BY KIERAN WELCH, DOTS+LOOPS
Dots+Loops is a concert series and artist collective based in Brisbane, bridging the gap between a traditional classical concert and an underground club gig. By presenting engaging post-genre music in relaxed and inclusive venues, we aim to appeal equally to a broad range of music lovers, from regular classical concert goers to post-rock aficionados who may have never stepped foot in a traditional concert hall.
However, if you’re a regular CutCommon reader, you will have learnt all about that a few months ago in this article. So as we approach our next show, Dots+Loops 5×4, and as we’re all about mixing things up, we thought we’d do something a bit different and present a list of our top 5 cocktail recipes.
The Manhattan
At Dots+Loops we’re keen on all kinds of music, particularly Australian stuff. However, with a bunch of New Yorkers being some of the first to create distinctly post-genre music, as well as being known for putting on the kind of inclusive warehouse-style gigs that we’re also keen on, our shows often tend to end up with a twist of “big apple”. So what better than to start things off with a classic Manhattan?
To make, combine 2 parts whisky, 1 part sweet vermouth and 1 to 2 dashes of bitters with ice in a cocktail shaker. Rub orange peel around the rim of your cocktail glass, then pour the shaken mixture through a strainer. Garnish with a maraschino cherry, sit back and enjoy your creation.
For maximum impact, we suggest an aural pairing with Caroline Shaw’s ‘Entr’acte’ for string quartet. The New York-based Shaw recently became the youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer prize for composition, and seems to be appearing everywhere these days, from collaborating with Kanye West, to acclaimed tours with Roomful of Teeth. Inspired by Haydn, her ‘Entr’acte’ is a beautifully enigmatic accompaniment to your Manhattan, and just so happens to be receiving its Australian premiere at Dots+Loops 5×4.
The Old Fashioned
Another classic, the Old Fashioned happens to be Connor D’Netto’s favourite cocktail. Who is Connor, and why is this relevant? You guessed it, he’s also on the program for Dots+Loops 5×4. A local Brisbane composer, his superb ‘String Quartet No. 2’ recently won Chamber Music Australia’s New Works Award. It’s a gripping, virtuosic work that we can’t wait to share with Queensland audiences for the first time, combining “driving post-minimal rhythmic elements with heartfelt lyrical expression”.
While we’re on the topic of combining, let’s get back to making an Old Fashioned. In an Old Fashioned glass, muddle 4 dashes of bitters, a teaspoon of sugar, and a slice of orange with a splash of soda water. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove the orange, add 60ml of your choice of rum, bourbon or scotch whiskey, and stir. Finish by filling the rest of the glass with ice, garnish with a fresh slice of orange, and if you’re feeling fancy, add a swizzle stick. However, it takes a considerable amount of time and energy to properly dissolve that sugar. It would probably be easier to just come and grab one from the bar at Cupo Studios in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on December 12.
The Singapore Sling
Perfect for an Australian summer, the refreshing Singapore Sling is a quintessential 20th Century cocktail, first served at Singapore’s iconic Raffles Hotel.
To whip one up, fill 2/3 of a large cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add 60ml gin, 30ml cherry brandy, 15ml Cointreau, 15ml Benedictine, 250ml pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 6 drops of bitters, then shake until well combined. Fill 2/3 of 2 tall serving glasses with fresh crushed ice cubes, then pour cocktail into the glasses, and garnish a pineapple leaf or a few mint leaves. To give your Singapore Sling a local twist, why not try it with an Australian gin? One of our favourites is Four Pillars.
For another refreshing combination of cultures, we suggest pairing your Singapore Sling with Maja Puseljic’s ‘String Quartet No. 1’. Though she’s a classically trained composer and pianist, Maja also tours around Brisbane and Australia as a soul singer/songwriter. With its minimalist rhythmic drive and folky harmonies, her first String Quartet weaves all these musical aspects together, bringing to mind the indie-folk of Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear as readily as it does composers such as Philip Glass.
The Drum
We’re lucky enough to have the fantastic CitySounds Percussion Quartet on the bill for Dots+Loops 5×4, performing excerpts from Jason Treuting and Sō Percussion’s post-genre tour-de-force ‘Amid the Noise’. And we were running out of cocktail ideas, but after a bit of research, it turns out there’s one called ‘The Drum’, which fits in here perfectly.
Pour 90ml orange juice, 30ml of rum, 30ml of apricot brandy, and 15ml each of dark rum, tequila and triple sec into a blender, along with a dash of Grenadine syrup, 2 drops of bitters and 2-3 cubes of ice. Blend for about 10 seconds, then pour into a highball glass over 2-3 more cubes of ice, before finishing off with an orange slice or maraschino cherries as a garnish. Granted, we haven’t tried this particular one ourselves yet, but the internet assures us it’s a definite… hit.
Whisky, neat
Correct, this isn’t technically a cocktail. But it’s just the thing after unexpectedly being subjected to 130 decibels of sustained white noise by venue sound engineers testing the speaker system, while you’re desperately working out how to put together a portable vibraphone so you can start the soundcheck that’s already running half an hour late. Haven’t found yourself in this particular scenario? We have.
It’s also the perfect thing to sip on after all the live acts have finished at Dots+Loops 5×4, when DJ Airport will take to the stage to present a set of electronica, IDM and techno that leads on from the rest of the concert, while the audience, performers and composers alike stick around to mingle and chat. May we recommend one of our favourites, Hakushu 12 year-old single malt.
Dots+Loops 5×4 will take place from 7pm on 12 December 2015, at Cupo Studios, 17 McLachlan St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information visit http://bit.ly/dl5x4, and to book tickets go to http://www.trybooking.com/JBGN.
Image of Dots+Loops supplied. Cocktail image via Visitor7 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0]
