The Plough's Cocktales & Recipes

Today we are at the dairy farm – delivering our story and mixing this week's cocktail: the Myrniong Mudslide! As early as 1917, a local Councillor made a report to the Shire Engineer about the poor condition of "muddy" lane, with him referencing the state of the road rather than the street name. Going by the frequent tendering for up to 500 cubic yards of gravel at a time, everyone in the shire was familiar with this exact location. Sometimes it was referred to as "the muddy lane", maybe a faux pas, or possibly a term of endearment passed down by the previous generation! Pouring over old maps, I could not locate any with the name "Muddy Lane". inscribed on them. Matters would have been made worse in 1920 when a section of Ballarat Road was closed to all traffic due to regrading works. The detour was via Mount Blackwood Road and "muddy lane" (again the newspaper notice used quotation marks around the words "muddy lane")! Eventually...

Welcome to Cocktale O'Clock, here at The Plough where we enjoy a sip of history with a twist of fun. This week we have been reminiscing about the Agricultural and Horticultural Shows hosted at Myrniong from 1870s until the mid 1950s. And speaking of Shows, let's talk about the recently re-branded Melbourne Royal Show. Last year they changed it's name from "Royal Melbourne Show" to "Melbourne Royal Show", claiming it offered a "point of difference"! Personally, I'm not entirely convinced, however, a little conjecture never hurt anyone. Did you know that the annual Melbourne Royal Show, located at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, has been running since in 1848, 25 years before the first Myrniong Shows were conducted! Shifting our focus to something delightful and timeless – our Cocktail of the Week: Show Boat. This gem was featured in the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book and credited to J. W. Mellisha. It is gin-based with fruity aromas and a c...

This week we travel a stone's throw away while, at the same time, heading back to mid 19th Century. In 1855, the surveyor responsible for mapping out the anticipated community of Myrniong was John Hardy, whose legacy is commemorated in the naming of Hardy Street. Interestingly, the area that now serves as the Recreation Reserve was initially earmarked for a cemetery. While no cemetery exists in Myrniong today, it is worth noting that The Plough once housed a morgue during this era. By 1857, the landscape of Myrniong was evolving. A map from that year outlined plots allocated for 3 religious denominations and the Recreation Reserve. Out of these, the Church of England was the only one to materialize in 1867. The Catholic Church was established in Korobeit in 1864 and the Presbyterian Church found its home further up Pentland Hills Road for the convenience of that strong-Scottish community. Before the construction of the Pentland Hills' Presbyterian Church, the community gathere...

This week, we celebrate the blending of today's arctic blast with the classic film " Gone with the Wind ". About 5 years ago, one of our guests at The Plough shared a most delightful memory with us. It was 1937, when he and his newlywed wife were heading to Sydney after their wedding. During those times, a polio scare had police diligently monitoring interstate borders (something which I couldn't comprehend when hearing this tale, however I now have an appreciation of what this actually meant). As he explained, they were driving a "Touring Car on a windy day", and back then, you needed a permit, displayed on your windscreen, to travel interstate. When they reached the border, a policeman inquired, "I see you're from out of state. Where are you folks from?" Our guest replied ‘from a little place called Myrniong near Bacchus Marsh’. The policeman replied: ‘Not where Kate Foley’s pub is?’ Surprised, our guest asked how the policeman knew...

This week we answer the question: "What came first: The Old Fashioned or Manhattan"? The Old Fashioned is the original cocktail, with it being initially recorded as the Whiskey Cocktail around 1861, coincidently around the time that The Plough was first licensed! It consisted of whiskey, sugar (gum syrup), bitters & ice. The Manhattan came about 15 years later – in the mid-1870s as a result of vermouth gaining popularity. Bartenders always wanting to try something new, created the Manhattan, starting with even amounts of whiskey and vermouth. Nowadays, the ratio has changed. So, while the Old Fashioned came before the Manhattan, it is the latter that we are featuring today, in recognition of every special man we relish in our lives, particularly as we lead into Father's Day. __________________ Manhattan 60 mL Wild Turkey 30 mL Cinzano Rosso 2 dashes Bitters Mix all ingredients with ice. Stir well Strain into Coupe glass (no ice) GARNISH cherry & orange

This week's cocktail is for the Chauffeurs out there, and is my way of ensuring you don't miss out! No Alcohol Espresso Martini (a.k.a. Chauffeur's Choice) Superbly created so you cannot detect the lack of alcohol in this delicious Frocktail* (*A cocktail you drink when you are out somewhere special, usually wearing your favourite Frock) My link between history and today's cocktail is it feels like ages that I have been working to perfect this recipe for a non-alcoholic Espresso Martini – and I reckon I've cracked the code! This is my Frocktail... ... and the 3 beans traditionally refer to: health = vigor wealth = prosperity happiness = joy _____________________ Espresso Martini. 0%Alcohol 45 mL Lyres Coffee Liquor 10 mL Vanilla Bean Palermo 20 mL sugar syrup 10 mL Aquafaba Double shot expresso coffee Make coffee into a chilled glass with 1 x ice cube In Boston shaker, add ingredients then shake for 30 secs. Strain then dry-shake Pour into chilled Gold-rim mart...