Champagne & cherry syrup garnished with Spring cherry blossoms at Sake In Japan the arrival of blossoms on cherry – or “sakura” – trees is a much anticipated event. It’s a national time of celebration as buds unfurl like delicate little orbs of pink tissue paper to dress bare twigs. […]
Diary: Iron Bartender VII
Iron Bartender is a long running challenge at Lily Black‘s where two guest bartenders are set against one other to mix up a winning concoction with weird and wonderful surprise ingredients. They describe the event as essentially “a drunken version of ‘Iron Chef’”. This month, in a vague ode to the […]
Diary: SmartBar Cold as Ice
Nerdy goodness, just add drinks? Next Thursday 15th August from 6-9.30pm sees SmartBar returning to the Melbourne Museum. This special after dark affair will allow you to explore exhibits and listen to the expertise of researchers and scientists with an adult beverage in your hand while djs play. This SmartBar theme embraces […]
Diary: Game of Rhones – Wine is Coming…
Some smart cookie has dubbed an impending wine tasting festival ‘Game of Rhones’. I’m sold! Celebrating the grape varieties found in France’s Rhone Valley, Game of Rhones will pit over 100 wines in contest to crown a crowd-favourite winner. Shiraz, Grenache, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne and more wines from Australia and […]
Diary: High Coffee at Market Lane Bar
Is high tea now passé? It seems every man and his pampered lapdog is offering tiered treats and other afternoon delights these days. So it’s about time someone sparked the idea of High Coffee; enter Market Lane Bar in collaboration with Espresso di Manfredi. It seems so obvious in such a bean-centric town such […]
Diary: Cocktails for Dessert?
Quite often I’ll order a cocktail instead of dessert to assuage my guilt. The seductresses at New Gold Mountain have ruined this restraint by offering double the gluttony; cocktails AND dessert. Tonight is a little more special as the bar celebrates World Cocktail Week (it’s like Xmas around here) with – […]
Diary: Champagne x Perfume
Weapons of mass seduction. That’s what Samantha Taylor and Kyla Kirkpatrick peddle; each lady boasting unparalleled expertise in all things scented and sparkling respectively. They are teaming up for the first time to become a tour de force of luxury; holding Champagne and perfume masterclasses starting on the afternoon of […]
1806 Cocktail Competition
There’s quite a few cocktail competitions held around town – and the globe – for professional bartenders. Not so many for we at-home mixologists. 1806 recognised this and handed over the shakers to drinkers as part of their 5th birthday celebrations recently. Five concoctions submitted by regulars we put to […]
Diary: Brown Brothers Hidden Vineyard
The Secret Garden was one of my favourite childhood storybooks. Now Brown Brothers have brought a more grown up version to life with their pop-up Hidden Vineyard. I entered the space – at the utterly transformed Establishment Studios – to whispers from fellow guests of “it’s magical” and “genius”. Essentially […]
How to buy (& drink) Prosecco
Prosecco is to the Italians what champagne is to the French (sans the pricetag). At a recent masterclass hosted by Brown Brothers, I learnt a thing or two about the sparkling elixir; most notably that you don’t have to be a master of wine at all to enjoy it. Here’s a few […]