THE SMOKING CAMEL

Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.

- MATTY HIRSCH

Ras el hanout? In a cocktail? You’d be forgiven for thinking it would border on bizarre. But, it’s the thrill of the unexpected that makes the eponymous drink at The Smoking Camel – Byron Bay’s neon-tinged modern Levantine bar and diner – such a winner.

“In the lead-up to opening, the kitchen team were playing with di erent spice mixes like vadouvan and ras el hanout,” says bar manager Reece Tocker. “We borrowed plenty of these ingredients in the bar during that experimental phase and found that ras el hanout had the perfect blend of savoury fl avours and a touch of chilli heat, which marries itself nicely to a cocktail.”