Page 27 - Gin Journal - The Hobart Edition

that helped carve out Ben’s own career aspirations.
“One of Vernon’s greatest qualities was his generosity of time. He would happily talk to you about his ethos,
anything but complex. A martini was best, but he was just as comfortable with a good bottle of wine or three fingers of whisky in the wee hours following a busy night.
VALE, VERNON
With lockdowns keeping Melbourne bars shut for the foreseeable future, Ben
and his team won’t be able to celebrate Vernon’s life in large numbers for quite a while. If not for the establishment’s 23rd birthday in November, then Ben hopes everyone can get together in January for Vernon’s birthday.
For now, Ben is content that Vernon’s legacy will live on in all the people’s lives he touched.
“Many of his former staff have gone on to great things. Vernon started a vermouth with one of the ex-
managers [Shaun Byrne, who previously managed the Gin Palace] to create Maidenii, for example.
“He was a real building block for so many people, and he gave them the tools to launch their own careers.
“I know that his legacy will live on in all those people and all the creations that he helped turn into something special.” 25
METHOD
Add ice to a mixing
glass and pour over the vermouth – enough to coat all the cubes.
Discard the excess liquid and keep the ice. Pour
the gin over the ice and stir for 15 seconds. Swish Cointreau in a chilled martini glass until fully coated. Discard remaining liquid. Strain gin into glass and garnish with
an anchovy-stuffed olive.
his vision, his history in hospitality, and he’d share all the things he’d learnt so that those lessons could also help you. I couldn’t say where I’d be without having Vernon as a mentor in those early years.”
NOTHING LIKE A GOOD MARTINI
Business was business, but when it came to cocktails, Ben says Vernon’s drinking preferences were
“The martini list at the Gin Palace hasn’t really changed since we first opened in 1997. It’s based on Barnaby Conrad III’s book The Martini. One of the martinis Vernon drank was the martini that won the 1951 Chicago CocktailCompetition.
“But his go-to was a Dry Plymouth martini with a twist of lemon – pretty straightforward. He was old-school like that.”