Just when you thought mixing whiskey and cream couldn’t get better; it did. For a limited time only, Baileys is pumping out red velvet deliciousness for the festive season, ideal for dessert-like decadence and sensational cocktails. Like this one. The Red Velvet Martini (1.3 standard drinks) Add 50mls of Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake and 25mls of vodka into an ice-filled shaker. Shake with ice and pour into a martini glass. Top with whipped cream for added decadence. Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake (700ml) will be available from mid-October for a limited time at all leading liquor stores nationwide – until stocks last. RRP $35.99. 17% ABV
Sydney’s ivy, right in the heart of town, is hosting a Halloween bash worthy of getting excited about – Halloqween! Yas. A 3-hour jam-packed haunt will serve you a seated service event and show, with food by Totti’s, a costume extravaganza, and red carpet arrivals. It’ll be camp. There will be a full line-up of bloody valentines including drag devils, vampiric vocalists and so many more horrors. First release tickets on sale now from here and include entry, entertainment, inclusive drinks package, two-course meal by Totti’s plus a trick or treat dessert goodie bag.
The Wolf Release 2020 is the third single malt whisky in The Wolf Release series by Lark Distilling Co. And this is why you should care… On the nose, there’s notes of lush tropical fruit, mangoes and lychees as well as toffee, roasted malt, chocolate-covered bananas, and strawberries and cream. On the palate, flavours of rich chocolate malt and liquorice build to a long, fruity finish with hints of intense smoke. Get it for $239 from Lark Distilling.
They’re sweet, tart, fruit and all ’round weird in their combination of everything all-in-one, but you’ll be shocked to know they make a pretty decent gin, too. Enter Bombay’s new gin, Bombay Bramble, the bold new gin bursting with the 100% natural flavour of freshly harvested blackberries and raspberries. It’s the kind of thing that’s an easy-to-mix, perfect alcohol for cocktail experimentation, complete with a crimson colour and flavour to the classic G&T and a host of creative cocktails this year. Find it at your local.
Amy Winehouse was a fan. So was Oasis. And now, you will be, too. The Columbia Hotel in London fast-became synonymous with trendy hangouts and quality bevs and they’ve recently redone their look along with what’s on. In collaboration with local artists, the hotel’s unveiled an exciting transformation and has launched five private dining lounges and intimate day-to-night bars showcasing pieces-to-purchase from emerging artists including Kate Bellm, Yulia Iosilzon and artists from Roman Road Gallery, in which the artists will rotate every quarter. What’s it all for? Well, The Columbia is all about providing support for two industries that have been hit hard by the pandemic around the world. They want to provide a safe and intimate space to socialise and soak-up visual art while providing a platform for artists to showcase their work outside of the traditional gallery space. And there’s a room deal too, if after the new menu on offer and cultural inundation, you need to just roll up and crash. Check it all out at the Columbia website.
Two words. Loaded chips. Are you frothing yet? You should be, because for a limited time only, Nando’s is offering their signature PERi-PERi Chips with a mix of juicy grilled capsicum, tomato, and onion, lathered in your choice of legendary PERi-PERi basting. On top of that, there’s a big dollop of creamy aioli and smoky capsicum relish finished off with tangy feta cheese. But there’s a catch! Before you can get your hands on this drool-worthy feast, there’s one small caveat. You have to be a PERi-Perks loyalty member to score yourself a serve of Nando’s ‘secret’ loaded chips. It will only be available on Nando’s new app for iOS or Android, via the website or ‘on request’ in the restaurant. Nando’s Loaded Chips are available for dine-in or takeaway for $9 without protein, $13 with grilled PERi-PERi Chicken Tenders or Superfood Veggie Patty, or $14 with a Great Pretender. When you join Nando’s PERi-Perks club, you’ll be rewarded for your appetite with exclusive access to member-only offers (like the loaded chips deal), freebies on your birthday, plus you’ll earn one PERi-Perks point for every $1 spent. The loaded chips are available until 1 November 2020, so all you need to do is jump on the app, online or head into a Nando’s restaurant and join Nando’s PERi-Perks loyalty program. To check out the rest of the Nando’s menu here.
With the West Winds Wild Plum Gin 2019 vintage a sell-out, it’s clear Australia’s love affair with gin is far from over. In fact, the award-winning distillery has brought forward the date for its 2020 release. Hallelujah! Located in the gorgeous Margaret River region in Western Australia, the distillery uses native Davidson plums and Tasmanian sloe berries to create this very popular drop. This particular gin scooped five gold medals at the 2020 International Wine & Spirits Competition; the World Gin Masters 2020; the World Gin Awards 2020; the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020 as well as the Australian Gin Awards in November 2019, making it unequivocally Australia’s most awarded flavoured gin. If you love a gin with tart plum, zesty citrus and warm sweetness, then this is definitely the gin for you. In addition to the tart finish from the Davidson plums, you’ll discover a cosy sweetness thanks to banksia honey and the sloe berries, all perfectly balanced out with robust citrus notes. Established in 2010, The West Winds gin distillery is a true pioneer in Australian craft spirit production. Always pushing the boundaries, the distillery places an emphasis on product development and innovation. But don’t just take our word for it! Here’s a delicious cocktail recipe to get you started. Wild Plum Fizz – 50ml The West Winds Wild Plum Gin – 20ml fresh lemon – 20ml sugar syrup – White of one egg – Soda Step 1: Add all but soda to cocktail tin with one cube of ice and shake. … Read More
With lockdown ruining our lives, there’s officially a silver lining: We can still go to Chin Chin on Friday 2 October. Well, not “go to” in the pre-Covid sense of the word, but they’re now doing delivery boxes to your place for just $75pp. In conjunction with their other incarnation, Hawker Hall – packs available for $65pp – , your weeknight meals are officially sorted. Appetite need whetting? Think wagyu brisket, butter chicken curry and cauliflower with curry spiced yoghurt cream – and heaps more. We’ve got the Chin Chin menu and Hawker Hall menu for your enjoyment. Pre-orders for delivery on Friday 2 October will cut off on Wednesday 30 September at 12pm, unless sold out prior. Delivery on all orders is a flat fee of $15 and SMS tracking is provided for all orders.
It was back in 2018 that the girls at the Imperial Erskineville in Sydney’s inner-west brought out their finest foods and roodest ‘toods for the entertainment of a packed room of diners. Then Covid; but now, we’re back! The Imperial Erskineville’s award-winning Priscilla’s restaurant has announced the return of Rood Food, a seductively designed X-Rated menu by head Chef, Christopher Dale Tolcidas. Think: a hen’s night gone wrong in all the right ways. Top quality food, prepared on site – and visibly – paired with a strictly adults-only drag review by the venues industry-renowned queens designed to stimulate your senses and launching on September 25. Think of it as a sensory experience. Emphasis on looks and tastes. As to be expected from dinner and a show that tantalises your tastebuds while delivering a plethora of tongue-in-cheek sexual innuendos performed by a roster of Australia’s leading drag divas. Priscilla’s head Chef, Christopher Dale Tolcidas has gone all out this round, producing dishes like Pussy Paté, Bring Back the Bush and the return of Rood Food favourites, the Panna-Knockers. “I’ve retained what Priscilla’s is best-known for, our plant-based menu and slow-cooked meats, and given the dishes a colourful dressing-up much like our queens,” says head Chef, Christopher Dale Tolcidas. Directed by The Imperial Erskineville’s resident queen, Etcetera Etcetera and starring favourites Peach Fuzz, Dammit Janet, Dakota Fann’ee and Riot, the nightly stage production consists of a three-part line up including an Uber Eats drag delivery spoof, a self-saucing dinner party, and an erect banana-themed number topped by… Read More
Who doesn’t love Italian? They are leaders in the art of coffee and there’s nothing more romantic than listening to the Italian language. This is why the latest partnership between Lavazza Australia and the world’s number one language app, Duolingo, makes sense. When you visit Lavazza.com.au and add a minimum of 1kg bag of whole beans to your cart, simply add the code ESPRESSOLINGO to win one of 100 free annual subscriptions to Duoling. The subscription is valued at $170. This offer ends at midnight on the 11th of September 2020. This partnership came about as a result of research commissioned by Lavazza Australia, which showed that although international travel is off the cards for 2020, many Australians revealed they’d like to learn a new language. The national report, which spoke to more than 1,000 Australians, found Millennials/Gen Y (37%) to be the most eager to learn a new language, closely followed by Centennials/Gen Z (34%) and Gen X (18%). Baby Boomers came in at the tail end with just one-in-10 claiming any interest in learning a second ‘lingo’. When it came to the most popular language of choice studied by Aussies, Italian came out on top at 27%, followed by Spanish (24%, French (22%), Japanese (16%), and then Mandarin (11%). This aligned with Duolingo’s app data, which showed the number of people studying Italian had increased by 27% year on year, dominated by Sydneysiders, followed by Melburnians. Interestingly, the trends mirrored the nation’s top destination picks of places to visit once international restrictions lift,… Read More
