Nathan Beasley, Owen Westman, Jason Lindsay31st August 2011 saw the second state final of the Angostura Cocktail Challenge at the Byblos Bar & Restaurant on Melbourne's scenic riverside.
Finalists had gathered from all over the state to compete for the spot in the upcoming National Final. Familiar faces from local establishments such as Black Pearl were also seen behind the bar.
It's been five years since the first ever Rum Club was held at the multiple award winning cocktail bar Golden Monkey in Melbourne and though I have not been around for the most part until recently, I can easily understand why the Rum Club is so popular and why it continues to grow with each passing month.
May 2nd Golden Monkey - Every now and then my local Rum Club comes up with something a little different to the usual rum tasting seminars that is both innovative and an interactive way to present a product to the rum connoisseurs and hobbyists alike.
Sunday the 8th of May saw the opening of a Tiki exhibition at the Kustom Lane Gallery in Hawthorn and I had got word about some rum and tiki thing happening at the show. I was sold after rum was mentioned and I've been known to even brave the weather for a dram... but wait a second, what does an art show have anything to do with rum?!
Usually nothing and in most cases you're likely to be served sparkling or Champagne but in this instance Appleton Estate had sponsored the event, and considering their history and close ties to all things Tiki I thought it was a great idea.
When you first step inside the Black Pearl you immediately feel right at home, drawn in by the warm, relaxed interior design and welcomed by the friendly staff member behind the bar. I waste no time and walk straight to the bar to order a drink. While waiting, I notice a few familiar faces from the Melbourne bar scene as well as international visitors.
Most unexpectedly I bumped into a friend I’d made at the Rum Fest in London last year. It was one of those surprising ‘hey, I know you!’ moments. The word of the evening’s special event we had arrived for, had definitely been passed around.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the April 10 Cane Rum Club when I received the invitation that read I would be guaranteed to regret if I missed out on the session and sure enough I found myself making my way to the Golden Monkey after work on a Monday night, not that I needed much convincing in the first place.
It's always a mad rush to get in time to the Rum Club straight after work but if I can't do it, then someone else is going to drink my complimentary cocktail and we damn well can't have that now can we? Besides, what kind of a person would refuse a free drink and samples of some pretty good Bermudan hooch?
Years of exploiting Ron's name are finally over - now there finally is a rum with his name on the label!
Ron de Jeremy, undoubtedly one of the most controversially marketed and thought provoking spirits we've so far seen, will finally be made naked to the world's glaring eyes, when it is first released in the United States with global online sales made available in the near future.
Before its launch, Ron de Jeremy has erupted quite the fizz within the online communities, causing people to be two minds about it - some endorsing it and some thinking it will forever tarnish the name of "Don Pancho," the Master Blender behind the rum.