A DIY shrub with ‘upcycled wine’ is on the agenda at Applejack Hospitality’s latest venue, Rafi, due to open on 29 September.
The drinks menu has been developed by Applejack Group Bars Manager, Lachy Sturrock; Group Sommelier, Amandine Rouviere; and Rafi Bars Manager, Cameron Freno.
Cocktails at the venue have been created to reduce waste wherever possible, all while ‘executing delicious and unique drinks.’
Applejack Hospitality Owner, Ben Carroll, stated that his own experience in North Sydney had inspired him to open the venue.
“Born and bred in the North, North Sydney was where I fell in love with Hospitality, so the area has special significance for me. With RAFI we want to put North Sydney back on the centre stage, with a world class restaurant in a setting to match,” Ben said
“The honesty and passion of our people at Applejack is all about connection, and we want to make this venue a place where visitors, corporates and the local community can come together and feel that connection in a warm and welcoming space.”
Bars and Clubs reached out to Lachy to hear more about how the venue’s concept was developed.
“The concept behind Rafi’s F&B offering is all about sustainability and focusing on seasonal produce. Once we had firmed up this concept, the first thing to do was to sit down with both Cam (Rafi Bar Manager) and Amandine (Applejack Group Sommelier) to work out how we could execute this across our entire drinks offering,” Lachy said.
“From a wine perspective, we decided to champion wines from local producers – especially in our wines by the glass. We also looked for wine producers with a key focus on sustainable practices and organic farming, both local and abroad.
“For the cocktail program, we wanted to create a very fruit driven and seasonal list, whilst also utlising as much of the produce as possible,” Lachy continued.
“As an example, one of our cocktails called ‘Riff Raff’ – where we take unwanted mint leaves and stems from our other Applejack venues, along with lime juice and husks to make a clarified cordial. Over the years of working in bars, both myself and Cam noticed one of the key ingredients behind a bar that is wasted is mint, so we looked to utilise this in a modern way for the opening list, whilst reducing overall wastage across our group.”
The DIY cocktail concept is called ‘shrub your way’ and presents the bar’s seasonal shrub (currently blood orange, lemon myrtle and upcycled wine), served with the guest’s choice of spirit base, ice/spritz and mixer.
In the menu, Cameron commented that “by choosing seasonal fruits, we have contributed to relieving demand on Australian farmers, receiving optimal quality of produce, minimizing over-supply in the market as well as utilizing ‘imperfect picks’, partnering with local fruit vendors.”
“Working with our neighbouring Applejack venues, we can give another life to some produce otherwise destined for the bin, by implementing modern sustainable techniques throughout the menu, and creating riffs on a few of the world’s best classic cocktails,” Cameron continued.
Alongside this DIY shrub are another six bespoke drinks, including the ‘#7’ – a combination of mezcal bourbon, and Rafi’s ‘off-cut’ coffee liqueurs. There’s also selection of local beers and wines on offer, including the likes of Stone & Wood, Young Henrys and Freshwater breweries.
Wines will be showcased in a large glass wine store, with the wider décor created by design firm, Luchetti Krelle, a long-time collaboration with Applejack. The brief for this venue was ‘no two spaces the same’ with a layered approach encouraged. For Rafi’s bar, a custom made, geometric island bartop was created.
Stuart Krelle comments: “We set out to create a space that was youthful and playful. Drawing inspiration from exuberant colours and patterns, our design reflects Applejack’s energy and warmth. The hope is that you have fun.”
The rest of the venue comprises of a private dining room, an alfresco glasshouse space and a tree-lined terrace. The Chef’s Kitchen will be open for exclusive events and bespoke dining experiences. The food offering itself has been overseen by Executive Head Chef Matias Cilloniz, and includes seasonal vegetables and sustainably sourced seafood.
Rafi will be open from Monday to Saturday from 12pm to midnight. The venue is located at 99 Mount St, North Sydney.
