Your Christmas lunch will soon be soundtracked by Bill Murray. We squealed about it back in October 2014 — Hollywood's quirkiest legend has teamed up with Sofia Coppola for a festive TV special involving him singing a variety of Christmas carols and decking the halls with one heck of a cast. Murray and Coppola's new project will be undoubtedly somewhat different to their last collaboration, Lost in Translation. The synopsis? The trailer came with a little peek: "This winter, Bill Murray brings an extra-special dose of holiday cheer to Netflix with the premiere of an all-star musically-driven holiday special, A Very Murray Christmas. Set inside New York City’s iconic Carlyle hotel, A Very Murray Christmas opens with Murray preparing to host a live, international holiday broadcast. After a blizzard shuts down the production, he makes the best of the situation by singing and celebrating with friends, hotel employees and anyone else who drops by." Dropped this morning, the trailer's a pretty quick look at a pretty damn big cast. Set to Murray's 'Let It Snow' duet with Miley Cyrus, the trailer revealed one heck of a lineup: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, George Clooney, Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Maya Rudolph, Chris Rock and Paul Shaffer. Watch it here and try not to squeal: 'A Very Murray Christmas' is coming to Netflix on December 4. By Meg Watson and Shannon Connellan.
With hard-hitting dramas, imaginative comedies and a retrospective tribute to one of the all-time greats, the latest edition of the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival doesn't disappoint. Lighting up the screen from March 1-24 in Sydney before heading out to Parramatta and Casula in April, from March 2-24 in Melbourne, and March 11-April 3 in Brisbane, the 2016 program features a diverse mix of titles showcasing the very best the French film industry has to offer. Cannes winners are set to be a highlight, with Rust and Bone director Jacques Audiard tackling the issue of asylum seekers in his new offering Dheepan, and Philippe Garrel's masterful romantic drama In the Shadow of Women. Legendary French filmmaker Michel Gondry's new film Microbe & Gasoline will also feature in the festival — which will be closed by Jean Luc-Godard's 1963 film Contempt. Here are our top five picks to see at the festival. But first, enter the comp for some sweet, sweet tickets. [competition]561842[/competition]
Nothing warms the cockles of our hearts more than traipsing along to a warm enclosure and getting an educational experience while we fill up on the newest stout or IPA. And it's the perfect timing for such merriments, with Melbourne's Good Beer Week in full swing and the GABS taking over the Exhibition Building this weekend. With an impressive 15 beers being released every week in Australia alone, it can be hard to get a grasp on all the best brews on the block. To help, we tried and tested an innumerable amount on your behalf. You can find most of these ten beauties at your local craft beer bottle shop, or you can take your legs along to one of Melbourne's many beery events this weekend. So grab a glass and hop to it y'all. 10. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS — MOON DOG The experimental Moon Dog crew have created another taste-explosion, and it's the ideal choice for when you can't decide if you need the hair of the dog in beer or tomato format. Moon Dog's answer is to mimic the classic Bloody Mary — but instead of tomato juice, we're talking Red Ale. Three types of chillis have been infused but these aren't added to dominate. Instead, they leave a warm tingle on the tongue. Vonnegut might surely agree that this sort of nonsense is Moon Dog's strength. moondogbrewing.com.au 9. SUMMER ALE — MOUNTAIN GOAT When it comes to a supernatural weekend getaway, cruising the liquor isle in search of non-glass beers is a headache. Thankfully, the Mountain Goat lads are helping us out by packaging a passionfruit style favourite into cans. Not only will your beer be hoppy and aromatic, but it sure does make it easier having a chilly bin filled with tinnies so you don’t have to worry about security stealing your stash. Something to note for next summer. goatbeer.com.au 8. MISS PINKY — BOATROCKER There are not many beers the Germans didn't think of first, and sour beer is one of them. This sour style is called Berliner Weisse and is becoming increasingly popular on Australian palates. So how do you make such a sweet drink turn pink? Well, the Boatrocker Brewers have added 100kgs of sour raspberries to their ale yeast to create a cloudy pink beer. It's a tart, fruity character, yet surprisingly refreshing. Just make sure you get your lips wrapped around this lady at the beginning of the evening. boatrocker.com.au 7. WATTLE PALE ALE — BREWSMITH Using a 110-year-old recipe stolen from the beer gods, BrewSmith give you the chance to create your own batch at home. Their Aussie Wattle Pale Ale kit comes with a mix of wattle seeds, malt extract, hops and specialty grains, all of which you can leave in a dark nook for three weeks. What you're left with is a lighter pale ale (at around 4.4%) — one that will impress any backyard gathering. brewsmith.com.au 6. MOTLEY BREW — CAVALIER Collaboration is a beautiful thing. And so is the Motley Brew: a Summer Wheat IPA rocking those fruity and hoppy characteristics we’ve all come to enjoy. It's the love child of 15 different breweries (possibly the biggest beer collaboration ever achieved), using 5 different hops, which have all been left to ferment into one good taste. Although the Motley was only a limited release, the Brunswick-based brewers will be showcasing another collaborated tasty during Good Beer Week. Make sure you don’t miss their next one. cavalierbeer.com.au 5. GO FIGA — GRAND RIDGE BREWERY By substituting figs instead of sugar, the Grand Ridge Brewery have spiced up the classic ginger ale — and it's one to go wild about. It's long been their ethos not to add any sugars, chemicals or preservatives, so they’re sticking with organic figs. To top it off, there are even subtle hints of coriander, making this complex brew a real infusion of flavours. Their fig and ginger ale has even had a life as a sorbet — but with winter nearly afoot, we recommend lighting your inner fire with a bottle or two of this fresh, yet toasty delight. It will be available for the first time at GABS this weekend. grand-ridge.com.au 4. BLACKMAN'S UNFILTERED LAGER — BLACKMAN'S BREWERY A young couple from Torquay are naming their brews after family members; cousin Arthur might be a smoked porter and uncle Bob the spiced witbier. But it's their Unfiltered Lager that’s making us go all gooey – much like those delicate, honey-like malt flavours you'll find in this brew. Unfiltered lagers can tend to be difficult to make well, but Blackman's are using a mix of German and Czech styles to create one elegant, refined beverage. Notes of citrus hops are present, which is pretty ideal for a brewery based right near the coast. This lager just became your perfect accompaniment to your sunset feast of fish and chips. blackmansbrewery.com.au 3. BOHEMIAN LAGER — BROOKES BEER If you like your coffee Vienna style — you know, with a cheeky dollop of cream to smooth and cool your cup of joe — then you'll be keen on Brookes' Bohemian Lager. Full-on hops, cold coffee and chocolate notes are what you can expect from this copper-coloured beauty. These Bendigo-based brewers have been in the business for a mere 18 months, so you would be forgiven for not having heard of them already. Just make sure you don’'t forget them, as this malty Vienna lager is one to add to the 'session list'. brookesbeer.com.au 2. #003 MILK STOUT — EXIT BREWING Who doesn’t dream of throwing in their mundane day job and making a living from brewing beer? Well, it's the actual fairytale ending — or rather, beginning — for the two gentlemen who quit their IT jobs in the UK to create Melbourne-based Exit Brewing. The Milk Stout may have seemed a risky bet, at only their third release, but it's one stout that's firmly in our hearts. She's dark and nutty, but her velvety creams balance those hints of rum. If you are lactose intolerant, steer clear, as it's the real deal. exitbrewing.com.au 1. RAMJET WHISKY BARREL AGED — BOATROCKER What happens when you put imperial stout in just-emptied whisky barrels? The Ramjet, that's what. And with notes of caramel and toffee, this stout is out of this world. There's a reason this vintage, barrel-aged brew works so well — once the beer is removed from the barrels, they're bottled and left to age for another six months. The end results in roasted chocolate characteristics, followed by subtle hints of oak and whisky. The Ramjet Imperial Stout is our number one. And should be yours too. Roger that? Good. Over and out. boatrocker.com.au Hero image: Dollar Photo Club. Moon Dog image credit: formulatorrah via instagram; Boatrocker Miss Pinky image credit: gerert via Instagram; Grand Ridge image credit: sekainobeer via Instagram; Blackman's Brewery image credit: brewer_ash via Instagram; Brookes Beer image credit: beardface151 via Instagram
October means Sydney Good Food Month, probably the world's largest food festival. Seriously. The event program is a whopping 40 pages. Every year we look forward to a month chock-full of food parties, festivals, markets and awesome dining experiences. In the battle of the best food cities in the world, Good Food Month is a loud reminder that Sydney can definitely bring it. Save up your money, dig out your most stretchy pair of feasting pants and get stuck into at least these ten superlative events.
This summer, Monte Morgan, Harvey Miller and stylist Kirsty Barros as co-designer launch the Client Liaison Designer Line pop-up in Melbourne and Sydney. While the band have always designed their own merchandise, they felt the time had come to embark on something a bit more ambitious. We brought you a peek of the range last month, which features Client Liaison's signature peach and 'reef' variations, and keeps to a unisex beach theme, manifesting itself as jumpers, beach robes, t shirts, bumbags, visors and budgie smugglers. For Harvey, it's all about slip, slop, slap. "Sun protection is a big one," he told Concrete Playground this spring. "It's something everyone should remember. We have a rash vest incorporated into the Designer Line." [caption id="attachment_595549" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Chris Middleton.[/caption] When choosing a summer outfit, the Client Liaison Designer Line is a good place to start. "It's luxury at the beach," says Monte. "You're totally relaxed but retaining a level of class". Harvey adds: "At the beach you'll need a light bag to chuck your beach towel in, somewhere to store your sunglasses at night. Bring a jumper for the icy cold evening. Dressing for the summer is all about being prepared." Read more about Client Liaison's summer wardrobe-picking abilities here. The Client Liaison Designer Line is available to purchase exclusively at pop-up stores in Melbourne and Sydney and at www.clientliaison.com from November 10. Prices range from $10-129. CLIENT LIAISON DESIGNER LINE POP-UP SHOP DATES: MELBOURNE Collarts, 209 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Launch: Friday, November 10, 6-9pm Pop-up store: Friday, November 11 to Sunday, November 13 (10am to 5pm) SYDNEY Location TBC Launch: Friday, November 18, 6-9pm Pop-up store: Friday, November 18 to Sunday, November 20 (10am to 5pm) Diplomatic Immunity is out now. Images: Chris Middleton.
11a Oxford Street has been reincarnated more than once within the last ten years. After Sydney clubbing institution Goodbar closed in 2006, the space transformed into Eleven nightclub, and then pop-up dance floor Church. Now it's time to go back to where it all started — Goodbar is reopening this September. The news that Goodbar was set to be reborn, thanks to promoter Scott Robertson and Division Agency, was met with rapturous applause from Sydneysiders who like to stay out past 1.30am. The venue falls just outside the Sydney lockout zone, making it exempt from many of the stifling restrictions other city bars and clubs face. Robertson says Goodbar will fill the void of classy establishments that are open to punters who are keen to have a drink after a gig or dinner. "I enjoy a nice glass of scotch and find it incredibly frustrating that as a grown man I can no longer go into a venue and order one on the rocks after a certain time," he says. The completely renovated venue will have two distinct personalities, with the ground floor operating as a cocktail bar, and the basement as an underground club. The basement is set to become the home of house and techno 'Nights Like This' every Saturday, and organisers are already boasting an incredible international lineup. Paul Strange (Tank, Home Nightclub) will be running one big night at the venue (details to come), and Friday evenings will see 'People's Club', run by David Banga and Nergal Youkhana, enlisting the help of Seekae to kick things off on September 2. Interestingly the team behind the rejuvenation of the venue have decided to keep the original name. "I always liked the actual name itself," says Robertson. "It was pretty iconic back in the day and I think enough time has passed to reinvent it and make it our own brand for a whole new generation." The drinks list has been put together with help from hospo veteran Jason Crawley who was inspired by healthy daytime drinking consumption. Think cold pressed juices, coconut water and pro-life spices and herbs. "I wanted to continue this immune boosting choice into the night space and into the cocktail context," says Crawley. "In some cases, we have cold pressed zingy yuzu instead of lime juice and some nice flavour extensions into the flora world with unique-tangy flavours such as geranium." Immunity boosting cocktails? Sign. Us. Up. Goodbar is expected to open in September, and might just give Paddington what it needs to become Sydney's next late night precinct. The Unicorn's just up the road. Goodbar will open September at 1-11 Oxford Street, Paddington.
Christmas shopping needn't be a chore. It's your chance to think about a person you care about, think about what element you and only you bring to their lives, mix it all up, and then pop a bow on that beautiful creation. Or, at the very least, make sure it's a good scented candle. Need some inspiration to start you off? Here's a leg up from the Concrete Playground team. It's only the products we've been eyeing off all year. These are the gifts we'd want under our tree, and to leave under others'. For the style savants A maximally minimal watch from The Horse No one does a wrist-dwarfing yet understated watch quite like The Horse. Japanese quartz movement meets gently grainy Italian leather at their Sydney studio, resulting in 12 highly Instagrammable timepieces. $129 from www.thehorse.com.au. Karen Walker's bold gold sunnies To mark ten unconventional years in the eyewear game, NZ designer Karen Walker has released the 'Celebrate' collection, entirely done in gold. This is for loved ones comfortable taking risks on their faces. NZ$399 at www.karenwalkereyewear.com. A reworked vintage Eames chair It's the kind of chair you get and then keep for life, and few do them better than Cast + Crew, who keep the classic shell and upholstery and add new custom legs in neon colours. From $395 at castandcrew.bigcartel.com/products (only some products ship to Australia). This completely perfect water bottle Ignore the gushy high-fashion crap all over the BKR website; these are just the best water bottles, period. They feel good to hold, they feel good to drink from, they're dishwashable and (since they're made of glass with a silicon sleeve) BPA free. US$30 at www.mybkr.com. The Lucy Folk 'Aphrodisiac' necklace It's a pearl. In its natural home. Much harmony, so wow. $750-$850 at lucyfolk.com/shop/. A custom wood keyboard by Oree For the design nerd who has it all: wooden tech. This portable wireless keyboard is made from single piece of wood (maple, walnut or wild cherry), and is customisable down to the key font. £150 from oreeartisans.com. For the food fiends The tiny woodfired pizza oven Yes, this is a legitimate option available to you. Tiny oven, full-size woodfired pizza. Just imagine the camping trip. The Uuni 2 oven is $399 from au.uuni.net. The Thug Kitchen cookbook If only all health food advocates were this sweary. We might be well detoxed by now. The Thug Kitchen cookbook is the perfect gift for friends, lovers, relatives, anyone in the MA15+ bracket. $23.95 at booktopia.com.au. Eau de Vie's small batch cocktails The only acceptable premix to put under someone's tree, from the cocktail masters at Sydney and Melbourne's Eau de Vie. $15 each from www.experimentalspiritsco.com.au. Cornersmith Hamper Hampers can be old hat, but not when they're full of goodies from Sydney's home of pickling, baking and cheese making. If you get the Workshop Wonder hamper, which comes with a class voucher, your giftee can learn to make the whole lot themselves. $40-195 at www.cornersmith.com.au. For the culture munchers The beautiful hardcover Wes Anderson Collection Film critic Matt Zoller Seitz dissects Anderson's aesthetic and idiosyncratic characters over 335 whimsical pages. If you think your giftee already has this one, there are 54 pages of lovingly made Wes Anderson tchotchkes on Etsy. $38.25 at www.booktopia.com.au. A dancing baby Groot Marvel is finally officially licensing these babies — the possible best thing from their possible best movie, Guardians of the Galaxy. The dancing baby Groot boogies in its pot while Jackson 5's 'I Want You Back' plays from the speaker. Stockists are as yet unknown, but Mashable says they'll be on shelves by Christmas. Tickets to one wild outdoor concert The new bookers at Taronga and Melbourne Zoos are magicians; they've got the likes of Bright Eyes' soul-searching dreamboat Conor Oberst, twee monarchs Belle and Sebastian and the one and only Rufus Wainwright playing their summer Twilight series. Tickets from $69 at twilightattaronga.org.au and www.zoo.org.au/melbourne/twilights. This portable speaker that looks like a big iPhone Portable speakers are almost as ubiquitous as soy candles this time of year, but the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A2 speaker stands out for its omnidirectional sound, 24-hour battery life and crazy-good looks. For the fidelity geek $479 at www.beoplay.com. Sydney Festival tickets If your giftee is in Sydney, give them the gift of a dazzlingly cultured January. We've rounded up some of our favourite and most giftable shows over here. From $29 at www.sydneyfestival.org.au. For the sun junkies This meta picnic blanket The seagulls are dive-bombing for your chips forever on this genius 'Mine Mine' picnic blanket. Trust Gorman. $99 at www.gormanshop.com.au A very clever beach bag Beach bags full of stray sand are just a summer reality, right? Wrong. The Shake Tote has a little flap that opens out to ditch those little grains, easy. US$29.99 from www.quirky.com. This semi-sensible rash vest Safety up top, party down the bottom with this cute rashie from new swimwear brand Neon Cactus. Octopus print and maroon are a sincerely underrated combo. $145 from www.neoncactus.com.au. These thongs with built-in bottle opener Look, this isn't the handsomest shoe, even among that dubious category know as 'mandals'. But that moment when your giftee takes off their thong and uses it to open a beer? That will make it all worth it. $69.99 at www.reef.com/au The Phantom 2 camera drone Twenty years ago, a camcorder was a cool thing to take on holiday. Now it's this: a rugged little quadcopter designed for videography whose flight path you can precisely program from your iPad. US$959 at store.dji.com For the stocking Underwater Puppies: The Book Is your giftee the Grinch? Because only the Grinch would fail to enjoy 128 pages of underwater puppy photos. Everyone else: loves them, loves you, loves everything forevermore. $23.95 from www.booktopia.com.au. The Sunscreen Flask Suddenly that extended family gathering is looking a lot more survivable, thanks to this innocuous-looking flask. US$16.99 at www.thisiswhyimbroke.com. The World's Largest Gummi Bear 24cm and 2kg of pure gummi, this is the perfect gift for that friend in your life (rightly) bemoaning the new reduced size of Killer Pythons. US$29.95 from giantgummybears.com. A mould to turn hard-boiled eggs into tiny skulls Who doesn't need this in their life? There's also one for giftees who prefer their eggs sunny side up. US$9.99 at www.amazon.com. Super Soakers Give someone in your life the gift of a very Leo DiCaprio summer by sticking a Nerf Super Soaker in their stocking. Hint to self: make sure you have one of your own to fire back at them. From $7.99 at www.toysrus.com.au.
Australian cinephiles, meet the cure to your yearly bout of Sundance and SXSW envy. Palace Cinemas has announced a brand new film festival dedicated to the American indie scene — i.e. the closest you can get to heading to Park City, Utah or Austin, Texas without actually heading overseas. Debuting in May 2016, and running two-week-long seasons in Palace's Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra venues, Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will showcase the past, present and future of US independent filmmaking. In a dedicated screen event, audiences will be treated to a snapshot of current creative directions in America, as well as an exploration of their impact throughout international cinema. Accordingly, expect new features, documentaries and shorts, retrospectives on important figures from both behind and in front of the camera, talks and masterclasses, and a few special guests, too. Basically, in a program overseen by former Australian Centre for the Moving Image Head of Film Programs and current Revelation Perth International Film Festival director Richard Sowada, expect American indie heaven in Australian movie theatres. Considering the wealth of talent that has emerged from the US indie realm — think Inherent Vice's Paul Thomas Anderson, Boyhood's Richard Linklater, Mistress America's Noah Baumbach, Selma's Ava DuVernay, Night Moves' Kelly Reichardt and Sleeping With Other People's Leslye Headland, just to name a few — there are plenty of reasons to be excited about an annual trip through the kinds of flicks that don't always make it to local screens outside of Sydney and Melbourne's major film fests. Indeed, while there seems to be an Australian festival dedicated to every other culture, style and theme, until now non-Hollywood US productions have proven an overlooked niche. Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now will tour Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra in May 2016. For more information, keep an eye on the Palace Cinemas website.
With the launch of a brand new Japanese-style menu, The Rook Rooftop is transforming into a cherry blossom garden for the season. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates to 'seeing flowers,' The Rook has launched a dining experience that is aesthetically pleasing all around. As you walk through its doors, you'll be immersed in a world of pastel pink, artful cocktails and funky dishes — all while being surrounded by wonderful views of Sydney's CBD. Some must-try bites include its loaded gyoza, served with furikake, tonkatsu sauce, kewpie and bonito flakes ($17), and the fried chicken burger, which comes with golden curry mayo and lettuce ($22). The Rook is also offering a bottomless dumpling special on Saturdays from June 6. For $30 (or $59 with bottomless tap beers and wine), you can eat as many dumplings as your heart desires for two hours. Sittings are at 11.30am and 2pm on Saturday and 12pm and 2pm on Sunday. Images: Jasper Ave
If you've been crying enough tears to power a water wheel over current threats to our Renewable Energy Target, here's a chance to take matters into your own hands. A new not-for-profit by the name of Pingala is set on bringing community solar farms to Sydney. They're launching their master plan this Sunday, November 16, with a colossal, locally-sourced party at 107 Projects. There'll be live music from Sydney artists, brews from Young Henry's, food sourced from Hawkesbury-based organic farms and talks from Greens leader Christine Milne, among others. Here, you'll get the chance to learn all about how you can play a role in greening up the city's energy sources. Pingala is run by a 30-strong bunch of volunteers who "love renewable energy and want to see more of it in Sydney". Though solar farms are pretty common in the UK, Holland and Germany — where an awesome 31 per cent of all electricity generated in the first half of 2014 was sourced from renewables — they've so far been a rare occurrence in Australia. Thanksfully, all that's about to change. Just last week, the Shoalhaven Bowling Club put its new $120,000 solar farm into action, facilitated by a Pingala-style group known as REpower. But, the question remains, how does it all work? Pingala acts as an intermediary between the public and a potential solar farm host. Members of the community invest money to fund the installation of solar panels on the host site's roof. They, in turn, use and pay for the electricity created. That's until they've bought back the panels, which usually takes about five or six years. Investors are guaranteed to make a profit at a fixed rate (somewhere around 7-8 per cent), while the host can expect to pay about 30 per cent less than they would for power generated by fossil fuels. And, as far as the planet goes, everyone wins. "There's a lot of benefits for community members, as well as businesses and organisations," says convenor April Crawford-Smith. "Pingala is the intermediary body between them and we're excited to be in that position because it creates relationships and brings our local community together ... When investors sign up, they know exactly what the rate of return is, so it's like a deposit account." "The Shoalhaven Bowling Club is exactly the model we're trying to achieve," says Pingala Secretary Tom Nockolds. "The investors down there are getting nearly 8 per cent. It's vastly better than what they'd earn through a bank account." But as much as group-owned solar farms promise significant financial advantages, their positive community and environmental impact is even more exciting. "Any kind of renewable energy is awesome and we love to see it out there," says Nockolds. "When you install a solar panel funded by a private organisation, you get benefits that are financial, environmental and technological. But it's not until you go to a community energy project, where the community is involved in decision-making, development, operation and ownership, that you unlock an additional dimension of benefits. And those are social and political: building awareness of renewable energy to create a political force, building a community in the social sense and building the economy at the local level." Don't be shy if you're interested in this greenie goodness — Sunday's shindig kicks off at 6.30pm. Tickets are available here or, you can also jump on their site and join their mailing list and/or keep up with developments via Facebook. New volunteers are always welcome. Photo credit: CFBSr and Activ Solar via photopin cc.
NSW Premier Mike Baird has had a long week. His condescending and ill-advised Facebook rant has accumulated thousands of angry comments (not counting the ones his social media team is working around the clock to delete), his shady dealings with casinos have spawned the hashtag #casinomike and the people are literally braying for his blood (nah, but you get it). No doubt he really wants it to be the weekend already so he can just chill out with a beer and relax. Unfortunately for the State leader, he might find that a bit difficult now that venues across Sydney are enacting a complete Mike Baird and Barry O'Farrell ban. That’s right, friends, the people are hitting back. It started at Redfern small bar Arcadia, but is reportedly spreading to many other venues as hospo workers and venue owners band together to take back the night. Any and all Mike Bairds and Barry O'Farrells will be refused service at these venues and may even be refused entry. They will not be harmed. They will simply be released back into the wild where they will continue to decimate the natural population of partygoers and fun-havers. It’s completely legit and within the law to do so, as well. Joe Worthington, general manager of Della Hyde, from the Applejack Hospitality group has stated publicly that Baird won’t be allowed into his venues. It's not clear whether this translates across all of Applejack's venues yet (The Botanist, The Butler, Bondi Hardware). Worthington is pushing the hashtag #lockoutmikebaird, a sentiment which is gaining traction on social media and across Sydney’s biggest night spots alike. Looks like Mike Baird better look elsewhere for night time fun. Let's see how many venues jump on board. In the meantime, this petition could use your signature. Vive la Sydney! Via Pedestrian.
Cooking with beer: it's a tradition as ancient as the Egyptians. Yet for many modern beer drinkers, beer's potential ends at the bottom of the bottle. It’s no great secret that beer and food go hand-in-hand, whether paired with an arvo barbecue or late-night munchies. But beer can — nay should — be so much more than just an accompaniment to the food you eat; it adds rich flavours, tenderises meat and makes for all-round juicier dishes. And its helping hand can reach all the way down to dessert. Here are five key you'll want to try wielding your beer in the kitchen. GRILLING WITH BEER Aussies are known for their barbecues, which more often than not involve booze. To baste any grill food with beer, simply pour your favourite beer over the top and close the lid. The beer has a caramelising effect and adds to the juiciness of the meat. Possibly the most epic way to cook beer is the beer butt chicken — achieved by sitting a whole chicken on top of a can of beer. (You know when a recipe instructs you to take a swig it’s going to be a winner.) For beer grilling, VB really comes in handy, but if you’re looking to go craft, a James Squire Sundown Australian Lager will also do the trick. Image: Manners. BATTERING WITH BEER Beer-battered food is probably the most widely known form of cooking with beer. For beer battered fish, make sure the beer is cold and freshly opened so it’s still fizzy — the bubbles add body and lightness to the batter. The beer also makes the batter appear thicker while keeping it airy and also imparts aroma and flavour. Most recipes will call for a simple lager, but we like the added flavour of easy drinking ales like Riverside Brewing Company 69 summer ale. Image: Kimchi Chronicles. STEWING WITH BEER The classic beef and Guinness stew is pretty self explanatory; simply add and simmer, burning off the alcohol but not the caramel or nutty flavours. You aren’t limited by beer choice, though, and can use any stout/porter or even dark ale you like. Jamie Oliver's recipe does just that. A few easy pairings for a stew are Mornington English brown ale and Holgate Temptress chocolate porter. This recipe is perfect for those chilly nights in. Image: Redbrick. SAUCING WITH BEER Beer doesn’t have to be boiled or heated down to be useful in cooking. It is great for a variety of sauces, from vinaigrettes to barbecued sauced ribs. Beer also works really well as a marinade, since its enzymes help break down tough fibres and really tenderise meat. Beer’s role as a marinade is so versatile, the best rule here is to use a beer you enjoy drinking. If you like the taste, you’ll like it in your food too. Image: Droolworthy Daily. BAKING WITH BEER The parallel history of beer and baking goes back to the Egyptians — a topic dear to beer geek/historianJohnathan Hepner of Batch Brewing. This is true especially in the case of bread, the ingredients of which make it a close cousin to beer. A few Australian bakeries have beer and barley sourdough, but there’s nothing more satisfying than baking your own. The malted syrup used in this recipe mimics the malt in the beer, giving a well-balanced and complex flavour. Beer brownies? Absolutely. Stouts and porters add a richness and nutty sweetness to desserts. Try The Butcher Porter from The Rocks Brewing Co or James Squire Jack of Spades in your next chocolatey dessert. Image: Community Table. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
As you must know by now, you'll be sending at least one part of your summer with Grayson Perry's work at the Museum of Contemporary Art. And if you want to learn more about the cross-dressing icon, former YBA and Turner Prize winner, turn up to the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, December 13, where he'll be spilling the beans in a talk titled 'How to be an artist just like me'. Part of the Opera House's Ideas at the House program, the chat will focus on what it takes to make it in the art world. You can expect to hear about Perry's quest to draw attention to contemporary art and his struggles with self-belief, identity, power and recognition. Along the way, broader cultural and social issues, like sex, class and religion, will be canvassed. And you can bet your bottom dollar there'll be witty asides aplenty.
If you're a Sydney-based cinephile, the end of daylight savings and the beginning of cooler weather means one thing: the Sydney Film Festival. Yes, the city's annual celebration of movies, movies and even more movies is fast approaching, with the 64th iteration of the festival taking place from June 7 to 18. Given that's just 63 sleeps away — and counting — it's time for a sneak peek of just what filmic delights will be on offer. While the full festival program won't be revealed until May 10, SFF has unveiled 28 titles that'll grace Sydney's screens in June as a teaser. They've also announced another screen, adding the Randwick Ritz to their slate of venues alongside the CBD's State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Opera Quays, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the SFF Hub at Lower Town Hall, plus Dendy Newtown, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne and Blacktown's Skyline Drive-In. So, that's where you'll be watching great flicks for 12 days, but here's what you'll be watching. Leading the pack is the Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck-starring A Ghost Story, which sees the duo re-team with their Ain't Them Bodies Saints director David Lowery — it sparked quite a buzz at Sundance earlier in the year. In the high-profile camp, it'll be joined by sweet and sensitive artist biopic Maudie featuring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, as well as gorgeous Swiss animated effort My Life as a Zucchini, which was a very deserving nominee for Best Animated Feature at this year's Oscars. The absolutely riveting Samuel L. Jackson-narrated race relations documentary I Am Not Your Negro is also on the bill, as is the Whitney Houston doco Whitney: Can I Be Me with director Nick Broomfield in attendance, as well as an extensive look at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's life and impact in Winnie. The list goes on. Coming to Sydney straight from the Berlinale is genre-shifting Polish mystery Spoor, and the raw and resonant queer romance God's Own Country. Trust us when we tell you to add both to your must-see pile. SFF-goers can also look forward to female-focused martial arts flick Mrs K, Mexican sci-fi drama The Untamed, an on-screen friendship between an architect and an elephant in Thailand's Pop Aye, Afghanistan's first female feature directing making her debut with Wolf and Sheep, plus the unscripted, shot-in-one-night Indian road movie Sexy Durga. And, we know that we always say this, but it wouldn't be a major film festival without an epic Lav Diaz-directed effort. This time, it's his Venice Gold Lion winner The Woman Who Left — and it's only 226-minutes long. Hey, less than four hours is short when it comes to the Filipino filmmaker. On the local front, prepare to scale great heights with Sherpa's Jennifer Peedom once again thanks to her similarly lofty follow-up, Mountain. In fact, if you're eager to catch the documentary as early as you can, it's screening at the Sydney Opera House before the fest, with a live orchestra providing the score. Or, check out indie comedy That's Not Me by Melbourne husband and wife duo Gregory Erdstein and Alice Foulcher, with both writing, the former directing and the latter starring. Those keen on scary attractions won't want to miss Australia-New Zealand co-production Spookers, the latest film by Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets' director Florian Habicht, which looks behind the scenes at the Southern Hemisphere's largest horror theme park in Auckland. If that's not enough, docos about the first rock band to play in North Korea, the only zoo in the world located in an occupied territory, and the influence of Native Americans upon American blues music are also all on offer as well. So is a stint of outdoor movie-watching courtesy of a drive-in session of classic comedy-horror An American Werewolf in London. Already feeling spoiled for choice? That's okay. That's what film festivals are all about. Just remember that there's much, much more to come when the complete SFF lineup drops. If you haven't already, you'd best cancel all your other June plans right now. The 2017 Sydney Film Festival will run from June 7 to 18. Check out their currently announced titles by heading to the festival website. The full program will be released on May 10.
It’s 6pm on a scorching Sunday afternoon. After a day soaking up the sun, stomachs begin to rumble. A quick consultation with the fridge reveals little in the way of sustenance. Forced to forage elsewhere, most of us would head for the nearest, nastiest fast food spot to get our fill. But if you’re hankering for some quality behind the calories, we have just the place. The Chicken Shop is a grab-and-go eatery set to open its doors to Paddington in December. With an unassuming Oxford Street shopfront, the venue is designed to bring back the nostalgic charm of an old English chicken shop — minus some of the dodginess, since these happy chooks will be free-range and hormone-free. A dual venture with neighbouring pub The Paddington (previously The Paddington Arms), the new establishment joins the ever-growing Merivale ranks. So who’s behind the pass? Chef Ben Greeno (Momofuku Seiobo) will be running the culinary show at both The Chicken Shop and its attached mother hen The Paddington. Swapping fine dining for a relaxed pub affair, Greeno sees this latest project as a much-needed change of scenery. "I want to be enjoying myself and hanging out, having a good time with everybody else," reveals Greeno. "It is what you make it, and I suppose I made my old place not as relaxed as it should have been. I’ve changed, I’ve got older and I’ve calmed down a little bit." Opening ahead of the attached Chicken Shop in November, The Paddington will be a laidback pub with a strong European influence, drawing upon Greeno’s time exploring the markets of France. From lamb rump, beef and whole stuffed fish to Jerusalem artichokes and celeriac, its dishes will feature top-notch ingredients treated with care. Plates are designed to be shared, and best of all, you can wash it all down with a ripper cocktail from The Paddington’s bar led by Palmer & Co.’s Sam Egerton. But the real point of difference is the three eye-catching rotisseries, each imported from France. This is what Greeno believes will set this pub apart. "Our chicken is cooked on the rotisseries, which not a lot of people in Sydney really do," he says. "The rotisserie is very much the focal point of the whole establishment." Given the prime position they hold, no effort has been spared in sourcing top-quality, accredited free-range chickens from the small town of Bannockburn, 22km northwest of Geelong. As well as being raised free of hormones, the chickens are processed without the addition of chemicals, using “air-chilling” methods, so you can be sure you're eating nothing but natural chook. Next door, The Chicken Shop exists as a stand-alone venue that cleverly uses the neighbouring rotisserie to dish up some of the juiciest roasts on the block, along with sandwiches, salads and spuds. They’ll be the "same chickens, but no seats, no nothing; just come up to the counter and order and take your food. Everything is going to be done with that same quality and care that we do in the pub as well." Sounds like our summer post-beach feeds are sorted. The Paddington is opening at 384 Oxford Street, Paddington in November. The Chicken Shop will open next door by the end of the year. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Sure, we might be begrudgingly closing in on the final days of summer, but at new pop-up, The Shuckery Oyster Bar, indulgent holiday vibes are fervently persevering. Taking over the plush surrounds of the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay's Stillery bar, The Shuckery will be open for oyster devouring every Thursday and Friday night. Bivalve buffs can indulge in oysters from the likes of Port Macquarie, Clyde River, Hastings River, and Nambucca, freshly shucked before their eyes. The best part? This chic little feast needn't break the bank — three oysters teamed with a flute of Perrier-Jouët Champagne will set you back a neat $20, while a share-friendly arrangement of 12 oysters and a bottle of the bubbly is just $95. Keep this one in mind for date night, we reckon. The Shuckery is open from 5-7pm, every Thursday and Friday night at Stillery, InterContinental Sydney Double Bay.
The old Clare Hotel is about to be reborn. Singapore-based hotel-restaurant entrepreneur Loh Lik Peng of Unlisted Collection has taken over the heritage-listed Chippendale building, turning Broadway's beloved former pub into a boutique hotel — due to open this August as part of Central Park's brand new $2 billion Kensington Street laneway precinct. As the first Australian venture for the group, the Old Clare Hotel sees Loh intending to replicate company's successful London/Shanghai/Singapore boutique hotel model in Sydney. Already announced, the hotel will feature three high profile restaurants including Automata (from former Momofuku sous chef, Clayton Wells) as part of the hotel on the Old Clare/Carlton United Brewery site. Wells is refurbishing the heritage-listed Chippendale building as a 60-seater, industrially-inspired eatery with Sydney architect and motorcycle expert Matt Machine. UK chef Jason Atherton will open the 120-seater Kensington Street Social, and Briton Sam Miller (former executive sous chef at Copenhagen's Noma) will also open his first solo restaurant, Silvereye, on the second floor. Hotel-wise, the Old Clare venture will feature 62 guest rooms and suites. Unlisted have worked with the award-winning Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects (Carriageworks, Paddington Reservoir Gardens) on the design, creating a blend of historic and modern aesthetic — high ceilings, heritage timber paneling, exposed brick (from the original foundation), all brought together amongst a contemporary, semi-industrial design. "It‘s a hotel stitched together from three structures, two old and one new," says Tim Greer, practice director at Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. "It’s unpredictable, with a bit of magic and a twist of fantasy. When you walk around the hotel, you will get a sense that the building is dressing and undressing itself all at once. The building plays games with what a hotel should be, some parts are exquisite and other parts are raw. In short a building of mixed emotions." Dressing and undressing itself all at once. Yep, we're holding out to see whatever that means. The Old Clare's reception — located within the original pub area — is set to become a bar for both locals and guests, with coffee, cocktails and beers poured day and night. So you'll be able to revisit the Clare without shelling out for accommodation. Guests get the special treatment though, with a 14-metre rooftop pool and bar on the top of the Carlton United Brewery administration building. There's apparently going to be a 'cultural program' in place, and guests will be able to partake in a spot of sunrise poolside yoga. The hotel's also set to feature a private gym and day spa, alongside a heritage-restored meeting space. The Old Clare Hotel will open August 2015 at 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale.
The Wheeler Centre is renowned for their innovative programming, but the project they're cooking up now is a doozy. Named after that most endearing punctuation mark, The Interrobang: A Festival of Questions is a festival that is calling on you to decide the topics of conversation. The idea behind the festival is a democratic one: using crowdsourcing techniques, the program is being written around questions submitted by the public and presented to a Brains Trust of writers and thinkers over the two-day festival in Melbourne on November 27-28. Emily Sexton, the head of programming at The Wheeler Centre, says that as well as creating a festival made from publicly sourced questions, she also wants us to question the question. What makes a good question? Can the right question change the landscape of discussion for the better? As well as submitting questions, the public are invited to vote for the best questions. “The way we imagine it is a combination of very potent, political, urgent questions of our time, like 'what is the future of European democracy and what will happen to organisations like the UN or the EU that were founded on a collective idea? Is that still relevant for contemporary life?' But also really inconsequential, playful questions like 'where are all the baby pigeons? Why don’t we ever see them?' I hope there’s a really great mix of personal or political questions,” she says. “There’s no question too big or too small.” There’ll be no shortage of answers either. The Interrobang has assembled a Brains Trust of 25 artists, thinkers, writers and doers from around the world to tackle the questions posed. Included is Wild writer and 'Dear Sugar' advice columnist Cheryl Strayed, cult sci-fi author and tech activist Cory Doctorow, Australia’s sweetheart Benjamin Law, the former Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis, playwright and Twitter hero Nakkiah Lui, journalist Geraldine Brooks, broadcaster Mark Colvin and chef and presenter Adam Liaw. The prerequisite for all the panellists was the need for pluralism and enthusiasm about a range of topics. Don’t expect any sales pitches or pre-made answers here; with such a diverse panel, the aim is to explore the topics from every angle. Emily promises that every question, big or small, will be used in some way in the program. “It’s a significant democratic exercise in a way of handing over control and exploring what people really want to know,” she says. We, for one, are intrigued and would very much like to know where the baby pigeons are. We’ll have to wait until November to find out. Submit your question to The Interrobang via the event website. Tickets for the festival go on sale October 12.
The World Press Photo Foundation is a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through raw visual journalism and storytelling. The organisation was founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their work to an international audience. Since then the contest has grown into the world's most prestigious photography competition and global travelling exhibition. The 62nd edition of the World Press Photo Exhibition will touch down in Sydney this year and will be on display at the State Library of NSW from May 25 until June 23. The winners from this year's contest were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 78,000 photographs by 4738 photographers from 129 countries. The one that took top honours for 2019 is John Moore's Crying Girl on the Border. The image, which also won first prize in the spot news category, shows Honduran toddler Yanela Sanchez crying as her mother is taken into custody at the US border. This will be on display alongside other finalists, including Pieter Ten Hoopen's series which documents a migrant caravan who were fleeing violence and harsh economic conditions, Nadia Shira Cohen's shot of beekeepers tending their hives in Yucatán, Mexico, and Enayat Asadi's striking image of an Afghan refugee comforting his companion. Further categories on show will include contemporary issues, environment, general news, long-term projects, nature, people, sports and spot news. To complement the exhibition, the State Library will stay open late on three Friday nights (June 7, 14 and 21) so you can check out the exhibition out of hours. It'll even open up the bar and chuck on some music. Otherwise, the Library is open up until 8pm Monday to Thursday if you'd rather check it out after work without the crowds. Image: John Moore, Getty Images, 'Crying Girl on the Border' (cropped).
He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. Christmas horror movies aren't a widespread genre, with holidaying folks ditching titles like 2010's Rare Exports (in which a homicidal Santa Claus was unearthed in an archaeological dig) and 1974's Black Christmas (college dorm slasher, set at Christmas) and preferring to pick up Home Alone for the hundredth time or anything starring Tim Allen. But this year, Christmas movies take a turn for the hilariously terrifying. Krampus is your unlikely new Christmas nightmare, directed by Michael Dougherty (who gained a cult following for his 2007 holiday horror film Trick 'r Treat). Set for release December 3, the film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette and David Koechner as your regular family holed up, snowed in and arguing over shitty turkey at Christmas time. But when they lose their Christmas spirit, a scary-as-shit Christmas spirit, Krampus, decides to pay the family a visit — the ancient hoofed, horned antithesis to jolly ol' Saint Nick. Go on, give it a watch. You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry.
Dubbed as the biggest night of the year for Sydney, the Mardi Gras Parade will fill the streets of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills on Saturday, February 29. Join in on the celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture and communities and watch the colourful array of 200 floats and performers as they make their way down Flinders and Oxford Streets from 7.30pm. If you want to cop a view, you'll have to arrive early (preferably with a crate in-tow), as tickets for seats in the viewing area are sold out. To check out exactly where the parade goes, check out the handy map below. Also sold out is the official after party, but thankfully, there are plenty of bars around town that will be open and keeping the party going into the night. So, if you're looking for a bar for before, during or after the parade, we've got you covered. The full Mardi Gras program has lots of other fun stuff in it too, and it runs until Sunday, March 1. Image: Jeffrey Feng
She became the Queen of France at the age of 18, is famously associated with the phrase "let them eat cake", and got the biopic treatment courtesy of Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst. Now, Marie Antoinette has her own bar. Not bad for someone who lost her head, literally, back in 1793. No, you won't need to travel back in time to check out the long-deceased monarch's new digs — but you will need to head to New York. Brooklyn restaurant Chez Moi has converted the basement space beneath their French eatery into a decadent lounge bar fit for royalty, using Antoinette's own bedroom in the Palace of Versailles as inspiration. Adorned with all things velvet and vintage as far as the eye can see, Le Boudoir endeavours to recreate Antoinette's inner sanctum, complete with reproductions of 18th century oil paintings, sconces sourced from actual French castles, an exact replica of her private powder room and an original monogrammed doorknob from Versailles. Plus, patrons enter through a secret passageway hidden behind a bookshelf — just like the Queen's had in her personal library. It's a very lavish, rouge-laden, late-night version of the royal boudoir. Here's Sofia Coppola's pastel-happy interpretation: And here's Brooklyn's: The theming doesn’t stop there, courtesy of snacks ranging from French fries to crispy frog's legs to truffle mushroom croquettes, and a drinks list boasting plenty of wine from the Austrian-born Antoinette's adopted country. Alas, cake isn't on offer — but cocktails served in silver-plated and crystal goblets are. With concoctions such as the 1793 (with toasted sunflower seed-infused rye and oloroso sherry) and the Guillotine (mescal, blended scotch, banana liqueur and honey), you'll want to have a tipple and drink it too, of course. Book that airfare and this'll be you: Via Travel and Leisure. Images: Nicole Franzen, Le Boudoir.
Australia's creative industry is about to get pretty damn employed — the new Alien and Thor movies will be filmed in Australia. Announced by the Federal Government in a press conference broadcast on ABC News 24 today, the films will start filming in 2016. The Australian government is fronting $47 million so the two films can be made in the country. "What it means is 3000 direct jobs for Australians," said senator Mitch Fifield. "This helps develop skills, skills that couldn't be developed on smaller budget productions." When briefing the cabinet, Senator Fifield apparently got pretty excited about the fact that Prometheus had a character called Fifield, until ol' mate industry and innovation minister Christopher Pyne piped up, "He died." Sir Ridley Scott's new Alien film and Marvel's new Thor film will start filming in 2016. We're pretty sure the casts of both movies will be advised to leave their dogs at home. Via SMH.
"The things you own end up owning you." With that one memorable line, Fight Club's Tyler Durden became an unexpected forebear to the current trend for minimalism. But we've got news for you, declutterers and ascetics: even with all that absence of stuff in your life, the experts can still tell a lot about you as a person. Meet Sam Gosling, professor of psychology at the University of Texas and self-styled 'snoopologist' (good word, you have to hand it to him). He's the author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, a book that explores how we project our personality in the spaces we create, and also how the spaces we inhabit influence our inner lives. He literally spends his life poking around bedrooms, offices, wardrobes, cars — anything you think is private is Gosling's lab. Ahead of his talk at Wired for Wonder in Sydney, we spoke with Sam about interior decorators, capitalism and our definitely awesome book collections. Can you give me a quick rundown of what you’ll be discussing at Wired for Wonder? I’ll be discussing how people affect space and how spaces affect people — both deliberately and inadvertently. There are things we can do — obvious things — to try and signal something to someone, but there are also things we’re less self-aware of. It’s these things that I pick up on and use to reveal things about the person who lives or works or socialises in that space. Based on what you see in someone’s house, can you tell what someone’s political leaning might be? We did some research in the US a few years ago which produced some surprising results. I think most people think that people interested in the arts tend to be closer to the left. But we found art and books about art have no relation to political orientation. However, we did find that someone who has sports-related decor in their space is likely to be more conservative, politically speaking. That said, it’s not so much what someone's interested in, as the number of things they're interested in. On average, if you have a narrow scope of interests, you’re more likely to be politically conservative. What do you think about professionally designed interiors? They can work ... but only if the client is genuinely able to convey what it is that they really want. Most people are actually pretty clueless about what will make them happy. When it comes to interior design people see things in magazines or on Pinterest and go, “There! That’s exactly what I want!” But the problem with this kind of wish-list making is that it’s impersonal. I work with the architect Christopher Travis – he’s amazing, a real visionary. He doesn’t ask his clients to describe their dream house. He starts by asking things like, “Tell me about a time in your life when you felt protected, loved. Now tell me about the physical space you were in.” And people will say things like, “My best memories are weekends away at my grandparents’ house when I was a kid learning to ride my bike on the gravel side road.” He’ll then somehow incorporate gravel into the design. Then again, trying to replicate an interior someone found on Pinterest might be important to them because they want their space to be on trend. So Christopher will ask other questions like, “What is it you want the space to say to your friends? Who do you want to be to these people?” I saw In the Basement at Sydney Film Festival. It’s an Austrian documentary about what some people get up to in their basements. There was an older, childless woman who kept a collection of dolls in shoes boxes. They were those dolls that looked incredibly life-like. She nursed them like real babies. I felt sad that these people had to hide away their passions, that their home wasn’t really a place they could express themselves. The thing is, the home has both public and private spaces. People put very different things in the living room than in their bedroom or the guest bedroom. That’s obvious enough. People may hide things away in a basement because those things are shameful — they may not be ashamed, but they think others will judge them. The other reason is because most of us want a space of our own even if we live with other people. The garden shed is at the back of the garden because it’s full of clutter, but it’s also out of the way because people go there to disconnect physically and psychically from the people they live with. Book collections can be revealing. Of course, what you own doesn’t always represent what you’ve actually read. I'm always a bit suspect when I see a whole shelf of those orange-covered, new-release Penguin Classics. Right. Apparently there are more Ramones T-shirts in circulation than there are Ramones records! That is, if you signal that you like The Ramones people will think you like a fleet of other stuff and have certain values. Our music and reading materials are increasingly being digitised. What are literary types turning to to flaunt their cultural cred? It might be harder for literary types to flaunt their hard copy libraries, but for researchers, the switch to soft copies of everything makes it much easier to gather data. I don’t just look at homes and workplaces; I’m very interested in how people display themselves on social media, too. Of course, on social media you can signal to your community what you’ve bought or what you’re listening to. In an article about the rise of minimalist living in this month’s New Philosopher, Oliver Burkeman writes, “Minimalism might be little more than the purging phase of consumer capitalism’s cycle of binge and purge.” Do you think it’s a genuine revolt or just a trend? Trend. Sam Gosling is the author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You. He will be speaking at Wired for Wonder, which is on in Sydney on August 26–27 at the NIDA Parade Theatre and Melbourne on August 28 at Central Pier Shed 14. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
The team behind The Grounds of Alexandria has been teasing us with whispers of a new CBD outpost for a while now — the venue, which is to be their second, was announced almost two years ago. Since then it's been in development, but the team behind the wildly popular Alexandria venue has confirmed The Grounds of the City will finally open later this month inside The Galeries on George Street. The new venue will be a 'nod to times past' with throwbacks to 1920s hospitality, and will be a distinct departure from The Grounds' existing vibe. "The Grounds of Alexandria is all about bringing families and the local community together, so we started off thinking about who it is that we want to bring together and connect in the city," says The Grounds co-founder and creative director Ramzey Choker. "We really got inspired by the 1920s, a time when the inner city was a place for real social gathering and connection between professionals." Design studio Acme & Co. have again worked with The Grounds, creating a truly 'spare no details' kind of space, from the antique theatre pendant lighting, up-cycled timber floors and marble details to the hand-crafted stained glass windows and custom-made enamel fridge doors. Even the light fixtures have been carefully curated and the cast iron doors were actually hand-casted by The Grounds team. "The building took a lot of craftsmanship and is going to be really different than what you're used to," says Choker. The Grounds of the City will also aim to bring socialising back to the hustle and bustle of city life. Shoe shines for waiting customers, a cake and tea trolley that circles the room and a top-of-the-line barista's bar with 'coffee sommeliers' on-hand will be just a few services on offer at the new venue. For truly next-level service, the new members app allows customers to let The Grounds get to know them a bit better – from where they work to their favourite coffee order, which will be ready for you on arrival. "When corporate workers come for a morning coffee we want to make their time pleasurable and really get to know them as individuals," says Choker. "We want to give them something a bit extra." "We want to create a place that becomes like a city home away from the office and somewhere you want to go that is just really comfortable. It's going to be really different, really unique and really special." The Grounds of the City will open late May inside The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney. We'll update you with an opening date, but for more information, visit thegroundscity.com.au.
Five generations back, the Hamilton family planted some of the first vineyards in South Australia. It was 1837, a mere year after the arrival of European settlers in the state, and to this day they continue to produce top-quality, award-winning wine under the name Hugh Hamilton Wines. Mary Hamilton, Hugh Hamilton’s daughter, has been the CEO for the last seven years and explains that her father has always been considered the black sheep of the Hamilton flock. “He was a very spirited young boy and got up to a fair bit of mischief," she says. "He was never going to be corralled into anything and has always remained an elusive character.” Hugh’s lively sense of humour and his ability to march to the beat of his own drum has never wavered, so it makes sense then that the wines have names such as The Scallywag Chardonnay and The Scoundrel Tempranillo. Quality, flavoursome wine is the number one priority for Hugh Hamilton Wines and they have ensured this by sourcing grapes from their three vineyards. McLaren Vale hosts perfect conditions for ripening grapes and viticulture, as it’s located between the Adelaide Hills and the coast. “Most people are not aware of this, but McLaren Vale has the most diverse geology of any wine region in the world,” explains Hamilton. Each of the three vineyards have very different soil types which greatly influence the flavour of the grapes, from the black clay at their cellar door vineyard, producing darker-style shiraz (think bitter dark chocolate and black olives) to their next vineyard 500 meters down the road that produces more red-fruit flavours due to a different soil type and climate. Hamilton refers to this as their "big comfortable red velvet chair" with a generous and juicy yield. As part of the FreeWines app, Hugh Hamilton Wines have contributed two of their expert drops; 'The Trickster' Pinot Grigio and 'The Rascal' Shiraz. The Trickster is made from grapes sourced from the Adelaide Hills and came about due to Hugh’s love of freshly shucked oysters and his desire to create a wine that would pair with it perfectly. Described as “racy, upbeat and brisk,” Hamilton would recommend pairing this wine with seafood dishes such as salt and pepper squid, prawns and, of course, fresh oysters. The Rascal, described as “the quintessential McLaren Vale Shiraz, with lots of fruit ripeness but also elegance,” goes beautifully with a scotch fillet or beef casserole. When it comes to selecting a wine for herself, Mary is often influenced by her mood first, rather than having a constant go-to drop. At the moment Hamilton is particularly taken with the medium-bodied 'The Mongrel' Sangiovese, “It’s got lots of lovely, juicy cherry-flavoured fruit, and it tends to be a great partner with the food I cook, which is often Mediterranean or Middle Eastern.”
Woollahra's beloved Buzo has a new name and a new semi-casual identity (as if an ex-Bentley chef could really go casual). If you've eaten there during the past year, you'll have noticed the menu creeping away from its traditional Italian roots towards modern Australian flavours. Now, owners Mark Campbell and Phillip Fikkers (who also own Potts Point's Macleay St. Bistro) are taking the eatery wholeheartedly in this direction. Relaunching as Jersey Rd. Bistro, the restaurant now focuses on more light, casual dishes — with lower price tags to match. Head chef Jason Dean (ex-Bentley, Est. and London's The Greenhouse) isn't going anywhere. Having taken over the kitchen a year ago, he's been responsible for its evolution. And now, he's enlisted the help of mighty sous chef Chris Cho (ex-Oscillate Wildly). One of the most tempting additions is a long Sunday brunch. Served from 10am till 3pm, it's packed with unusual hangover cures, such as fried duck egg with duck jerky, spiced quinoa, pumpkin and shallot, to be matched with a Bloody Mary, Pol Roger or Belgian beer. Starters on the daily menu include red cabbage crackers with parmesan custard and scallop carpaccio with jalapeño, capsicum, saffron and orange. Among the mains are roasted lamb rump with potato, zucchini, macadamia and mint, as well as confit kingfish with black lentils, celery, sour cream and radish. For those who can't make up their minds, there's a seven-course Bistro Banquet for $75 per person (could be a hot new contender for inclusion in our favourite Sydney degustations under $100). Regulars might be relieved to know that Wednesday's BYO night isn't going anywhere. Bring your own bottle for a one-off corkage charge of $14 (not the cheapest corkage in the city, but relatively well-priced). Meanwhile, on the cocktail list, you'll find a handful of Champagne-based concoctions, including bellinis, mimosas, Old Cubans, alongside further reliable classics. Jersey Rd. also has multiple dining spaces. On the rooftop, you'll find the restaurant's urban kitchen garden, crowded with mint, basil and heirloom varieties. If you're not up for a sit-down meal, hit the downstairs bar for tipples and snacks, such as fried kipfler potatoes with white anchovy, black olive and saffron aioli, plus chicken liver parfait with raspberry, fennel and grilled sourdough. Farewell, Buzo. Find Jersey Rd. Bistro at 3 Jersey Road, Woollahra. Opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm and Sundays from 10am-3pm. Bookings at (02) 9328 1600 or reservations@jerseyrdbistro.com.au.
French filmmakers are a busy bunch. Every year, the country's cinematic talent pumps out nearly 300 new movies — enough to rank among the top five film-producing nations in 2016, behind only India, the US, China and Japan. It's no wonder, then, that Australia's annual Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is always jam-packed with flicks, spoiling viewers for choice when it comes to Gallic cinema's latest and greatest. The fest's team clearly has plenty of picks to choose from, with their 2018 event touring 47 features, two documentaries and one television series around local screens until mid-April. This year's fest kicks off with the laughs of C'est la vie! thanks to The Intouchables duo Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, ends with rom-com 50 Is the New 30, and features everything from multiple Isabelle Huppert appearances to multiple César Award winners among its lineup. In short: there's more than enough on offer to make you think you're on the other side of the world, and not just in your nearest cinema. And if you need some help deciding what to see, that's where we come in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ietLhsUOuQ BPM (BEATS PER MINUTE) When last year's Cannes favourite (and award-winner) BPM (Beats Per Minute) didn't make this year's Oscars shortlist for the best foreign-language film category, it was considered quite the shock. Come French cinema's own night of nights, the Césars, and the AIDS activism drama fared much, much better, taking out best film, editing, screenplay, score, male newcomer and supporting actor. It's easy to see why, the latest from Eastern Boys' filmmaker Robin Campillo is both intimate and wide-ranging as it explores the efforts of a passionate group to fight for acceptance and affordable HIV treatment in the early '90s. The writer-director himself was a member of ACT UP, the organisation at the movie's centre, adding an extra layer of authenticity — something the film already oozes courtesy of its naturalistic style, personal approach and exceptional performances. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-haop2Ini0 LET THE SUNSHINE IN In Let the Sunshine In, Juliette Binoche plays a just-divorced 50-something artist attempting to find love again — and causing audiences to fall for the great French actress's many charms in the process. Take our word for it: if you weren't already a fan before seeing this thoughtful romantic comedy (and if not, why not?), then you will be afterwards. Headlining a distinctive change of pace from acclaimed filmmaker Claire Denis, Binoche glows even as her character struggles with re-entering the dating scene, navigating the ups and downs that go with it, and working out what she actually wants as she flits through a series of varying dates. When we saw and loved the feature at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival, we said it was "a smart, spirited and soulful exploration of affection and intimacy — as driven by Binoche's enigmatic candour — that cuts deep". We still think so. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1KzHPDN1JI MRS. HYDE Another year, another Isabelle Huppert film in the AFFFF program. Anything else really is virtually unthinkable. The adored French star actually features in two of this year's festival flicks, but if the prospect of seeing the inimitable actress in a version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde doesn't get you excited, then nothing will. Lighter in tone than Robert Louis Stevenson's literary classic, and filled with commentary about class clashes in contemporary French society as well as laughter, Serge Bozon's effort is set within a Parisian high school. It also features a pivotal lightening strike and sees Huppert's stressed teacher undergo quite the transformation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXSnlxctWLY BARBARA French singer Barbara gets the biopic treatment in the film that shares her name, but it's also much, much more than that. The third feature directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Mathieu Amalric, it's a tale about an actress (Jeanne Balibar) preparing to play Barbara in a biopic, and a director (played by Amalric) who's obsessed with his subject. Yes, there's a film within a film, as well as archival footage of the real figure herself, just to keep things even more ambitious. Adding further layers to the flick, Balibar — who just won the Cesar for best actress for her excellent efforts — was once married to Amalric. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihiS-A8yT2c REDOUBTABLE What's the French Film Festival without a dose of French film history? This year, they're delivering it in biopic form, focusing on one of the country's great directors and pioneers of the French New Wave. In Redoubtable, Louis Garrel steps into Jean-Luc Godard's shoes, following his relationship with his Weekend and La Chinoise muse Anne Wiazemsky (Stacy Martin), his career in the late '60s, and the surrounding French political and social unrest. Plus, for director Michel Hazanavicius, it's a return to making movies about movies after his Oscar-winning The Artist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iIkM6OvK78 CUSTODY The heartbreaking drama, anxiety and tension of a hard-fought custody battle sits at the centre of this aptly titled effort, which first premiered at last year's Venice Film Festival and has been garnering praise ever since. Actor-turned-writer/director Xavier Legrand plunges viewers into a social realist look at a divorcing couple and the 12-year-old son stuck in the middle, which might sound like a familiar situation. It is; however the first-timer favours naturalism and observation over heavy sentiment, and has earned many a comparison to the Dardenne brothers (Lorna's Silence; Two Days, One Night) as a result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KK-uzPspoA DOUBLE LOVER Another AFFFF favourite — but behind the lens — François Ozon (Frantz) is back in psychological sexual thriller territory with Double Lover. Yes, as the name gives away, there's duplicity involved. It's rarely a good idea to fall in love with a psychoanalyst in these kinds of films, so when former model Chloé (Marine Vacth) does just that with Paul (Jérémie Renier), there's unexpected consequences. Fans of Swimming Pool, In the House, Young & Beautiful and The New Girlfriend will know just the mood, tone and simmering unease they're in for, as well as the all-round provocative air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgHtE9OzrhU ISMAËL'S GHOSTS Films about filmmakers are a definite trend at this year's AFFFF. And not just that — films starring Mathieu Amalric as a filmmaker, too. The aforementioned Barbara director and star plays the titular Ismaël in Ismaël's Ghosts, who's just about to get immersed in his latest project when the past comes calling. Also featuring Marion Cotillard, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Redoubtable's Louis Garrel, the movie is the latest from My Golden Days' Arnaud Desplechin, and opened the Cannes Film Festival last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbsuPXa9KJA THE WORKSHOP Another effort with a connection to Cannes, The Workshop not only premiered there last year, but was directed by 2008 Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet (The Class) and co-written with BPM's Robin Campillo. The drama unfolds at a creative writing workshop, where participants clash over more than just writing, and their novelist teacher (Marina Foïs) doesn't quite know how to react. With Cantent known for his naturalism, like Campillo, a portrait of modern-day France emerges as the feature plays out, delving into fears, fractures and friction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7nw6RhYwgI IF YOU SAW HIS HEART It mightn't be a French Film Festival without Isabelle Huppert, but it's often not a film festival at all without Gael Garcia Bernal. This time, the Mexican favourite stars in this French-language effort from first-time writer/director Joan Chemla. Taking inspiration from the work of Cuban author Guillermo Rosales, If You Saw His Heart follows a man holed up in a hotel and at a loss after the death of his best friend. The result promises a hefty dose of existential malaise, plus South of France scenery, all served up with Bernal's usual charm. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from February 27, screening at Sydney's Chauvel Cinema, Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace from February 27 to March 27; Melbourne's Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from February 28 to March 27; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from March 8 to April 4. For more information, visit the festival website.
If you've been one of those savvy, savvy Opal users, who's been rollerblading between light rail stops, to 'Opal mine' and rack up your weekly cap on the cheap, we're afraid your halcyon days are over. Up until today, Opal (albeit pretty much accidentally) enabled one of the sweetest public transport deals on the planet. Once you'd used your Opal card to take eight paid trips — of any distance and cost, but at least an hour between each 'trip' — you'd then enjoy free travel for the rest of the week. One of the most common methods for taking advantage of this was spending a couple of hours on a Monday, tapping on and off between Pyrmont Bay and The Star light rail stops. They're only 200 metres apart and a one-way journey between the two sets you back only $2.10 (or $1.05 for students). So, for 15 bucks, you could ride trains, buses and ferries to your heart's content until the following Monday. Back in September 2014, then transport minister Gladys Berejiklian acknowledged — and encouraged — such cheeky behaviours. "I want people to beat the system," she told SMH. "I want people to find the savings because they are there to be had." But the NSW Government has now changed its tune. On Monday, March 21, current transport minister Andrew Constance announced that the meaning of a 'journey' or 'trip' on Opal has been redefined — and can now include up to seven transfers. So, where the aforementioned Pyrmont Bay-The Star stunt could be achieved in two hours, it'll now take as many as five. So, theoretically, you could still make it happen, but not without some serious dedication — and plenty of hours to spare. Via The Age. Image: Beau Giles.
Sunburnt settlers didn't build this city by the sea just so you could stay on land and pavement. If you always did that, you'd miss out on the joy of salt spray, the harbour wind in your hair. Whether setting sail (well, boarding a vessel) from Circular Quay, or hopping the plank at Palm Beach in the north or Cronulla in the south, there are plenty of adventures to be had in Sydney where — bar having your own boat — only a ferry can rightly take you. Pack a picnic with your squad, strap your hikers on and explore the wide reaches of this bush-clad city and beyond. [caption id="attachment_653083" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CIRCULAR QUAY TO SHARK ISLAND Shark Island is the 1.5-hectare picnic oasis of your dreams that sits in the Sydney Harbour National Park, close to Rose Bay and Point Piper. Directions: Captain Cook Cruises steers the service, which on weekdays leaves from Circular Quay (Wharf Six) and Barangaroo (Wharf Two) five times daily. It takes between 20–25 minutes, although with this sparkling route you'll be wishing it would slow the hell down. Please note that services will resume on January 4, 2020. Cost: $20 return. Book here. What to do when you get there: There's grass, shade and 360-degree views of sexy seaside Sydney. Get that first ferry and bolt for the one 30-person gazebo if you're throwing a shindig (and book your ferry tickets in advance if you're bringing a squad of pals). Despite the name, few sharks swing their fangs by here these days, but you can spot tide pool critters in the grottos and inlets by the shore. There are toilets, water and picnic tables, but no shops — so bring all your kit in a good 'ol fashioned picnic basket. [caption id="attachment_653084" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CRONULLA TO BUNDEENA Bundeena is a nature-filled waterside suburb with rustic charm that hugs the Royal National Park. The 20-minute route leaves from Cronulla and crosses the Port Hacking River, where you'll go a little nuts with envy over the water-lapping properties. Don't worry though — the nature on the other side will calm you back down. Directions: The ferry departs from Tonkin Wharf in Gunnamutta Bay, a five-minute walk from Cronulla Station. Cost: $6.80 each way. You just pay on-board. Info here. What to do when you get there: Strap on the old hikers and get thee to the Royal National Park. The 26-kilometre Coast Track begins at Jibbon Beach and weaves past small sandy inlets (Little Jibbon Beach is used as a nude beach if you really want to take your trip back to nature), cliffsides and bushland, not to mention a series of rock carvings from the Dharawal people who lived here for thousands of years. Walk as far as your nature-loving heart desires; Wottamolla, Burning Palms, Garie and Wedding Cake Rock are all doable in a day trip if you leave early. Back in Bundeena, grab a coffee and fish and chips on the deck of Passionfruit Cafe, or sink your toes in the sand as you wait for the return ferry to Cronulla. [caption id="attachment_653085" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Rains/Destination NSW[/caption] PALM BEACH TO ETTALONG This stunning half-hour journey takes in four waterways — Pittwater, Broken Bay, the Hawkesbury River and Box Head — and makes a brief pit-stop at Wagstaffe. You may even luck out and see some wildlife like seals, turtles or even penguins along the way. Directions: Catch the Fantasea-run ferry from Palm Beach Wharf on Barrenjoey Road. Cost: $12.20 one way. You can book over the phone or just pay on-board. Info here. What to do when you get there: Only 30 minutes from Palmy and you're suddenly in the Central Coast. At Ettalong Beach you can try your hand at fishing, hire a kayak from beachfront Anderson's kayaks, or lazily park your bum on the sand. Bush wanderers can jump on the Great North Walk path into the Brisbane Waters National Park from Patonga to Pearl Beach, ducking uphill to the Warrah Lookout for some spectacular views. Hungry daytrippers can soak up the sights at The Box on the Water, grab some gourmet grub from their kiosk, or head for the Cinema Paradiso complex where Bar Toto does pizza by the slice as well as charcuterie and cheese. [caption id="attachment_653087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ethan Rohloff/Destination NSW[/caption] CIRCULAR QUAY TO COCKATOO ISLAND Find Cockatoo Island at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has a pretty hectic past, as an air raid shelter, convict colony, gaol and even graving dock. Directions: From Circular Quay, the ferry swings past Balmain, Greenwich Point and Woolwich, which is why it takes a half hour despite being close to town. There are also services from Darling Harbour and Barangaroo. Cost: $6.12 each way using your Opal or credit card. What to do when you get there: If you're here for the history, take an audio or guided tour, or veer past the vids in the Dog Leg Tunnel. Exercise fiends will be beside themselves over the harbour views of the basketball court. Hell, there's even giant chess. Cockatoo Island also has the right look for Hollywood, having been the setting of a Wolverine escape scene and a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Angelina Jolie's Unbroken (of which you can see snippets in the screening room). The Harbour Trust also runs glamping, spooky haunted tours and sometimes live music sessions at sunset. [caption id="attachment_653023" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MickeyMoo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] CHURCH POINT TO SCOTLAND ISLAND In the far northern reaches of Sydney, Scotland Island houses history and spotted gums galore, and is just the ticket for a rustic getaway on the western foreshore of the Pittwater, in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Directions: The ferry sets off from Church Point wharf hourly on the half hour and makes multiple stops on Scotland Island, including Morning Bay, Lovett Bay and Elvina Bay. It takes 20–25 minutes depending on where you hop off. Cost: $9.40 one-way or $15 return. What to do when you get there: Scotland Island was made famous by author Susan Duncan's Salvation Creek, in which she shacks up in Tarrangaua House built for poet Dorothea Mackellar in 1925. Author Di Morrissey also grew up here, and bad-arse femme fatale Tilly Devine had a retreat from her city shenanigans as well. Take a trek up Flagstaff Hill for some epic views of the Pittwater, or settle in for a BBQ at the picnic tables by Tennis Court Wharf. If you fancy doing an overnighter, there's a YHA with a big deck that presents tidy vistas over the island. [caption id="attachment_653088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CIRCULAR QUAY TO CREMORNE If time is of the essence but you still want to bask in the sun-kissed beauty that is Sydney, this short jaunt to Cremorne Point is just the trick. Bring your swimmers. Directions: From Circular Quay Wharf Four, this ten-minute trip across the harbour takes you past Kirribilli and Kurraba Point on to Cremorne Point Wharf. After a short walk, you can return from Mosman Bay Wharf, which will take 20 minutes. Cost: $6.12 each way (whether you return from Cremorne Point Wharf or Mosman Bay Wharf). What to do when you get there: Wander into Cremorne Reserve to gush over the sweetest darn lighthouse in Sydney at Robertson Point. Spin back past the ferry wharf and onto Maccallum Pool, a little picket-fence (free!) swimming oasis with million dollaroonie views. The walk between Cremorne Point to Mosman Bay wharves will take around 45 minutes (plus your dip), and takes in some grande ol' houses, pristine views, and the Lex and Ruby Graham Gardens, planted in the 1950s. [caption id="attachment_653090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CIRCULAR QUAY TO MANLY Despite being a Sydney icon since 1855, few south of the bridge would dispute that the Manly ferry is transport of choice for reaching sunny Manly. Directions: From Circular Quay (Wharf Three), the Manly Ferry turns east past Kirribilli, heads towards the headlands and through Middle and North harbours, and cruises on to Manly Cove in 30 minutes. If you're in a rush, the private Manly Fast Ferry service shaves off around ten minutes (but costs a tad more). Cost: $7.65 each way with your Opal card, or $9.70 on the Manly Fast Ferry. What to do when you get there: We hope you brought your towel and cossies, because you'll be beckoned by the beaches at every turn. Head straight on down the Corso for a spot of shopping and, when you reach the water, chuck a left along the esplanade until you hit Shelly Beach, a sheltered little oasis. Grab a lazy, seaside lunch at The Boathouse beside the sand, take a tipple on the balcony at Manly institution The Steyne, or dine with a daiquiri at Hemingway's. The more adventurous can take the stairs behind Shelly for a hike to Manly Heads or hire a surfboard and taste some salt water or maybe even catch a wave.
The process of making sourdough is a complex one, and the Swedes talk it as seriously as they take their creamy meatballs and minimalist furniture design. If you're doing it by the book, creating one loaf is a very long and complicated task, and like the art of making whiskey, ramen, craft beer, cold drip and growing a beard, it has amassed a devoted niche following. But in an adorable move, Sweden has opened its own 24-hour hotel, just for sourdough. You'll find this adorable land of loaves in the Arlanda airport in Stockholm, run by the RC Chocolat bakery. You can check in your sourdough any time of day, 24/7, for about 100 Swedish krona [about $17] a week. They'll keep your sourdough, care for it, feed it with an organic flour of your choice and massage water into the dough, then hand it back, all ready for baking. But why the need for a hotel? The process of making sourdough involves ‘refreshing’ or massaging the dough and, depending on a host of factors, may need to happen every 24 hours for two weeks. So if you’re a hip Swede, living in an airy loft apartment in Stockholm, cultivating a batch of pungent sourdoughs but you need to travel to a typography convention, what do you do? Before, you had to stay home with the loaves and tend to them lovingly, like they were your children, and then eat them with jam while sad-drunk because you’ve spent your youth raising loaves of fashionable bread instead of a family. But now you can check your dough-children into a hotel while you jet around the world and know they’re receiving top-class care and attention. Charlotta Soor, the owner of RC Chocolat, told Munchies that the Scandinavian love of food with an acid component (such as sour milk and yoghurt) might explain the nationwide obsession with sourdough. She also added, “One has to remember that a sourdough can live for generations as long as you take good care of it, which is pretty amazing.” You’re not wrong, Charlotta, this is all pretty amazing. Well there you have it folks, a hotel for bread. Now back to the studio. Via Munchies. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
For craft beer lovers, there's no better way to fill up on your favourite brews than with a growler. Equal to a six-pack in volume, it's the most sustainable, cheapest way to drink your craft. Not unlike a first-born child, growlers are much loved by their owners. Even better, when you use a growler, you're helping the entire brew process — from packaging to distributing and buying. As Pete Rose from Balmain Wine Shop says, "It saves time, money, and it's cheaper for local beer lovers. There's a sense of community in the growler refill, and it frees up more time for brewers create your next favourite beer." Whether yours is glass, aluminium or PET, check out these shops that will fill you up. ANNANDALE CELLARS This proudly independent and family-owned bottle shop is also a champion of all things local — from craft beer to organic wines. Their newly installed growler machine will continue to promote local craft — the three keg rotation currently has Willie the Boatman's ESB, golden and dark ale on. It's $20 to purchase their snazzy aluminium growlers, or bring your own for a $20 refill. Supporting the community with great local beer and wine? Now that's a bottle shop we can get behind. 119 Johnston Street, Annandale STEVE'S COOL BOOZE Steve's has been filling growlers for three years, with a four-tap rotation focusing on limited release and seasonal brews. His counter pressure machine is no behemoth, but it does the job right for a perfect quality pour every time. It rotates with local favourites like Lord Nelson as well as international beers from Belgium, the Netherlands and the like. If you're in the market to buy a new growler, Steve has options of PET or glass growlers and squealers ($3 - $16) and even a growler koozie cover ($18.99) to protect your beer from the destructive effects of UV light. Better yet, you'll get a complimentary tasting of the beers before you buy. 686 Anzac Parade, Kingsford WAYWARD BREWING Recently opened down a hidden laneway in Camperdown, Wayward Brewing doesn't just offer up their own award-winning Wayward beers; they have three guest taps of local favourites like Akasha and Shenanigans as well. It's like going to a bottle shop inside a brewery. Buy a Wayward growler or bring your own, filled off the tap. With new Octoberfest-inspired brews now on tap and summer brews out soon, there's more than one reason to visit Sydney's newest brewery. 1 Gehrig Lane, Camperdown NEWTOWN GROWLER DEPOT The famous Rosie, an arcade machine of growler fillers, is not your ordinary tap refill. With separate compartments for sanitising and filling with counter pressure, this machine guarantees you one month of shelf life. At Newtown, they're filling 300 growlers per week, with the option to bring your own glass growler to be filled or use the swap-and-go method. If you're in the market for your first, growlers are only $10 to buy. The bottle-O also hosts 'meet the local brewers' nights on Friday arvos and is now distributing to their sister shops in Balmain and Glebe, which operate strictly on the swap-and-go system. 145 King Street, Newtown; Balmain Wine Shop 292 Darling Street, Balmain; Glebe Wine Shop 345 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. ttp://concreteplayground.com/content/uploads/2014/12/cp-line.jpg" alt="cp-line" width="825" height="3" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-503581" /> MODUS OPERANDI Home of the CANimal machine, this brewery not only offers growlers and squealers but also has their own master sealer for cans to go, poured straight from the tap. With 12 taps and cheeky stories to accompany each beer, you'll have a lot to choose from. Their seasonals brws include a coffee lager and a Russian imperial, with all the fan favourites alongside. A brewery counting four Champion Craft Beer Awards is worth getting to go. 14 Harkeith Street, Mona Vale. Image courtesy of Modus Operandi. BONDI BEACH CELLARS This family-owned operation has been a Bondi institution for 27 years and has just recently added three growler taps to amp up their eastern suburbs craft beer haven. With Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Riverside 777 currently on tap, they'll continue the trend of mixing local and international breweries. This well matches their range of beers, which hits 300 varieties. Going back for more? Their growler refill loyalty program gets you every 10th refill free. 50 Hall Street, Bondi. Image courtesy of Bondi Beach Cellars. BEER CARTEL It's easy to get overwhelmed at Beer Cartel, which boasts the biggest beer selection in Sydney at 1100+ brews. Instead, head in for their two beer taps, housing a lot of Stateside favourites like Rogue, Sierra Nevada and Founders. Filling both squealers and growlers and constantly rotating their taps, this shop continues to live up to its name. 9/87 Reserve Road, Artarmon BATCH BREWING CO The Batch guys are never resting. They constantly pump out new and interesting brews. Your growler fills could look completely different from one week to the next. Right now, they have their core range on, including the signature APA and west coast IPA, along with the German-inspired Das Helles and Das Dunkel. The local hangout is a great place to spend an afternoon, and afterwards, takeaway is a must. 44 Sydenham Road, Marrickville. Image courtesy of Batch Brewing Co. THE OAK BARREL Oak Barrel's undeniably impressive stock doesn't stop, and their rotating, refillable growler taps are the cherry on top. The craft beer corridor that will seal your inevitable doom could take days to navigate and can make even the biggest beer snob's jaw drop, so always good to go for the growler and simplify your beer buying experience. 152 Elizabeth Street, Sydney ROCKS BREWING CO The Rocks Brewing has brought happy hour to growlers. From 3pm–5pm, Monday–Friday, their core range is available for $15, including Hangman Pale Ale, Governor Golden Ale and the Convict Lager. At regular price, you can still get a fresh batch of local craft brew for $20. A brewery involving six generations of Australians and two brewpubs is a very smart place to get your growler filled. 160 Bourke Road (Driveway J), Alexandria. Image courtesy of Rocks Brewing Co. Top image: Young Henrys, available at Newtown Growler Depot and Young Henrys. Annandale, Balmain Wine Shop, Newtown Depot and Steve's Cool Booze images by Marissa Ciampi.
Taco King at The George Hotel may be no more, with the Waterloo pub recently reopening under the direction of new operators, but the Taco King himself Toby Wilson is pressing on with a new tortilla venture: Ricos Tacos. The Taco King is dead, long live the Taco King. So far, Ricos Tacos has popped up for two days at the Grifter Brewing Co, and set up a (slightly more permanent) shop in the car park of Gelato Messina's Rosebery HQ as well. Now, Wilson is heading over to Rocker in North Bondi for the eatery's next venture — and taking over the menu for a taco Tuesday collaboration. From 4.30pm each Tuesday between November 24–December 15, Wilson will be serving up a bespoke range of dishes, turning Rocker into a once-a-week taqueria. You'll be able to tuck into kingfish ceviche, avocado, citrus, soy and sesame tostadas ($7), or opt for chicken chipotle and tomato tacos ($6). Among other options, there'll also be tempura mushroom tacos and Ensenada-style fish tacos, too. And, for dessert, you can expect churros topped with lemon zest, chamomile sugar and dulce de leche ($9). Rocker will also be pouring frozen margaritas, Arquitecto tequila, Estrella beers and other cocktails, should you need something to wash your tacos down with. Bookings aren't necessary, but they are recommended — and you'll have an hour-long slot to munch away. If you didn't try Wilson's tacos at The George, you may've encountered them at the various guises of Ghostboy Cantina (including at Dixon House and inside Tio's Cerveceria). Missed those, too? We suggest you make a beeline to North Bondi come Tuesday. [caption id="attachment_635514" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Katje Ford[/caption]
Chef Matt Stone wants to you to make a bar out of your own backyard. Really. Melbourne's young gun head chef of Victoria's Oakridge winery, Stone made his industry name as head chef of Joost Bakker's Greenhouse, Silo and Brothl, then as the culinary brains behind IconPark's Sydney pop-up Stanley Street Merchants and a MasterChef regular. At his core, Stone's a stickler for ethical and sustainable cooking, so he's just released his first cookbook The Natural Cook to help fuel some of that philosophy in everyday Aussie kitchens. The (extremely well photographed) cookbook's brimming with recipes meant to make you rethink food, bring you back to basics, try traditional techniques, adopt new sustainable cooking habits and make the best of the bounty of native ingredients Australia's got going on (one of the most sustainable ways Australians can cook). Of course, the book champions Stone's infamous 'zero-waste' philosophy, whether you're making yoghurt, pickling things or making a Bloody Mary. We've taken a couple of recipes out of of Stone's book, to show you how easy it is to incorporate native Australian ingredients into your everyday — well, into your cocktails in particular. Here's a little humdinger of a recipe for an Aussie South Side, topped with, y'know, a small serving of ants. Once you've crafted this gem, try making Stone's Native Spiced Bloody Mary (recipe's over here). MATT STONE'S AUSSIE SOUTH SIDE "A refreshing taste of Australia for a spring afternoon." INGREDIENTS Serves one ice 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) white spirit (gin, vodka or white rum) 30 ml (1 fl oz) freshly squeezed lime juice 10 ml (2 teaspoons) basic sugar syrup (see page 209) 7 Australian river mint (or regular mint) leaves small plate of ants and 1 lime wedge (optional) Fill a serving glass with ice and let it stand. Put the spirit, lime juice and sugar syrup, and all but one of the mint leaves, into a shaker, giving the mint a clap between your hands to excite its flavour before throwing it in. Fill the shaker to the top with ice, seal and shake vigorously for around 15 seconds. Discard the ice from the serving glass. If using ants, rub a wedge of lime around the rim of the glass. Gently press the rim onto your ants, twisting the glass so they stick all the way around the circumference. Put three to four cubes of fresh ice in the glass. Double-strain the liquid from the shaker into the glass using your Hawthorne and fine strainers. Stick the reserved mint leaf on top and serve. Note: There are specialist online shops where you can buy ants and other edible insects. Recipe and image from The Natural Cook by Matt Stone (Murdoch Books). Photography by Mark Roper RRP $39.99 available now in all good bookstores and online.
Brisbane's Damian Griffiths is doubling down on his mission to put the entire population of Sydney — and indeed, Australia — into a diabetic coma. A mere six months after giving us our first taste of his insane Doughnut Time creations, the sugar-mad restaurateur is bringing his retro ice cream parlour, Mister Fitz, across the border. The first Mister Fitz opened in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane last December, followed quickly by a second location in South Bank. Speaking to Good Food, Griffiths confirmed that he's already found a location in Glebe and is currently looking for real estate in Surry Hills. "I'd plan to have them both open by the start of summer," he said. Plans for stores in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth are also on the horizon. Like the doughnuts at Doughnut Time, the ice cream at Mister Fitz is pretty damn ludicrous — and we mean that in the best possible way. Their homemade creations include pink sea salt and caramel, coffee and oreo, and banana, brown sugar and bacon. You can get it in a waffle cone or build your own ice cream sandwich. A photo posted by @misterfitz_ on Feb 26, 2016 at 9:27pm PST A photo posted by @misterfitz_ on Mar 13, 2016 at 1:32am PST They also offer seriously epic milkshakes, including the Gold Digger, made with banana, brown sugar and bacon ice cream with whipped cream, candied bacon, crushed chips and salted caramel, and the Boom! Shake The Room, made with Nutella ice cream, whipped cream, Nutella drizzle, crushed hazelnuts and feuilletine. The news of Mister Fitz coming to Sydney's streets follows the opening of Nathan Sasi's wildly popular soft serve parlour Good Times in Potts Point and Messina's announcement that they're opening a degustation bar this month. Doesn't look like our love for ice cream is slowing down any time soon. And if it does, these guys will sure be in a spot of trouble. Follow Mister Fitz on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with their Sydney expansion plans. Via Good Food.
Sydney bakeries these days are in hot competition for your dough. There aren't many left just churning out simple loaves of white bread — now it's all about sourdough, fruit loaves, croissants, cronuts and cruffins. But not all of them rise to the occasion, so we're here to sort out which establishments you knead to visit, and which crumby ones you can be gluten-free of. It's the Concrete Playground Crust-See Sydney Bakery list — so use your loaf and follow it. BOURKE STREET BAKERY It's been written about, blogged about, hyped by almost every foodie and has queues out the door every single day — so is Bourke Street Bakery actually all that good? Um yes. Yes it is. One bite of their buttery and crisp ginger brulee tart and you'll be working out how you can schedule in a visit here every day of the week. The loaves of bread for sale are excellent — all the sourdoughs are solid and last for about a week, but the fig and cranberry is our favourite served toasted with butter or with ham and brie for an incredible sandwich. The beef brisket pie and lamb and harissa sausage rolls are so good you won't even need a squeezy packet of tomato sauce. Grab a dark chocolate and sour cherry cookie for later — you won't regret it. Various locations, but the original is 633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills IGGY'S BREAD There's a reason so many cafes around Sydney trumpet the fact that they use Iggy's bread on their menus. It's got an intensity of flavour, a solid crumb and a chewy density that somehow never feels too heavy. The queues spilling down the street will alert you to exactly where this humble shopfront is, though the staff are efficient and the wait is never all that long. The dark rye is our pick — malty and slightly sweet, it's perfect paired with fresh tomato, avocado and just a sprinkle of salt. The cranberry pecan rolls are also amazing warm with a dab of butter. Textbook croissants and legit bagels are perfect morning snacks, as you trot home with the weekend's bread wrapped snugly in your bag. 49 Belgrave Street, Bronte BREADFERN We like puns. We also like the smell of hot, fresh bread spreading through the streets of Redfern. Breadfern's ethical and organic approach to bread making also ticks a lot of boxes, as do their custard tarts and cheesy spinach rolls. In short, there is a whole lot to love at this corner bakery. Run by the legends at Tapeo (literally across the road, and yes they use their own bread in those legendary breakfasts that you've probably inhaled many times), all the loaves are made daily and onsite. Tuck a crusty olive sourdough under your arm to take home, but first grab a chicken pie and chocolate caramel tart to smash in the park that's also literally across the road. 308 Chalmers Street, Redfern OREGANO BAKERY It's like a sweet snowstorm. What seems like three kilos of icing sugar is somehow packed on top of the best cinnamon scroll you've ever tasted, all buttery gnarled layers coated in spicy deliciousness. The scrolls at Oregano Bakery may have made this place famous, but their pizzas are also mindblowingly good — try a 'meat pizza' with lamb, onion, tomato and herbs scattered across a traditional Lebanese-style pizza base. But you'll want to save room for those scrolls, whether you go for the cookies and cream, salted caramel or tahini and sesame you won't be disappointed. Grab a box to take home — they'll disappear in minutes. 56 Connells Point Road, South Hurstville GLENORIE BAKERY There's outdoor seating, a decent breakfast menu and award-winning pies but it's the quality of the bread that keeps us going back to the Glenorie Bakery. The seven-seed sourdough is golden brown, crusty and coated with seeds – hunks of it are perfect with a hearty winter soup. The ciabatta is great to take on a picnic with some sliced meats and cheeses. You may also get distracted here by the pastry counter – dozens of éclairs, tarts, cupcakes and other sweet treats vie for your attention. The quiches are also better than your average bakery, while the beefy meat pie has been voted Sydney's best in past years so try one to see if it makes your list. Shop 4, Old Northern Road, Glenorie GOOSE BAKERY It's the pastries that set this place apart. Croissants that are somehow dense with butter, yet light and flaky. Try one of them spiked on top with toasted coconut for a flavour combo you will want to come back for. The golden danishes and brioche studded with fruit are also worthy partners to the bracing cups of coffee served here. It will come as no surprise that the owners and bakers trained at Bourke Street Bakery — the cake counter and loaves of bread wordlessly attest to that. The only real shock is that this place doesn't yet have massive queues out the door, despite the incredible reasonably priced breakfast menu. 38 Ross Street, Forest Lodge SONOMA Another bread brand that Sydney restaurants and cafes boast on menus about stocking, Sonoma sourdough loaves are dense, chewy and delicious — reflecting the years of work that went into perfecting the recipe in the NSW country town of Bellata. The family-run business now has seven cafes spread across Sydney selling this bread, as well as treats like the signature 'Morning Bun' that's like a cronut on citrusy steroids. The cafes also take coffee super seriously, so make sure you grab a takeaway when you pop in for a morning loaf. Various locations including 32 Birmingham Street, Alexandria BAKEHOUSE ON WENTWORTH Maybe it's the cold mountain air, maybe it's the hike we just finished but the pies at Bakehouse on Wentworth are just totally irresistible. The beef and Guinness has crisp, short pastry and rich gravy as well as recognisable chunks of wonderful quality beef. The almond croissant is also worth a mention — it tastes of actual almond meal rather than artificial almond flavouring. Loaves of bread are also available for takeaway — the garlic loaf has whole cloves of caramelised garlic studded across the top. Keep the winter vibes going and rustle up a casserole to serve it alongside. 105 Wentworth Street, Blackheath ST HONORE Good French-style bread is surprisingly hard to find in Sydney. Finding a baguette with a light, moist crumb and chewy intensity of flavour is rare in this city of sourdough, but St Honore wears its Coeur on its sleeve, serving traditional, excellent loaves and breadsticks. The sourdough here is also excellent, with a starter that's been passed down so long that a baker tells me he's not quite sure exactly how old it is. Add in moist banana bread, creamy and moreish fruit tarts and a large variety of choux pastry treats and you're in for a French flavour explosion. 2/40 Miller Street, North Sydney KNAFEH It's a bakery, but not as you've ever seen it before. This pop-up bakery is inside a shipping crate, and moves locations every couple of days. You won't find loaves of sourdough inside – instead turn your attention to a plate of their namesake 'knafeh' dessert – pronounced ku-nah-feh – which is sort of like a baked cheese pudding with a crunchy coating. It's served piping hot and has a stretchy, oozing quality. You add your own sugar syrup so make it as sweet as you like – and don't even think about sharing because you'll want the plate all to yourself. It moves – check their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for the latest location HONOURABLE MENTIONS Infinity Sourdough Luxe Bakery Wild Cockatoo Black Star Pastry Brickfields Top image: Oregano Bakery. All other images c/o venue except Breadfern (Shannon Connellan).
With his darkly funny scripts, quirky set-pieces and kitsch cinematography, director Taika Waititi is a little like a Kiwi Wes Anderson. Following on from the success of his vampire mockumentary hit What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi's new film Hunt for the Wilderpeople offers up another feel good alternative to just about everything else that's out there. Put simply, it's fantastic. Set in the dense bushland of New Zealand's east coast, the film tells the story of Ricky Baker, a troublesome ten year old orphan who, after years of delinquency, is on his last chance before being institutionalised. That last chance comes in the form of country couple Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and Hec (Sam Neill). Bella is an unflappably positive soul, the kind of no-nonsense straight talker you can't help but love from the moment you meet her, and her approach to Ricky is enough to quickly convince him to cease his nightly attempts at escape. Hec, by contrast, is the definition of loner. Bearded and bedraggled, he's an old-school bushman whose tolerance for companionship begins and ends with his wife and their scrappy old dog. The story takes a turn, however, when Hec and Ricky find themselves stranded in the bush and unable to return until Hec's fractured leg can heal. Worse still, to the outside world, it's assumed Hec has actually kidnapped Ricky, resulting in both police and rescue teams being brought in to hunt down the perceived paedophile. So begins a touching and terrifically funny odd couple on the run story that lovingly and faithfully harks back to various NZ comedies of the 80s. As Ricky, newcomer Julian Dennison puts in an accomplished and confident performance, imbuing his character with a lovely sensitivity masked by a veneer of wannabe gangsterism. Neill, likewise, is fantastic as the crotchety old Hec, pacing his inevitable softening towards Ricky with just the right amount of snarl and sneer. The other key performance of note comes from Rachel House as Ricky's dedicated child services appointee Paula. Playing it like a hard-edged cop from a film noir, Paula considers herself a relentless pursuer akin to the Terminator, and her verbal battles with Ricky offer up an almost unceasing stream of laugh-out-loud moments. Offbeat, intimate and impressively affecting despite its farcical nature, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is one the year's strongest films to date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Xvsjy57X0
There's a lot to learn about the gin and tonic. The classic combination of bitter and sweet has become a cocktail staple — mixed with a little lime and a lot of ice, it's endlessly refreshing and easy to make. We've all gone into a bar and had a bad G&T, but we've all gone into a bar and had a decent one too. How can the combination of two ingredients have such a different outcome? In partnership with Bombay Sapphire, we investigated. This is how you make the perfect G&T — from the tonic water, all the way to the garnish. OBVIOUSLY, YOUR CHOICE OF GIN IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT We've been treated to a gin resurgence of late. Hundreds of distilleries across the world are now creating their own gin — there are smaller, craft gin companies that have popped up and larger, more established brands that will hopefully stay around and bless us with gin forever. Gin is made with a base spirit, and botanicals (like coriander, orris root and juniper berries) are added during the distillation process in order to produce a certain, sweet flavour. Every gin company uses botanicals in its own way to produce its own unique flavour. "It's what you do with the botanicals that differentiates gin," says Sean Forsyth, Bombay Sapphire ambassador. "Bombay Sapphire is the only London dry gin to infuse the botanicals by steaming them instead of boiling them, which produces a brighter, more vibrant, kind of fresher, uplifting flavour." Gin is an incredibly varied drink, so it's important to figure out what brand (and flavour) suits your palette before you start using it in your G&Ts. Luckily, "never has the consumer had more choice available to them", says Forsyth. Try out a few brands and decide on one that you like. TONIC WATER MAKES UP THREE QUARTERS OF YOUR COCKTAIL Tonic water is not to be underestimated. Like gin, its flavour also varies drastically between brands. Smaller craft producers, according to Forsyth, focus on "natural cane sugars, using high quality, filtered waters, and of course using real botanicals, real quinine and real spices to flavour their mixers." The result is a tonic that isn't overly sweet, syrupy, and is generally more approachable than one you would find on a supermarket shelf. Many bartenders favour the brand Fever Tree in their drinks, because they focus on all of the above factors, as well as making sure their tonic has a decent level of carbonation. "A lot of bubbles is really important to a great gin and tonic," says Forsyth. The fizz tickles your nose and the smell of the gin becomes more apparent." But again, "it all comes down to preference and taste," he says. Don't be too hasty to chuck out the Schweppes if that's what you prefer. GET A LITTLE INVENTIVE WITH YOUR GARNISHES Arguments over the best garnish for the G&T are heated, but the answer arguably lies in the geography. Limes grow in India, and lemons usually don't, so it's most likely that "the original garnish for the gin and tonic was actually lime, not lemon", as Forsyth says. If you choose to garnish with lime, rub the rind around the rim of the glass before dropping it into your drink. Half of what you taste is what you smell first, and this tactic will take the lime flavour to the next, subtle level. But don't get bogged down in tradition — mix up your garnish with something that complements or contrasts with the botanicals. For example, Forsyth recommends you sling a little black pepper and strawberry, or some cassia bark in there to get a "really delicious, almost Christmas inspired gin and tonic". YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE THE CLASSIC G&T, AND THAT'S OKAY Maybe you don't like the combination of gin and tonic water, no matter how hard you try to get involved. That's completely okay. Maybe you prefer your drink a little sweeter. If so, add a touch of sugar syrup, or something like a melon syrup to your drink to jazz up your adventure a little further. Better yet, try out some cocktails that play with the G&T tradition, like a Lemon Collins, a Gin Rickey, or a Gin Basil Tonic, a drink that the guys at PS40 knocked up just for Forsyth that uses gin, lemon, fresh basil, a touch of sugar and a healthy dose of tonic. If you're just not that into tonic water, try mixing your gin with soda, or opting for a stronger Negroni or martini. If you like drinking gin, you have so many options of things to do with it — the cocktail world is your oyster. Images: Kimberley Low and Steven Woodburn (top image).
Summer is coming to an end, whether Sydneysiders and the recent thirty degree days like it or not. As temperatures cool, the second season of the FCxMCA also draws to a close on Sunday, April 10, and they're going out with their biggest show yet. For lucky ticketholders, the "all star lineup" will remain a secret until Sunday, but with the FC roster including the likes of Flume, Little Dragon, Chet Faker and Classixx, it's sure to be one big bang of a show. Held on the MCAs sculpture terrace, each of the monthly series has sold out for the second year running. This season saw kickass acts like Danish duo Kenton Slash Demon, African poet Sampa The Great and NYC's Anthony Naples. The collaboration between music, contemporary art and just an overall fun night out is a much needed cultural comeback in a locked out Sydney.
Those who were mad fans of Bill Cunningham, or watched and loved the 2010 documentary Bill Cunningham: New York (that Venn diagram is probably a single circle), would be unsurprised to hear that the legendary fashion photographer was still shooting less than a month before his death last Saturday. Cunningham's tenacity and single-minded focus, along with his modesty and warmth were just some of the things that made the street style photographer such a joy to watch. As a reporter and historian of fashion he displayed an extraordinary depth of understanding of his subject. It's a little dismaying therefore to discover that finding photos taken by Bill Cunningham is harder than you might expect. Trawl the usual channels (Google, Tumblr, Pinterest) and inevitably nearly every image will contain a telltale flash of blue — the French workman's jacket that Cunningham made his now-iconic uniform. Though I can't blame anyone for wanting to swoon over Cunningham himself, it seems fitting to honour the reluctant celebrity by turning our attention back to his work — if nothing else, there's no doubt that's what he would have preferred. [caption id="attachment_578295" align="alignnone" width="1280"] William J. Cunningham, Facades, Penguin Books, 1978.[/caption] NEW YORK IS ITS OWN STAGE Cunningham's muse, friend and co-star Editta Sherman poses in full Edwardian get-up in this shot from Cunningham's 1978 book Facades. Many of the photographs from the book depict authentic period costumes (which Cunningham himself had collected) placed against a backdrop of iconic New York architecture. The photos are contemplation on a city that, perhaps more than any other, has made progress and modernity into an aesthetic. Though Cunningham is better known for his (generally) unstaged street photography, this photo of the Lady Bracknell-esque Sherman includes elements of the photographer's sense of humour which are familiar. Note the advertisement hanging on the graffitied subway car above Sherman: "A woman of good taste". [caption id="attachment_578296" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bill Cunningham, Vogue, (Conde Nast, March 1974).[/caption] AMERICAN FASHION "OOZES VITALITY" If you're interested in 20th century fashion history then don't walk, RUN to watch this 2014 interview in which Cunningham describes "the most exciting fashion show" of his life. Cunningham is momentarily reduced to tears as he recalls details of the 1973 'Battle of Versailles' fashion show, in which French and American designers were pitted against one another. The two nations' designers represented two different fashion ideologies, and Cunningham wasn't shy about naming his victor. In the Chicago Tribune, he wrote that the Yanks "devastated" their French counterparts, with their "uncluttered American taste oozing vitality". Halston was among the American contingent who showed at Versailles, and though this 1974 photograph by Cunningham displays the more overt, embellished glam of the coming decade, one can still recognise in the dress' cut the kind of simplicity of design that Cunningham was still championing 40 years later. [caption id="attachment_578297" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bill Cunningham, 'Make Your Own Art: On the Street', New York Times (OCT. 31, 2014)[/caption] FASHION NEEDS EXPERIMENTATION TO AVOID SIMPLY BEING COMMERCE So here's a fun fact: Bill Cunningham literally invented the application of the word 'deconstructionism' to fashion (Bonnie English, Japanese Fashion Designers: The Work and Influence of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, Berg, 15 Aug. 2013 , p.170). It is a rare thing indeed to encounter someone with so fierce, varied and long-lasting an appetite for fashion. In a 1989 video interview, Cunningham described how he first recognised parallels between the early 1980s designs of Rei Kawakubo, and the clothes worn by New York's homeless women. His tone is not uncritical as he makes this extraordinary observation, but you can also detect his exhilaration as he goes on to make a further link to the proportions of medieval European dress. More recently in his 'On The Street' video series for the New York Times, Cunningham showed his continued fascination with the avant-garde by comparing the red of mainstream fashion to Kawakubo's "blood and roses". He concluded: "Fashion as we know it today is absolutely commerce. Very little artistic expression. Lots of it is very beautiful and women look wonderful in it. There's nothing wrong with that! But you have to have this wild experimentation." [caption id="attachment_578300" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bill Cunningham, 'Dashing', New York Times (February 24, 2012).[/caption] COLOUR IS POWERFUL AND DEMANDS YOUR RESPECT Many of Cunningham's most enticing collage spreads for the New York Times were based around a colour theme. Cunningham sensitivity to and appreciation of colour was something else. In 1965, the New York Times reported on a presentation given by Cunningham at Carnegie Recital Hall (the same building in which he lived and from which he was evicted in 2010). Cunningham spoke to an audience of fashion designers and students and described the colours he had seen at the recent Paris couture shows. To illustrate the colours he "sliced a pumpkin in half, peeled a banana and held up a raw beefsteak to illustrate the major colours…", documented by Bernadine Morris in her 'Two Views on Fashions: One Scholarly, One Pop' piece. Cunningham never lost his voracious appetite for fashion, and it's hard to imagine that we'll see his like again.
Whether you're heading to the cinema with friends or curling up on the couch with your significant other, a night watching movies remains a fantastic source of entertainment, enjoyment and escapism. Sitting in the dark, switching your mind away from your regular worries and slipping into another world — if you're catching the right flick, few things can top it. Cinema-wise, 2019 has thrown up plenty of films that tick all of the above boxes — and now we're just past the halfway mark, it's time to look back. Maybe you missed one of this year's hits when it was in theatres. Perhaps it's still showing and you haven't made it yet. Or, there could be a few gems that just slipped your attention. Of course, there's always the ace movies you saw, loved and want to see again. Whichever category fits, here's 12 films from 2019 that you you need to catch up on. Head to the cinema and grab a choc top or organise your streaming queue and cook up some popcorn, as we've sorted out your viewing for the near future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoxKy3d7Wno EIGHTH GRADE What our critic said: As effective as every narrative beat, probing shot and well-deployed blast of Enya (yes, Enya) proves, writer/director Bo Burnham's savviest move is also his most straightforward. Actually casting a teenager in a movie about a teenager is much more rare than it should be, and Eighth Grade wouldn't be the success it is without Golden Globe nominee Fisher as its star. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhsuT0xctI FREE SOLO What our critic said: As well as chronicling an awe-inspiring story, every frame of Free Solo offers a palpable, visceral reminder of life's enormous risks and immense rewards — and to the filmmakers' credit, you're all but certain to feel the impact in your constantly sweaty palms. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qbq6Z6HYk IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK What our critic said: Black lives devastated by discrimination, young lovers braving seemingly insurmountable obstacles: both tales have played out across countless pages and screens before, although not as they do so here. There's a bewitching alchemy to the combination of James Baldwin's words and Barry Jenkins' direction — never shying away from the despairing truth of the situation, but never wallowing in inescapable bleakness either. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMCYE9hKP68 VOX LUX What our critic said: In Vox Lux, the difficulties and complexities of success slash savagely and hack furiously, with Brady Corbet writing and directing a blunt yet brilliant onslaught of a movie. As he did in The Childhood of a Leader, the actor-turned-filmmaker relentlessly charts the ascension of an influential fictional figure who owes their rise to struggle and trauma. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcKinfILGDk DESTROYER What our critic said: Conflicted cop Erin Bell could walk alongside any of noir's dogged investigators and hold her own. Stepping into the character's shoes, Nicole Kidman could do the same among any of the genre's best stars. Destroyer lives and breathes through its complicated protagonist and phenomenal lead performance, with each putting on a stunning show. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo US What our critic said: Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Jordan Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA BURNING What our critic said: A ruminative mystery, a fine-tuned character study and an intricately observed examination of human relationships all at once, one of the joys of Burning is its wholesale aversion to simplicity. Here, as in reality, nothing is straightforward. Indeed, Lee Chang-dong takes life's enigmas and puzzles, thrusts them into view and forces the audience to ponder along with him. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8 AVENGERS: ENDGAME What our critic said: There's very little that's simple about this picture, marking as it does the extraordinary culmination of several dozen intricate and intertwined story arcs that extend all the way back to 2008... Where Infinity War was all bombast, Endgame offers reserve. Where Infinity War wrought intergalactic devastation and destruction, Endgame delivers intimacy and an examination of grief, loss and very private regret. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ5X75F1YJw LONG SHOT What our critic said: After a five-year stretch that's included Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde and Tully, Long Shot is the latest example of its star's chameleonic talents — a political rom-com that's as irreverent (and often inappropriate) as you'd expect of a flick that also features Seth Rogen, and genuinely heartfelt and hilarious as well. Charlize Theron, romantic-comedy standout? You'd better believe it. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BULB0aX4lA JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM What our critic said: Cinematic beauty comes in many forms, and the John Wick franchise perfects one of them. The term 'balletic' couldn't better describe the series' hypnotic action sequences, with its array of frenetic fights and carnage-dripping set pieces all meticulously choreographed like complex dance routines. In fact, when ballerinas actually pirouette across the screen in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, they seem bland in comparison. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZeIHrx7Oyc HIGH LIFE What our critic said: While shooting into the stratosphere to ponder what it all means has become a genre of its own, High Life proudly stands in its own space boots. Perhaps that's why both the film and Robert Pattinson seem like such a perfect fit, and why the final product both soars high and burrows deep: you won't catch either meekly treading where everyone else has before. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0KJAzyUJc PARASITE What our critic said: Parasite proves exceptional in every single frame and detail that it flicks onto the screen... Internationally renowned and beloved as the auteur behind The Host, Snowpiercer and Okja, Bong Joon-ho has crafted a bleak, twisty blend of black tragi-comedy, pulsating thrills and socially relevant horror — a movie that's such a phenomenal example of all that cinema can and should be that you'll want to high-five the filmmaker after watching it. Read our full review.
The Lotus Dining group have introduced their latest venture Madame Shanghai to Sydney, showing off executive chef Chris Yan's take on Shanghai-style street food. While the menu at Madame Shanghai delves into the world of Chinese barbecue, the Darlinghurst restaurant still maintains a selection of the tasty dumplings that have defined the Lotus style across their five venues. Yan's goal is to expand on the options for yum cha in the city, and Madame Shanghai intends to open a whole new world of Chinese breakfast foods in Sydney. "The yum cha offering in Sydney can be limited," Yan says. "So if I'm doing yum cha, it's got to be different and fun." Yan also plans to keep the traditional breakfast dish going well into dinner time with a monthly bingo and yum cha night (hosted by drag queen Penny Traiton, nonetheless) to be held on the first Thursday of the month, starting June 1. For their latest venture, owner Michael Jiang has enlisted the help of veteran cocktail slinger Kate McGraw to develop a cocktail list that simultaneously complements the menu and stands out in its own regard. "For bartenders, I feel 2016 was about experimenting with outlandish techniques and flavours," McGraw says. "Whereas 2017 is the year we are finessing and honing those skills and prioritising sensory engagement." Included in the cocktail list is the '76 Negroni, made entirely from ingredients bottled in the 1970s. This fancy drink comes with a fancier price tag, however, clocking in at $130 per beverage. So only order it if you're sure you like Negronis. Taking hefty influence from the post-colonial era of Shanghai, the fit-out of the 60-seat restaurant and 30-seat bar is inspired by both Chinese art and decor, and chinoiserie, the style of European art influenced by Asian design that rose to popularity in Europe throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The theme is an expression of the heritage of Yan (he was born in Shanghai) and so isn't entirely misplaced. However, it does hint at the 'fetishisation' of Asian women from a particularly dark period of Chinese history that has had other venues in hot water of late, mainly through the restaurant's menu design — which pictures an image of an Asian woman with the words 'dare to have a taste' — and its original tagline, 'when the Madame is in, there will be sin'. But in terms of the menu and the drinks list, Lotus Dining is aiming for accuracy and authenticity in the new shop, properly showcasing the possibilities of Chinese cooking. It's good to see a new player pick up the mantle and expand the population's palate. Madame Shanghai is now open at 18 College Street, Darlinghurst. For more information, visit their website. Images: Alana Dimou.
Cafes on the lower north shore often come with lots of greenery, space for dogs, generous dishes and in many cases, Sydney Harbour views. Less crowded and less frazzled than the Eastern Suburbs and the Inner West, this area gives you room to breathe and stretch your legs. Whether you tuck into mushrooms and burrata on the water at Kirribilli Wharf or into colourful plates at Balmoral, leave time afterwards to kick back in a park or explore a bit of the Harbour you haven't visited before. In partnership with luxury property company Aqualand and its new Blue at Lavender Bay development, here's your guide to ten of the lower north shore's finest cafes. THE LANEWAY CAFE, CAMMERAY Eight years ago, brothers James and Will Christopher (Ms Miller, The Public) took over a garage in a back laneway of Cammeray and turned it into a cafe. A peaceful escape from Miller Street's hustle and bustle, The Laneway Cafe offers shelter both inside and outside (there's a hidden courtyard). As at Sotto On West (see below), you'll probably find a dog or two at a neighbouring table, so feel free to bring your own pooch. The brekkie menu has standouts like the Good Morning Burger with bacon, egg, avo, hash brown, tomato, cheese, paprika and aioli, while the lunch menu covers salads, pastas, burgers and fresh ciabatta rolls. CELSIUS COFFEE CO, KIRRIBILLI Cafes don't get any closer to the water than Celsius on Kirribilli Wharf, right next to where the ferry docks. Claim a seat next to the window and you'll feel like you're bobbing on the Harbour. The coffee comes from ONA with two house blends, so whether you're a nutty type, or if you like your coffee a bit fruity, there's an option for you. Dishes on the local produce-driven menu include tasty treats like the sautéed oyster and shiitake mushrooms served with local burrata cheese and chimichurri, and the Super Greens Breakfast with kale, asparagus, lime avocado and poached eggs. BIRDWOOD, LANE COVE This neatly-designed cafe with a lovely, leafy view is from the team behind Marrickville's Double Roasters. Like The Laneway Cafe in Cammeray, this hidden cafe is up a laneway and away from Lane Cove's hectic main drag. If you like variety, you'll be impressed by their brew menu. On top of the famous Flight Path house blend, there's always a few single origins to choose from. For a tasty breakfast fix, go for the three-cheese croque monsieur with ham from local butcher, Black Forest. AVENUE ROAD, MOSMAN Another project by the Double Roasters crew. The coffee is great, but there's a bigger emphasis on food. Pretty much every time you visit you'll find a new temptation on the menu, be it chocolate, marscapone and banana muffins, or coconut waffles with coffee-infused gelato. With design features as comfort-focused as the food, the cafe features an assortment of quirky lamp shades, a teaspoon collection to measure up against your grandma's and chairs you can settle into all arvo long. SPROUT WHOLEFOOD, NAREMBURN Just walking into Sprout Wholefood makes you feel like you've done something good for your body. All the healthy things are here — cashew cream, quinoa, kale, black sesame seeds — and they're all transformed into tasty, tasty bowls and burgers. For coffee, there's Gabriel, but if you're off the caffeine, go for their Golden Milk turmeric latte with cinnamon, honey, black pepper and coconut oil, or one of their smoothies (Choco Bliss with cacao, mesquite, banana and almond milk). [caption id="attachment_616466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Facebook / 67 Union. St Deli[/caption] 67 UNION ST. DELI, MCMAHONS POINT Think lots of white paint, flowers, succulents, colourful throws and suspended teapots, 67 Union St is bright, fresh and beautifully designed. Sit inside around a communal table, or outside on a cushion-covered milk crate, and take your pick from the short, healthy menu. The cafe also offers up a tasty list of baked goods to satisfy your sweet tooth. [caption id="attachment_616894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Instagram / @what_sarah_saw[/caption] SOTTO ON WEST, NORTH SYDNEY Opt to eat outdoors if you can score a seat on Sotto on West's lovely, shady deck. Otherwise, sit inside and check out the funky lighting — upside-down cups and saucers turned into lamp shades. Either in or out, you may be sharing the space with dogs — they're just as welcome as you are. The dogspotting is next level, the Allpress coffee is decent and the dishes are generous and imaginative. Recent creations include berry-coconut muffins with ginger, cacao nibs and turmeric, and roasted pumpkin salad with heirloom tomatoes, walnuts and chargrilled corn. [caption id="attachment_617202" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Domjen Photography[/caption] THE BOATHOUSE, BALMORAL Even if you've never been to The Boathouse, you've probably seen it on Instagram. Balmoral is just one branch of The Boathouse tree, with sister cafes at Palm Beach, Shelly Beach and Whale Beach, and as at the others, here you can expect epic water views, piles of flowers, massive pot plants and dishes born for social media. The lunch menu is big on seafood, so expect to struggle looking past the cold seafood platter and a bottle of Bollinger. THE ROOTS ESPRESSO, NORTH SYDNEY Coffee nerds, this one's for you. Step into this stripped-back coffee laboratory, and go for a standard flat white or cappuccino, or experiment with a pour-over or siphon coffee. Order at the counter, and sip your coffee of choice surrounded by lots of concrete, pylons and glass vessels filled with brews. Start your day the healthy way with the grain and chia bircher with rhubarb, seasonal fruits, nuts and sesame snaps, and at lunch, get stuck into a sanga like the roast pork with crackling, fennel, slaw and apple sauce. BAY TEN ESPRESSO, LAVENDER BAY Hidden beneath the Harbour Bridge's northern approach, the best way to arrive at Bay Ten Espresso is by bike. Not only is that ride over the Bridge stunning, but you'll also want to bike over since the cafe shares its 10-metre high warehouse space with The Body Mechanic, a bunch of elite athletes who can give you a physio session while you wait for your coffee. Beans come from White Horse, with batch brews and cold drips sitting alongside your standard coffees. As for food? Simple, classic and fresh. Surround yourself with everything the lower north shore has to offer at Aqualand's Blue at Lavender Bay development. The best restaurants, cafes, bars and activities are all on your doorstep. Lead image: Jessie Ann.
Chef Matt Stone wants to you to make a bar out of your own backyard. Really. Melbourne's young gun head chef of Victoria's Oakridge winery, Stone made his industry name as head chef of Joost Bakker's Greenhouse, Silo and Brothl, then as the culinary brains behind IconPark's Sydney pop-up Stanley Street Merchants and a MasterChef regular. At his core, Stone's a stickler for ethical and sustainable cooking, so he's just released his first cookbook The Natural Cook to help fuel some of that philosophy in everyday Aussie kitchens. The (extremely well photographed) cookbook's brimming with recipes meant to make you rethink food, bring you back to basics, try traditional techniques, adopt new sustainable cooking habits and make the best of the bounty of native ingredients Australia's got going on (one of the most sustainable ways Australians can cook). Of course, the book champions Stone's infamous 'zero-waste' philosophy, whether you're making yoghurt, pickling things or making a Bloody Mary. We've taken a couple of recipes out of of Stone's book, to show you how easy it is to incorporate native Australian ingredients into your everyday — well, into your cocktails in particular. Here's a little humdinger of a recipe for a Bloody Mary using native Australian spices — a truly homegrown breakfast of champions. Once you've crafted this gem, try making Stone's ant-rimmed Aussie South Side too (recipe over here). NATIVE SPICED BLOODY MARY "For a fresh kick, you can also add finely chopped veggies such as tomato, cucumber, celery and chilli. Hangover be gone!" INGREDIENTS Serves one ice 3 dried bush tomatoes 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) vodka 15 ml (½ fl oz) lemon juice 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce 5 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce) 2 large pinches of ground pepperberry, plus extra to garnish 2 large pinches of Australian Seven Spice (recipe below) (see page 211), plus extra to garnish 1 pinch of pink salt, plus extra to garnish 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) tomato juice celery stalk or cucumber slice, to garnish Fill a serving glass with ice and let it stand. Muddle the bush tomatoes, and any other vegetables you feel like, in your cocktail shaker. Add all the other ingredients except the garnishes to the shaker and fill with ice. Slowly 'roll' your shaker end over end to mix and chill the ingredients without frothing things. Taste-test with a straw and add additional Tabasco if you'd like it spicier. Discard the ice from the serving glass and replace with fresh ice. Single-strain the liquid into the serving glass. Add the celery stalk or cucumber slice and finish with a pinch of salt, pepperberry and Australian seven spice. Note: Online bush food specialists offer a variety of Aussie fruits, herbs and spices, including bush tomatoes and pepperberries. HOW TO MAKE MATT STONE'S AUSTRALIAN SEVEN SPICE This is my version of Chinese five spice and it's perfect on barbecued meats, vegetables and fried bugs. If you don't feel like eating bugs with your beer then perhaps try it rubbed into barbecued chicken wings or slow-cooked beef ribs. The individual spices can vary due to season, availability and personal taste, so think of this as a rough guide. Use double the amount of mountain pepper if you like your spice mixes hot. 1 tablespoon ground bush tomato 1 tablespoon ground lemon myrtle 1 tablespoon ground wattleseed 1 tablespoon ground pepper leaf 1½ tablespoons ground mountain pepperberries 2 teaspoons ground aniseed myrtle 1 tablespoon ground mangrove myrtle Note: While most of the Australian ingredients used in this book can be substituted with something non-native, this is the one recipe I urge you to stick to (otherwise it will become 'mostly Australian seven spice'). Mix all ingredients. Store in an airtight container or jar. Recipe and image from The Natural Cook by Matt Stone (Murdoch Books). Photography by Mark Roper RRP $39.99 available now in all good bookstores and online.
No doubt you're pretty busy keeping up with Australia's gangbusters craft beer scene. Whether your go-to is Four Pines, Young Henrys or James Squire, our local brewers are always on-the-go with cracking new ideas — from beer that tastes like Anzac biscuits to a porter that lives up to any chocolate dessert you can throw at it to a drop that doubles-up as breakfast, made from banana bread and coffee beans. As it turns out, our international beer-worshipping brothers and sisters are far from dragging the chain. Here are ten of the best craft brews you'll find outside of Australia right now. FUBAR BY TINY REBEL (WALES) Introducing the 2014 Champion Beer of Wales. This unique brew, first released in February 2012, arrives on your tongue with a floral, hoppy blast and leaves with a satisfying, spicy aftertaste. FUBAR is the flagship for Tiny Rebel, a craft beer company started in 2008 in a Welsh garage, where founders Brad and Gazz would home brew for fun on the weekends. Last year, the duo opened Cardiff's first craft beer dedicated bar and, in August, followed up FUBAR's triumph when their red ale, Cwtch, was named 2015 Champion Beer of Britain. PELICAN NOIR BY PELICAN BREWING CO. (US) Pelican Noir's cinnamon-chocolate flavours and caramel-raisin aromas inspired a Gold Medal win in the Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale category at the 2015 North American Beer Awards. Three sources of hops go into its creation: Aramis, Goldings and Nugget, as does a trio of malts, giving it a delicious, well-rounded taste. Pelican Noir is made by Oregon's Pelican Brewing Company, which has won literally hundreds of national and international awards in its 14-year lifespan. BOURBON COUNTY BRAND STOUT BY GOOSE ISLAND BEER COMPANY (US) Bourbon County Brand Stout offers one of the densest, darkest, foamiest stout experiences on the planet. And you know it from the moment the bottle opens, releasing a heady mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoky goodness. It's made by Chicago's Goose Island Beer Company, which a man by the name of John Hall started 25 years ago after a brew-focused journey through Europe. “America deserves some damn fine beer like this, too,” he thought to himself, and set about making it happen. Bourbon Country Brand Stout won gold at both the 2006 World Beer Cup Awards and the 1995 Great American Beer Festival. BEER GEEK BREAKFAST BY MIKKELLER (DENMARK) This beer single-handedly gave Mikkeller legendary status. Back in 2006, maths teacher-turned-brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergso came up with the ingenious idea of adding French press coffee to oatmeal stout. And Beer Geek Breakfast was born, shooting straight to first position on global beer popularity platform ratebeer.com. Since then, Mikkeller has used the recipe as a base for all manner of craft beer wonders, like Beer Geek Breakfast Brunch Big Blend and Beer Geek Vanilla Shake. THE VANDAL IPA BY PANHEAD (NEW ZEALAND) According to the Society of Beer Advocates, this was the best beer made in New Zealand in 2014. It's a potent 8% Indian Pale Ale (IPA) made with a serious dose of hops from Kohatu, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin that tastes like tropical fruit. The Vandal is made at Panhead Custom Ales, a brewery housed in a former tyre factory in Upper Hutt, Wellington, established in 2013 when brewer Mike Neilson quit his full-time job at Tuatara Brewery to go solo. AMA BIONDA BY AMARCORD (ITALY) Italy might be traditionally known for wine, but microbreweries are on the up. One of the best is Amarcord, located in the medieval village of Apecchio, which is close to both the Adriatic Coast and the Appennini Mountains. Amarcord's AMA Bionda is a Belgian pale ale, made with Sicilian orange blossom honey, spring water and three types of hops. It's complex, floral and fruity. HOMMAGE BY DRIE FONTEINEN (BELGIUM) Made of 30% raspberries and 5% cherries, this sour beer is dark red in colour, big on flavour and heavily carbonated. It's definitely not for drinkers looking for something light. Drie Fonteinen, a brewery in Beersel, near Brussels, has made just two batches — the first in 2007 and the second in 2013 — and released only 5,000 bottles globally. So the only catch is that it's not easy to get your hands on. Image: 3 Fonteinen Hommage 2007 via photopin (license). YUZU WHITE ALE BY MINOH (JAPAN) Most wheat beers (like Hoegaarden, for example) are brewed with orange peel. But a couple of years ago, Minoh, a family-owned and operated microbrewery in Japan's Osaka prefecture, came up with a twist, instead using a local citrus fruit named yuzu and adding a dash of coriander. Their experimentation paid off — in 2012, Yuzu White Ale won gold in the fruit wheat beer category at the World Beer Cup. DOREE BY BOREALE (CANADA) This smooth, easy-to-drink beer is made with tasty Quebec honey and a decent dose of malt. In 2012, Doree topped the specialty honey beer section at the World Beer Cup and won silver in the special honey category at the Canadian Brewing Awards. Its home is Les Brasseurs du Nord, a microbrewery in the Lower Laurentians, where the brewing ethos is all about keeping things natural. OLD FREDDY WALKER BY MOOR BEER CO. (ENGLAND) This old ale has won no fewer than 20 prizes, a run that began back in 2004 when it took out CAMRA supreme champion winter beer of Britain. It's so rich and dense that you can drink it like a vintage wine. It is made at the Moor Beer Company in Bristol by an ex-soldier who hails from California.
If someone hasn't already reminded you that today is the first of March (with a petrified look of a person on the brink of a mid-life crisis, no less), this bit of news should well and truly confirm that summer is over. Vivid Sydney has this morning given us the first tidbit from their 2017 program, announcing indie folk-rock band Fleet Foxes as their first visiting artist. The US band will bring their bright dance-around-the-forest songs to the Sydney Opera House for four exclusive shows on May 26–29 this year. These will be the band's only shows in Australia — and their first here in five years — so tickets will be allocated via a ballot system. Anyone who sat online to get (or miss out on) tickets to the Opera House's Bon Iver show last year will appreciate this method of allocation. Fans of Fleet Foxes will know the band have been extremely quiet of late; they haven't released an album since Helplessness Blues back in 2011. The band is set to release their third album this year — which, according to Consequence of Sound, is called Ylajali — and has already locked in some European tour dates post-Vivid, meaning that we could potentially be the first to hear their new material. The Fleet Foxes gig is the first announcement for Vivid 2017, which will this year run from May 26 until June 17. The full program will be announced later this month. That should get you excited for winter. Fleet Foxes will play four shows at the Sydney Opera House from May 26–29. The ballot is open now until 11.59pm on Sunday, March 5. You can enter here.
Sydney's nightlife is in a bit of a weird spot at the moment, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the amount of bars opening. 2017's newbies have been diverse so far; as well as some top-notch Euro-leaning wine bars, we've had a vinyl-spinning lounge bar open alongside an all-out basement 'Viking luxe' bar mixing sorbet-filled and served-in-horn cocktails with details down to a tee. Yeah, there's just some things you can't recreate at home. With so many openings hitting the city in a six-month period, we whittled it down to our favourite newcomers raising the bar for Sydney's drinking scene. Well, our favourites so far — there's still another six months to go.
Make your way down Locomotive Street in South Eveleigh and you're presented with many interesting spots for a feed or a drink. There's the sustainability-focused, zero-waste bar Re-, there's BrewDog's massive beer bar with its vegan-heavy menu, and there's Coyoacán Social, a Mexican street food eatery from the Plate It Forward team. Plate It Forward has already made an impact on Sydney's culinary scene and beyond with its first two venues: the beloved Enmore Road Sri Lankan restaurant Colombo Social and the 2022 arrival Kabul Social. The hospitality group's inaugural spot is based on the philosophy of providing employment opportunities, training and meals to people seeking asylum, while its Afghan counterpart in the CBD is run by a group of female refugees, and donates a meal to a person in need in both Australia and Afghanistan for each meal sold. [caption id="attachment_896474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roman Cortes and his mother Maru Navarro[/caption] Coyoacán Social is the third restaurant to join the hospitality group, a walk-in-only spot that's donating a meal to Mexico City for every guest who buys a set of tacos while also working with local charities to create a safe space within the local Redfern and South Eveleigh communities. Plate It Forward founder Shaun Christie-David has put the restaurant in the hands of Head Chef Roman Cortes, a Mexico City native and someone who has previously faced the challenges of overcoming addiction. Cortes shares Christie-David and Plate It Forward's belief in the power of food to create social change, and has pulled together a vibrant menu inspired by his mother Maru Navarro's cooking and dishes from her birthplace Coyoacán. Birria tacos ($19.50) are the star of the menu, made with shredded beef marinated in a traditional adobo, topped with melted cheese and served alongside a side of beef compote cooked overnight for dipping. Outside of tacos, you'll find a customisable nachos menu ($16), crunch tostadas ($18) smothered in toppings, and a range of accompaniments like guacamole ($6-9) and pico de Gallo ($4). For the sweet tooth in attendance, there's horchata or hibiscus flower iced tea ($6) to accompany your savoury mains, and there's some of Sydney's best churros ($10 for four). The crunchy cinnamon sticks are drenched in creamy sweetened caramel for a truly indulgent end to your meal. Images: Rhiannon Hopley.
