Review - Sydney Magazine Cocktail Review April 2004
Cocktail : Old-fashioned
Presumably there was a time when it wasn't old-fashioned, but if this giant of a drink was considered pretty retro in the 1930's, it's positively ancient today. But age be damned: the old-fashioned is one of the most elegant weapons in a bartender's armoury. Take and old-fashioned glass (of course) and add two teaspoons of sugar syrup, stir in a dash or two of Angostura bitters, a measure of whiskey, some cracked ice, some more whiskey, a twist of lemon and a maraschino cherry. Sydney bartenders are divided over the rye and bourbon whiskeys, but many of them seem to prefer muddling granulated sugar with the bitters, a splash of soda and a slice of orange. the resulting drink remains worthy of the title - a discreetly aromatic and chic cocktail whose ingredients interact as it is sipped, the cherry, citrus and bitters bringing out the best in the booze.
Where to drink it : Firefly
No, it doesn't glow inthe dark, but it is tiny and loves the outdoors. Opened in December Firefly, an espresso joint by day and a tapas bar by night, is part of the new-look wharves along Hickson Road near the new Sydney Theatre. Seating about 30 and open to the water, it looks like a kiosk that has gone upmarket, with a raised stone floor and smart polished steel fittings contrasting with the heavy beams of the surrounding wharf. There's a slice of the bridge to be seen over the rooftops, but the best view is between the pages of the cocktail list. Classics, the waiters point out, are the bar's strong point, and their take on the old-fashioned ($12) is made with a half cube of sugar, Angostura and orange bitters and a twist of orange. The house pour is Jim Beam rye, making for a drier drink.
