Story by Wee James MacRae, Hendrick’s Gin Model Ambassador @weejammacrae
Images by Nikki To
From the award-winning Bar Planet comes a brand-new menu ‘Soigne’ (pronounced “Swan-Yay”) with an enormous change – the foray into new flavours from worldwide gins beginning with Hendrick’s Gin!
That is the fifth menu from the Newtown/Enmore Highway venue, which, in simply over a 12 months has turn out to be a number one venue throughout the Australian bartending group and a agency favorite with Martini lovers in every single place.
From the brand new Soigne menu (which comes from the French verb ‘Soigner’—which implies to be taken care of, paid consideration to—a philosophy that the superior Bar Planet group take to coronary heart and excel at) comes the ‘Mirage’ cocktail: a mix of Hendrick’s Gin, ‘Jet 16’ an infusion of Cardamon & Tarragon, contemporary mint, and cucumber.
“Southside, Eastside or Mojito, the mixture of contemporary lime with mint is an equation that’s refreshment assured. Our combine is a hyper-green, post-realist try. Tremendous-saturated and tremendous tasty… contemporary cucumber juice provides a bizarre bitterness and brings the drink again to life, and again to the second,” says Jeremy Blackmore, Artistic Director for Mucho Group, and co-owner of Bar Planet.
“Southside, Eastside or Mojito, the mixture of contemporary lime with mint is an equation that’s refreshment assured. Our combine is a hyper-green, post-realist try. Tremendous-saturated and tremendous tasty… contemporary cucumber juice provides a bizarre bitterness and brings the drink again to life, and again to the second,” says Jeremy Blackmore, Artistic Director for Mucho Group, and co-owner of Bar Planet.
As somebody who religiously shoves handfuls of popcorn into their face at any given probability, the curry butter selection served at BP being no exception, there’s usually the dilemma on what to refresh oneself with exterior of a Martini when sitting on the bar. A lot so, a satisfyingly refreshing lengthy gin cocktail that makes me really feel barely higher in regards to the variety of baggage of popcorn I’ve ingested is usually high of thoughts.
Some months in the past, I used to be fortunate sufficient to attempt one in all Bar Planet’s well-known Scorpino seasonal sorbet serves, with contemporary cucumber sorbet. It was in fact sensational; the epitome of a thirst quencher, and one thing I may deceive myself was a part of my fruit and veg for the day. From that second on I’ve been dreaming of the day that I may have one other cucumber-related refreshing banger at Bar Planet, however with Hendrick’s Gin.
I do know I’m very a lot biased right here, however some of the refreshing substances for me is cucumber. What higher technique to steadiness mouth a great deal of BP’s morish popcorn bar snacks.
Naturally the right accompaniment to cucumber in liquid format so far as this author is worried is Hendrick’s Gin; we do in fact use cucumbers as one in all our 13 botanicals. Due to this fact, with this cocktail we now have a match made in heaven, leading to one very joyful small Scottish man.
For any bar menu, steadiness is massively vital, particularly when you’ve a extra targeted menu (exterior of their well-known martini choices, there are simply six cocktails on BPs menu), and when you could specialize in or hero one class of spirits (Gin, Vodka, Whisk(e)y, Agave Spirits, and so forth.), there’ll all the time be a spread of drinks experiences you wish to provide. The ‘Soigne’ menu nails this steadiness.
Now, in fact, we will’t overlook the Martini. It’s Bar Planet’s proverbial bread and butter, and a must-try for each go to.
For the martini lovers on the market studying this, which I think about is sort of all of you, worry not. Hendrick’s Gin can be obtainable for the “The way you prefer it” Martini leading to non-traditional floral deliciousness.
The “The way you prefer it” approach of getting your Martini has been a favorite possibility since my very first go to to BP a few weeks after they opened in April 2022. As put completely by Jeremy: “Martinis have a tradition. A sensible bartender as soon as advised me, ‘Ordering a Martini is a dialog’.
Individuals like to create possession over the best way they order their Martinis; how soiled they need it, how dry – every of the small print being a step in the direction of particular person possession.”
Having the ability to experiment and adapt a serve is all the time one thing that we as bartenders and bon vivants get pleasure from. Getting to supply that to company is even cooler. Having the ability to have the gin that opened flavour past these conventional London dry profiles and helped create the ‘new world’ type in a martini together with your alternative of steadiness and garnish, be it Olive, a twist, or a refreshing slice of cucumber – superior!
For sure, you will see me propping up the bar at BP so much over the subsequent few months as I discover that excellent refreshment steadiness between scrumptious cucumber bangers and curry butter popcorn!
This story featured within the June problem of Australian Bartender Journal and was shot on location at Bar Planet by Nikki To.
