In December last year, we chatted with the incredibly talented crew behind one of Newcastle’s favourite food and drink haunts, Market St Basement, about their cocktail creation, La Niña, for the first installment of HUNTERhunter’s cocktail feature. 

Having only been on the special’s menu for a short four weeks, the La Niña cocktail orders were coming in thick and fast. For those who tried the delicious cocktail for themselves or those who didn’t make it into the CBD space in time to taste test, we have some GRAND news.

La Niña is here to stay!

The ever-so bubbly head bartender, Luis, concocted the La Niña – a true reflection of Australia’s current climate.

“The name is La Nina; because since I’ve come to Australia, it’s all that I have heard about. The ingredients are representative of the beachy and tropical side of Australia, then we’ve got the bourbon, the dark whisky which represents the moody weather we’ve had.”

Now, what makes this cocktail more intriguing you ask? Well, that’s because of its flavour – it’s fresh, coastal, and exactly what summer should taste like in a glass. To be honest, one sip and it had me thinking it was a Frosty Fruit in liquid form!

“You don’t see a lot of whisky and bourbon-based cocktails that taste fresh; you’ll usually see the old-fashioned styled cocktails. This is what makes it different; I really like it. It’s very fresh.”

Ingredients include Old Forester Whisky, agave syrup, passionfruit puree, and peach puree, garnished with mint, a Market St Basement branded orange peel, and an iconic cocktail umbrella to protect you from our wet summer ahead (La Niña, I’m looking at you).

You’ll now be able to get your hands on the La Niña cocktail at Market St Basement for the foreseeable future. Get your table booked now and sample it for yourself.