Whisky lovers, we're coming at you with an experience that will knock your socks off! How many times have you reached for a snack with your drink, only to be faced with the usual nut and chip combo? In this session, we're not just focussing on the liquid but its oft overlooked companion - the humble snack. Forget the bland offerings you find at your corner store, we're partnering with award winning snack makers Wondersnack and one of the world's best single cask whisky bottlers Scotch Malt Whisky Society to bring you a whisky/snack/cocktail pairing like it's never been done before. Not only that, this experience will feature a special one off gelato created especially for the occasion by icy powerhouses N2 Gelato (you'll have to attend to find out how this gelato features in the whole line up!) and a preview of a as yet unreleased snack from Wondersnack. And as always, we've created a range of cocktails to be paired not just with the whisky but the snack. SMWS on whisky, us on cocktails and Wondersnack on er, snacks. It's a night that promises to be explosively fun. Snack. Dram. Cocktail. Repeat.

Sydney, you get us on 21 February 2018 where we'll be getting tropical at tiki pop up bar Lost Luau. For the first time ever, we're going interstate so Melbourne, we'll be seeing you on 22 February 2018 at the Melbourne Whisky Room. Scroll up for tickets for the Sydney event.

Tickets are only $60 a head (plus small booking fee) and gets you a SMWS whisky flight alongside matching tasters of the snacks and cocktails plus light nibbles AND a special little Wondersnack to take home with you. National Ambassador Matt Bailey of the SMWS will be there to lead you through a tasting of the whiskies, whilst we will have Wondersnack founder Christy Loekito take you through a tasting of the matching snacks and we will be serving up the matching cocktails as you go along. This will be a FUN hour long session!

Due to the limited nature of the whiskies, we only have limited places in each city so get your tickets today!

Whisky lovers, we're coming at you with an experience that will knock your socks off! How many times have you reached for a snack with your drink, only to be faced with the usual nut and chip combo? In this session, we're not just focussing on the liquid but its oft overlooked companion - the humble snack. Forget the bland offerings you find at your corner store, we're partnering with award winning snack makers Wondersnack and one of the world's best single cask whisky bottlers Scotch Malt Whisky Society to bring you a whisky/snack/cocktail pairing like it's never been done before. Not only that, this experience will feature a special one off gelato created especially for the occasion by icy powerhouses N2 Gelato (you'll have to attend to find out how this gelato features in the whole line up!) and a preview of a as yet unreleased snack from Wondersnack. And as always, we've created a range of cocktails to be paired not just with the whisky but the snack. SMWS on whisky, us on cocktails and Wondersnack on er, snacks. It's a night that promises to be explosively fun. Snack. Dram. Cocktail. Repeat.

Sydney, you get us on 21 February 2018 where we'll be getting tropical at tiki pop up bar Lost Luau. For the first time ever, we're going interstate so Melbourne, we'll be seeing you on 22 February 2018 at the Melbourne Whisky Room. Scroll down for tickets to the Melbourne event.

Tickets are only $60 a head (plus small booking fee) and gets you a tasting flight of 3 SMWS whiskies alongside matching tasting flights of the snacks and cocktails plus light nibbles AND a special little Wondersnack to take home with you. National Ambassador Matt Bailey of the SMWS will be there to lead you through a tasting of the whiskies, whilst we will have Wondersnack founder Christy Loekito take you through a tasting of the matching snacks and we will be serving up the matching cocktails as you go along. This will be a FUN hour long session!

Due to the limited nature of the whiskies, we only have limited places in each city so get your tickets today!

UPDATE: EEK, WE SEEM TO HAVE REACHED CAPACITY FOR THIS EVENT RIGHT NOW BUT WE ARE WORKING TO SEE IF WE CAN FIT IN MORE SEATS. IF YOU'D STILL LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR DETAILS SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU IF THAT IS THE CASE.

(Don't worry, we won't spam you - we'll only use this email to contact you about this event)

What do you get when you cross gin and Campari together? The answer isn't a 2/3 negroni cocktail but a revolutionary spirit that doesn't fit into any of the conventional categories. On 11 January 2018, we're awfully chuffed to have Alex Kammerling, founder of game changing brand Kamm & Sons to come along all the way from the UK to tell you his story and take you through a tasting of this British aperitif. This is his only consumer event in Sydney and we're keeping numbers small so you have a chance to drink with Alex and hear straight from the horse's mouth what it takes to start a booze brand from scratch and in an unknown category as well. If you like gin or bittersweet spirits, this one is for you.

6.30 pm arrival and welcome drinks for a 7 pm start. Each ticket scores you 2 drinks, nibbles, tasting of six different aperitif as well as an up close and personal encounter with one of the most personable game changers in the booze industry.

Location at a Sydney venue disclosed to ticket holders (there may or may not be a pineapple to guide your way but we can say it's close to public transport and has amazing views of the Harbour Bridge)

PS: We now have ZipPay (Buy Now Pay Later) available! Option will show up in the payment options once you checkout.

UPDATE: THIS EVENT IS AT CAPACITY. SIGN UP BELOW IF YOU WANT TO HEAR OF FUTURE ONES

Our next event is one for all you gin drinkers (or those who would like to explore gin!). Yep, we'll be drinking gin and tonics at this one but it'll be a tasting session with a difference. Because in this one, we're looking at not the spirit itself, but the mixer. Why? Considering the tonic forms 3/4 of the G&T, we thought it's about time we looked at different tonics out there and how they change the flavour of the gin when you put them together. 

Taking place at a stunning waterfront location on Saturday 12 August 2017, we invite you to join us for a welcome drink on the deck to enjoy the last of the afternoon sun before we get down to business at this private venue that will be transformed into a tasting salon for the occasion.

Tickets are only $30 plus booking fee for this one and due to the size of the space, only 6 seats are available so it's first in, best dressed!

Photo: iStock

Join us at The Long Goodbye for an afternoon exploring the virtues of the Indian spirit in collaboration with whisky educators Dramnation. Inspired by the colonial history of the subcontinent & the unique identity of modern India, we will be creating an afternoon of bespoke high tea inspired cocktails & delightful drams all centred around Paul John Whisky. After a welcome drink, let us take you through the art of tasting a flight of whiskies alongside a flight of bespoke high tea inspired cocktails made with the same whiskies. Matched with a couple of high tea inspired nibbles, we can promise this to be a delightful afternoon like no other. Early bird tickets are $45 plus booking fee until 10 June and $55 thereafter.
 

We all know the whisky that is drunk at the end of a meal as a digestif, but if you ever wanted to learn more about the concept of whisky as an aperitif, this is the session for you! In partnership with Dramnation, we'll be partaking in the Aperitif Hour at a very aperitif-friendly time of 3 pm (2.30 pm arrival for welcome drink). Find out what makes an aperitif, taste a selection of whiskies neat then let us demonstrate to you how these whiskies can be manipulated in a series of aperitif cocktails while trying those cocktails for yourself! Paired with matching cleansers and light food from Rouse Hill establishment the Fiddler,  this session will even show you how to manipulate the most classic of aperitif champagne cocktails...but with whisky!

Tickets are $45 plus booking fee for early bird until 20 May 2017 and then $55 plus booking fee after. 

With the support of:

Following on from the sell out success of last year's event, we're back with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at Shirt Bar's monthly Scotch Club presenting another session of single cask cocktails paired with a tasting of single cask liquid gold. For those of you not familiar with the SMWS, it's the world foremost whisky club, bottling its own whisky from the best distilleries globally. The whiskies are all bottled at cask strength from one single cask so once it's gone it's gone, so this time round, we're going to be testing some very special whiskies and pairing them with cocktails to match. Tickets are $59 a head and includes a light supper afterwards as well as 20% off dark spirits at the bar after. Don't dally, this is bound to be popular! 

For our first event for 2017 we will be exploring the underrated world of liqueurs and how you can DO IT YOURSELF! If you ever thought making liqueur was a simple case of bunging in some fruit and sugar into spirit...well it is! But did you know there's another infusion method? Or maybe you've heard of an ultrasonicator? Intrigued?

Then come join us with cocktail maestro Flynn McLennan of the Long Goodbye bar on Stanley Street as we unveil the mystery behind the methods, show you the difference between fruit, nut and herb based liqueurs and taste some home made liqueurs side by side with their commercial counterparts. We'll even show you a secret fourth method for making liquids that will be explosive!

For $49 cocktail clams plus booking fee you get a cocktail, the tasting plus some nibbles..not to mention the chance to learn how to DIY liqueur as well as tips on how to incorporate them into cocktails at home. That's pretty good value if we can say so ourselves. Due to the nature of the session, we can only take so many in so we hope you'll be one of the few to join us!

For those in the know, Redlands Distillery in Tasmania has been quietly making a name for itself as a quality whisky producer. Boasting the title of Australia's first paddock to bottle single malt whisky distillery, Redlands' whiskies are of such scarcity it is currently only sold through its cellar door in Kempton. Equally, you'd be hard pressed to find those same whiskies in most bars. Until now that is. Redlands Head Distiller Dean Jackson and Brand Ambassador Robbie Gilligan are making a rare excursion to Sydney and in their only consumer event on this trip, will be leading a session exploring the story behind Redlands and a tasting of the following:

1. Redlands Apple Schnapps
2. Redlands Lavender Malt
3. Redlands Paddock to Bottle single malt whisky (sold out)
4. Redlands Old Stables single malt whisky (only available to purchase at the cellar door)
5. Redlands Limited Release XO Brandy (only available to taste and purchase at the cellar door)

In true Sydney Cocktail Club fashion however, you can be sure this won't be a stock standard tasting! To mark the occasion, we've come up with something we've not done in previous tastings - an edible cocktail featuring one of the spirits on taste...yessir, this is the one time you will be able to drink your cocktail and eat it too! Which one? You'll have to come along to find out!

On top of that, Kingston Public Bar & Kitchen are offering 20% off all whiskies for the entire evening (normally an offer that is only available on Wednesdays) - if you've been there before, you will know they stock one of the largest range of Aussie spirits (including whisky) we've seen in any bar in Sydney.

This is truly a rare opportunity to meet the maker and chew the fat with two of the most personable men behind a truly beguiling Australian whisky house. Seats are limited so it's first in best dressed.

Tickets are $65 a head which gets you a welcome drink, a tasting of the spirits mentioned, light food and the edible cocktail. That's a steal considering what you would otherwise pay for a nip of each of the whiskies alone! 

We've been putting out some teasers but now we can confirm that on 17 September, we're heading to Pocket Bar for a whisky tasting like no other in collaboration with whisky educators Dramnation.

Yes sir, for this tasting, you'll get to taste (and learn about!) a flight of whiskies neat. We'll be featuring the award winning Starward range of whiskies, including their much acclaimed New World Projects PX cask release. But taking it one step further, we'll be showing you how to manipulate those same whiskies in a series of hot & cold cocktails. Join us as we dispel the notion that whisky can only be drunk neat or on the rocks and see for yourself how when done right, a good whisky can really make a cocktail sing without losing its characteristic. 

Paired with matching cleansers and light food from Pocket Bar, this session may or may not also also include a cocktail show involving fire and ice but you'll have to come along to find out! There's also going to be a mystery nip at the beginning that will test your perception of the category - all we can say is that this particular one is sold out nationally and not available anymore...........not even at the distillery itself.

So come join us! Early bird tickets are available until 9 September at $45 a head ($55 after 9 September) which includes the flight of whiskies, matching cocktails, welcome drink on arrival, that mystery nip. light food, good company, good education aaaand good entertainment.  

Australia is a nation obsessed with coffee. And why not? It's the thing that fuels us morning, noon and night, be it in that first morning cup or the ubiquitous espresso martini. But do you know your cold press from your cold brew? Or one coffee liqueur from another? And want to know how to use coffee in cocktails? Wonder no more because we've teamed up with cocktail bar Della Hyde and Australia's first cold press coffee liqueur Mr Black Spirits to go back to (black) basics.

In this session, we'll show you how to work with coffee in both hot and cold cocktails (which you'll get an opportunity to taste) and take you through a tasting flight of coffee liqueurs. The legends at Della Hyde are putting on some special hot and cold coffee cocktails that evening, and you get to vote for your favourite - the crowd winning cocktail will then get featured on the Mr Black website! 

Get your tickets here and we'll see you there to drink, chat and discover!

So come explore the world of coffee in cocktails and spirits with us, Della Hyde and Mr Black Spirits. Tickets are $45 a head and includes 2 different cocktails, a tasting flight and light food...oh, and the chance to have a say on what coffee cocktail from the evening will get featured on the Mr Black website. 

Yeah baby! This year sees the return of the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship and for the first time, Sydney Cocktail Club will be hosting a Sensory Bar on the evening! 

Hosted and run by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society since 2007, the  Championship has been taking place since 1989. With the blind whisky tasting competition as its core affair, this year's event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with plenty of other happenings on the night to keep both competitors and party-goers happy. Under the watchful eye of the waxworks at Madame Tussauds in Darling Harbour, competitors only need to correctly identify and match 8 whiskies from a list of 9 (one's a red herring) given to them on the night and they'll be in the draw to win some incredible prizes, with the top prize being a trip to Tokyo!

As part of our Sensory Bar, we'll be taking guests through a tactile sensory experience of whisky, offering up aromas and flavours associated with the drams on taste at the Championship. If you think you know your nose, you can test your nosing skills with different scents from the Aroma Academy Whisky Aroma Kit that will be available to browse at the bar, with a limited quantity of the kit available to purchase at a special championship price.

Not only that, we're running a Guess the Scent competition where you'll have a chance to win your very own aroma kit.  The format of the competition will be similar to the tasting competition - correctly identify 3 aromas from a list of 5 and the highest scoring competitor takes home the prize. Both party and competitor ticket holders are eligible to enter and no additional entry fee is required. 

Apart from a  whisky after party and the SCC Sensory Bar, there's pop up bars galore, including the Glenfiddich Craft Bar serving up whiskies with incredible cocktails and the SMWS Single Cask bar 

More information about the Championship available here. Competitor and party-goer tickets are available here 

We've long loved the range of Chase spirits, from its classic potato vodka through to its more-ish line of liqueurs and gins. Now, William Chase, the man behind the distillery, is visiting Australia and this is your chance to get up close and personal with the founder of UK's first (and only) farm to bottle distillery. William has had a varied career, from potato farmer to founding the boutique crisps label Tyrrells and now distillery owner/operator. 

We're excited to be hosting this session where we'll be getting together over some great drinks and run through a tasting of some of Chase's most popular range. Held at small bar Since I Left You, your ticket of $20 a head (plus booking fee) gets you 2 drinks, an informal tasting and the chance to chew the fat with the Chase behind Chase Spirits.

This is William Chase's only consumer event in Sydney. Spaces are limited to preserve the intimate nature of the gathering and to ensure attendees have ample opportunity to engage with the man himself. So don't dally! Get your tickets here because what else would you be doing on a Monday anyway?

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, vermouth is often called for as a supporting ingredient in classic cocktails such as the martini and manhattan. At this upcoming session, we're making vermouth the star of the show and showing you how to work with it. If you've ever wondered what else you can do with it, this is the session for you!

Held at Japanese izakaya bar Kagura, not only are we going to taste a variety of vermouth, but you'll also be shown how to make your own. If that's not enough, Kagura owner/chief drinks slinger Flynn (who's an avid cocktail enthusiast himself) will also demonstrate how to use it in both a hot and cold cocktail. With winter officially starting in June, we think you'll love the hot version, which we're billing as a mulled wine alternative - perfect for the next dinner party or simply when you want to warm yourself up on a cold winter's day at home. And if the weather continues being warm, then hey, we've got you sorted too with an equally easy to make at home cold classic. It's the one time it's ok to be blowing hot and cold (and not get a slap on the face)!

Tickets are $35 which includes a tasting of the vermouths, two half serves of the cocktails and snacks. Seating is limited so don't dally!

Calling all you spirited agents! If you've missed out on our recent sell out whisky session, don't fret - we've got another upcoming assignment!

Vodka has long been considered the poor cousin of gin, dubbed the flavourless spirit and something you would throw back on a disco night out or use in a sweet cocktail. If you think vodka is this flavourless bland spirit, this is the mission for you! On 16 March, join us as we embark on a mission to debunk all the myths and misconceptions surrounding one of the biggest selling spirits in the world, VODKA. 

After a welcome drink or two and with some nibblies to fortify your strength, we will take you through a range of vodkas that will challenge your flavour buds and destroy forever the perception of vodka as a soulless spirit. The commanders leading the charge in this mission include:

1. Fire Drum Vodka, produced right here in Tasmania by the same distillery that also produces Sullivans Cove whisky
2. Vestal Vodka, a range of vodkas produced in Poland using potatoes and so new in Australia, it literally landed on our shores just before Christmas 2015. 
3. Hartshorn Vodka, produced in Tasmania using sheep's whey...yes, you heard right. Sheep's whey. The batch we are tasting is pretty special too, but if we told you more at this point, we'd have to kill you.

To guide us through this perilous journey, we will be joined by Amanda Beck, founder of Fire Drum and Angus Burton, distributor of Vestal and Hartshorn in Australia. 

The mission will only set you back $48.02 for what promises to be an evening that will blow your mind. And where will this operation take place? Aha! Like all good missions, classified information such as this will be revealed to those brave enough to enlist. All we'll say is that the venue will be in the Sydney CBD/Kings Cross precinct and close to a train station. Dare you come drink, chat and discover with us? Enlist now by clicking on the button below.

For our first event of 2016, we are collaborating with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and the Scotch Club at Shirt Bar to bring you a very special whisky tasting session on Tuesday 23rd February.

For those of you in the know, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a whisky club that is 37,000+ members strong internationally. The Society bottles as its own exclusive allocation, whisky from the best hand selected casks from every distillery in Scotland, Japan and more. Usually only available for members to access, you will as part of this event have the opportunity to taste 3 SMWS drams - all cask strength, single cask and non chill filtered. PLUS we are using these same three drams to make 3 cocktails so you'll have a chance to try them on their own and in a delicious creation.  

The fashion conscious will also be familiar with the Shirt Bar and the wicked range of shirts they do. The Shirt Bar is no stranger to good whisky and cocktails either and runs whisky tastings on a monthly basis through its own Scotch Club. We couldn't think of a better venue to be exploring some cracking whisky and whisky cocktails!

Tickets are $57 and gets you a tasting of the three whiskies and their matching cocktails plus a light supper. Kick on afterwards at the bar with 20% off all dark spirits.

It's sure to be  great event and likely to sell out quickly so get your people together or snap up a solo ticket ASAP here!