Wine - well, i´m a big fan of Margaret River (WA) whites, esp the more specialised vineyards such as Cullens. i also love Sauv Blancs from Martinborough/Marlborough (NZ) - which i believe is consistantly the best region for the colder climate grapes. as for reds, well, Merlots are my favs...but i can find occasion for enjoying every other red drop. once again i´ll support all Australian reds especially those coming out the Barossa and Claire regions. that Penfolds 389 that Mac mentioned is affectionately known as ´baby grange´ (Grange Hermitage is Australia´s best red, with some vintages fetching thousands per bottle) since its affordable and still delicious.
Champagne - well, this is my topic of choice. as for domestic champagne (or sparkling white as we´re supposed to call it) i can´t go passed Croser (which is made by the Petaluma vineyard - which makes some of Australias most awarded whites - esp the Chardonnay). but given the choice, and for a similar price, i prefer a vintage Pelarus (which is a NZ bubbly - beautiful!!). this is a relatively unknown delight in Australia, but its gaining in popularity... lets hope that doesn´t make them rise their prices.
as for French champagne, this is where i enter heaven. most recently i´ve been enjoying Billiecart-Salmon. imo, this is a fine champagne. Perrier-Jouet is another fav, but thats harder to come by in Sydney.
another fav is the good old Italian Prosecco. which i find is the best way to wind down after a long party night. its a bit of a ritual i have with a friend that after a night on the town we head to a good jazz bar (wine banc for those in Sydney) and catch some jazz and prosecco while we relax.
Beer - well, like Mac said, Australia is awash with fine domestic beer. as for draught i´m going through a Carton Draught phase. its a great beer on tap. While Cascade is a great beer, i´d have to choose the Crown lager. another good favourite is the James Squire Ale... which is a perfect bbq beer. oh, and i should also plug Matilda Bay, which is another quality, but lesser known beverage.
as for imports, well, with summer coming on fast, its about time to start on the Coronas again people.
Mixed - well, i can´t ever go past a good G+T. Macheath put me onto these way back when we were about 15, and i haven´t lost my love for them since. and while i´ve been finding that i´m enjoying certain spirits more and more without soft-drink top-ups, the G+T has remained my drink of choice.
Spirits - well, i quite like bourbon on the rocks. but in this category i really can´t go passed my namesake. BUNDY RUM is what i am named for... just as i was when i worked bar... (thats right folks, i´m not named after Ted or Al)... good old Bundy Rum is the principal sponsor of the Wallabies, so during this Rugby World Cup, there aren´t too many supporters not drinking Bundy.
Cocktails - well, the classic Margarita is my favourite here. in an age where most cocktails are now being made with ´infused´ vodkas, too much lime, or exotic fruits like Quongdong or Lychee, its good to see the old Margarita still available in all bars.
Quote:
Originally posted by Macheath
The hot bar girls still on duty would conspire to pour me free G & Ts that were gin heavy, in some cases a 1:1 ratio. They knew that sooner or later I would get stupid drunk and amuse them. Dance monkey, dance!!
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HAHA!!
i´d totally forgotten about that...
wonder if those photos are still floating around...