Sydney’s cocktail frenzy
Monday, July 10, 2017
Sydney’s bar scene is booming, with lots a new little pop up bars and hidden laneway cafes opening up every other day or so. You’ll find bars under libraries, behind book shops, in old record shops or sign less in lone alleyways. Sydney is turning it up and the ol’ ‘going for a drink with your mates’ is becoming a truly exciting and intimate experience.
Yes people still have a beer or wine at their local, but more and more people are venturing out to explore new and exciting drinking holes. A conversation overheard on the train the other day: “So what did you get up to Friday eve?” “Friday… ah I went to that hidden cocktail bar, you know the one under Subway - you wouldn’t be able to find it if you didn’t know about it - it’s amazing! The staff were all wearing denim dungarees and pretty much all the guys had a big beard. We ordered these cocktails, I forgot the name but they were cherry pepper martinis in a shoe shaped capsicum rimmed glasses!”
Back in the day, cocktail menus were limited and you could order a simple Bloody Mary (vodka, tomato juice and vegetable garnish), a martini (gin & vermouth) or margarita (tequila & triple sec), nowadays it’s almost a competition for bars to come up with the funniest cocktail names and strangest ingredients. That’s very OK though Sydneysiders love it! The sky's the limit and no one will raise an eyebrow if you order a cocktail containing homemade beetroot puree, cloudy organic apple juice, salty liquorice, lime and whiskey.
So what does this mean for employment? It means you can no longer get away with just having your compulsory RSA certification to get a job in one of these hip and happening bars. Customers who pay over $20 for a cocktail, expect a bit of a show and of course, an amazing tasting drink. To be eligible to work among other cocktail making artists, you need to know your cocktails.
Sydney Bar School offer cocktail classes where experienced cocktail bartenders teach you all the tricks of the trade so you can truly impress at the bar! You will learn all about the history of cocktail making, different methods of preparing cocktails and of course, very importantly, how to present the cocktails to your future customers. During the last bit of the course, you will be able to put your newly learnt skills and creativity in practice when you design your own cocktail!
Booking your cocktail course is easy; simply check out this page to sign up for the four hour course. Make sure you’re not driving afterwards as Sydney Bar School use real alcohol to mix their drinks and it would be rude not to taste what you’ve created…. ;-)
And... if you feel like becoming a proper all-rounder, why not choose the Professional Bartending course? Besides learning how to shake it like a pro, this two-day course includes coffee training, bartending, food hygiene and food & beverage. Imagine adding these courses & skills to your CV, employers will love it!
