How Apollo Inn’s Lachlan Bentley creates a Victorian-produce led Tiny ‘Tini riff
Get a look at this flavoursome (and tiny) riff on the Martini with Grey Goose.
Ask any good bartender about what makes a great Martini, and they’ll tell you it’s temperature, dilution, and of course, great ingredients.
That’s exactly what Apollo Inn bartender Lachlan Bentley talks about in the Q&A below. But — as we wrote last week in this chat with Hunter Gregory — the Martini is about more than that, it’s about how a great Martini makes you feel; the first few sips of a bracingly cold, perfectly executed Martini can make you feel like a million bucks. It’s the cocktail equivalent of dressing to the nines.
The thing is, and as we’ve been writing about this year, with the cost of drinks going up across the board, and guests feeling the pinch, the price of a good Martini is also going up.
That’s why small Martini serves — Tiny ‘Tinis, if you will — have become a go-to option in some of the country’s best bars. They offer guests a less expensive way to get a taste of luxury, letting you taste a range of Martini riffs without breaking the bank.
That’s why Grey Goose has partnered with three top bars — one each in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne — to offer a flight of a trio of Tiny ‘Tinis with a drink from each venue, so guests can sample some modern riffs on the classic, each of them spotlighting Grey Goose in their recipes.
If you want to try them for yourselves, you can visit SK Steak & Oyster in Brisbane, Maybe Sammy in Sydney, and Apollo Inn in Melbourne — each of the venues are offering the trio of serves in venue from now until October.
Below, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, we hear from the very talented bartender Lachlan about what makes a great Martini, and what goes into his riff on the Tiny ‘Tini with Grey Goose.
BOOTHBY: Tell us what we’re doing here. What’s the brief here?
LACHLAN BENTLEY: So it’s been a little bit in the making. It’s been a really exciting process. We’re coming together with two other really respected establishments from around the country to take part in a collaboration that’s served in the venues, which is really exciting. It’s a Martini flight with three half-size Martinis and we’ve all brought our creativity to the forefront, which has been a really great process.
What’s the good thing about this Tiny ‘Tini trend that has been happening lately? Why is it important?
These days, you know, less is more in a lot of things. People are choosing quality over quantity, which is great. And half the size, twice as cold, you know?
Can you tell us what is in your recipe for this?
Yeah, at Apollo Inn we love working with seasonal produce, working with local growers and highlighting that produce. So we’ve chosen mandarins from Mildura, which is in far northeast Victoria. And being able to work with such a premium, well-made product as Grey Goose, we love highlighting really well made products with seasonal produce, so it was a great match.
And what’s that Martini moment like for you?
Temperature is everything for me, as well as really well considered ingredients, both homemade and sourced. But temperature is a massive thing. You see a lot of people keeping their Martinis in the freezer now, and that gives you consistency, speed of service, and quality.
What’s the secret tip to a great Martini?
Dilution and temperature. Then you’ve got to have the best-made product that you can get. So that wheat base of Grey Goose, it’s creamy, but it’s also quite spicy and really complex, which for a vodka is a really, really great thing.
Can you walk us through the recipe?
So we use 45ml of Grey Goose. We have a little blend of wine based products, a little bit of sherry in there, Saison vermouth, which is a locally made product in Melbourne by the folks at [the restaurant] Embla. And then we process the mandarins using koji grains, which just adds a lot of flavour development, and a really lovely, full flavored savoury element to the Martini. Essentially it’s a wet Martini highlighting Grey Goose and using some really, really well-grown Victorian produce.
Sam Bygrave