This Week in Food: Whiskey business + World Negroni Week
WHISKY BUSINESS – If the seasons had a spirit, winter would be all about whisky, so it’s perfect timing for Supernormal Canteen to team up with Nikka and Asahi to celebrate all things that amber spirit at a one-off “Whisky Business” dinner. Enjoy a 5-course meal influenced by the cuisine of the Yamazaki region of Japan, and developed specifically to be paired with whisky. Kevin Griffin from Nikka will talk you through each menu pairing, dishes include Chicken liver yakitori and Tare-roasted bone marrow, tomato & fried bread. Tickets for the event are $120pp and will include matched drinks; bookings via supernormalcanteen.com
ITALIAN INCARNATION – Scott Pickett’s Smith Street restaurant Saint Crispin is no more, and his new Italian eatery Lupo has risen in its place. So from fine dining, funky environs, to relaxed, contemporary Mediterranean with a focus on fresh pasta made in-house daily. They’re promising modern Italian peppered with ingredients from the Australian larder, so think offerings like spanner crab lasagne, with basil, and sunrise lime; nduja, fermented tomato and anchovy on toast; and hare cappelletti, with celeriac, and mustard fruits. At the end of the day, with Scott in charge, and exec chef Stuart McVeigh at the helm, it’s bound to be good. www.luporestaurant.com.au
VERTICAL VINTAGE – Oakridge’s 2017 vintage of their 864 Chardonnay is on its its way, and what better way to celebrate than with an extravagant dinner cooked by resident chefs Matt Stone & Jo Barrett with a vertical tasting of back vintage 864 wines curated by Chief Winemaker David Bicknell. It’s all happening on the 29th June from 6.30pm, tickets via www.oakridgewines.com.au/
BECAUSE … NEGRONI – It vies for my title of best cocktail in the world, so who doesn’t want to celebrate World Negroni Week (24th – 30th June) … but where to do it? Well, that’s easy. First, try Fatto by the Yarra River, where they’ll have five negronis on offer, including the classic Italian version and a white negroni with Drambuie, Campari, Dolin Rogue & honey syrup.
Or, how about Stokehouse St Kilda where they’re pouring a bespoke Barrel-Aged Negroni with Tanqueray Gin, Antica Formula and Campari, all combined and aged in an oak barrel.
In the city, try one of four Negroni specials on the Bomba rooftop, including a fabulous Barrel-aged East India Negroni made with East India Cream Sherry and Bomba Animus Gin.
The Emerson is pouring their tradmark Negroni, made with Barcadi Martini, Bombay Sapphire, Martini Bitter and Martini Rosso for just $15 a glass on their rooftop from Thurs 27th to Sun 30th of June.
And finally, Four Pillars is releasing a limited range of four bottled Negronis representing different Australian ecosystems, and you can get them at a custom-built pop-up Negroni Shop at Garden State Hotel all Negroni Week. Also on sale – their Spiced Negroni Gin, Negroni t-shirts, Breakfast Negroni Marmalade and there’ll be a dedicated Four Pillars Negroni menu in the bar so you can try before you buy.