Like Its Venues Restaurant Hubert, Shady Pines Saloon and Alberto’s Lounge, Swillhouse’s New Magazine Has Swagger

“Juicy. Loose. Beautiful. Gritty. Stupid. Electric.” That’s how Myffy Rigby describes Swill , a new quarterly magazine she’s editing for Sydney hospitality group Swillhouse.

Swillhouse has been shaping the local drinks and dining scene since it opened its rollicking good-times laneway bar Shady Pines Saloon in 2010. It followed that landmark bar with a number of notable venues such as Restaurant Hubert , The Baxter Inn , Frankie’s Pizza and Alberto’s Lounge – venues that have swagger and offer, at times, an exhilarating sense of occasion.

And that’s exactly what Rigby and Swillhouse CEO Anton Forte want the new publication to have.

“ Swill is a celebration of restaurant culture near and far, high and low. The only rule, stipulated by my publisher Anton Forte, is ‘it must be weird and beautiful’,” says Rigby.

That translates to a story on the world’s first coffee-flavoured mead made in Timor-Leste written by drinks expert and P&V’s Mike Bennie ; the world’s last remaining rock’n’roll bikini dive bar; international food people and chefs Rene Redzepi (Denmark’s Restaurant Noma), Christina Tosi (New York’s Milk Bar) and Trevor Gulliver (London’s St John) about their fave “zero star” restaurants; and more.

There’s also a story about Melbourne French bistro France-Soir and a profile on American comedian, winemaker and Master of None star Eric Wareheim alongside articles on fashion, architecture, art, theatre and music.

Swill is not a marketing exercise to get people into their venues. “It’s pretty much the opposite of that, actually. Swill is more of a love letter to the restaurant world. We wanted to make something lasting, collectable and of value. Something that stretches beyond safe, bankable names and can’t be read on your phone. I guess you’d call it super analogue,” she tells Broadsheet.

Forte agrees. “Swill is my love of art, design, people and hospitality wrapped up in a beautiful magazine. I’m a lover of print, old books, tattered magazines, and the joy of a new hardcover. There’s something so joyous about words on paper,” he said in a statement.

It’s a move that Swillhouse creative director Jordan McDonald acknowledges is a little bit crazy. “Anton had an idea to start a print publication. It’s kind of the dumbest thing you could do, but it’s also the coolest thing to do.”

The team sees the publication occupying real estate on coffee tables alongside other beautiful books. And it easily could. The cover of the inaugural issue features an illustration by respected Sydney artist Allie Webb. Webb, who is known for her culinary-themed work, is the mag’s art director too, and her artwork is seen across the group’s venues. (Webb is also married to Forte. Read the Creative Couple story we did on the duo.) The mag also features beautiful photography by leading snappers including Nick Walker.

Rigby is an established talent in Australia’s dining scene. Prior to this gig she was the editor of the Age and SMH Good Food Guide , and before that the chief food and drink editor of Time Out Australia.

For the first issue of Swill , “I hefted around a huge mutton carcass around the Hubert theatre like I was Patrick Swayze doing ‘the lift’ with Jennifer Grey,” she says. For those who know her, it’s easy to picture her doing this for a story.

“I’m also proud to say we’ve got more bare bums than I have ever seen in a restaurant magazine.”

Swill is out quarterly and you can pre-order the first issue now, with shipping from October 12. The magazine is $48.

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