Tasmania, and we also have some nice rums that come from Fiji. They’re all different, some are sweet, some are stronger, some of the liqueurs you can get through the rum as well is also pretty awesome. “We’re about to start a rum of the month. So there’ll be a rum on special and we’ll probably have rum tasting as well, so people can actually see the different tastes in the rum.” While opening a speciality-themed bar has garnered a following, it has also thrown Allan an unexpected curveball in attempting to capture a slice of the market. For all its rum-soaked allure, he is keen to stress that 1808 is more than a one-spirit wonder. “I think it’s been well received,” he says. “But we’re trying to get it out there that it’s not just a rum bar. We also sell beer and other spirits and cocktails, we do tapas food to compliment the drinks. That was a little bit of feedback I got, that it’s ‘only a rum bar’, so people were not going to come here. But we have four beers on tap, and plenty of Tasmanian gins and whiskies and rums.”
proudly Tasmanian in its drinks selection, embracing the state’s booming distillery scene while inviting guests to explore the globe, one glass at a time. Behind the bar, driving the creative flair of the cocktails and the warmth of the welcome, is bar manager Taylor Benson-Hogan. A self-confessed gin and whisky aficionado, Taylor didn’t start as a rum expert. But that’s changed quickly after relocating from Hobart to join the team. “It’s been a lot of fun learning more about rum, because I know a lot about gin, I know a lot about whisky but my rum knowledge was a bit iffy,” she says. “And I think a lot of people who have come and worked here didn’t know a whole heap about rum either, so they have had a lot of fun trying them all, learning about all the rum. Our [latest] cocktail menu that’s come out is less rum based, because the first one was very rum heavy on “Rum is a really fun product to make cocktails with... you can create all these different nuances and flavours. ” - Taylor Benson-Hogan
It’s an important message, especially for those less inclined toward a neat pour of dark spirit. 1808 is
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Tasmanian Hospitality Review Apr/May Edition
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