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Australia and NZ bars to visit in 2015

Increasing numbers of international spirits brands and a strong Aussie dollar are fuelling creativity Down Under, as Paul Wootton discovers

Creativity is booming among our pick of the Australia bars to visit in 2015

Despite the size of its population, its isolation and its traditional mainstream beer drinking culture, Australia continues to confound and surprise when it comes to its premium bar scene. Aussie drinkers have never had it so good.

The strong Aussie dollar, combined with an increasingly adventurous consumer, have encouraged distributors to import increasing numbers of spirits from far-flung places, allowing bars to more easily impress with their ranges and pushed bartenders to experiment and learn.

As a result, there are more bars that specialise: gin and tonic bars; rum bars; Tequila and mezcal bars. It’s a fun, theatrical, exuberant scene – suggested in the names of venues like Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern and Enrique’s School For To Bullfighting (the ‘mistake’ is deliberate).

The country has gone craft beer crazy – brew pubs are popping up everywhere and local boutique beers are becoming de rigueur, even in redneck country pubs.

Drinking habits are changing. Australian liquor consumption is declining but people are trading up.

Craft beer continues to thrive in New Zealand, too, where the hospitality sector is booming, thanks to a buoyant economy. Auckland in particular is a hot-bed of activity.

In our November 2014 issue we enlisted the assistance of experts across the globe to help us pick the best bars in five regions that will rise to prominence over the next 12 months. They may not be open yet, or may be stalwarts on the local bar scene, but each one is most definitely pushing the boundaries of imbibing culture.

Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the Australian and New Zealand Bars to Watch in 2015, as well as our Bar of the Year.

Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, Brisbane

Looking like a movie set version of a Louisiana saloon, with scarlet drapes, chandeliers and black leather banquettes, Lefty’s offers a wonderfully theatrical journey into the Deep South. The venue leans heavily on those twin pillars of

American culture, country music and Bourbon, while tipping a sexy wink to the site’s previous incarnation, The Velvet Cigar gentlemen’s club. Jason Scott, of Shady Pines and Swillhouse Group fame, is a partner in this venture and you can see his influence in the design – taxidermy, candlelight, the drama of the room – and in a large dose of humour. A sign outside proclaims: “Soup of the Day… Whiskey”. Enough said.

Le Bon Ton, Melbourne

Featuring a smokehouse, absinthe salon, cocktail bar, oyster room and beer garden, Le Bon Ton elegantly succeeds in disproving the notion that you can’t be all things to all people. It excels at everything. The American food, created by two chefs from Texas, is authentic in flavour, portion size and heart-stopping cholesterol content. There are homemade pies, pit-smoked meats and sandwiches complete with what the menu describes as “damn good BBQ sauce”. Just as well because you don’t want your BBQ sauce any other way. The décor is designed to wow the senses: exposed brickwork, a stunning bar and fairy lights strung above a courtyard. Drinks have a New Orleans stamp all over them, with Sazeracs, Hurricanes, and Vieux Carrés, crafted by the expert hands of ex-Black Pearl star Evan Stanley.

Angel’s Cut by The Trustee, Perth

From the same stable as Enrique’s comes Angel’s Cut, a revamp of the Trustee Bar & Bistro on St George’s Terrace. A modern rum bar has replaced the old Trustee’s wine vault, aiming to tap into a growing understanding among Aussies that there’s more to rum than just Bundaberg. The back bar groans under the weight of more than 100 rums, drawn from all around the world – and the selection is growing. Cocktails have been created by the talented James Connolly and there are eye-catching promotions to drive business on Mondays, when punters can enjoy a plate of salt ’n’ pepper squid and a Dark ’n’ Stormy for just AU$10.

Uncle Hops, Sydney

Small cocktail bars and craft beer venues are enjoying huge success and the big Aussie pubs want a piece of it. Uncle Hops is a new bar inside the Bank Hotel in

Newtown. With 12 craft beers on tap, one hand-pump, beer-based cocktails and Boilermakers, the venue epitomises the craft beer craze sweeping the nation. There are local brews from the likes of Young Henrys, Willie the Boatman and the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel and styles span the spectrum from pale ales to IPAs and stouts.

Gin & Raspberry, Wanaka, New Zealand

Perched on the edge of Lake Wanaka in New Zealand’s South Island, Gin & Raspberry Boutique Bar in Wanaka offers stunning views of the resort town’s surrounds. You can soak up the sun on the balcony or get cosy inside by the fire. It’s a large 200-capacity venue and yet it oozes charm, thanks to that central fireplace, a baby grand piano and partitioned booths. The venue is owned by restaurateur Francesca Voza, who also runs Francesca’s Pizzeria next door, and the bar menu incorporates wood-fired pizzas, plates of antipasto and a choice of six popcorns, including an exotic plum and dark chocolate.

AUSTRALASIA BAR TO WATCH: ENRIQUE’S SCHOOL FOR TO BULLFIGHTING, PERTH

Fifteen gins, five tonics and 15 garnishes are the foundations on which Enrique’s is built. Paying homage to the gin and tonic bars of Spain (and to awful Spanglish translations – that “for to” in the bar’s name is a deliberate mistake), Enrique’s was originally conceived as a pop-up extension to the Beaufort Street Merchant next door. But selecting a gin, a tonic and a garnish and creating your own G&T has proved so popular this venue may end up lasting longer than a Spanish dictatorship.

If G&Ts aren’t your thing, there’s Estrella on draught, a range of Sherries and some awesome cocktails, courtesy of bar manager James Connolly. Think Burnt Butter Old Fashioneds, Cold Drip Negronis and Chargrilled Pineapple Daiquiries. House Sangria costs just AU$5 every Sunday afternoon.

A short but well-constructed menu offers delights such as Tempranillo Braised Pork Cheeks, Squid Sliders and “Pig & Parmesan” – a jamon tuille topped with organic parmesan ice cream that tastes as good as it sounds. The décor is rustic and quirky, with naked filament light bulbs, hanging buckets and huge paella pans on the wall. It gets busy too, cramped and a bit chaotic inside – but always friendly, always fun. Perth residents are hoping this pop-up stays permanent.

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