Well, looky here, if it isn’t everyone’s favourite bartender, Matt Stirling. That’s right, he’s back and we cannot contain our excitement (literally bursting at the seams). Unsure who this creative master bartender is? Well, let us enlighten you. Matt is co-owner of one of the best bars/”smallest pubs” in Melbourne, Caretaker’s Cottage, and an industry great. He’s worked with us countless times (see here for his take on the Mojito, or his Crimes of Passion made with mezcal) and is just an outright great bloke. When asked what he loves about the hospo industry he’s worked in for almost 20 years, he says it’s about community and creativity. “We’re particularly lucky in Melbourne where we have one of the best informed and supportive audiences you could ask for.” See? Great dude.
This time around, he’s made us a truly delicious cocktail – a marriage of herbs and spice, with a distinct tropical inflection that is both spicy and intriguing. Matt has affectionately named it the Shutterbug cocktail. Typical of one of his drinks, the name gives nothing away (mysterious, no?), but we can tell you it’s a thoughtful mix of whiskey, Amaro Montenegro, lemon juice and passionfruit syrup. Kind of similar to a Daisy-styled cocktail (see the Margarita) but with a herbaceous addition of amaro. “It’s complex on the palate and rewards your curiosity, " explains Matt. “It is a great excuse to stick that neglected bottle of amaro into something delicious.”
We’d say this is a fun cocktail-hour kind of drink, or even an after-dinner go-to. Matt, on the other hand, reckons this drink should be served “in a very loud and dark room with lots of moving legs”. Mysterious, just like our Shutterbug.
