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Down the Rabbit Hole - An Alice in Wonderland Inspired cocktail list from The Victoria Room
By Deb Carr
Last night I was invited to The Victoria Room #TheVictoriaRoom in Darlinghurst for a tasting of “Down the Rabbit Hole" - An Alice in Wonderland Inspired cocktail list. I have to admit there are a lot of perks and treats being a lifestyle blogger and this was one of them.
What struck me straight away was the personal greeting at the top of the stairs by Director, Mike Manassen and Cocktail Bar Manager, Dave Green (pictured with me). Love the hair by the way Dave! Very cool.
The second thing that wowed me was the décor. I mean “WOW”. It’s like stepping back into a time of pure elegance. The restaurant in the background with elegant dining tables, then next to the bar gorgeous antique style lounges and tables, the piano music in the background and of course the bar, where we sat for our cocktail experience. It’s one large area cleverly divided into sections by curtains and furniture.
There were about ten of us at the bar and 5 cocktail bartenders demonstrating how the cocktails were made. Dave Green, gave us a run down of the ingredients and a big shoutout to Dave, I happen to know he worked very hard to pull this together. As well I would like to congratulate Mike and his choice of staff, friendly, happy and totally customer focused. Great team!
I will point out here too, the food was fabulous consisting of a range of cold meats, vegetables and bread beautifully presented. During the evening we were treated to kebabs where the meat was so tender it melted in my mouth and served with a beetroot sauce, which was divine. Fried Chicken is not something I would ever order! Except now I will if it’s from The Victoria Room, tender chicken lightly coated and again, melted in my mouth.
Moving on to the Cocktails…
The Flightless Fairy
A refreshing cocktail gently shaken with Peach liqueur, a measure of absinthe complemented with freshly juiced apples.
This one was my winner for the night. Delicious and fresh.
Down The Wicked River
Starting with a sophisticated single malt; Old Pultney 17, stirred with salted caramel, chestnut liqueur, then smoked with Australian Paper bark and slowly poured over a chilled polished rock.
The first time I have ever had drink served with smoked paper bark and a polished rock. Quite a unique taste and recommended for the experience.
Fresh Pickings
Marigold infused Herradura Tequila, Cointreau Noir, Celery Shrub Bitters strained into a stem less PinotNoir glass then dusted with cinnamon and chocolate powder.
This was my second favourite, it was very moorish.
The Mad Hatter’s Secret Tea
A flavorsome potion vigorously stirred together with Hendricks gin, Montenegro Amaro and Cardamom bitters served from a walking cane into a gorgeous teacup.
I have tasted similar to this and it certainly is a cup of tea that one needs to slip slowly. That is exactly what I did, kept having little sips because the flavours were very appealing.
Mosaic Hopping
Appleton 8 year old is rapidly infused to create a unique hopped sensation. Spritzed with Licor 43, pineapple juice, topped off with a Aloe Vera foam and smoked cinnamon
I am not a beer drinker, so I found the hops very strong. It’s not that I didn’t like this drink, it’s more I was biased on the others i.e. Fresh Pickings.
Waking up from the Dream
We have created a composition of Woodford Reserve, Cointreau Noir, Maple Syrup and orange bitters, which we then inject with a syringe into a ball of ice served ready to crack apart for your delight.
Another great combination created by Dave Green. Very refreshing and very tasty.
I highly recommend visiting The Victoria Room for cocktails, dinner or high tea. I am sure it will be one of those places in Sydney that everyone wants to be seen at.
Thanks for having me!
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