Local noshery named as having Australia’s best cocktails

PAPER Daisy restaurant at boutique hotel Halcyon House in Cabarita Beach has been named Australia’s Best Cocktail List in the prestigious Wine List Awards.

You Beauty restaurant at Bangalow and Bar Heather in Byron Bay were also recognised in the awards, both receiving three-glass ratings in acknowledgment of their exceptional wine lists.

The awards, judged by international Wine List of the Year Awards criteria, provide customers with a reliable benchmark for the standard of beverage offerings at each venue.

Halcyon House general manager Laura Proctor said the hotel’s cocktails had long been a talking point for guests, with 30 alcoholic and non-alcoholic creations featured on the menu.

“We have some cocktails on the list which we have had since day one,” she said.

They include the Halcyon Days cocktail, made with gin, lemon myrtle syrup, lemon, mint and passionfruit foam.

“The award is a wonderful recognition and a great accolade for the hotel and our bar manager, who puts so much effort into designing cocktails, perfecting the recipes and asking us to sample them,” Proctor said.

Halcyon House is also celebrating its 10th anniversary in October, marking the milestone with a $10 Paloma birthday cocktail served poolside. The celebratory drink includes tequila, cumquat liqueur, watermelon, grapefruit, kaffir lime and agave.

Many of the fresh fruits featured are sourced locally from Tropical Fruit World in Duranbah, in the Tweed hinterland.

The hotel’s pool terrace has been reimagined by luxury outdoor furniture brand Business & Pleasure Co., known for styling icons such as the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills and Soho House in California, for the birthday celebrations.

The refreshed space channels the timeless glamour of American society photographer Slim Aarons, with pistachio-green umbrellas lining the pool and peachy-pink cushions adding soft accents to sunbeds.

The hotel is also hosting a Mexican-inspired ‘Meet Us for Margaritas’ poolside fiesta from 3pm daily, with drinks like spicy jalapeño, coconut, or watermelon and kaffir lime margaritas, accompanied by shareable bites including grilled fish tacos, ceviche and jalapeño and Oaxaca cheese croquettes.