The Hilton Adelaide’s Collins Bar in Victoria Square launched its new winter cocktail menu with some real movers and shakers on the list.
The ‘Shaken and Stirred’ martini-exclusive menu features five original, creative twists on the classic martini.
The martini varietals were served alongside an array of delicious canapes with something for just about everyone.
Presented upon arrival, the Jammin substitutes the traditional vermouth in a martini for the sweeter savour of Cointreau, topped off with fresh lemon juice, apricot preserve and juniper-infused syrup.
The sweet, tangy Jammin, served in a sugar-rimmed martini glass, was accompanied by light vegetarian cold rolls with sticky soy sauce.
Jammin cocktail.
The Aloe Fizztini was next to come around – a vodka martini worthy of James Bond’s approval.
The Fizztini combines 007’s favourite vodka and vermouth mix with the added flavour of honey syrup, kiwi fruit and aloe vera soda, finished with egg white and peach bitters.
Presented in a traditional martini glass and garnished with basil leaf, the Fizztini was served with gluten-free wagyu beef skewers and béarnaise dipping sauce.
Salt and pepper panko-crumbed prawns arrived, paired with the appropriately named Ruby Rose martini – a piquant yet fruity concoction of Kraken spiced rum, strawberry syrup, rose syrup and fresh bitters, once again topped with egg white and fresh lemon juice.
Salt and pepper panko-crumbed prawns.
Adorned with rose petals in a martini glass, the Ruby Rose is perhaps the most memorable of the cocktails; the zesty nature of the bitters and the saccharinity of the strawberry combined with Kraken’s notoriously spicy flavour make for a formidable blend.
The final two martinis, the Nip and the Sour Kappa, went in different directions – the Nip was a vodka martini similar to the Fizztini but with elderflower and citrus vodka, and the Sour Kappa an exploration into the Mediterranean with Italian Disarrono liqueur and Aperol.
Fluffy vegetable pakoras were another highlight of the evening, served with Vietnamese green yoghurt.
Cocktail craziness behind the bar.
Now in its third year, the Collins winter menu has become a mainstay in Adelaide’s nightlife during the colder months – and with such creativity behind the bar and in the kitchen, it’s easy to see why.
The martini collection will be available for the remainder of the season, running throughout July and August.
