If I were in Melbourne tomorrow…

I’d definitely be going to this, Sebastian is a legend: 

Mixology Management 5 Day Cocktail training Course 

The Mixology Management 1806 cocktail bar training week is conducted at 1806, a fully functional, modern cocktail bar and training facility.
As well as taking students through the basics of bartending and customer service, we educate our participants in all the components of modern cocktails.

Course Objectives and Outcomes
The course is designed to take candidates with little or no experience and prepare them with knowledge and practical skills to comfortably begin an entry level bartending position in a bar or cocktail bar. Our course provides all the necessary knowledge and skills required to work happily, safely and efficiently in a modern cocktail bar.
Students who show willingness to succeed and excel will become part of Mixology Management’s casual and event staff database and will be given opportunities to gain experience. Those students will also have the opportunity for their details and CV to be distributed through Mixology Management’s extensive hospitality venue database and will be recommended for bar positions as they come up. There is no guarantee of work, but there is access to details about Melbourne’s best bars, bar managers, venue operators and advice on the best way to enter the hospitality industry.
There is currently a shortage of skilled bartenders in Australia, most venues in Melbourne are looking for reliable and competent staff, so there has never been a better time to enter hospitality, and there is no better cocktail community resource than Mixology Management.

Street:	169 exhibition Street
	1806

Phone:	0400225532
Email:	lisa@mixologymanagement.com

Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey

Rittenhouse Rye Whisky was originally launched upon the repeal of Prohibition by the Continental Distilling Company ofPhiladelphia, and was subsequently acquired by Heaven Hill Distilleries, the nation’s largest independent family-owned spirits producer. Heaven Hill now produce a complete range of very crappy products like Hypnotiq and some non-agave tequila, but because of Rittenhouse I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they care about what they’re doing. They also produce Georgia Moon, a moonshine packaged in a jar (overbite and inbred children sold separately).

Back to Rittenhouse, it comes in three varieties, standard, bottled in bond (left) and the pricey but delightful 23yr old, which is much harder to find but well worth the effort. Rye whiskey is a bit drier (less sweet), stronger tasting and more peppery than bourbon. Cocktailwise, Manhattans and Sazeracs should definitely be experienced with this gem of the American Northeast.

So far I’ve found Rittenhouse at the Victoria Room, the Bayswater Brasserie and at Lotus. I also think I saw a bottle or two on the shelves at Elizabeth Bay Cellars.

Ron Zacapa Centanario Rum

Rum, for me, is very special. Often overpowered by post mix coke in bars across the country, the Tiki revival has seen the number, quality and popularity of Rum explode.

On the top of the ever growing heap sits Ron Zacapa. This Rum is from the mountain regions of Guatemala. What this means is that the sugar cane is grown at altitudes in excess of 23oo meters above sea level. The result is an exceptionally smooth Rum, beautifully packaged. Ron Zacapa comes in 15, 23 and 25 yr old versions and is now being imported and distributed in Australia by Diageo.

I cannot stress enough just how gorgeous this sweet nectar of the gods tastes. It is best served on its own, like a fine single malt. Add a little ice if you must.

Many would say that to use this, the finest of spirits in a cocktail is a waste. In general, I would agree with this line of reasoning. However, I have come across one recipe that does the flaxen bottle justice. The Imperial Mojito. 

Add a generous measure of Ron Zacapa to a highball glass. Twist off six or seven leaves of mint and rip them roughly in half and add them to your glass, you can add a little sugar or mint syrup but the Rum packs a good measure of sweetness as it is. Top it up with ice and give it a generous stir to release and mingle the minty oils. Top the highball off with Champagne, Bollinger for my preference but I heartily encourage experimentation. Garnish with fresh mint, a straw and a warm, hammock filled afternoon.