Tonight we Tanqueray and tonic

For me, gin and tonic was the white-spirit bar drink graduation from vodka, lime and soda. Sophisticated, classic and tasting a million times better, it was an easy step up to G&Ts.

Tanqueray gin at a media event, Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney, George Street

Tanqueray London Dry Gin recently launched a rather sexy global campaign, 'Tonight We Tanqueray', expounding the virtues of starting a night out right - with a Tanqueray and tonic, or T&T more conveniently.

Keep an eye out for the classy billboards and taxi adverts, or indeed, throughout November in Sydney, the Tanqueray Fleet of London black cabs that you may well be able to hail to start the night out.

Tanqueray and tonic

Also launched this month, select bars across Sydney will be serving T&Ts in huge bespoke green stemmed glasses that could almost double as a bowl.

The glassware apparently brings out the botanical flavours of the gin, and keeps the drink cooler for longer with the addition of lots of ice.

Tanqueray brand ambassador Barry Chalmers

Tanqueray's Australian brand ambassador is Barry Chalmers (of The Roosevelt and previously Eau de Vie) who detailed the history of gin and Tanqueray one fine Friday afternoon for a group at Zeta Bar.

Tanqueray gin kit

Created in 1810 by Londoner Charles Tanqueray, I've always known gin to have fantastical botanical characteristics. In Tanqueray they are specifically: juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root and liquorice.

Garnishes

Given the historical belief in the medicinal properties of juniper berries (prescribed for tapeworm by the Egyptians) and that also of quinine-based tonic water (historically used as malaria treatment), I've deduced that gin and tonics must be good for me too, especially when garnished with a wealth of fresh fruits and herbs.

A classic T&T ('recipe' at the bottom of this post) will have Tanqueray gin, of course, ice, tonic water and a lime wedge squeezed and for garnish. Bartenders are now riffing on the classic with their own tonics and ideas on garnishes for T&Ts with a twist.

Hand-chipped ice

One nifty trick to a mixed drink like gin and tonic is ice. Lots of ice in a drink is not a bad thing at all. Plenty of ice means the temperature of a drink is lower overall and less likely to melt ice, as opposed to less ice in a drink which warms faster and hence melts ice faster too.

Huge blocks of hand-chipped ice are all the rage with bartenders nowadays, and is rather gorgeous in a rocks glass and a nip of your poison of choice.

Soda bottles

Barry's Bespoke Tonic

The next ingredient is tonic of which there are now artisanal options available in addition to your classic supermarket brands.

Taking it a step further, Chalmers has concocted his own Barry's Bespoke Tonic especially for the Tanqueray event, using quinine, grapefruit and lime zest, lemongrass stalks, rose water, orange blossom water, sugar and citric acid.

Lime wedges and other garnishes

Mint leaves and other garnishes

Lastly, a garnish. While lime is still a standard requirement, there are a myriad of additional fruit and herb options that complement the aromatics of Tanqueray gin.

On offer for our session was lemon and lime, an assortment of berries, ruby grapefruit, cucumber, mint and coriander.

My bespoke Tanqueray and tonic

My DIY T&T comprised Barry's Bespoke Tonic on a huge lump of ice, lime, strawberries, blueberries and coriander. It ended up being a pretty mix that exuded exotic summers.

I'm not sure that the whole blueberries added much to taste, but Barry's Bespoke Tonic was a real flavour sensation. Who would have thought that a T&T I made myself would be the best one I've sipped to date (thanks Barry!).

Throughout the T&T session we were responsibly served canapes from Zeta Bar, including a deliciously stunning, tongue-numbing gin and tonic sorbet.

White anchovy on crispy bread, onion puree

Duck rillettes en croute, cornichons and caper mayonnaise

Tartlet of spanner crab with pickled mango

Compressed rockmelon, asparagus & tomato relish

Prawn tempura, preserved lemon mayonnaise

Goat's cheese tartlet with pickled vegetables

Mushroom arancini with garlic sauce

Sesame crusted tuna with babaganoush crispy crostini

Tanqueray and tonic sorbet

Custom Tanqueray and tonic glasses

The Classic Tanqueray & Tonic - recipe (1 standard drink):

30ml measure of Tanqueray London Dry Gin
Premium quality tonic water
Fresh lime wedge and a lime wheel

Fill the glass two-thirds with ice. Place a lime wheel on top and pour 30ml of Tanqueray through the lime. Follow it through with tonic, then take the lime wedge, rim the glass, squeeze the drink.

Tanqueray ice display

See more photos from the event on my Facebook page and one of the very awesome 'Tonight We Tanqueray' advertising campaigns below.

Food, booze and shoes attended the Tanqueray event as a guest, with thanks to One Green Bean.

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.

Good times collective #3

This year so far has been a bit of a blur and it's hard to believe we're well into the second half of the year. I heard someone mention Christmas yesterday too. It's been pretty crazy with weddings, kids parties and new jobs all making it a massive year already - with more to come I think.

Full rack of pork ribs with roast potato at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

I don't know how I became so deluded as to order a full rack of ribs at Hurricane's for a birthday dinner. I had neighbouring diners willing to share in the pork fest, but I was still pretty over the soft, tender pork flesh and increasingly cloying and sweet barbeque sauce baste by the end.

I won't be ordering a full rack again, unless at least one other pretty hungry person is sharing my main meal.

Steak and ribs with chips at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

Another meat-heavy option comes from the 'combo' section of the menu: here, a short cut sirloin steak (200g) with a half rack of pork ribs.

It's not the best steak in town, but Hurricane's is certainly good fun when you collect bowls of bones, and the table ends up looking like a prehistoric feasting ground with sated cavemen reclining in chairs around the table.

Kids table setting at a birthday party

I have fantastic memories of birthday parties as a kid: tonnes of food (including mini pies, sausage rolls, spring rolls, and loads and loads of cakes and sweet treats), all my school friends and family, party games, lolly bags and coloufully-wrapped presents.

Barbie birthday cake

I also remember having a scrumptious, pink Barbie cake much like the one above. What more could a little girl really want?

Teddy bear birthday cake

I also had shared birthday parties as a kid, so there would often be two lots of friends, two birthday cakes and sometimes even two types of take-home lolly bags.

Remnants of Ted - vanilla buttercake with chocolate frosting

I now see how much work went into it all, and am grateful for those responsible for the good times in my under-11-year-old days.

Cupcake decorating toppings

My earliest party game memory is 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' but I also recall fabulous treasure hunts through a big backyard and black hands from newspaper-wrapped 'Pass the Parcel'.

But with the recent turn towards all things food and cooking, it's no surprise that a cupcake-decorating station was a complete and utter hit with the kiddies and parents alike.

Decorating cupcakes

Some of the younger kids headed straight for the jelly lollies, Smarties and mini marshmallows that were for decorating the pre-baked cupcakes, while some of the older kids frosted the cakes for the younger ones to throw into a bowl of hundreds and thousands. A good time had by all.

Half roast chicken with salads from Madam Char Char, Crown Street, Surry Hills

I'd never thought that takeaway roast chicken could go high end. Yes, organic, woodfired and all - but high end? Yet another voucher exposed me to Madam Char Char in Surry Hills, which has a sizeable eat-in area looking out to Crown Street and an impressive range of gourmet salads.

Free range Lilydale chickens are filled with a herb and spice stuffing, and roasted under a heady spice rub that bursts with cinnamon. The thigh is deliciously juicy while the breast is also tender and tasty.

From memory our selection of three salds includes exotic mixes like quinoa, roast eggplant, parsley, toasted nuts, mint and currents with a green tahini dressing; and pickled beetroot, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds with yoghurt dressing.

Roasted vegies (potato, pumpkin, sweet potato) from Madam Char Char

On the cooked vegies side, gorgeously roasted potato, pumpkin and sweet potato display a similar spicing as the roast chicken, with very strong cinnamon overtones. So good, the vegies were close to outshining the chicken.

Smoked bacon & maple syrup manhattan at Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney

Grant Collins' extensive cocktail menu at the Hilton's Zeta Bar features something I just had to try one evening after a few too many drinks already. Not a bourbon drinker, I think I ordered the bacon and maple syrup manhattan more out of hunger than anything else.

Inspired by New York bar PDT's bacon-infused bourbon (via a fat washing method), Zeta's interpretation mixes smoky bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, cherry syrup, and sweet and dry vermouth. And best of all, it's garnished with a rasher of cooked bacon that I can nibble on while the bourbon eats my insides.

But it's not that bad. The cherry flavour does well in hiding the king-hit of the bourbon (and the maple syrup somewhat too), while excluding the garnish, there doesn't seem to be a strong bacon flavour. Nonetheless, it's certainly a drink to warm the senses; plus I know many people who would think that bacon improves just about everything.

Tiki time at Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney

Zeta's Summer Tiki Bar, Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney, George Street

I don't know if it can actually be done, but Hilton Sydney's Zeta Bar is trying to extend summer. And I'm all for it, especially if it involves tasty cocktails and entertainment that ends the working week on a tropical note.

Piña coladas served in young coconuts

Piña colada served in coconut shell

Every Friday evening from now until Easter (that is, 15 April will be the last night), Zeta Bar is pulling on the Hawaiian shirts and tunes, and getting behind the authentic 1940s bamboo tiki bar imported from Hawaii to serve up tiki-inspired cocktails in the usual innovative Zeta style.

We start on coconuts, with umbrellas of course, filled with a smooth and creamy Piña Colada - coconut-y more so than pineapple juice-y - and a seriously big serving size. Who knew a coconut could hold so much yummy, boozy beverage?

Rum punch to share

Zeta Bar mixologist Grant Collins seems to take great pride and pleasure in coming up with the bar's seasonal concepts, especially when they involve liquid nitrogen.

Grant Collins and liquid nitrogen

Here he brings liquid nitrogen to our table, pouring it onto our shared rum punches, freezing the top layers while chilling my exposed feet at the same time. The table is left steamy and smoky, and the drink cold.

Fresh daily pressed sugar cane mojito

I'm impressed with the sugar cane mojito, with freshly extracted, sweet goodness from real sugar cane from a press out the back.

Along with light rum, lime, mint and a sugar cane stirrer, I'm a happy camper with this refreshing drink that can be followed with a good chew on the sugar cane stick stirrer.

Grant Collins strains a Mai Tai into a hollowed pineapple

I'd never had a drink out of a pineapple, even in Hawaii, so my 'drinking out of a pineapple' skills are limited. I had no idea such a large, hollowed out fruit could be used, nor would I have expected it to be frozen - to keep the drink, and one's hands, very cool.

Zeta Mai Tai

This Mai Tai has light and dark rum, orange curacao, orgeat syrup, pineapple juice, Angostura bitters and a big, girly-friendly hit of sugar syrup. And apparently the colourful paper umbrella is a requisite too, though I can't say the same about the sparkler.

Grant Collins presents the Zeta Mai Tai

Grant Collins presents a Long Island snow cone

The snow cone would more likely be called shave ice in Hawaii, and would be a finer shaving too. Nonetheless, this is doused with a Long Island syrup and isn't so much boozy as playful and cooling.

Dispensing piña colada foam

Certainly playful are the nitro puffs that they seem to adore pulling off at Zeta Bar. Here, Piña Colada foam comes out of the cream siphon and goes for a dip in a liquid nitrogen bath.

'Cooking' the piña colada puff

It's all rather mystical as the white puff disappears beneath billowing white smoke, cooling the air and the anticipation until - voila - it's fished out and garnished for your immediate consumption.

Piña colada nitro puff

Advice on consumption is easy: place the entire puff in the mouth, let it melt and exhale out the nose. It is cold and tongue-numbing, but not as bad as minus 28 degrees would sound.

Amid the fizz, the coconut flavour comes through the strongest and by the time any other flavours come through, you'll probably be too busy laughing or trying to defrost your tongue to notice. Fun and definitely recommended to change up the regular Friday night drinks.

Mojito sorbet in a miniature cone

The Zeta sorbet bar makes a comeback tiki style. This time, the sweet ices are tiki cocktails, like Piña Colada, Mai Tai, Dark and Stormy, Margarita, Zombie and even Rum and Coke.

I think the mojito is the hands-down winner, minty fresh with lime and barely a hint of rum. Grant tells us that the snow cones, nitro puffs and sorbet both have very little alcohol content, and are more about new and fun cocktail experiences than say, getting trashed on cocktails.

Piña Colada sorbet

Every week also sees tropical-styled entertainment, such as hula girls or last week's steel drummers who put a smile on every face they passed through the bar.

Steel drummers

This indeed is escapism. After the hard slog of a weeks' work, everyone deserves a tropical island getaway - and this is likely to be the fastest, cheapest option for most. With four Friday nights to go for Zeta's Summer Tiki Bar, the extended summer countdown is well and truly on.

Zeta's Summer Tiki Bar menu
(Photo courtesy of Zeta Bar)

Food, booze and shoes was treated to a tropical escape and copious amounts of booze with thanks to Zeta Bar, Grant Collins and Horizon Communication Group.