What a legend!

I went to a soiree last night with the man they call the King of Cocktails, Dale DeGroff. It was bulk fun.

Dale is one of the world’s most famous bartenders. He’s the author of two of the modern cocktail world’s most influential books – The Essential Cocktail and Craft of the Cocktail. 

He began his bartending career in Los Angeles, hoping to break into the movies. That didn’t happen, so instead he turned the bartending world on its head.

From 1987 to 1999 he rose to prominence as the original chief bartender in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York, where his then-unusual emphasis on classic cocktail recipes and high-quality ingredients led to huge acclaim.

He’s now 75, still mixing cocktails and was guest of honour at a party hosted by Grey Goose vodka.

It was a refreshing not to be the oldest person in the room for a change. Thank you Dale!

The event was held at a new spot I’ve been dying to try called Martinez.

It’s an outdoor bar in Quay Quarter Tower with cameos of Sydney Harbour.

I took my friend Sue and she messaged me around noon asking what I was going to wear because the dress code on the invitation was “cocktail”.

I’d forgotten about that and panicked because I currently fit into very few items in my wardrobe and also have a dodgy hip, so didn’t fancy being in heels.

I searched frantically through my clothes and decided on a pair of navy satin pants and a grey shiny top.

The next problem was shoes. I had none that were suitable for the outfit, so I raced out to the only shoe shop within coo-ee of my place, which specialises in old-lady footwear.

I settled on a pair of extravagantly priced silver sneakers and raced back home.

When I clocked off from my day job I steamed the navy pants and realised they were going to crease like buggery. So I put my shoes on first and then my pants, which are fortunately wide-legged.

Then I walked to the bus stop and jumped on a bus into the city. Cognisant of Fashion Critical’s “shoulda caught the bus advice” I decided I should stand all the way to Wynyard Station to avoid crotch whiskers.

Not ideal when you have hip issues, but it kept the creases down.

The Grey Goose function was awesome, we had such a fun time meeting old friends and making new ones, drinking martinis and eating slider burgers and fried zucchini flowers.

It was so much fun we forgot to take selfies. Did it actually happen if there aren’t selfies to prove it?

Dale had bulk fun too, as he loves to sing and there was a fabulous jazz band playing (whose members looked like they were possibly older than him).

He took to the stage and sang a few songs with them. He had a great voice, which made for a big-smile Rat Pack experience.

The celebration comes ahead of Grey Goose launching Le Martini, the world’s first standalone Grey Goose bar dedicated to the Martini, created in partnership with Crown Melbourne.

Dale has crafted the first cocktail menu for the venue when it opens next month. Get into it Melbourne people!

Song of the day: Thelonious Monk “Lulu’s back in town”