Our Clubhouses are evolving with COVID-19. Here’s How We Can Support Them.
We’ve all heard the news by now. The crackdown on gatherings due to COVID-19 means that our pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs are changing the way they operate. While some businesses can still sell takeaway and do deliveries, others will need to shut-shop completely. But where there’s whisky, there’s a way. Have a look at how some of our network of Clubhouses—your whisky home away from home—are responding. And let’s raise a dram to their resilience and innovation and support them any way we possibly can.
Boilermaker House, Eau De Vie Sydney, Eau De Vie Melbourne, Mjolner Melbourne, Mjolner Sydney and Nick and Nora’s Parramatta.
Owner and director Sven Almenning is encouraging out-of-work hospitality staff to get proactive and upskill. Almenning also owns Ananas, an online training and management platform for the hospitality industry. During April and May, Ananas will be free to use so that hospitality workers will be shaking and muddling better than ever once restrictions are lifted.
While it’s a critical time for our hospitality industry, it won’t last forever. And after it’s over, there’s going to be a lot of birthdays, anniversaries and special occasion to catch-up on and celebrate. That’s why Speakeasy Group is encouraging you to buy vouchers to its venues as gifts for all those occasions left uncelebrated due to closures (is it too early to start Christmas shopping in March? Probably, but hey, what else have you got to do?). Spend $100 on vouchers and you’ll receive a 20% discount.
Fret not, Sydneysiders—The Roosevelt will still be making home deliveries to the local area. And in response to the current unprecedented craziness, the team has decided to take us back to a simpler and more certain time: the 1950s.
How, you ask? The Roosevelt has rummaged through its archives and designed a takeaway menu inspired by its 1951 menu offering. It’ll change weekly but expect to see the likes of wholesome and old-school favourites like green bean casserole, beef bourguignon and key lime pie. It’s simple and it’s comforting—it’s a hug on a plate. Head to The Roosevelt’s Facebook page to find out more.
No doubt you’ve stocked your cupboards with rice, baked beans, pasta and other essentials—why not stock up on a few cocktail essentials, too.
Isolation can still be tasty, according to Melbourne’s Starward. Just because you can’t perch yourself up on the bar at your favourite Clubhouse, you can still unwind with a delicious drink in-hand at your dining table.
Starward’s offered up this simple and delicious cocktail recipe to make at home:
Starward’s rendition of the New World Buck
Ingredients:
20ml Ribena or 2 tablespoons blackberry jam
10ml lime juice (fresh if you have it)
45ml Starward Nova Whisky
Soda Water
Method:
Shake all in a shaker (use a jar if you don’t have a cocktail shaker) and strain into a highball (or tall glass). Top with ice and soda.
Our bartenders and wait-folk have always been there to pour your drams and shake your cocktails—come weekends, late nights and public holidays. Now they need your support to ensure the longevity of this crucial (and delicious) industry. Check out the list below for updates and ways you can support your local Clubhouse.
New South Wales
Queensland
Victoria
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
ACT
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