Posts Tagged ‘australia’

Thai Bloody Mary at Longrain

Posted: March 17, 2013 in Uncategorized
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My last Bloody Mary in Australia came from Longrain, a swanky upscale restaurant in Melbourne.

They have odd hours (Lunch | Friday 12pm – 3pm Dinner | Monday – Thursday 6pm – late; Friday,  Saturday, Sunday 5.30pm – late), so it was lucky that we finally got here my last night in town.

Their Bloody Longrain is a spicy Thai take of the traditional Bloody Mary and I can tell you—boy was it spicy! This drink is NOT for everyone.

Here’s a video on how they make it:

Spice: Very! Of the three of us, I was the only one who really liked it; consequently, I had to finish two of these by myself!

Mix: See video!

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: “Pickle” (Not really a pickle as we know them, it was more like a cucumber) and lemon wedge.

Price: $17 each (high even by Melbourne standards!)

So there you have it, my Bloody Mary search gone international!

Cheers!

The Melbourne Central Lion Hotel’s Bloody Mary

Posted: March 17, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Melbourne was my second stop after Sydney and I found more of the same in terms of availability and pricing when it comes to Bloody Marys.

But I gave it a shot and ordered one at the Melbourne Central Lion Hotel.

And I will let you in on a little secret: The Central Lion is not really a hotel!

Did you know that many bars are called hotels in Australia?

The reason dates back to late nineteenth century when liquor legislation forced pubs to also provide accommodation. The presence of a few rooms (rarely used) and the “hotel” name then gave some impression the rules were being followed. Many venues still carry this tradition today. (For more info, check out the Australian Hotels Association here.)

Anyway, on to the Bloody:

Spice: Not very.

Mix: Made with tomato juice worcestershire, and spices (I saw them hand mix behind the bar)

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: Celery

Price: Wasn’t listed on the menu, so unknown, but likely not cheap!

The verdict? A cool little “hotel,” but when you’re in Australia, I highly recommend you try out some of the ciders they serve instead, or an ice-cold Carlton Draught!

Posted: March 15, 2013 in Uncategorized
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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!

Posted: March 7, 2013 in Uncategorized
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On my first day in Sydney, I stopped in at a funky little place called Darlo Bar.


I asked if they had Bloodies and was pleased when the bartender said yes—and asked if I liked them spicy.

This was made with a homemade mix and Belvedere Vodka. It had a little kick to it, but it was a unique kick, not sure that it was Tobasco.

Fixin’s and chasers are literally foreign here, so none of that was to be expected; a stalk of celery and you’re good to go.

One other interesting tidbit is that the bartender inquired as to whether I would like “35ml of vodka or 50.” I am also quickly learning that drinks here do NOT come cheap.