Rodney Macuja
A zesty riff on an après-ski pick-me-up.
The team at Big Poppa’s, the Sydney bar dedicated to late-night Italian eats, cheese and hip-hop, likes turning things on their heads. For their latest trick they’ve taken a mandarin liqueur usually served warm on the Italian ski slopes and turned it into a summery apéritif.
“It’s super-light and punchy,” says Irish-born bar manager Bobby Carey. “I associate Christmas with cold climates, so I like the juxtaposition of using the liqueur in the summertime in Australia.” For a garnish, Carey suggests “an obnoxious swatch of orange peel to delight the senses and dry out your nose”. Buon Natale.
*Pour 25ml gin, 25ml Dubonnet and 10ml Varnelli Punch alla Fiamma Mandarino into a tumbler or mixing glass filled with ice. Stir for 30 seconds, then double-strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Squeeze a piece of orange peel over the surface of the drink to spritz it with **orange oil, then drop the peel into the glass and serve.*
Big Poppa’s, 96 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, NSW bigpoppa.com.au
