WINTER ENTERTAINING

Winter needn’t be an opportunity to tuck yourself in for the long haul and throw out the social calendar. Lodged between Christmas and glorious February parties, June, July and August deserve a mid-year airing, and what better way that a winter wonderland soiree.

Pulling off such a theme is simple. Cue the cold weather and add white as the hue of choice. Then amp up the rustic, dust in a little glitter, warm up the food and stiffen the drinks!.

Keep in mind that winter is often confused with Christmas. Of course winter in Australia is never Christmas time (unless of course you’re throwing a Christmas in July) so avoid the cliché of reds and emerald greens, pinecones and stars.

Winter offers an opportunity to be a little more creative with your seasonal decor. Fill your vases up with bunches of purple, green and white cabbage flowers, artichokes, hellebores or rosehip as a wintery approach to your floral design.

Line your tables with clusters of pears, apples, quinces and oranges spiked with cloves, and add candles and lanterns for a soft centrepiece. Woods and matted silver are great complementary materials but keep the table decorations low and dense (rather than high and stark) to create a cozy and intimate ambience.

Think opulent when it comes to winter food and drinks. To warm the heart, consider serving spiced mulled wine or hot cider. Fill decorative baskets and bowls with mixed bread loaves and winter salads (and remember pork is very on trend this year).

As winter lends us very little natural sunlight, make lighting a feature of your event. Hang storm lanterns from the trees and ceiling, and layer the table with candles. Recycled glass jars filled with tea lights look amazing on mass, or string together a variety of tall pillar candles for a dramatic centrepiece.

Be prepared for Mother Nature to roll in and quickly become a vexing guest at your event and make sure that you’re armed and prepared. Being uncomfortably cold is a risk at any winter event, so keep your guests happy by supplying goodies like blankets, raincoats, gumboots partnered with buckets of dry socks, and umbrellas of course. Don’t forget heaters, and make sure there is always enough room inside to house everybody.

Don’t be afraid of throwing your event in the winter months. With a bit of cold weather and early darkness, the atmosphere is often much more intimate and rich!

ARDBEG DAY

What better way to hail in the winter months than with a handful of whiskey? On June 1, under the direction and styling of MARILYN GRACE, Ardbeg Whiskey and their Ardbeggian comrades did exactly this with an afternoon of fun, food, music, games and of course lots of whiskey!

The ‘shindig’ was held popup bar The Park in the Centennial Parklands, providing the perfect outdoor setting to celebrate Ardbeg’s annual ‘Ardbeg Day’ and the launch of Ardbeg’s new Limited Edition Bottling range, Ardbog, named in honour of the peat bogs of Islay.

Simon Thompson hosted the afternoon, introducing the archaeological theme of the day and giving a great running commentary of the ‘big dig’, the headlining game of the day. Everybody had the chance to get involved in the games. Quoits were tossed and skittles were bowled over, tusks were pinned on ‘the mammoth’, played for the prizes of ‘shorty the dog’, Ardbeg tumblers, leather key chains and cardholders and copies of ‘Ardbeg: A Peaty Province’. A treasure hunt was held with only five elusive gold coins hidden and hunted for in return for a bottle of the Limited Edition liquor.

A bagpipe troop gave a nod to Ardbeg’s Scottish connection, marching in with their pipes and drums Chariots of Fire and ending the formal games with a rock rendition of Scotland the Brave. The Bearded Gypsy’s then carried on to provide the perfect soundtrack to the day; their eclectic melding of gypsy, jazz and folk clearly enjoyed by all Ardbeggian punters.

Sydney caterers, Katering, piled the tables high in plates of spit-roasted pork and beef, wintery kale and walnut salads, wheels of cheeses, herbed mashed potatoes, baskets of fresh breads and fruit puddings. Scotch eggs, mini quiches and pies were offered as very Ardbeggian canapés throughout the day. The bar flowed with passionfruit and Ardbeg cocktails, Bloody Marys and of course the starring whiskey served simply neat in signature tasting glasses.

Australia was the first country to officially launch the new whiskey release which had its first public tasting on the day and our guests looked their most dapper with tweed and bottle green being the dress code du jour.

The weather played its part in the day, rolling in the clouds and sending down the rain into the whiskey tumblers, ending the truly wonderful afternoon in proper Scottish style!