All the rage: Zeta Bar Farmer's Markets cocktails

With the trend towards seasonality in food, farmer's markets are all the rage across Australia at the moment. It's also a step closer to farmers and where our food actually comes from, and away from mass industrial processing so hopefully it's not just a short-term fad.

Zeta Bar Farmer's Market, Friday nights at Hilton Sydney,
George Street Sydney
(Image courtesy of Hilton Sydney)

Zeta Bar Farmer's Market captures the current food trend for all things to be uber-fresh and seasonal, on Friday nights from 6pm for a limited time.

Hilton Sydney's Zeta Bar has become a place of drinking fun and novelty, and if my past experiences are anything to go by, it looks like Grant Collins, bar consultant and mixologist, is keeping it that way with twice-a-year Zeta Bar cocktail concepts.

Liqueur selection

The idea is that drinkers browse the "markets", picking up a couple of fruits or vegetables, and then herbs and spices, with which Zeta Grocers (read: bartenders in grocer's costumes) will concoct a cocktail after you've chosen a liqueur flavour and base spirit.

It's a bit of fun especially if you like food shopping like me but if not, there's a menu of Zeta Farmer's specials - think Beetroot Mojito and Nitro Milk Bottles - or options at the DIY Bloody Mary stall.

'Temporary Cool' - Tamarillo and cucumber cocktail

If you're going to create your own cocktail, you'll also get a happy snap Polaroid with your cocktail and the recipe jotted down - after you've named it, that is.

'Cuban Spiced Swizzle' - Ginger, lime and rosemary cocktail

"The Farmer’s Market at Zeta is a quirky and interactive way to showcase the talent of our mixologists and highlight the extent of fresh, seasonal ingredients that we use in our cocktails," says Collins. "It’s also a great chance to educate our guests on the creative construction and balancing of cocktails."

Flower pots of edible soil and edible jelly worms

And if that's not enough fun and novelty for you, how's about mini terracotta flower pots? With edible chocolate soil and absinthe jelly worms, of course.

The former is baked and dehydrated sugar, flour, dehydrated 80% cacao chocolate pieces and cocoa powder, while the worms consist of absinthe, vodka, strawberry liqueur, gelatine sheets, agar agar and sugar (much like at Collins' other drinks venue). Have a bit of seasonal fun on Fridays from 6pm for a limited time.

Food, booze and shoes attended the Zeta Bar Farmer's Market as a guest of Hilton Sydney.