeover by the team at Tio’s who will recreate some of their famous tequila cocktails.
  • Friday 31 August: Mexican themed party ‘Grande Finale of Mexico’ featuring a Mariachi band, Mexican food, drinks and décor, a Mexican dress code complete with ponchos, sombreros and moustaches.

With the exception of the provided lead photo, photography © by Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.

About the author

Corinne Mossati

Corinne Mossati is a drinks writer, author of GROW YOUR OWN COCKTAIL GARDEN, SHRUBS & BOTANICAL SODAS and founder/editor of Gourmantic, Cocktails & Bars and The Gourmantic Garden. She has been writing extensively about spirits, cocktails, bars and cocktail gardening in more recent years. She is a spirits and cocktail competition judge, Icons of Whisky Australia nominee, contributor to Diageo Bar Academy, cocktail developer and is named in Australian Bartender Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential List. Her cocktail garden was featured on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and has won several awards. She is a contributor to Real World Gardener radio program and is featured in several publications including Pip Magazine, Organic Gardener, Australian Bartender and Breathe (UK). Read the full bio here.