Silly season truly has truly kicked off since December opened its doors. perhaps more so this year than any type of other. definitely making up for lost time besides the lockdowns as well as travel restrictions.
In truth this week we’ve been to more celebrations as well as functions, done more socialising as well as travel than any type of other time since March 2020!
Dinner with mates, super-yacht celebration launches, new bars as well as distilleries starting up, as well as the very first of (hopefully) many fun Christmas celebrations – the end of 2021 is going for that huge bang.
We hope you enjoy this Edition.
Cheers – Jim & Christina xx
Not a poor method to begin the week: drinks as well as dinner with our dear buddy Anton. We’re at Ash street Cellars in the city. A fine negroni, fantastic food as well as – of program – even much better company.
It’s so great to see the CBD begin to liven up once again right here in Sydney. things have been as well rather round right here for as well long.
We may have been a bit as well over-excited with last night’s dinner. There may have even been more bottles of wine ordered after the meal than was truly necessary too, however that’s ok.
We’re at Euforia cafe in Balmain trying to reclaim a bit of sanity – I believe Christina’s getting a perk endorphin boost from this gorgeous dog.
I’m relying more on Euforia’s excellent burgers, as well as they’re not letting me down. My grilled poultry burger (extra bacon of course) is precisely what’s needed. as well as Christina’s cheeseburger vanishes almost as quickly.
That’s the method to get over mixed drink flu.
This afternoon, we’re discovering about a extremely fascinating new concept. This is the introduce celebration for the inaugural Sydney super Yacht Festival, prepared to begin on the very first day of 2022.
Introducing it is Dr Jerry Schwartz – part owner of Sydney Sea Planes as well as who has likewise supported this festival. Indeed, this is in the empire Lounge, the restaurant as well as event area of the renowned sea airplane port in increased Bay.
It’s an interesting announcement, heralding many gorgeous super private yachts from around Australia as well as the world, as well as motivating much-needed tourism to our shores.
The celebration runs from Jan 1-Jan 6, as well as it’s not just super yacht owners who will be able to enjoy the festivities.
Along with events as well as entertainment at the Sofitel Sydney darling Harbour, there are gourmet picnics on Shark Island planned, a celebration catamaran with a floating pool that people can cruise around the harbour, as well as mixed drinks as well as functions to enjoy at the empire Lounge right here in increased Bay too.
It should be a great deal of fun, so keep your eye open for announcements.
The last time we were in the empire Lounge it was to take a flight on one of the sea planes that dock right here – you can watch our video of the flight right here – so it’s lovely to be back for a few of the tasty food they serve!
But apart from the interesting news as well as being at this remarkable location, quickly the highlight of our afternoon is catching up with our excellent buddy Peter Hook.
Peter, who likewise works with Dr Jerry Schwartz, tells us that Jerry as well as his buddy – one more physician – are prepared to introduce their whiskey. It’s a job that’s been in the mix for some six years now, so it’s fantastic that the whiskey, which they’ve aptly named The two Doctors, is up as well as running.
In fact, the Fairmont resort as well as medical spa in the blue Mountains (which Dr Schwartz has as well by the way) is house to the new two physicians Whiskey Tavern, as well as we’ll be heading up there to inspect out the hotel as well as bar in a couple of weeks! We’ll keep you posted.
Tonight we’re out for one more introduce party, this time around in the Rocks. We’re running early though so Christina as well as I pop into Frank Mac’s to inspect out their martini menu.
They have a fantastic variety of gins right here – great deals of Aussie one too, which is fantastic to see. We do get caught in the paradox of option though as well as end up ordering the exact same gin from the Prohibition Gin Co. Still, it’s an excellent martini.
And it means I don’t have to share any!
The wonderful thing about bars in the Rocks is the environment this old design brings. The sandstone-walled courtyard right here makes for a lovely setting. We’ll definitely be back.
But for now, we have a new distillery to explore…
After all the terrible delays that Covid has brought, it’s so great to see Hickson home lastly get up as well as running. This location was supposed to open about a year ago, however we’re truly pleased to see the pandemic didn’t stopped it completely.
This gorgeous area on Hickson street in the Rocks is house to its new eponymous gin label as wellas likewise a whisky that will be with us as soon as it’s completed its mandatory two years in barrels.
Hickson home is the brainchild of the absolute gentleman as well as Australian hospitality figurehead Mikey Enright, who likewise has the award-winning gin bar The Barber shop in the city as well as that slice of England, the fight it out of Clarence pub next door.
The celebration truly gets going as well as we soon see exactly how this location will be when it officially opens on December 7th!
From the stairs as much as the cosy mezzanine bar, the view over the location provides you a genuine sense of the space. surely this will be one of the coolest bars in Sydney. particularly with what’s with the windows on the far side.
Truly the heart of the venue, the stunning copper stills of Hickson home Distillery glow with the windows into the bar. It’s wonderful that people in the city will be able to drink the gin (and ultimately whisky) that’s made right here.
There will likewise be tours of the distillery clients can do, bringing a much better comprehending of exactly how spirits are made. Mind you, I’ve been on so many distillery tours as well as it still confounds me exactly how everything works.
There truly isn’t a much better mixed drink than a well-made martini. as well as these martinis are much better than just well-made. The Hickson home Distillery London dry is lovely, as well as the garnish of a couple of drops of lemon myrtle oil reduction sets whatever into balance in this drink.
Casting an eagle eye over proceedings are tonight’s security detail. Looking dangerous, ladies!
On the left is Kathleen Davies owner as well as creator of Nip of Courage, a wholesaler, supplier as well as teacher in Aussie craft spirits (you can inspect out the extensive variety of what’s distilled by hand in this country here).
In the middle is – as I’m sure you understand – the gorgeous Christina aka Mrs Romance.
And on the right is Abby Roennfeldt aka just Abby. Not only is Abby the Nip of guts national brand ambassador, she likewise has as well as runs her own bar in Adelaide Hades Hula House. So this introduce is in everyone’s wheelhouse!
Today we’re hanging out with Kathleen as well as Abby again, as well as taking a trip up into the mountains.
This is the view from our hold Lee Etherington’s place. From right here you can see all the method down to the city. You can even see north as far as the hunter Valley as well as south as far as Wollongong. rather incredible.
But we’re not right here for the vistas.
Lee is the owner as well as creator of Wild Hibiscus Distilling Co – so called because, well, you understand those jars of hibiscus flowers you can put in Champagne? Lee started that.
But we’re not right here for flowers either.
We’re right here for finger limes!
Lee has spent actually years (10 in fact!) establishing this product, as well as it not only shows, it’s absolutely been worth it.
These gins have harnessed the flavours of the finger limes that Lee grows himself to produce something extremely unique. He has engineered a method to naturally suspend the finger lime fruit in the gin without everything settling to the bottom of the bottle.
It’s ingenious.
If you don’t know, finger limes are a native fruit that look a bit like fingers. inside each fruit are numerous bit spheres that look like eco-friendly caviar, as well as each one is bursting with juice that tastes just like lime.
We’re kept business during our go to to Lee’s farm by these two bit gems. on the left is Toker as well as on the right is Snoop – so called since he’s only got three toes on each foot as well as it appears like he’s doing the westside indication all the time!
After a bit of a chat about exactly how Lee came to be a distiller, exactly how he established his gin as well as exactly how he grows his finger limes, we take a walk around his farm.
We’ve never seen a finger lime on its tree before, so all of us quite excited.
Christina as well as Lee chat about the growing cycle as well as harvesting process of finger lime trees – it seems like a great deal of difficult work farming these things to be honest. believe I’ll stick with succulents.
You can see exactly how these things look a bit like fingers (they get a great deal fatter as they ripen) as well as why they’re likewise understood as caviar lime. Those bit spheres are packed with citrus flavoured juice.
We check out the finger lime orchard for a while to discover more about the process. Lee benefits our difficult work with a drink amongst the trees. This red gin is made with the red finger limes that Lee likewise grows. There’s no artificial colouring or anything in this drink, just finger limes as well as the botanicals he utilizes to make the gin.
What’s more, the finger lime fruit – both the red as well as the original – is ‘filled’ with a different gin to the one the caviar is sitting in. essentially you’re getting two gins for the cost of one!We head back to Lee’s homestead for a bite to eat (and perhaps one more G&T!). It’s been so fascinating speaking to him about his product as well as exactly how it’s made. We’ll definitely be speaking more about this soon.
It’s likewise been a great deal of fun to be out on this field trip with the rest of the Nip of guts crew! So great to be working with these guys.
Christina as well as I have been composing as well as photographing stories for NoC all this year as well as we’re excited to continue doing so into the future. inspect out a few of our stories here.
We all head back to the city for a Superman-style quick modification as well as then it’s on to the Nip of guts Christmas party.
We’re at P&V vendors in Paddington – ostensibly a bottle shop, however in all honesty much more than that. Yes, you can discover lots of fantastic beers, wines as well as spirits here, however when you have a seat, all the great food comes out too!
These oysters are in truth native to Australia by the method – all others, even the Sydney rock oyster, are introduced. These guys are endemic. as well as delicious!
It feels rather awesome to be sat in a bottle shop enjoying a tasty meal at a banquet table.
The food, drinks, conversation as well as energy of tonight has all been absolutely brilliant. We believed we’d be as well tired to make the most of this evening after such a hectic week as well as an even busier day at the farm, however everyone’s on fire.
Our mate Kath is one in a million.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this regular Edition.
Cheers – Jim & Christina xx