You will never guess where DD and I went on Tuesday night … the US Consul General’s private residence for dinner.
I was VERY excited when I received the invitation, as only 30 guests were invited to the event, which was to support American craft distillers and their export aspirations.
The host was the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), which was visiting Australia with eight distillers on a trade tour across Sydney and Brisbane.
Most of the distillers on the trip made bourbon and DD is a massive bourbon fan, so I knew he’d be in like Flynn when I got my plus-one invite.
Visiting representatives produced brands we were completely unfamiliar with, such as BroVo Spirits, Liberty & Plenty Distillery, Middle West, Noble Oak, Old Elk, Proof and Wood Ventures, Traverse City and Virginia Distillery Co.
We couldn’t wait to try them … oh and sticky beak at a Consul General’s residence!
(Just in case, like me, you’re not entirely sure what a consul general is: according to Google they represent their country’s commercial and citizen interests in major foreign cities. They differ from ambassadors by focusing on public services and trade rather than direct government-to-government politics.)
Naturally, the evening wasn’t all smooth sailing in HouseGoesHome world. I had to work in the city that day, so DD was tasked with dropping by my place to walk the dogs on his way into town.
Except he realised at 4.30pm that he couldn’t find his keys to my apartment …
There was no time for me to race home, let the dogs out and still get to the event in the Eastern Suburbs by 6pm, so the poor doggos were left on their own for 13 hours, four of them in the dark without dinner or anywhere to wee … except the floor.
Couldn’t be helped. I met DD at Wynyard Station and we threw ourselves into a cab, with me fretting the whole way about how late we were going to be.
I hate being tardy, especially when there are dignitaries involved.
Fortunately, we were only about 10 minutes late to the private residence, which was more on the mansion side of things.
We were greeted in the lobby with (responsibly small) Old Fashioneds and Whiskey Sours. Nom nom.
After cocktails in the family room, we moved onto the enclosed terrace, where two long tables were set for dinner.
We sat down to an amazing four-course feast, each course paired with two (responsibly small) nips of whiskey to try.
Above are pics of some of the delicious dishes we sampled. The flavours in the starter were my unexpected favourite, as I’m not normally a fan of fruit in my savoury dishes, but this one rocked: fig, pecan, goat’s cheese and honey.
Introducing each whiskey and its distiller was Simon Rose-Hopkins (above), owner of Jolene’s bar in Sydney CBD. Jolene’s has a cool country and western vibe and 150 whiskeys on its back bar, check it out next time you’re looking to sip a cocktail in the city.
The evening was a great opportunity to discover new US releases entering the market, meet producers face-to-face, and gain insight into the trends shaping the American spirits category globally and locally.
We were surprised by how youthful the Consul General (above) looked when he stood up to give a speech and he seemed like a thoroughly nice bloke when we thanked him for his hospitality at the end of the evening.
I enjoyed chatting to the distillers, including Liberty & Plenty CEO Tina Williford, who founded the business in March 2020 as a 100% woman-owned craft distillery.
After a successful career in the wine industry, she took herself to Edinburgh to get her Master of Science degree in Brewing & Distilling from Heriot Watt University.
She’s about to open her second distillery in North Carolina and has plans for a third on the drawing board. Go Tina!
My favourite whiskey of the night was the Traverse City Whiskey Co Michigan Apple, made with hand-picked, early-season apples. It had the most delicious nose of red fruit and vanilla and was robust and rounded on the palate.
DD favoured the caramel notes of the Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel Bourbon. It was a category winner at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards, with the judges noting: “Vanilla and caramel on the nose. Toasted coconut on the palate.” So DD was spot on!
It wasn’t pretty arriving home to the doggos at 9.30pm, but it was a memorable night for lots of good reasons too.
PS I’m on the road today and tomorrow without my laptop – I will give you the lowdown on that adventure on Monday. Have a great weekend.
Song of the day: Iggy Azalea “Fancy”
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