Wine, chocolate and cocktails: June is the month to indulge

WORDS ROBERTA MUIR

DOUBLY BLESSED

This month, Jack Daniel’s unveils the elegant new Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey bottle in Australia – look out for the embossed silver label set into the glass. Whiskey-lovers can eææxpect a wonderfully smooth, mellow taste, with one difference to the usual drop: this is the only whiskey in the world that’s charcoal-mellowed twice – once before and once after maturation. It’s known as “double blessing” – making Gentleman Jack quite the gentleman! Available from AU$49.99.

CHERRY RIPE

When you’re in Melbourne next, check out the very funky bar Der Raum, where owner, artist and cocktail meister Matthew Bax has put his own twist on the classic warming winter cocktail, Blood and Sand. In a cocktail shaker, put 20ml Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey, 20ml Punt e Mes, 20ml cherry liqueur (Bax recommends the Danish Cherry Herring) and two teaspoons of orange butter (available at good delis as “Orange Curd”). Shake well, strain through a fine sieve into a small cocktail glass, then sit back and sip slowly – fireplace optional! 438 Church St, Richmond, tel: +61 (3) 9428 0055.

NICE RACK

Adelaide’s newly refurbished Apothecary 1878 takes its name from the massive dark-wood cabinets in the front bar, which originally graced a London pharmacy in the late 19th century. The elegant, old-world feel continues throughout: the back bar features wrought-iron chandeliers, dark wood, gilt mirrors and leather banquettes, and the cellar restaurant has a wall-long, 1,200-bottle wrought-iron wine rack. It’s the perfect place to take the edge off the cool Adelaide nights. Restaurant manager Paola Coro recommends the Deauville cocktail, a classic mix of Rémy Martin, Cointreau and Calvados. 118 Hindley St, Adelaide, tel: +61 (8) 8212 9099.

CHOCOLATE GOODNESS

Hot chocolate and winter make a great pair, and where better to get your fix than a specialist chocolate café? At Max Brenner’s stores in Sydney and Melbourne, you can choose from five different blends of dark, milk or white chocolate from around the world, then pick your drinking method. The specially designed “Hug Mug” is a great way to warm your hands while inhaling the gorgeouzs aroma, or if you want your chocolate especially rich, try the Suckao: light the candle below, fill the bowl with warm milk, then scoop in the chocolate pieces to melt, and stir and sip with the metal straw provided! Keep an eye out for limited winter flavours such as coconut and mint. Or indulge in the delights of Lindt, the Swiss chocolate manufacturer – it’s opened the first two Lindt Chocolat Cafés in the world in Sydney’s Martin Place and Cockle Bay. Enjoy the small extravagance of a milk or dark hot choc to go from AU$3.50.

IT’S A MUST

A few minutes from the city centre, in Perth’s hip entertainment precinct, Must Winebar offers more than 40 wines by the glass, a 500-strong wine list and great cocktails. With executive chef Russell Blaikie’s contemporary French cuisine and smooth French tracks whispering in the background, Perth’s winter evenings just got hot! Try bartender Jamie Fisher’s favourite winter tipple, a glass of Ridge Geyserville zinfandel from California: with layered flavours of blackberry, spice, tar and cedar, it’s a perfect match for hearty winter dishes. 519 Beaufort Street, Highgate, tel: +61 (8) 9328 8255.

CELLAR HOPPING

If you’re flying into New Zealand to enjoy a spot of skiing this month, take a detour to Marlborough and stop in for a Selaks East Coast Ice Wine tasting at the Drylands cellar door on Hammerichs Road in Rapaura. Ice wine’s traditionally made from grapes frozen on the vine, but Selaks help their grapes along by freezing the juice after crushing, then taking out some of the ice. The end result is a luscious dessert wine with intense flavours of marmalade, dried apricots and honey, yet crisp, clean acidity on the finish. Tel: +64 (9) 412 6666.