What to eat . . . and drink
This weekend, in our Culture Club issue, you have some serious thinking to do about what events you’ll be attending at the Auckland Writers Festival, and the Auckland Arts Festival. So you’ll need some sustenance and we suggest you combine these two, with crackers or crusty bread, and possibly an espresso martini Chantal Organics presents its new organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, a luscious brew made from handpicked organic olives from the slopes of the Taygetus Mountains, in Greece. Pair that with Alexandra Fine Foods dukkah — made with premium batch-ground spices, herbs and nuts, all roasted and blended by hand. You can enjoy any of three flavours here, Traditional, Aromatic or Piquant, as a dip or in cooking.
Disclaimer: I am not usually wooed by a cocktail with coffee notes. I am of the caipirinha persuasion — or a perhaps a mojito. But Batched is a brew that has persuaded Weekend to reconsider the espresso martini. Batched, made using all the right-on ingredients and provenance and processes required by artisan culture vultures, is a just add-ice-shakeand-pour-into-a-glass brew. So it’s fast to make in the comfort of your own kitchen/bar/ poolroom/garage, because all the hard work has already been done by the makers. Batched is brewed, using organic and fair trade (tick tick) coffee extract and artisan (tick) water, over three days, and there are no preservatives on account of the 13.9 per cent ABV. Boozy, chocolatey and good. Tested and loved by numerous top bartenders in Auckland, it comes in a 750ml bottle, for $40.
For stockists, see batched.nz