When it comes to bars, my default setting is generally “annoying traditionalist”. I get twitchy when menus spruik “our twist on a Negroni” or put the words “lychee” and “Martini” together. I’m even dubious about calling an Espresso Martini a Martini. And don’t get me started on carafes. So there’s little wonder that the increasing presence of tapped cocktails and tapped wine everywhere from mega venues to small neighbourhood bars can threaten to send me into an it’s-the-end-of-the-world tailspin. But then I had a Martini at Melbourne bar Caretaker’s Cottage and realised I might need to get a grip.
Granted, Caretaker’s Cottage Martinis don’t come from a tap, but they are pre-made. They arrive beautifully, perfectly built, with a five-to-one gin to vermouth ratio, diluted correctly
