Matt Stirling of Caretaker’s Cottage slays the summer mixing game with the help of fruity beer and some crucial cocktail tips.
By now, you’ve probably heard about fruity beer. You know, that light and refreshing drink that’s somehow a beer? Well, with sunny days ahead, there’s never been a better time to put it to work in the form of some delicious summer cocktails. To show us how it’s done, we reached out to bartender Matt Stirling, whose Melbourne venue (Caretaker’s Cottage) just earned itself a spot on the prestigious World’s 100 Best Bars list – one of only two Australian venues to make the cut.
Unlike traditional brews, fruity beer is specially crafted to be super low on bitterness and plump with natural fruit flavour, making it an ideal cocktail ingredient. Think of it as a substitute for prosecco or hard seltzer – not too overpowering, but still able to bring its own unique sense of richness and character to a drink. And expertly deployed by a bartender of Matt’s pedigree, it absolutely proves itself to be a stellar mixing agent.
Matt's whipped up three fantastic cocktail recipes for us, each featuring a different fruity beer. They’re already super easy to make, but to make things even easier, Matt threw in a few bonus bartender tips to get us started. First up: ice.
“The more ice you have, the longer it takes to melt. Basically, ice keeps ice cold, which keeps your drinks cold for longer too,” Matt says. Makes sense. But surely there’s more to it than that? “Lower temperatures keep the vigour in your bubbles and good full flavour to the very last sip,” he says. “When making any drink, make sure you have heaps of ice on hand.” Noted.
Matt’s next tip is one that any hospo lord will appreciate. “Always take the time to prepare all of the bits and pieces you need on hand to make your drinks,” says Matt. “Whether you’re making yourself one drink or a few, getting set up keeps you organised and quick to task,” he says. “If you’re entertaining at home, this is the secret.” Matt also reckons the same rule applies to music. “Get your playlists sorted. Crucial.”
Somewhat predictably for a World’s Best 100 bartender, his final tip is to follow recipes with precision. “Always measure; never guess,” he says. “Recipes are written for a reason and they’ll taste like they should if you measure and follow the instructions. We’ve all tried to build furniture without the instructions and know how that works out,” he says.
So there you have it. All you need is ice, good organisation and strict adherence to the following instructions to whip up Matt Stirling’s delicious fruity beer cocktails. Now let’s have a look at those recipes, shall we?
“Simple, bold and fruit-forward, this drink is perfect for your Spritz occasions,” says Matt. The Dusty Springfield is the low-hanging fruit for low-fuss fruity beer cocktails. Leveraging the refreshing fizz of Mango Sungazer for length, Matt’s fruity beer twist on the ubiquitous Aperol Spritz is a summer essential in the making, and perfect for aperitivo-style snacks at home.
Strawberry and basil are two flavours that always seem to get along; there’s something magical about that symbiosis of sweetness and savoury that makes any drink sing. Bringing them together alongside a dash of Empire Strawberry & Lime fruity beer, Matt’s Empire of the Sun is a delicious evolution of the classic Gin Basil Smash.
That Spicy Margs are having a bit of a moment should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody. But what is surprising is just how well a dash of Mosey Passionfruit fruity beer goes in one. “That passionfruit sherbet texture makes for a drink asking to be sipped with high frequency,” says Matt.
