Another year, another great Bar Week has gone by. Here’s our Bar Week 2018 wrap up featuring the 15 events we attended out of 28 with links to the photo galleries.
Photo Credit: Christopher Pearce
Day 1: Sydney Bar Week Launch Party
Sydney Bar week 2018 kicked off at a launch event held at the brand new Brix Distillers. Guests enjoyed Brix cocktails and nibbles as well as a tour of the distillery with a tasting of Brix White and Brix Gold.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Day 2: Bartenders Agave Brunch
Bar Week, Day 2 opened with the 3rd Annual Bartenders Agave Brunch at Tio’s Cerveceria. Great drinks, great food and catching up with friends. As always, it’s the best way to start an event-filled day.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Indie Spirits Tasting
The Indie tasting returned to Restaurant Hubert and again delivered with new distilleries showcasing some amazing expressions and favourite distilleries presenting new expressions. Here are our top picks from the spirits we tasted:
- Ounce Gin Bold
- Affinity Gin from Karu Distillery
- Martinii from Applewood Distillery
- Pisco Porton
- Anther Cherry Gin
- Anther Charismatica Gin
- White Stone Spirit Co. White Dog
- West Winds Gin, The Wild Plum
- Ruby Bitter Aperitif
- Brix White
- Bass & Flinders Angry Ant
- Bass & Flinders Truffle Gin
- Marionette Liqueur Groseille
- Linie Aquavit
- Bookies Roasted Macadamia and Wattleseed
- PS40 X Never Never Australian Aquavit
- Kalki Moon Premium Gin 42%
- Four Pillars Dry Island Gin
- 666 Lemon Myrtle Honey Vodka
- Starward Bourbon Cask Special Release
- Old Young’s Six Seasons Gin
- Old Young’s Common Gin
- Old Young’s Smoked Vodka
- Ochre 5 yr aged brandy
Check out the photo gallery here.
47th Street Post Office with Monkey 47
Monkey 47 put on a party at Old Mate’s Place with drinks of both the Monkey 47 Gin and the Monkey 47 Sloe Gin. You could enjoy this upstairs on the rooftop where a barbecue was cooking away or in the bar while your caricature was done. One lucky guest won a trip to Germany and for those who did not there was Monkey 47 post cards and a Post Office box to send messages to friends.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Day 3: Tequila Herradura “Hecho En Mexico”
Bar Week Day 3 started in the best possible way with “Hecho En Mexico”– Flavours of Amatitan, a progressive long lunch at Chula. The mariachi band set the mood while Bloody Maria’s were served among friends. Five delicious courses were paired with Tequila cocktails and finished with a tasting of Herradura Seleccion Suprema.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Russell’s Reserve Fermentation Workshop
Russell’s Reserve hosted a Fermentation Workshop at Kittyhawk celebrating Father & Son Bourbon Master Distillers, Jimmy and Eddie Russell’s passion for high quality craftsmanship. Fermentation techniques applied to bourbon, cured meats and bread were presented by Brand Ambassadors Jamie Chesher and Jay Lambert, expert baker Antonio Zambarelli and master salumi artisan Michael Dalsk.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Bartending as an Art Masterclass by Hidetsugu Ueno
Arguably the most anticipated masterclass of Bar Week 2018, legendary bartender and owner of Bar High Five in Tokyo, Hidetsugu Ueno, presented ‘Bartending as an Art’ masterclass to a select audience, and demonstrated his famous diamond ice carving technique. Read about Ueno-san’s masterclass here.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Bar Trench X Door Knock Takeover
Nikka Whisky took over Door Knock with bartenders Rogerio Igarashi from Bar Trench in Tokyo, and Hisatsugu Saito from Bar Ars & Delecto in Shanghai. The duo visited Australia to launch of Nikka Coffey Gin and Nikka Coffey Vodka. A selection of five cocktails was available including the Trench 75 made with Nikka Coffey Gin, lemon juice, honey cordial and sparkling sake.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Hubertus Circle – A Taste of the Underground
Jägermeister’s Hubertus Circle, A Taste of the Underground had guests bathed in green light. The party was curated the members of Hubertus Circle: Alen Nikolvoski, Kate McGraw, Simon Hopkins, Charlie Lehmann and Evan Stroeve.
Check out the photo gallery here.
House of William Grant
Old and new friends from around the country were piped into the House of William Grant at The Standard Bowl for a night of good times, fine libations, dancing, ten pin bowling and games with the aroma of barley in the air.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Day 4: Nikka Masterclass Featuring Rogerio Igarashi from Bar Trench, Tokyo
Nikka Masterclass was held at The Baxter Inn with Rogerio Igarashi from Bar Trench, Tokyo and Hisatsugu Saito from Bar Ars & Delecto in Shanghai. Nikka launched their Coffey Gin & Coffey Vodka along with two single malt expressions, Nikka Yoichi Single Malt Whisky and
Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Bar Awards & Bartender of the Year Finals
The 18th Annual Bartender Magazine Bar Awards & Bartender of the Year Finals were held at Doltone House, Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont with 650 industry professionals in attendance. The Baxter Inn was awarded Bar of the Year and Jenna Hensworth was the first woman to be crowned Bartender of the Year. Get the full list of the 2018 Bar Award winners here.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Day 5: Foursquare Rum Distillery Masterclass
Foursquare Master Distiller Richard Seale presented a comprehensive history of distilling in Barbados and Jamaica that included the differences between each island and the politics between various countries that affected rum production. Richard then took guests through a tasting of the Foursquare range at The Lobo Plantation.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Whiskey Roadshow
The Clock Hotel packed a fine crowd for the Whiskey Roadshow with consumer and trade guests enjoying tasting whiskies from around the globe. Those behind the stands happy to provide background into the expressions on taste. It was a relaxed evening with guests comparing notes and recommending their favourites when food was enjoyed on the balcony.
Here are our top picks from the whiskey we tasted:
- Chivas Mizunara Cask
- Nikkai Miyagikyo Single Malt.
- Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt
- Starward Bourbon Cask
- The Singleton Dufftown Malt Masters Selection
- Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton red wine Cask
- Ardbeg An Oa
- Smooth Amber Contradiction
- Smooth Ambler Old Scout 107
Check out the photo gallery here.
Punches & Decanters
After five amazing days of events, it was time to farewell Bar Week 2018 in style at The Duke of Clarence with some tasty old school punches served from the punch bowl at the Punches & Decanters, Bar Week Closing Party.
Check out the photo gallery here.
Bar Week 2019
What will Bar Week 2019 have in store? As we’ve been attending Bar Week events since 2011 and the Bar Awards since 2012, we can hardly wait. Bar Week 2018 was stellar in so many ways thanks to all the efforts of David Spanton, Amy Spanton, Sam Bygrave and their team, bringing the industry together from all around Australia and abroad.
Until next year!
Except where indicated, Photography © by Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.
[…] The owner of Bar High Five in Tokyo and master carver of the ice diamond visited Sydney during Bar Week 2018 with Monin to present ‘Bartending as an Art’ masterclass to a select […]