The quirky name might give it away, but Flaggerdoot isn’t interested in being a typical cocktail bar. It’s part of the Mornington Peninsula’s luxury Jackalope hotel and proudly shows off its creativity. That’s most obvious in its boldly designed, neon-lit interior. But its drinks menu is artistic too.
At Flaggerdoot you’ll find advanced cocktail techniques like clarification and carbonation, but the idea isn’t to be esoteric. Food and beverage director Tanguy Charbonnet’s cocktail menu is often adventurous, creative and – in his words – a little crazy, but there’s still a healthy respect for classic flavours, traditional drinks and the power of simplicity. If you order a gin and tonic, it’s still a gin and tonic – just done to the highest standard possible.
Master the gin and tonic at home
“What makes a very good gin and tonic is obviously the gin itself,” says Charbonnet. “We want to be able to feel the botanicals.” But part of letting the gin shine – whether it’s a zesty Tanqueray No. Ten, citrus-heavy Four Pillars or floral Monkey 47 – is finding the right tonic to match.
At Flaggerdoot, G&Ts are served with Fever-Tree tonics, a range crafted specifically to complement fine spirits. It’s part of Fever-Tree’s Perfect Serve program, which is being rolled out at partner venues in NSW and Victoria. Whatever gin or Fever-Tree flavour you order from Flaggerdoot’s series of Perfect Serve G&Ts, your mixer will come in a single-serve bottle on the side, so you can adjust the ratio to your own tastes.
For his perfect gin and tonic, Charbonnet uses the soft flavours of Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic to balance the brightness of Tanqueray No. Ten gin. “I didn’t want to go for a classic tonic,” he says. “It’s something very different and brings a bit of a floral aspect to the drink, and just adds a bit more complexity.” In true Flaggerdoot style, Charbonnet adds one house-made ingredient to take it to the next level: a lacto-fermented finger lime and grapefruit cordial.
To make it as Charbonnet does at Flaggerdoot, you’ll need a sous-vide-style vacuum bag set-up. “I weigh the finger lime and the grapefruit and add two per cent of that [weight in] salt,” he says. “Then I close the vacuum bag and leave it for three or four days, depending on the temperature.” Once the bag has swollen – a sure sign of fermentation – Charbonnet removes the citrus and adds sugar to taste.
For those of us without the gear (or patience) for lacto-fermentation, Charbonnet recommends adding 10 millilitres of a good quality lime cordial and five millilitres of grapefruit juice. Beyond that, building the drink is as simple as you’d imagine: add gin, cordial and ice to a glass and top up with Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic to taste, then garnish with lime and grapefruit to bring out the botanical flavours.
Recipe: Flaggerdoot’s Perfect Serve gin and tonic
Makes 1 serving; approx. 1.1 standard drinks
Ingredients:
30ml Tanqueray No. Ten gin
Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic
10ml finger-lime-and-grapefruit fermented cordial
Ice
Lime and grapefruit to garnish
Method:
Pour the gin and cordial into a tall glass.
Add ice and top up with your perfect serve of Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Fever-Tree. The Perfect Serve is available at Beverly, Jackalope and Caffe e Cucina in Victoria; Martinez and Henry G’s in Sydney; and The Farmer’s Wife in Allworth, NSW. Order a drink from the Fever-Tree Perfect Serve menu and the tonic will be served on the side so you can create your perfect ratio.
