The award-winning Bar Liberty bartender shows us why the rum-based Treacle means so much to him.
If you’re a Melburnian, or have spent some decent time in the city, you might recognise Nick Tesar’s smiling face from behind the bar of Fitzroy staple Bar Liberty. Nick has been in the bar game for over 10 years and achieved great things. From authoring a book on low-alc cocktails and co-founding Marionette Liqueurs to being named Australian Bartender of the Year before placing top 10 in Diageo’s prestigious World Class cocktail competition. In short, Nick is kind of a big deal.
Before Nick became the hospo legend he is today, he started in the industry the same way everyone does: as a casual job to support himself through uni. “I used to deliver fresh food and veg to bars in university,” Nick laughs in the quiet hours before Bar Liberty’s dining room opens. “There was a bar in Brisbane called Lark that I used to deliver to, which was run by two good friends. They would make this cocktail for me after work, and I thought to myself, well, I quite like this.” Soon after, Nick moved to Melbourne, deciding it was time to take this “hospitality thing” more seriously.
As we all know, working in hospitality is no small feat. It demands patience, long hours and unwavering passion. It's definitely not a job for the faint-hearted. But it’s the essence of the industry that has kept him in such a demanding role for so long. “I love hospitality. I love service. I love engagement. I love food and drinks.” And that's really what Nick is about – simple stuff done to the highest quality. This might explain why his aha moment, THE drink that inspired his career, was also brilliantly simplistic. “The drink that made me want to be a bartender is the same drink my friends made me all those years ago at Lark: the Treacle. I was drawn to the simplicity of the cocktail. And simple things done well have always been the best for me.”
If you’ve never had the chance to try a Treacle before, it was created by Dick Bradsell in 1990s London as a twist on the Old Fashioned. It is rich in molasses and heavy, but cut through with tart, green freshness from Granny Smith apple juice.
“Being from Queensland, the drink used familiar flavours. Like rum, which is a big part of Queensland culture and the Queensland palate,” Nick explains. “Taking rum and making something sophisticated, but also softened by the apple juice, was a real changing moment for me… It made me think about drinks differently.”
These early lessons made Nick the brilliant and fastidious bartender he is today. Taking simple cocktails, making them well and not overcomplicating them are the keys to his success.
If you’d like to try Nick's Treacle cocktail, and we really suggest you do, watch the video below, then get follow the recipe and Nick’s at-home tips below.
Watch: How to make the Treacle
Ingredients
60mL dark rum
10mL sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters 4 barspoons (30mL) of fresh-pressed Granny Smith apple juice Garnish: apple fan or slice of dehydrated apple
Method
Combine rum, sugar syrup and bitters in a cocktail shaker Add a handful of small ice cubes and stir Strain into a large rocks glass over a large ice cube Gently spoon fresh apple juice over the top Garnish with an apple fan or dehydrated apple slice
Nick’s top tips
You may not be able to make it exactly the same as World Class finalist Nick Tesar, but thanks to his tips you can make one pretty darn close. Nick’s Treacle calls for fresh apple juice, which means you’ll need a juicer. If you don’t have one, try your local cafe or, at a pinch, some cloudy apple juice from the store will do you just fine. Ice is also super important – it really makes or breaks the cocktail. Nick explains that for the Treacle, you need to stir down the drink with small cubes and then serve over a large cube. “That way we get the right dilution into the drink.” If you’re wondering what sort of food you should snack on while drinking the Treacle cocktail, Nick’s covered that for us, too. “Jerky and semi-hard cheese,” he suggests. Sounds delish to us. Other than that, Nick suggests lining up some Brit pop, preferably some New Order or Blur, and sipping this mid-afternoon, midweek.
