Your guide to Australian craft spirits & Melbourne's cocktail culture
In keeping with the trend of opening “diffusion” restaurant spaces, 400 Gradi’s Johnny di Franceso has opened his Venetian 400 Gradi Cicchetti late last year, right next door to the original on the Brunswick end of Lygon. For the unfamiliar, a cicchetti bar is basically the Italian version of a tapas […]
Created by bartender Fred Siggins of Black Pearl from Wine Republic’s craft spirits collection, this drink is named after American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau but I can’t guarantee drinking it will make you any more cerebral. You may want to skip dessert for this (or have both, I […]
It’s beginning to look a lot like…cocktails. Hopefully your jingle bells are well and truly on by now. If not, here are 12 of the best Christmas cocktails around Melbourne and where to find them. The Magic Pudding at Misty Hennessey VS Cognac. Pedro Ximenez, Falernum, Chartuese They say the […]
Inspired by Wine Republic founder Fiona’s favourite summer cocktail and said bottle shop’s new collection of craft spirits, Fred Siggins from Black Pearl created this ‘Raicilla Shandy’. “Shandies are a great Australian tradition. I tend to judge a venue on whether or not they’re happy to make you a shandy; if […]
In case you missed it, I recently found 11 places to find booze in super-chilled or frozen form for The Urban List. Read on to find out how to stay cool this Summer in Melbourne… — The heat is on. Or at least it will be… So we’ve found the Melbourne […]
I was asked by a friend to make gingerbread martinis for a gathering but I’ve yet to find a drink in a recipe book or bar that really captures the headily spiced toothiness of proper old-fashioned-gingerbread. So I decided to concoct my own tipple! Since I protest at calling anything without a […]
I must admit bottle shops are like Mecca to me. I can get lost wandering the aisles, reading the backs of bottles and admiring pretty labels that – when smartly designed – seem like miniature works of art. My feet gravitate towards the unfamiliar treasures that provide a tiny glimpse […]
Here’s to a long hot Summer ahead! Seven special ways to cool off around Melbourne below… Veuve Summer Party I was taught to never call the renowned Champagne simply “Veuve” as this means widow and there’s quite a few of those in wine-making history. “Clicquot” is supposedly the proper truncation. But […]
The chinzy Chinese that was Happy Palace is now Grand Trailer Park Taverna. It’s a mouthful of a name – not to be confused with ‘Trailer Park’ the outdoor food truck events – but you’ll probably want a mouthful of their jalapeño studded cheeseburgers (of Dandenong Pavillion infamy). Come for […]
After the brilliant Melbourne Food & Wine Festival rolls around again in February/March, I’m going to be both fat and broke (but very, very happy). Looking at the just-released 2015 line-up there seems to be a lot of dough, more than a fair share of boats and more tipples than ever […]