The world of alcohol has come a long way since the days of simple mead. Today’s bar-goers need to see absurd garnishes, chemical reactions inside their glass, or downright bizarre cocktails designed ostensibly for their Instagram-ability. But, someone always figures out a way to go just a bit further.
Among travelers, Tasmania has long been known as a vast, untamed destination perfect for adventurous types. It appears the Australian state also likes to bring that same rugged sensibility to their food and drink. Faro restaurant at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art is upping the ante with a one-of-a-kind cocktail that we promise you won’t find anywhere else. The bull’s eye margarita is an ink black concoction of tequila, mezcal, lime, activated charcoal powder, black salt, and a raw, skewered bull’s eyeball neatly straddling the rim of the glass.
The eye is encased in a cube of ice, and waiters recommend guests slam the margarita before the ice melts. The restaurant is clear that the eyeball garnish is just that — a garnish. It’s not meant to be licked, chewed, consumed, or even to come in contact with the drinker’s lips. It seems obvious to ask: Who the hell would want to anyway? But, of course, we live in an Instagram-driven world. It’s only a matter of time.
Dismembered body parts as cocktail garnishes are nothing new. Dawson City’s Downtown Hotel in Canada’s Yukon Territory has long been a favorite stop for adventurous travelers. The Sourdough Saloon there is home to the infamous Sourtoe Cocktail, a stiff pour of some 80-proof liquor with a salted, mummified human toe “garnish.” Downing the beverage is almost a right of passage for visitors to the city. Drinkers are required to let the toe touch their lips, lest they miss out on a certificate of authenticity verifying their feat.
MONA and its restaurant are well-known for bold, “thought-provoking” (read: in-your-face) offerings. One writer described Faro, in particular, as “barely controlled chaos.” The restaurant has been known to adorn diner’s tables with a vulva-shaped bowl as a decorative centerpiece; one of the museum’s most well-known installations is the Cloaca Professional, a.k.a. “The Poo Machine” (if you’re unfamiliar with the biology of the latter, I advise you not to Google it). So, the new bull’s eye margarita seems tame by comparison.
Get the full details on Faro including the restaurant’s latest innovative, over-the-top food and cocktail offerings from the official MONA website.
