Pretty Fly for a Mai Tai – 5 Venues for Party Season Cocktails

Did you know today’s cocktails can be traced back to the early 19th Century in the USA when a New Orleans bartender named Antoine Amédée Peychaud served a mixed drink in a French egg cup?

Called a ‘coquetier’, the egg cup drink became anglicized to ‘cocktail’ and behold Party Season suddenly had a new gatecrasher! Here are five venues where the cocktails are always Pretty Fly for a Mai Tai:

A taste-bud-tingling menu of South American cuisine awaits discerning Ettalong Beach foodies at new kid on the block, Chica Chica on Broken Bay Road. Newly renovated and revived, the vibe is warm and welcoming with coastal chic accents offering intimate dining only five minutes walk from the beach.

 

Take to the first-floor lookout for both indoor and outdoor heated and covered dining and sip a signature Smoked Banana Negroni with dark rum, banana liqueur, Campari, sweet vermouth and chocolate bitters; perhaps a Hocus Pocus cocktail gets the magic happening – Skittle-infused vodka, blue curacao, lime juice and a rainbow Nerd rim, or a Mexican Long Island with tequila, gin, vodka, Bacardi, orange liqueur, lime juice and Red Bull.

Nestled in the heart of Maffra, discover culinary gem, Barrel & Bliss on Johnson Street, for a unique fusion of local charm and world-class dining experiences. This tapas restaurant celebrates flavours, textures and aromas, meticulously crafted to tantalise taste buds, in moody surroundings of exposed brick, softly glowing downlights, neon signage and a wall of greenery.

 

Say cheers with a Toblerone cocktail of Bailey Irish Cream, Frangelico, Kahlua, honey and cream, garnished with grated chocolate, or a Raspberry Crush – a vibrant and refreshing drink that beautifully blends the fruitiness of raspberries with Chambord, lime and Malibu rum, over crushed ice. Everyone’s fave classics such as the iconic Cuban cocktail the Mojito with lime, Bacardi rum and soda water are a perfect choice for any day of the year.

Born out of a sense of adventure and exploration, Mr Drifter on Sunshine Beach Road in Noosa Junction delivers Asian street food with a hint of cocktail culture. Founder Charlie Harrison has lived everywhere from colonial India to Indonesia and Japan – you could say a taste for spice and rich flavours is hereditary – and that's what is on the plate at Mr Drifter.

 

Rustic timber, walls adorned with vintage postcards and exposed brick combine to set a chilled-out vibe as guests sip creative cocktails such as the Thai Spice Shooter – a vodka and citrus spiced shooter with apple ginger lemon zest and a salsa palate cleaner – or the Bloody Bangkok, a spicy Bloody Mary served with housemade nam jim and Asian spices.

Offering an ideal respite from the worries of the world, Kumo Izakaya on Lygon Street in East Brunswick features eclectic Japanese style and a creative menu. Seamlessly blending the industrial and Art Deco influences of the former bank building, this sleek izakaya and sake den has striking artwork on feature walls and a moody vibe for that romantic dinner with your special someone.

 

 

Cocktails like East Meets West – plum gin, sake, rose syrup and lemon juice – get the night going, or an Umeshu Spritz with shiso umeshu, Prosecco, soda and a lemon slice; perhaps pair a Strawberry and Lychee Delight of sake, lychee liqueur, strawberry and lime with a choice from the tapas-style menu such as a spicy tuna taco with black tobiko and samphire, or Hokkaido scallops, soy butter, spring onion and bonito flakes.

 

Scusa Mi Italiano on Springvale Road in Glen Waverley is big on the inside, filled with plenty of Italian bravata and designed to be enjoyed by all who dine there. With retro styles and flavours from the North to the South, this restaurant delivers a little slice of Italy in stylish surrounds of banquette and booth seating, vibrant aqua stools and mosaic-tiled floors.

 

An extensive cocktail list gets the party started with drinks such as the Otto White Chocolate Martini with white crème de cacao, vodka, watermelon purée, egg white and lemon juice, or the Undici with blood orange-infused gin, Prosecco and blood orange sorbetto; those who prefer classic cocktails opt for a Negroni with Bulldog gin, Campari and Cinzanno Rosso, or a Dirty Martini with gin, dry vermouth, green olives and brine.