Posted by KB on December 21, 2010
It’s Sunday night. Not a night for drinking per se, but a night for enjoying a drink. Really taking the time to savour the flavour. And where better to indulge in a school-night tipple than a bar that puts its all into crafting the perfect cocktail.
So we duck into the Kirketon Hotel on Darlinghurst Road, skipping the bustling Art Bar at the front and instead heading down a dark corridor past the bathrooms. Our efforts are rewarded with the kind of cocktail bar you’d only expect to find in films. It’s dim without being dingy, all dark wood and decadent decor, with leather banquettes for pulling smooth moves or stools at the bar for pouring your heart out to the bartender when it all goes pear-shaped.
Seeking something strong, we opt for the Smoky Rob Roy (listed as owner Sven’s signature drink), a mix of Talisker single malt and Lagavulin whisky, given depth with cigar-infused rum, Vermouth and orange bitters. The Scacco Matto (Don Julio Reposado, Kahlua, Frangelico and chocolate bitters) is like honey in a glass, perfect for this cold and rainy night. In terms of wow factor, it would be hard to beat the martinis here, which come in a bottle surrounded by liquid nitrogen to keep them at the perfect temperature. Order it dirty and you’ll get a row of test tubes filled with smoky or plan brine, vermouth and orange bitters so you can mix and muddle your way to your ideal drink.
While the cocktails are without doubt the star of the show, it’s the extra touches that make Eau de Vie a rarity among Sydney bars. From the careful choices of glassware for each and every drink, to the unique ingredients and the service that never skips a beat even when it’s busy, there’s quality at every turn. We’re not sure why more people aren’t running bars like this.
Eau-de-Vie is at 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst. Ph: 9357 2470
eau de vie, kirketon hotel, art bar, darlinghurst, bars, cocktails