Overview
Summer has just begun, and with it comes plenty of lazy days spent at the beach and park — and plenty of sunshine that warrants having drink in hand. With months worth of outdoor occasions to come, the usual cider, beer and chilled rosé might not cut it. That's where batched cocktails come in. The trend has only continued this year and makes classy sipping all too easy. At your next picnic, pick up one of these batched cocktails and make all of your mates jealous.
@bittersandtwists
THE BROADSIDE SALT AND PEPPERBERRY NEGRONI BY WEST WINDS
If you've had enough of the classic negroni and want to bring something a little different to the picnic, grab a can of West Winds' salt and pepperberry negroni. The Margaret River distillery takes the classic Campari and sweet vermouth and combines it with West Winds 'Broadside Navy Strength' salted gin, then adds two Tasmanian pepperberries before canning.
All you need is ice, and an orange for zesting if you're feeling especially fancy. Plus, the antique-looking can adds a bit of old world class to the occasion.
Available exclusively online, with each can priced at $10 a pop — and, if you order six, you get a complimentary vintage can opener to bring along to the party.
How much? $10 for a 110ml can. Available online.
Gareth Sobey Photography
MARTINI BY THE EVERLEIGH BOTTLING CO.
The Everleigh is a Melbourne institution, and, lucky for us, the bar brings a bit of its sophisticated speakeasy vibes up to Sydney — and into your glass. The Everleigh Bottling Co is dedicated to batched cocktails, all of which come in sleek glass bottles. The core range includes a martini, negroni, old fashioned and Manhattan, while the Bartender's Choice collections change regularly.
At the moment, we're most keen on the martini ($17 per bottle) — a 'wet' take on a martini, with a gin to vermouth ratio of 2:1. It's best served chilled, poured it into a frozen cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon twist or an olive.
Apart from online, The Everleigh range is available in some Sydney bottle shops, including Kent Street Cellars, The Henson, The Australian Wine Centre, David Jones Bondi Junction and Le Pont Wine Store in Milsons Point and Clareville. Gift sets and mix-and-match packages are also available, so you can get plenty.
How much? $17 for a 90ml bottle. Available online and at select bottle shops.
(NEW) OLD FASHIONED BY STARWARD WHISKY
Melbourne's Starward makes tonnes of ace whiskies, but they're also slinging a classic batched cocktail with a twist. The (New) Old Fashioned is a collab between the bartenders and distilling teams and starts with Starward's signature craft whisky, which is then combined with bitters and wattleseed demerara syrup — both made in house.
To top it all off, the cocktail is then matured in Australian red wine barrels before being bottled and sent off to you. It's designed as a barbecue favourite and just needs ice to complete. Get it online here, with free shipping on all orders, or in Dan Murphy's around Sydney. It's $49 per 500ml bottle, so is ideal for sharing, too.
How much? $49 for a 500ml bottle. Available online and at select Dan Murphy's.
AUSTRALIAN NEGRONI BY P&V WINE AND LIQUOR MERCHANTS
The negroni's revived popularity shows no sign of slowing, and we think it's a must-have at pretty much every summer gathering. Newtown's boutique bottle-o P&V Wine and Liquor agrees, and it offers a batched take on the negroni all year long. The P&V Australian Negroni combines Poor Toms gin, Italian bitter orange aperitif by Adelaide Hills Distillery and sweet vermouth by Maidenii.
The batch sits on the check out bar in large glass demijohns, which gets bottled per order into 375ml or 750ml wine bottles ($30 and $60 respectively) — with BYO glass bottle for filling encouraged. Ice, orange wedge, and the drink is complete.
How much? $30 for a 375ml bottle. Available at P&V Wine and Liquor Merchants, Newtown.
ANTICA FASHIONISTA X TEN PIECES BY MAURICE TERZINI AND BAR AMERICANO
Restaurant entrepreneur and fashion designer Maurice Terzini is skilled at bringing Sydneysiders venues that fulfil our batched cocktail needs — whether it be at the bar at Bondi Beach Public Bar and or in The Dolphin's bottle shop. The latter is about to launch a whole new menu of batched cocktails for takeaway, and these include the Antica Fashionista, a designer's take on the old fashioned. It's a one-off collaboration between Terzini's fashion label Ten Pieces and world-class bartender Matt Bax of Melbourne's Bar Americano.
It's available in 200ml ($35) and 500ml ($69) sizes at both The Dolphin and online. Add ice and an orange twist and you're good to drink.
How much? $35 for a 200ml bottle. Available online and at The Dolphin, Surry Hills.
Top Image: The Everleigh Bottling Co's core range by Gareth Sobey Photography.