At Bank Street Social during Fringe, the drinks are set alight

The Hendrick’s Curious Gin Trail is back at Adelaide Fringe right now, with 10 great bars to visit showing just how good the cocktail scene is in Adelaide right now.

Bank Street Social is the underground late night joint of choice for those in Adelaide’s West End, offering a refuge from some of the Hindley Street craziness.

But as, manager Rose Sinclair points out in her chat with Hendrick’s ambassador James MacRae — known to many of you as Wee James — below, that doesn’t mean you’re in a sleepy bar; far from it. They like to put some theatrics on behind the bar, she says — one of their cocktails for the Curious Gin Trail, the Grand Brûlée, gets set alight — and when it comes to the weekend, the place gets very lively.

“It’s just a really great place to meet people, to make connections,” Rose says.

JAMES: Alrighty, Banks Street Social. Could you introduce yourself?

ROSE: I’m Rose, I’ve been working now as a duty manager for a couple months, but I’ve been at Bank Street for over a year now. Loving it. Such a great place, such a great venue, amazing people. Just so blessed to be here.

And how did you come across the venue?

Well, actually, I had some friends that were working here at the time and I wanted to learn more, get into more competitions and just really elevate my knowledge on bartending. And this place seemed like the perfect place to do that.

So for those who’ve never been to Bank Street Social before, obviously you get hundreds if not thousands of international guests during Fringe — how would you describe this amazing place to them?

Well, it is a beautiful cocktail whiskey bar during the week, very chill atmosphere, great bartenders, little bit of showmanship, we like to have a bit of fun with fire and things like that. But on a weekend, very busy, great place to meet people. I always like to joke so many people find their true love here. It’s just a really great place to meet people, to make connections.

Speaking of cocktails, tell us about these two fabulous Henderson cocktails we have on for the Fringe period.

So these cocktails are put together by my lovely, lovely team. Two team members in particular, very talented.

New Moon is very light, summery, beautiful, almost Gimlet-style cocktail. It uses a sugar syrup with cardamom, Thai basil, pepperberry. So it makes it a little bit interesting.

Definitely one for summer. What about this fantastic show stopper?

My gosh, yeah. So good. This is the Grand Brulee put together by the lovely Taylor. She used a plum syrup made with fresh plums because they’re in season at the moment, a beautiful vanilla sugar syrup that she put a little bit of acid in as well to help balance it. Topped it with some icing sugar just to caramelise the sugar on top. So you have that lovely break, and also the smell of caramel. Absolutely delicious.

I’m gonna have a little sip just now because this is staring at me.

So good.

Yeah, superb, superb. Tell us a bit about the Fringe atmosphere?

Well, in the past we have been so far away from Fringe that we don’t get a lot of the Fringe traffic. So really lucky to be included with all the other bars this year [on the Hendrick’s Curious Gin Trail].

It’s fantastic to have you on board. What is on your list for a night out? Say you’re finished up here for the night, where are you heading first?

Well, to see all the shows, mainly all the dancing and burlesque shows.

Malt & Juniper, absolutely one of my favourite cocktail bars of all time. Latteria, amazing. I mean, Memphis Slim’s — you know, just try not to go to too many.

New Moon

Ingredients

• 60ml Hendrick's Gin
• 30ml fresh lemon juice
• 20ml pepperberry, Thai basil & green cardamon syrup
• moon dust bubble to garnish

Grand Brûlée

Ingredients

• 45ml Hendrick's Grand Cabaret Gin
• 45ml spiced blood plum syrup
• 10ml vanilla lactose syrup
• 30ml fresh lemon juice
• egg whites

Shake all ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with icing sugar, and torch with a brûlée iron.