Your guide to Australian craft spirits & Melbourne's cocktail culture
As the second largest hub in the goldfields, Bendigo as a destination is often relegated to being a home base from which to explore the vineyards and cellardoors of the nearby Heathcote wine region. But as I recently discovered there’s a burgeoning bar scene to keep you occupied in town […]
I believe that if you have a few bottles of really good champagne and a decent wheel of cheese there’s not much else you need to throw a memorable party. Just add friends and/or interesting strangers. In ode to a new Spring and the smorgasbord of soirées and occasions it brings […]
In case you missed it, I recently found 14 interesting/unique/just plain good espresso martinis for The Urban List. I wouldn’t call it definitive guide but it’s a darn good place to start for coffee vodka addicts. Read on to find out where to get the very best find of caffeine fix… […]
The never-ending hunt for purveyors of mulled wine in Melbourne continues. After experimenting with recipes from as far flung places as Norway, Market Lane Bar settled on a version inspired by the island archipelago of Malta to serve throughout the final month of Winter. “I’m from Malta where it’s traditional to […]
I recently collated a list of 20+ fine Melbourne establishments in which to find mug-fulls of warming mulled wine this Winter for The Urban List. Read on to get your spice on… — Your breath is foggy. Your toes are chilly. Your nose might be growing its very own icicle. […]
Blood. Sand. Two things I generally don’t want in my mouth. Yet Saigon Sally‘s Michael Forbes and Mick Formosa convinced me otherwise with an invitation to their recent Winter whisky cocktail class at the Windsor backstreet bar. Inspired by 1920’s sex symbol, silent film star Rudolph Valentino and his movie of […]
Have you heard of HealthyBYTe? It’s the super-food and clean living obsessed branch of Bright Young Things’ awesome event making biz in collaboration with dietician Emma Stirling. They cater unique menus for party hosts whose clients have dietary constraints or still want to fit into their Prada pencil skirts afterwards. Think wholefood gingerbread, gluten/lactose/fructose-free […]
Finally sipping a true blue lemon, lime and bitters has become a reality with the introduction of Mister Bitters – the anthropomorphic incarnation of Australia’s first dedicated bitters company. Originally invented for their medicinal properties, there have been countless bitters flavours over the centuries, however many local drinkers may only […]
The Meatball and Wine Bar recently celebrated its first birthday. For a year the bar has been the place to settle into a cosy stool and sip an Aperol Spritz alongside a serve of spherical-comfort-food-turned-chic-late-night-bites. They’ve since added a sister bar in Richmond and are soon to offer tasty items […]
You may have heard of or experienced – a Boilermaker; a shot with beer chaser. Lily Black’s has now warped this party-starting idea by introducing a ‘Picklemaker’ menu. The concept was partially sparked by a drink dubbed the ‘Pickleback’, a Brooklyn-based trend of whiskey (typically Jameson’s) and pickle brine chaser […]