A drink in Launceston
Monday, March 15, 2010 by Matt Mercier
You may find that this is a bit of a lighter post. I should serve to equalize my blog a bit from discussing only the positives of life in Tasmania for a New Englander. This should provide a little equilibrium so the people at home don't think I've tore up my passport.
Lucy and I both had a busy week, and haven't really had much of a night life in months so we dressed up a bit and decided to head into the city for a drink.. it was 7:00pm.
There are several bars that we had to choose from, and we settled on one called "The Northern Club". Located on one of the main streets in town it was selected because it wasn't full of the post-work crowds. We entered into a very dark oak bar and glanced through their extensive cocktail list. Lucy selected a glass of champagne while I decided it was time I ventured back into Martini-ville. I asked the barmaid for Lucy's champagne and then for a Dirty Vodka Martini with Stoli, extra Dry. She cocked her head like a curious dog and said she'd need to consult another employee. I was then told that they didn't have any "stolichee" vodka (a terrible massacre of the name Stolichnaya), so I said that Grey Goose is fine, which it is not, but at this point I was trying to be magnanimous, and I didn't want to be that "picky American". She began making the drink, clearly unaware of what "extra dry" meant, using half a shot of vermouth.
She went out back and returned saying "We don't have any olive juice, only olives, is that okay?" I said that it was, although it wasn't. As I waited I brought out Lucy's champagne to one of the lovely tables outside that lined the street. It was across from the old Launceston post office, one of the more historical landmarks in town, home to a large clock tower that had me scanning the streets for Doc Brown.
I was back at the bar watching the glass of vodka and vermouth get progressively warmer when she returned with something in her hand. "These are the only olives we have, they are brown, and they have pitts". I could not hide my disappointment and said, well the drink as it is will be fine (no it won't). She returned the olives.. I presume to be used in someones salad later that evening and handed me my drink, and the bill. The glass of champagne and my drink cost $29.
Lessons learned:
-Never be shy to back out of a drink order if you see it is heading south.
-Always have a backup drink ready to go, in this case a double Johnnie Walker Red on the rocks would have sufficed.
-A Dirty Martini is a rare drink in Launceston, or Australia for that matter and I must take it into my own hands to craft that elusive mix of vodka and salt so delights my palette.
I've decided that going out in the future will see my ordering beer. If not for the cost, for the ease of ordering it. When we went to the next bar I confidently ordered a Guinness. Alas, they did not have it, in fact after a bit of research I found that nobody has Guinness on tap in Launceston. I ordered a "Crown Lager" which is a tall thin looking dark bottle with a gold label that extends up the neck. It looks to me like a beer bottle from the 70's. It was good, but not great.
After much deliberation I have decided that my new Beer of choice will be Boags XXX. It comes in bright red "stubbie" (bottle for westerners) and tastes quite good despite its vibrant packaging.
I can handle the fact that my DVDs won't play, that my electronics will need adapters, and even that I had to relearn to drive, but when I can't get Guinness on tap, a decent Dirty Martini, and of course.. clam dip, than I do realize that I am indeed quite far away from home.
Lucy and I both had a busy week, and haven't really had much of a night life in months so we dressed up a bit and decided to head into the city for a drink.. it was 7:00pm.
There are several bars that we had to choose from, and we settled on one called "The Northern Club". Located on one of the main streets in town it was selected because it wasn't full of the post-work crowds. We entered into a very dark oak bar and glanced through their extensive cocktail list. Lucy selected a glass of champagne while I decided it was time I ventured back into Martini-ville. I asked the barmaid for Lucy's champagne and then for a Dirty Vodka Martini with Stoli, extra Dry. She cocked her head like a curious dog and said she'd need to consult another employee. I was then told that they didn't have any "stolichee" vodka (a terrible massacre of the name Stolichnaya), so I said that Grey Goose is fine, which it is not, but at this point I was trying to be magnanimous, and I didn't want to be that "picky American". She began making the drink, clearly unaware of what "extra dry" meant, using half a shot of vermouth.She went out back and returned saying "We don't have any olive juice, only olives, is that okay?" I said that it was, although it wasn't. As I waited I brought out Lucy's champagne to one of the lovely tables outside that lined the street. It was across from the old Launceston post office, one of the more historical landmarks in town, home to a large clock tower that had me scanning the streets for Doc Brown.
I was back at the bar watching the glass of vodka and vermouth get progressively warmer when she returned with something in her hand. "These are the only olives we have, they are brown, and they have pitts". I could not hide my disappointment and said, well the drink as it is will be fine (no it won't). She returned the olives.. I presume to be used in someones salad later that evening and handed me my drink, and the bill. The glass of champagne and my drink cost $29.
Lessons learned:
-Never be shy to back out of a drink order if you see it is heading south.
-Always have a backup drink ready to go, in this case a double Johnnie Walker Red on the rocks would have sufficed.
-A Dirty Martini is a rare drink in Launceston, or Australia for that matter and I must take it into my own hands to craft that elusive mix of vodka and salt so delights my palette.
I've decided that going out in the future will see my ordering beer. If not for the cost, for the ease of ordering it. When we went to the next bar I confidently ordered a Guinness. Alas, they did not have it, in fact after a bit of research I found that nobody has Guinness on tap in Launceston. I ordered a "Crown Lager" which is a tall thin looking dark bottle with a gold label that extends up the neck. It looks to me like a beer bottle from the 70's. It was good, but not great.
After much deliberation I have decided that my new Beer of choice will be Boags XXX. It comes in bright red "stubbie" (bottle for westerners) and tastes quite good despite its vibrant packaging.
I can handle the fact that my DVDs won't play, that my electronics will need adapters, and even that I had to relearn to drive, but when I can't get Guinness on tap, a decent Dirty Martini, and of course.. clam dip, than I do realize that I am indeed quite far away from home.
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