Folks in the bar industry, everyday quality beverage lovers
and professionals/owners were all found under the roof of the Melbourne
Exhibiton Building in the Carlton gardens on Sunday at The Top Shelf Event. I
was also included in that list, but unlike those around me this was my first
event like the Top Shelf, as I have never been to anything like this before..
And here I am today (Monday) sitting here pretty hung-over and a little bit seedy after mixing a wide range of alcohols and cocktails in my belly, only to head off to the St. Kilda festival afterwards. Pretty sure I will not be drinking for the rest of the year.
And here I am today (Monday) sitting here pretty hung-over and a little bit seedy after mixing a wide range of alcohols and cocktails in my belly, only to head off to the St. Kilda festival afterwards. Pretty sure I will not be drinking for the rest of the year.
Attending the Top Shelf I not only discovered new brands
and drinks out in the market and created relationships, but I walked out with a brain full of knowledge.
I cannot wait to attend this event each and every year and
watch just how much it changes. You honestly get your monies worth attending
this festival, as you would drink your pennies worth in samples and may even
pick up a free hat or fan along the way like me J
One of the important things for you to do while at the
event is check out the demonstrations. You will have to wait until next year
Melbournian’s as the Top Shelf Show has packed up and left town for this year.
The first piece of information I wanted to share with you comes
in the form of tequila- you know that drink that has the “Shot” label, the one
we all start off with at a bar to get us going with a lick of salt and a bite
of lemon. Well thanks to the Top Shelf
event that has all changed for me and I have A LOT of respect for tequila now
(not that I like it.) Did you know it can take anywhere from7-15 years just to
grow the agave plant, which produces the tequila but then it needs to be cooked
and cured. So the process it takes to just to get that pure liquid into a
bottle should be respected a lot more then shotting it down at the bar. I was
lucky enough to taste quite a few varieties including……….. All very interesting hearing the stories and
those families that own the Agave farms in Mexico.
SOME OF MY FAVES FROM THE TOP SHELF EVENT:::
YCHILLI
I found a stand there that I wish I never did.. This stand was
the Ychilli liqueur.. Let me tell you first hand, that stuff is HOT!!!! I don’t
like chilli, but having my partner with me who loves the stuff talked me into trying
it… All I can say is I can still feel it today, and it is a taste I will not
forget. Like I said above I am not a chilli person so this was not for me, but
my partner did try it and absolutely LOVED it and encouraged me to buy him a
bottle, but we couldn’t carry it around at St Kilda festival without getting it
confiscated. I did try the yChilli’s pinapple liqueur and fell head over heals-
this could potentially make the BEST pina colada.
MR BLACK
As seen on my blog a little while ago, you can find the
link here.
Luckily at the Top Shelf I was able to meet the brains and director of Mr
Black- MR Baker (Tom Baker) It was lovely speaking to Tom about his product and
just seeing his passion behind the black gold! The only shame is I wish more
people knew about this product and to get it on more bar shelves. If you like
coffee or any cocktail that is made with coffee this is your ultimate alcoholic
bevvy. Chuck it in you coffee in the morning for a kick, or just into milk to
create an ice coffee- I tried an Ice coffee at the Top Shelf expo, threw it on
ice and this was AMAZING… Breaka can kiss this customer goodbye, I found
something better!!
BROOKEVALE UNION
The biggest compliment probably came from Matt with this
drink. He doesn’t like ginger beer at all and I could go as far to say he HATES
it. Butttttt he loved this drink and even went back for a second sample,
naughty, naughty.
If I did not have the St Kilda festival after Top Shelf
Show I would have purchased a whole heap of these at home. The Brookevale Union
Ginger beer for me would have to be the ultimate summer drink, and one they MAY
go down way to easy. You cannot taste the alcohol in the bottle what so ever
and if I wasn’t told it was alcoholic I probably wouldn’t have known any
different.
What caught my eye with this product is the packaging and
hologram logo. Brookvale union also make
a mean apple cider, but hands down the ginger beer is my favourite of the two.
Pretty sure you will also LOVE the website, I know I do.
PAVAN LIQUER
This is another bottle I wanted to add to the shopping list
but couldn’t as we were catching a tram to the St Kilda Festival and would have
had it confiscated. For me this liqueur won the award for best bottle of the
expo, and is one that when you finish you want to pop on the table just for
decorations filled with water.
But then after I got over my little trace with the bottle I
was blown away and taken to a French heaven when my palate came into contact
with the contents of Pavan. The sweet grape flavour was delish and I would say
even purple Hubba Bubba like, I would enjoy this drink in lemonade and on ice.
Very girls and very French - Oui Oui (yes, yes.)
CASA MEXICO-
So at Top Shelf I tried a little more tequila then I
expected and almost all of them taste exactly the same with a small difference
in smoothness and kick. But Casa Mexico had a clear stand out with their Bruxo
Mezcale, having a real smoked flavour to it. Again I was taught a lot of
amazing tricks to turn tequila into a cocktail rather then shotting it down and
wasted that precious mother milk as Casa Mexico call it.
Again my partner and I are not really tequila kids but we
will be making it our mission to have Casa Mexico at our next Cocktail party!
The last one from me is
ANGOSTURA
Dead set had no idea Angostura made anything but bitters. I
have never tried another bitters other then Angostura, but seeing there FULL
range at the Top Shelf show has opened up a whole new door.
On show they had Angostura Reserva which is aged for up to
3 years. The Angostura 5 year old and then the Angostura 7 year old. I started
with the Reserva and moved up to the 5 and then the 7 to see if I could taste
the difference. For me the 7 year old was the clear favourite as there was not
bite or kick at the end and was so smooth on the entire palate.
See you next year Top Shelf- Ps can you tell Melbourne to
not be so windy this year so I can enjoy the Gin Garden, as when I arrived it
was sooo windy they had to close it off and bring most of it inside.
