Technically, it’s not drinking alone if the bartender is there!
You know the drill…it’s Friday afternoon and time to relax after a long and stressful work week.
What better way to chill out than with a cocktail at your favourite bar or restaurant? Alternatively, you could take the party home and concoct the perfect drink to usher in the weekend.
Welcome to our Cocktail of the Week series, where each Friday we will highlight a cheeky creation to tantalise tastebuds and set the tone for good times.
Sofia’s Restaurant & Bar on Victoria Avenue brings a new level of sophistication and style to Broadbeach. Located on the ground floor of the Oasis Shopping Centre, dreamy tones and a stunning fit-out draw you in, with whitewashed walls, touches of wood and pops of colour from the bottles on the shelves, all transporting guests to long, serene Summers on the Italian Coast.
Mixologist Jay Limbu recommends trying the Spiced Mandarin Old Fashioned cocktail:
"This cocktail is an easy-drinking delight, offering a perfect balance of tanginess, sweetness and tartness from the spiced mandarin. It's ideal for any type of weather and incredibly delicious!” Jay says.
The cocktail's primary spirit is a spiced rum from Indonesia, known for its unique and rich history. This rum boasts a rugged Indonesian heart and a straightforward attitude, with rich flavour notes of cacao, ginger, coffee, pineapple and the warmth of tropical island spices. While rum is often associated with tropical drinks, its rich and warming flavours also make it perfect for Winter, incorporating spices like aniseed, nutmeg, or pepper.
Mandarins, the main flavour enhancer in this cocktail, offer a sweeter, more candy-like profile compared to oranges. They are subtle enough not to overpower the cocktail's development and are in season in Queensland from April to October, ensuring peak freshness.
Adding Aperol, which originated in Padua, Italy in 1919, introduces key ingredients such as oranges, bitter rhubarb, vegetal gentian root and cinchona bark. These components provide a slight bitterness that perfectly balances the sweetness from the rum and mandarin, creating a well-rounded flavour.
Ginger liqueur enhances the cocktail with its spicy, gingery flavour and invigorating aroma. It adds a warming and fiery taste that gives the drink a comforting kick, elevating the overall flavour profile to another level. To achieve a harmonious balance, convict aromatic bitters are added.
These bitters feature unique Australian ingredients like roasted wattle seed, roasted desert oak seed, Tasmanian mountain berry, lemon and anise myrtle, which meld together to create a distinct and memorable cocktail experience.
