Jane Rocca — a music and fashion journalist, mixologist and author — is a good friend and one of the coolest girls I know. We first met back in the early 2000s, when I was working for Chunky Move in Melbourne.
Jane has been published by The Weekly Review, Sunday Life, The West Australian, Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, The Face, WWD New York and I-D. When she’s not busy working on a story Jane can be found back stage at a rock or fashion event, immaculately dressed in black, cocktail in hand. So she’s the living embodiment of her stylish new book, The Fashionable Cocktail: 200 Fabulous Drinks for the Fashion Set, which launches tonight in Melbourne.
The cocktails in the book have been created by some of the best bartenders in Melbourne, Sydney and New York. As I love cocktails but am a L-plates drinker (Asian gene fail) I asked Jane to share some of her tips about cocktails, her best local bars and setting up a home bar.
Everyone, meet Jane!
Jane, in The Fashionable Cocktail… you describe eight different cocktail drinkers — The Vintage Girl, The Season Chaser, The Satorialist, The Luxe Label Girl, The Bohemian Girl, The Hipster Girl, The Haute Couture Girl and The Cocktail Dress Girl — and then offer a guide to suitable cocktails for each. Which cocktail drinker are you?
I find I’m a mix of many of the chapters, but certainly feel an affinity toward the Cocktail Dress Girl and the Vintage Girl – if only because they conjure a time that’s slipped away from us. I love nothing more than getting dressed up in quality garb from the past and fine tweaking the night with cocktails that salute this period. You’ll find drinks in these chapters that hark back to the 40s and 50s and many tipples with a modern verve to them too. That said, I find sometimes I’m in the mood for 70s’ bohemia when I want to take things less seriously and love the notion of the Season Chaser, because seasonal produce directs her tastebuds.
What are your favourite Melbourne bars at the moment?
- For cocktails: Brooks Bar – Shae Silvestro is rocking my world in cocktails at the moment.
- For a romantic date: Try EDV early in the week or the The Everleigh [also good mid week].
- For a noisy celebration with friends: DuNord on Little Bourke St Melbourne for a Nordic cocktail exploration. It’s noisy but not trashy; it’s busy but with the well heeled sort.
If I wanted to set up a home bar, what are the essentials in terms of liquor, glasses and equipment?
- A retro bar from a vintage shop or market to get you in the mood
- Basic spirits like vodka, tequila, gin, rum and bourbon plus brandy
- Fresh fruit that’s in right now [for summer consider strawberries, blueberries, lychees, mango]
- Liqueurs like triple sec or cointreau, maraschino liqueur, coffee liqueur, creme de cacao and creme de cassis.
- Lot of ice, lemons, limes and oranges for garnish or twists,
- Some juices like orange, cranberry, and pineapple
Of course you can’t get by without a decent chopping board, grenadine and good glassware, too.
If you were going to throw a cocktail party for New Year’s Eve, what are the cocktails you would serve and why? What music would you have playing?
Spicy Mango [page 11], Vanilla Sling [page 118], and Frosty Passionfruit [144]. If you want shots to get you loaded try The Oil Change: Motor City [page 63]. I’d serve these because they’re easy to prepare when making large quantities of drinks. You don’t want to get bogged down with difficult recipes and highballs are easy to drink and hold when dancing, too. Shots are great for getting loaded quickly and martini glasses are perfect for sipping on the sidelines of any great party. When it comes to music it has to be rock ‘n’ roll – The Cramps through to Detroit Cobras. If it’s soul garage, I’m cool with anyone from Ike and Tina Turner to Otis Redding.
The Fashionable Cocktail… is your third book about cocktails, after The Cocktail and Cocktails and Rock Tales. What’s next for you?
They say all things happen in threes; I think I’ve completed mine in the cocktail world. It’s been fabulous to combine my love of fashion writing from my day job with my new book – I have been writing my fashion column in The Weekly Review for 3.5 years now and being surrounded by fashion talk, trends and discussion inspired this latest book from me. I can tell you what you won’t see from me – and that’s a mocktail book!
The Fashionable Cocktail: 200 Fabulous Drinks for the fashion Set by Jane Rocca with illustrations by Neryl Walker is out now from Hardie Grant. The book is being officially launched in partnership with Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2013 tonight at Touché Hombre 2.
