Parched
The recent temperature spike has resulted in a correlating desire to blow the froth off a few cold ones. Brisbane’s not short of drinking spots, but those that love sipping suds straight from the source will likely head to their closest craft-beer brewery to knock a jar or two back. Come mid-November, West End locals will be able to mosey over to Parched – a forthcoming craft brewery in the final stages of construction on Montague Road. Parched is the brainchild of former mining engineer Carl Hallion, who is making good on his desire to enact a career pivot and a change of pace with the passion project, which has been a couple of years in the making. Carl’s community-focused operational ethos revolves around connecting and socialising over good food and drink, so you can expect the nosh to be top notch. The brewery and taproom will reportedly boast room for approximately 200 guests and space for a three-vessel, ten-hectolitre brewhouse with eight fermenters and two bright tanks – boasting a total yearly output estimated to approach 200,000 litres. Carl and his team will soon start crafting Parched’s fluid range of beers, which will include regular fixtures like an Australian pale ale, hazy IPA and an Irish red ale, as well as a host of experimental brews. Non-beer drinkers will be able to sip on boutique wines – the kind you won’t find at your local bottle shop – from Tasmania and South Australia. Carl has recruited the help of Gillian Hirst – former executive chef of Il Centro (and the inventor of its famous sand-crab lasagne) to consult on Parched’s menu, which will boast pub-style roots with some elevated twists – think snapper wings, slow-cooked beef brisket rolls, ribs and tapas plates, all designed to be shared or hoarded, depending on your hunger levels. Stay tuned for a closer look at Parched when it opens to the public next month!
Blume
It’s widely known that some of the best Queensland produce can be found in the Scenic Rim – a bona fide food bowl that yields produce found in kitchens from Brisbane to the coast. It’s not wonder, then, that the region is drawing in some top-notch culinary talent looking to make the most of the abundant bounty. Jack Stuart – a Brisbane-born chef that has made a name for himself nationally as head chef of Congress Wine in Melbourne and recently with a stint as manning the pans at Gauge in South Brisbane – is taking his talents to the country side, opening brand-new destination restaurant Blume in Boonah next month. The site, a heritage building that formerly housed a dentist, is being converted into an intimate 20-seat venue, with a few cosmetic additions serving to highlight existing features like a skylight and pressed-metal walls. Once open, Blume will host two lunch sittings and one dinner sitting on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, serving a set menu of snacks and large-format dishes crafted from vegetables, meat and dairy, with all ingredients sourced from local Scenic Rim producers. A wine list will feature a mix of drops from Queensland and Australia at large, plus a small selection of beers. Blume will also feature a locals only bar for Scenic Rim residents looking to pop in for snacks and sips. Keep your eyes peeled for an in-depth look at Blume when it opens in November.
Riverbar & Kitchen’s Chandon Garden
Spring has well and truly sprung at waterfront dining and drinking destination Riverbar & Kitchen. From Friday October 15 until Tuesday November 30, the venue will be transformed with lush greenery and touches of florals for its new Chandon Garden pop-up, making it the perfect riverfront spot to sip on a spritz and graze on a sizzling selection of snacks. Guests can wet their whistle with a glass of Chandon Garden Spritz, or indulge in flavoursome twists on the classic beverage such as the Lively Spritz made with Chandon Garden Spritz, the Regal Rogue Lively White made with mango, soda, mint and orange or the Riverbar 75, a gin-based spritz made with Chandon Garden Spritz, lemon, and mint. Those who have locked in a group sipping session can taste test the shareable cocktail, A Walk In The Tropics, which is whipped up using Chandon Garden Spritz, 42 Below passionfruit vodka, peach, passionfruit, soda, mint and orange. The flavoursome action doesn’t stop there, as Riverbar & Kitchen will also be serving up a Spruced with Spritz high tea to hungry folk from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm every day. For just $50 per person, guests will be treated to a killer spread of canapes including macarons, churros with chocolate hazelnut sauce, crumbed chicken sliders, cured salmon and cream-cheese crostinis and more, plus their choice of spritz from the Chandon Garden menu. Looking for an excuse to lock down an afternoon sesh with your favourite friends? Consider this your sign! Book here.
El Planta x Agaveria’s tequila and mezcal degustation
El Planta – South Brisbane’s beloved home of plant-based Mexican cuisine – is teaming up with Australian-based retailer of craft mezcal and tequila, Agaveria, to host a four-course foray into the world of Mexican cuisine with an agave-soaked twist. At 3:00 pm this Sunday October 17, the Hope Street eatery will take guests on a guided tour through the realm of agave, serving up a sumptuous degustation-style spread matched with special tequilas and mezcal sips handpicked by the Agaveria team. The $79 ticket will include a cocktail on arrival and four courses of El Planta fare paired with two tequilas and two mezcals. Members of the Agaveria team will also be on hand to offer insight into each sip’s intricacies and histories – and no doubt more recommendations if you’re eager to expand your home collection. Click here to secure your spot!
Last week was a big one for foodie announcements. If you missed last week’s issue, here’s some rapid-fire updates to bring you up to speed …
Butler Wine Bar
The pastry wizards behind world-renowned croissanterie Lune will be opening its first nighttime venture in mid-November, with Butler Wine Bar currently taking shape next door to Lune at the base of Aria Property Group’s The Standard on Manning Street. Brisbane-based architecture firm Hogg & Lamb designing the 50-sqm venue, which will boast a 15-seater bar and a cluster of cosy banquettes, as well as some alfresco seats outside. Butler will champion proximity, seasonality and sustainability across its food menu, with cheeses, snacks, small plates and larger-format dishes wrought from some exceptional Queensland produce. As for the drinks, Butler’s beverage list will showcase an assortment of Queensland and Australian producers at an accessible price point as well as a tight cocktail list driven by seasonality – were talking tall and juicy concoctions perfect for Brisbane’s balmy climate made using locally distilled spirits. If Lune’s pedigree for primo pastries is any indication, Butler Wine Bar is shaping up to be another exceptional addition to South Brisbane’s booming dining scene.
Rita’s Tequila and Taqueria
Margarita season is approaching, so if you salivate at the thought of salted rims and citrus-infused sips, you’ll be stoked to hear that Rita’s Tequila and Taqueria will open soon in Teneriffe. Masterminded by Ollie Hansford and Aleks Balodis of Siffredi’s Spaghetti Bar and Daniel Pennefather (former bar manager at Blackbird Bar & Grill), Rita’s will transform the old Claret House space on Vernon Terrace (right next door to Siffredi’s) into a casual cocktail bar and snack site, with a playful interpretation of Mexican cuisine serving as prime inspiration. Once open, Rita’s bar will sling ten signature cocktails, eight flavoured margaritas and a bunch of classic tequila-based concoctions, as well as wines, Dos Equis on tap, Tecate tins and a smorgasbord of tequila and mezcal. In the kitchen Ollie will be whipping up snacks such as skewers, tostadas and empanadas, as well as a range of approximately seven tacos – including a kangaroo taco and another filled with spiced tempura soft-shell Moreton Bay bug. Those eager for a taste of the Rita’s menu before it opens later this month will be able to book a seat at Siffredi’s for a Sunday session collab on October 17 – we’ll have details soon!
Brass Tacks
With a craft-beer brewery and Queensland flagship for a nationally renowned coffee roaster already confirmed, Craft’d Grounds is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest arrivals. The crew behind the anticipated hub isn’t stopping there, last week announcing that Catherine Marot and Isaac Hull – esteemed pastry chefs behind Lady Bouchon and The Pie Hole, respectively – will be opening an all-in-one bakery and deli goods store at the Albion precinct as well. Brass Tacks, named in reference to Catherine and Isaac’s desire to specialise in the essentials, will see the duo serve their established range of handcrafted baked goods as well as salads, sandwiches, artisanal cheeses, charcuterie and other provisions – all the consumable necessities one needs to get by! Whether you’re seeking something sweet or savoury, Brass Tacks sounds like it will deliver on both fronts. We can’t wait!
If you’ve heard something that’s worth mentioning in The Weekend Edition’s Pavement Whispers, email [email protected].
