Compendium Volume 9 Australia

WHERE THE BAR’S THE

WHERE THE BAR’S THE STAR MIXOLOGIST-LED COCKTAIL TEMPLES WITH SUPERLATIVE FOOD OFFERINGS 1 1 1870 DRINKIN’ KITCHEN, BRA, ITALY Opening a cutting-edge cocktail bar in the heart of Piedmont’s wine country might seem risky, but owner Daniele Macciò’s year-old 1870 Drinkin’ Kitchen, named for the year that Italy became unified (the adjacent Piazza XX Settembre celebrates the exact date), is thriving, even in a town just a few kilometres from the vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco. Bra, though, was not an accidental choice: it is, famously, the home of the Slow Food Movement, attracting gourmet visitors from all over the world, and the movement’s ethics resonate strongly with Macciò’s own philosophy of zero waste and a strong collaboration between bar and kitchen. 1870 ticks plenty of hipster boxes – it’s tiny, music is either live or on vinyl, the walls are distressed, collaborations with other trendy joints are frequent, and Macciò sports an impressive beard – but it is clearly a labour of love. Order one of the Roman-style pizze alla pala, perhaps with pumpkin, chickpeas and sage, and wash it down with a cocktail made from cachaça, chestnut honey and a clever infusion of leftover pumpkin skin. “Harmony through good practice,” as Macciò calls it; or, in other words, don’t throw flavour in the bin. 50

2 3 4 PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: EMMANUEL ROSARIO, © LOCALE FIRENZE, © MAHANIYOM, © CAUSE EFFECT, MARTIN MENDEZ; OPPOSITE PAGE: © 1870 DRINKIN’ KITCHEN 2 DOUBLE CHICKEN PLEASE, NEW YORK The bar in the front room of co-owners GN Chan and Faye Chen’s Lower East Side bar/restaurant features a handsome set of brass taps, dispensing Asian-inflected premixed “taptails”: shochu with lemongrass, gentian, plum and green tea, for instance. Or head to the back lounge – “The Coop” – for carefully crafted, food-themed cocktails: the “Waldorf Salad”, maybe, a blend of whisky, apple, celery, ginger ale and walnut bitters. The chicken sandwiches – try the “Hot Honey”, made with buttermilk and Thai basil – are superbly indulgent. 3 LOCALE FIRENZE, FLORENCE Located in the gloriously theatrical surroundings of the medieval Palazzo Concini, Locale’s bartenders follow a seasonal, low-waste ethos, resulting in creations like the Radicchio (vodka with fermented radish and brown rice water), the Limone (coriander spirit, distilled lemon and CO 2 ) and the Pera (grappa with pear, salted walnut and Gorgonzola). Head chef Simone Caponnetto’s beautifully presented cuisine is similarly creative and seasonal: mushroom tart with thyme and juniper sorbet; lamb sweetbreads with Jerusalem artichokes. 5 4 MAHANIYOM, BANGKOK Perched above 100 Mahaseth, an atmospheric “nose-to-tail” Thai restaurant in the Bang Rak district, the low-lit, chinoiserie-bedecked Mahiniyom is a collaboration between seasoned bar owners Neung Kanivichaporn and Jan Bhumichitr, and 100 Mahaseth’s co-owner, chef Chalee Kader. Their inventive cocktails are cut from the same cloth as his menu. There is The Cow, a heady concoction of brandy, red wine, miso, wagyu fat, black butter and clarified milk, garnished with a spoonful of blue-cheese foam: Kanivichaporn describes it as “steak in a glass”. It is a bar like no other. 6 5 PARADISO, BARCELONA Even by speakeasy standards, Paradiso has a tricky-to-find entrance – through the fridge of a pastrami shop. There’s usually a queue to help you locate it, and it’s worth the wait. The sinuous, blond-wood, Dalí-esque bar is a delight, and so are the cocktails, which borrow much from gastronomy: grilled truffled artichoke, for instance, turns up in the whisky-and-cognacbased “Copper”. Food has a locally smoked edge: try a smoked Gilda, the famous Basque pintxo of olive, chilli and anchovy. And check out the coasters, made from recycled plastics and kitchen waste. 6 CAUSE | EFFECT COCKTAIL KITCHEN, CAPE TOWN Tucked away in the V&A Waterfront, cocktail visionary Kurt Schlechter’s place serves up avant-garde cocktails with more than a dash of theatre. Airy and woody, with filament bulbs slung from the rafters, it’s a great spot to pull up a barstool and sample the lab-coated bar staff’s outré creations. Try the “Save The Bees #3”, a heady blend of local gin, eucalyptus, vermouth and honey, or book the “Bartenders’ Lab”, a three-course cocktail and amuse-bouche experience for up to six people. 51