The Roosevelt Introduces Cocktail Yum Cha Nights

Cocktail lists: sometimes it's difficult to narrow your choice down to one when all you really want to do is try them all, right? Luckily, the The Roosevelt Bar & Diner's new 'yum cha' cocktail nights every Thursday aim to let patrons sample a larger selection of drinks, with mini cocktails offered for $10 each.

When owner Sven Almenning attended a yum cha dinner, he thought it would transfer wonderfully to a cocktail bar. "We love the fact that you don’t have to order anything and that drinks just constantly appear at your table for you to choose from," he says.

Diverting from their usual a la carte service, the Roosevelt will offer a selection of cocktails based around a unifying theme. "In cocktail bars a lot of time can be spent perusing the menu, and as cocktails can be quite strong, many will only have a couple when they are out. At $10 each, the cocktails served are smaller, thus giving our guests the chance to sample a wider selection of drinks," says Almenning.

Given that the elaborate drinks on the menu at luxe Roosevelt would usually set you back $20+ each, it's quite an appealing opportunity. Plus, with the 'three-sip' cocktails offered around on a roving trolley, the drinks come to you. "[We] feel it will inspire conversation more as less time is spent deciding and debating what to drink," he says.

The first round of yum cha nights are inspired by the colourful past of King's Cross — a past that the original Roosevelt heavily contributed to. Some of the glamorous nightclubs and famous patrons will serve as the models for the drinks being passed around. The Carlotta Cocktail (a combination of citrus vodka, lemon, blueberry and sage) and the Whiskey a Go-Go (a cocktail that mixes scotch, kirsch, cherry brandy bitters and Fernet Branca) are just two interesting concoctions available for tasting.

"The goal is to change themes and drinks every six weeks or so pending popularity," says Almenning. "We’re planning to put a selection of themes on Facebook for our guests to vote on in the next couple of weeks."

Next time you pop into the Roosevelt on a Thursday night, sit back and let the bartenders make the difficult decisions for you.

Cocktail Yum Cha is on every Thursday night at the Roosevelt (32 Orwell Street, Potts Point), commencing tonight, April 17.