Boothby Brisbane is our weekly newsletter briefing unpacking what’s happening in Brisbane’s bars, and talking to the bartenders and operators shaping the scene — sent every Wednesday. Get on the email list here.
In this Brisbane briefing:
- we hear from Greenpoint Hospitality and Savile Row general manager Jacob Cohen about their win for Best Cocktail Bar in Queensland presented by Perrier;
- he talks us through how their Tailored menu magazine comes together (and why it's important to print locally)
- and in case you missed it, we have a delicious recipe from Death & Taxes bar manager Liam Willoughby as part of our partnership with Brown-Forman's Elevate program.
I’ve known Jacob Cohen a long time, first meeting him when he took out a Southern Comfort cocktail comp some time ago now. Being the wunderkind he was at the time, Jacob’s prize was a trip to Tales of the Cocktail — the only problem being he was 19 at the time, and well short of the USA’s required drinking age of 21.
These days Jacob oversees operations for Savile Row in Fortitude Valley, and in his time doing that the bar has consistently remained at the top end of the cocktail bar game not just in Queensland, but nationally, too — it’s always in the conversation when awards time rolls around.
And that’s because they seem to have a knack for hiring great people, and the team that bar manager Leah Dunnigan oversees is always passionate, bright and hospitable (no easy task, I suspect, with the often late finishes you get at Savile Row).
The team has had a big couple weeks recently. First with the launch of their latest menu, called Tailored, which is actually a monthly magazine menu of sorts and which I talk to Jacob about below.
But they also picked up another award for the bar, last week landing at number two on the Boothby Best Bars Queensland Top 30, and coming away with the award for Best Cocktail Bar in Queensland presented by Perrier. It’s a great win for a team that loves what they do — congratulations to them again.
OK, let’s get into my chat with Jacob Cohen.
BOOTHBY: So, first of all, Jacob, how was it for Savile Row to be named the Best Cocktail Bar in Queensland presented by Perrier?
JACOB COHEN: It was a really, really lovely experience. We had a large majority of the team with us, as well as one of the owners, Trent. So it was a nice little team experience, and I think the team will definitely be riding high on that for a while.
BOOTHBY: How’s the new cocktail menu going?
JACOB COHEN: It’s been really well received by guests and industry alike. It’s definitely a massive new challenge. Every part of it is something we haven’t done before. We have deadlines now. Every month there’s a new issue. It’s like a real magazine. You might know something about it.
BOOTHBY: Yeah, enjoy that. How many pages is this menu?
JACOB COHEN: 30 pages.
BOOTHBY: Jesus, really? Okay, so there’s quite a few pages to it.
JACOB COHEN: Essentially, the menu itself, the drinks will stay the same for the full year. The drinks are about 40 percent of the magazine. The other 60 percent of the magazine that changes is a new cover every month. There is new editorial content, interviews with local fashion designers and tailors. There’ll be a staff interview and there’s some ads running in there for some lovely brand partners.
So yeah, just like a real magazine, and a new issue every month.
BOOTHBY: How many are you printing each month?
JACOB COHEN: For the first month we did 300, because we expected to give away a mountain of them. I would say it would be about 200 each month.
BOOTHBY: And so are you using a local printer?
JACOB COHEN: Absolutely. Tennyson Printing Group, who are fantastic.
BOOTHBY: Why is it important to use local?
JACOB COHEN: I mean first and foremost it’s logistically easier for us. Also they’re great guys. They’ve done all of our printing for not just for Savile Row but for Greenpoint Hospitality as well. They’re good, family owned, and been that way for a couple generations. We keep trying to use as local as possible. Not just for printing but wherever we can — it’s always good to keep things in the community.
BOOTHBY: Did you keep anything from the old menu or was it all out, all change?
JACOB COHEN: The only drink that has been kept is the Savile Highball which will remain on every perpetual menu.
BOOTHBY: That’s a signature for Savile Row now, right?
JACOB COHEN: Absolutely. Everything else is new. This menu is separated into three sections to represent the three main types of tailoring. You have ready to wear tailoring, made to measure tailoring, and bespoke tailoring.
Each section has their own format. Ready-to-wear tailoring being the most accessible style of tailoring in real life — it’s essentially off the rack, they are tailored to a design template, but they’re not necessarily made to any personal measurements. So the way we’ve interpreted that [for drinks] is as a twist on classics.
You have the made to measure section — made to measure tailoring is like a Martini and an Old Fashioned being those design templates. We have [them] at three different price points, moving up with various bottles.
The bespoke tailoring section is, like bespoke tailoring, very involved — multiple fittings go into a bespoke suit and you get to choose every element. You’re very involved in the design process. So the way we’ve interpreted it is those are our most creative drinks, the drinks that take the most work, the most prep — that is our bespoke section.
BOOTHBY: And do you guys do all the prep at the Greenpoint warehouse these days, or how much of the team is on prep?
JACOB COHEN: We have one full-time prep chef, Simone. He is an absolute weapon. We would die without him. So for Savile menu prep, the majority is still done on-site. We have a few other things which Greenpoint takes care of, but the Savile drinks are predominantly done on-site.
BOOTHBY: Lastly, how old is Savile Row now? Is it 10 years yet?
JACOB COHEN: Nine years this year.
BOOTHBY: You’ve been there for so much of that time. How’s the bar changed or grown or evolved in that time?
JACOB COHEN: The core concepts are still there, like it’s still all about attention to detail and that tailored hospitality as it were. As the team grows and as we grow as a business, things have changed — we’re definitely a lot smarter about how we deal with certain things.
As time goes on, we have more time to think about our offering and what we want people to experience in the venue. That’s a constantly changing thing, but as long as the core concepts are there, we remain true to that.
Sam Bygrave
