Spring Cocktail Launch Party @ Rabbit Hole - 14 August 2013

I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to Rabbit Hole Bar and Dining (82-88 Elizabeth St, Sydney) Spring cocktail launch party on Wednesday night, 14 August. Rabbit Hole is known for their exciting, innovative and tasty cocktails. Rabbit Hole are always looking to push the boundary with their molecular techniques in their cocktails. I hear that they are one of a few bars in the world to use Cointreau Caviar Spherification, which they have been doing since they opened late last year.

Spring cocktail menu

Now, in a world first according to resident cocktail guru, Doug Laming, Rabbit Hole have come up with a rum in powdered form. The Stolen Painkiller was the first “cocktail” that we were presented with after we were greeted by Doug. This was a playful “cocktail”, kind of like an adult version of sherbet, and I enjoyed the combination of the rum powder and the pineapple, coconut and blood orange powder. It was a bit messy to eat off the little dish though.

Stolen Painkiller

"Something we have been working on for a while. A world first, or at least

to our knowledge, alcoholic powdered rum is mixed with pineapple, 

coconut and blood orange powder. The first powdered cocktail is matched 

with a Stolen Rum painkiller in liquid form."

The booze was well and truly flowing on the night. We were allowed to sample any of the cocktails of the night at the front and back bars. I had the opportunity to try all the cocktails (I hope you don't think I am an alcoholic), except the Jellied G&T. All the cocktails were enjoyable but my favourites were XO Zombie and Wood and Smoke. Although the flame refused to stay lit on my XO Zombie, I found it to be a very refreshing cocktail with great tropical fruit flavours. The Wood and Smoke was my last cocktail for the night and it was definitely a great one to end the night with after all those fruity cocktails. I enjoyed the complex and bitter flavours of this drink. It packed quite the punch, just the way I like it! The perfect nightcap for a midweek night! 

XO Zombie

"Our twist on the original. Mt Gay XO, Cointreau 

and Joseph Cartron Cocody are muddled with lime,

mint and our house-made passionfruit caramel. It is 

shaken with aromatic bitters, pineapple and 

orange. Served in a bitter, sugar rimmed glass 

and a mint crystal."

Shrubbery

"Sometimes some basics are constant favourites. 

This one is for you that LOVE your drinks fruity and 

playful. Russian Standard Platinum is mixed with

fresh strawberries, our housemade raspberry and 

strawberry shrubb, Elderflower. Lemon, Fee Brother’s

rhubarb bitters and amaranth. Strawberry powder and 

sorrel finish this off."

Lava Lamp

"What a lava lamp? NO! It’s a sparkling cocktail. 

Springfield Caviar float through the bubbles 

of the glass while Remy Martin VSOP, orange bitters 

and demarara syrup highlight the Jansz NV."

Ay Carumba

"Sierra Millenario Blanco is mixed with Yellow Charteuse, 

lime, piquillo pepper and agave nectar, fresh coriander 

and white pepper. Bell pepper salt rims your glass. Spicy, 

sour and complex. Delicious."

Breakfast Bouquet

"Not dissimilar to a breakfast martini, Larios gin is 

the base with Joseph Cartron double crème de cassis. 

It is shaken with house-made rose and strawberry jam, 

wild willow water and fresh lemon. The breakfast 

bouquet is finished with a dash of rhubarb bitters."

Effin Island

"Lime wedges, lemongrass and muddled with black lime 

syrup. A long pour of Effin vodka and a hint of Branca 

Menta are added before this drink is topped with a 

thick, alcoholic coconut foam."

Wood and Smoke

"First the aroma of smouldering cinnamon will greet
you. Then be taken next to a warm fireplace with this
complex and bitter drink. Auchentoshan 3 Wood, Jim
Beam Devil’s Cut and Laphroaig 10 yo is mixed with
Quassia and Barberry Bark syrup, Acid Phosphate,
Fee Brother’s whiskey barrel aged bitters and Old
Fashioned bitters."

There were some great canapes served too. My favourites were the wagyu beef slider and the hand cut chips (see my review of the full size version). The slider was essentially a smaller version of the Rabbit Hole burger, which I think is one of the best burgers in Sydney. So tasty! And hand cut fat chip is quite possibly the best chip in Sydney. Crisp on the outside and a thin batter with amazing flavour from the herbs used. And warm, soft, fluffy potatoes on the inside. Just amazing! All the canapes were quite tasty, however they were a little bit messy to eat. A small problem really for some delicious food :9

Tiede wagyu tartare, egg emulsion and truffle meringue

Seared king prawn soft shell taco

Seared scallops, celeriac two ways and buckwheat

Rabbit Hole wagyu beef sliders

So all in all, the Spring Cocktail launch party was a fun night, albeit a late one for a midweek outing. Look out for the new spring cocktail menu at Rabbit Hole, which launches on 1 September. The only problem was that I had to get up early for work the next day and I could definitely feel the effects of all those drinks the next day. I am definitely starting to show signs of my age. Any way, I will leave you with some action shots throughout the night...

I sampled these cocktails and canapes as a guest of Rabbit Hole Bar and Dining. A special thanks to Georgie Dodds for the invitation to the launch party.