Overview
Dry July is an initiative where participants abstain from alcohol for 31 days to raise funds for those affected by cancer. Since its launch in 2012, the campaign has raised more than $3.2 million for incredibly worthy organisations. While non-alcoholic beverage options can often be limited when dining out, Federal Street robata restaurant Masu is looking to enhance the dining experience for those taking part in the initiative this year, and for those who aren't, with an inventive pairing menu.
Enter Seedlip, the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Blended and bottled in England, the spirit is available in two varieties and can be served with tonic or as the base for a martini or sour-style cocktails.
For July, Masu will use the non-alcoholic spirit for a menu designed by chef restaurateur Nic Watt. The five-course menu, also known as the Tokusen menu (meaning special), will include dishes from ora king tartare to kingfish sashimi, Te Mana lamb with seaweed slaw, wagyu beef and hapuka en papillote.
Bar manager Akira Ohki has designed a non-alcoholic drinks menu to pair with each of the five courses. Three Seedlip cocktails and two house-made kombucha cocktails will be served. The cocktails will feature ingredients such as sencha elderflower, tomato kombu, sancho bud, tamarillo, Sichuan blossom, pineapple and wild nasturtium.
The Masu x Seedlip non-alcoholic pairing menu is available from 1–31 July for $180 per person. Visit the Masu website for more information and to book.
Images: Babiche Martens.