So as I mentioned, I arrived in Australia fully prepared that Bloody Marys would not be as plentiful and that they would be drastically different than those at home,
However, fate intervened. While acquainting myself with the area, I was flipping through the local edition of Time Out magazine and came across a teaser for an upcoming article in the next issue on a place called the Bottleneck that served Bloody Marys and Meatballs. (The article is now up online here.)
Of course, I had to check it out. Located on Darlinghurst Road near the Darlinghurst/King’s Cross area of Sydney, we found the Bottleneck from the crew at Eau de Vie in the Kirketon Hotel.
Sure enough, true to their word, the chalkboard on the wall advertised their three featured Bloodies of the week. I tried both the House and Snapper while I was there and both were excellent—particularly the Snapper which is made using gin, sherry and cynar (I had to ask the bartender about this, an interesting spirit!).
Spice:Perfect amount in both.
Mix: Homemade—the secret for the Snapper is not just tomato juice, but also celery and carrot so as to make it a little sweeter.
Chaser: None.
Fixin’s: Lemon, celery, a carrot slice and a bean depending on the Bloody.
Price: $16 each (Nothing in Sydney is cheap as I came to learn—this was the price of an average mixed drink!)
This establishment is also known for its meatballs, which of course we also sampled. You get a small serving of four and there are a couple of varieties to choose from. We got the classic for $9 and they were simply amazing.
If you’re in this area, I highly recommend checking this place out—and make sure you engage with the friendly bartenders as well. They talked with us the whole time we were there and they ended up recommending several other spots to try out which were wonderful as well.
Cheers!
Out For Bloodies 