Wacky Cocktails

The Gold Coast of Australia has always been synonymous with fun, sun and laughter. A tourist hotspot, and home to a multitude of ‘surfer dudes’, few places are as busy and vibrant as Surfer’s Paradise.
But even the laid back locals have raised a few eyebrows at the latest cocktail being served at House of Brews. It is not the drink itself that has upset them; a delicious mix of gin, St Germain, elderflower liqueur, cloudy apple juice, grape and lime juice, orget syrup and rhubarb bitters, the Purple Haze is in high-demand with regulars and tourists alike.

The controversy has come from the instrument used to create the drink. A utensil shaped like a bong is used to pour the cocktail into the glass. The smoke effect created is theatrical and exciting, and exactly the impression the bar owner wanted to give.

Concerns have been raised over whether this performance trivializes drug use, but the bar owner has denied this as his intention, saying, “We absolutely do not encourage the use of drugs.”

The Purple Haze is not the first cocktail to cause a stir over the way it is served. Take a look at these wacky designs:

Coquetier

This scrumptious combination of rum, chocolate and cinnamon is served at Pret a Diner, Germany. The special twist comes in the form of an eggshell, which the beverage is served in. The recipe is a variation of a classic drink that was served in an egg cup in the 18th century in New Orleans.

The Crapper

A favourite at Las Vegas bar, Rock and Rita’s, The Crapper is a chocolate-based cocktail served from a mini toilet bowl. Luckily, that is where the distasteful bit ends, as the actual drink is quite delicious! It’s a variation of the Pina Colada, garnished with a Snickers bar. And the best bit (maybe) is that you get to keep the toilet glass when you have finished! Drinking out of The Crapper has never been so tasty!

Gunpowder Plot

If you like your cocktails steamy, the Gunpowder Plot could be just want you’ve been looking for. Created in Sydney, a concoction of dry ice, liquid nitrogen, and jelly is lit and the whole drink is held under a cloche so that the gin, fernet branca and egg whites in the glass are infused with a gunpowder-like taste.

The Sourtoe Cocktail

If you cast your minds back a few months, you may remember our blog post based on the Sourtoe Cocktail. Any drink can be transformed into the gruesome-sounding cocktail, the only requirement is that it contains an old pickled toe. Sold in Yukon, Canada, brave drinkers must ensure the toe touches their lips to earn a place in the Sourtoe Cocktail Club. And yes, the toes take some sourcing, but they are real, amputated human limbs.

In order to make a name for themselves in the bartending industry, cocktail enthusiasts need to come up with weirder and wackier ideas all the time. Thankfully they always have an eager audience ready to test out new ideas.