Now that the sugar-filled excess of the holiday season is behind us, most of our taste buds are crying out for something more savoury and perhaps a little more bitter.
And it seems that the bartenders at Sydney bar Lobo Plantation have heard our cries and come prepared, as they prepare for a flavour shift with their new Cocktail menu tonight.
PIN ITSplendour Spritz by Daniel Hilton
Blurring the lines between food and drink, the bar is championing a combination of usual flavours prepared in a sustainable manner to satisfy the palate in search of the not-so-sweet.
Now while the crossover between kitchen and bar isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, its Cocktails like these that promise a global movement towards incorporating ingredients that had, up until recently, had no place at the bar.
It’s all about the flavour
So what can a home mixologist take away from this new menu? Well, a definite knowledge that flavour is now the name of the game and experimentation is king. But it’s not just about ensuring that the flavour profiles are distinctive, but that flavours you wouldn’t expect can be brought to life in non-traditional ways using old techniques.
We wanted to lead with something more vegetal,” said Hilton. “The bartenders are pushing towards different flavours on the new menu, so rather than just sweet and sour, we’re looking towards more bitters, more vegetal, looking towards those greener, grassier flavours”.
PIN ITThis Dance by Chloe Natterer
This can be seen through new Cocktail on their list such as Sandrooo where Sherry, Apricot Jam & Jalapeño are mixed with Rum and in the drink Gravesend where Rum, Sherry and Coconut infused Avena mix happily.
Two new Cocktails for you to try
Lobo gave us a preview of two of the new drinks on their list and provided the recipes so that you can give them a try at home as well.
The first cocktail is a Splendour Spritz which he describes as being made for people who like going to Splendour In The Grass.
“I wanted to call it Splendour in the Glass, but I couldn’t do that in the end … too many puns”.
The drink incorporates a White Grapefruit and Orange Saccharum which is a variation of an Oleo- Saccharum which was common in bartending in the 19th century. It literally means sugared oil, and it is a technique for extracting citrus oil from the peels.
Lobo though is using the whole fruit – piths and all – so nothing is discarded.
The second cocktail recipe we have is for a drink they are calling This Dance, which is a twist on a cobbler/mojito-style drink, which incorporates a Minted Capsicum Syrup, which is a really nice vegetal, peppery crispness to it.
Splendour Spritz
Ingredients
40ml Gin
20ml Aperol
30ml White Grapefruit & Orange Saccharum
20ml Acid Solution*
2 dash Caramon & Pepper Bitters
1 dash Absinthe
Instructions
Shake all ingredients (except Champagne) and fine strain into a wine glass with ice. Top with Champagne. garnish with Orange & a Pineapple frond
This Dance
Ingredients
30ml Bacardi Superior
30ml Mezcal
30ml Lime Juice
25ml Mint & cardamom Syrup
2 dash Tiki Bitters
Instructions
Build all ingredients in a Highball glass with crushed ice and churn. Garnish with Mint.
*Acid Solution
10g Citric, 7g Malic, 170mls Water, 5g Bicarbonate – Mix acids and water until dissolved. Add Bicarbonate and stir through reaction.
