Meet a cocktail that's good enough to eat

It is cocktail time.

When the sun comes out and Australians head outdoors - and upstairs - then cocktails come into their own.

Sydney cocktail bar Dean & Nancy’s on 22 - promoted as a homage to classic hotel bars of golden eras past - overlooks the city from the A by Adina Hotel in downtown Sydney.

Its new Above the Clouds cocktail menu features the venue’s first edible cocktail: Rocketman (above) - which is an astronaut-shaped ice-cream crafted from Haku Vodka and Mapo lemon and fior di latte ice-cream.

Other highlights across the new menu include the Space Taco with taco spice mix-infused Patron tequila; Alien on Holiday with pistachio orgeat syrup, Hendrick’s Gin, fino sherry, lime, aloe vera, and green kiwi; plus the Starry Night (below) with Roku gin, mango, kaffir lime leaf, tincture, and Perrier.



“Living and working in a microgravity environment requires culinary ingenuity and creativity,” says restaurant and bar manager Stefano Filardi, who clearly talks the talk.

“Back on earth, we’ve applied a similar technique to create a cocktail menu that reflects the energy of the city as seen from Level 22 and above.”

Above the Clouds features 17 playful cocktails, many of them edging the $30 mark.

Dean & Nancy on 22, Level 22, 2 Hunter St, Sydney NSW. Open Monday-Sunday: 4:30pm till late.

See www.deanandnancyon22.com.au

Hobart's new bar has a unique Tasmanian accent

More details have been revealed about Hobart's new bar Mary, Mary, part of the new Tasman Hotel complex.

The new cocktail bar and spirits library will open its doors on December 9 with Ronan Kavanagh (above) showcasing the many flavours of Tasmania.

Mary Mary takes its name from the former St Mary’s Hospital built in 1841 and is hidden behind the deep old sandstone walls of the original building located off Salamanca Place.

The bar team is led by manager Kavanagh, who brings both international experience behind the bar and recognition for his work on local distilling projects at Charles Oates Distilling.

Mary Mary’s drinks menu is rooted in classic cocktails featuring native ingredients.

The signature cocktails reflect an ambitious re-imagining of the world’s great cocktails, including a Classic Martini made with Tasmanian gin or vodka, fresh vermouth, and a lick of aromatised verjuice, served with seasonal accoutrements made in house.

Mary Mary’s Old Fashioned is created with a house whisky blend, salt and umami.

The menu will feature ingredients including Braeburn apples sourced from the Huon Valley and a salty native succulent known as pigface, found growing on the coastline.

“A lot of thought and passion has gone into creating an experience at Mary Mary that celebrates the unique drinking culture of Tasmania - there is nowhere like it in the world,”, says Kavanagh.

“We hope people will feel as though they have discovered something special each time they visit, whether we have a rare whisky to taste from Sullivan’s Cove, or a cocktail showcasing an exciting new distiller and paired with a seasonal ingredient from the island. We want to be known for creating an element of the unexpected and moments of intrigue for our guests.”

A Coal Chute and Spirits Vault located at the end of a historic passageway houses Mary Mary’s collection of rare spirits.

The concept was developed by Proof and Co and award-winning Australian bartender, Charlie Ainsbury.

For more information, visit www.thetasmanhobart.com