Top 5 bars in… Melbourne

Homegrown Aussie spirits are taking over the spotlight and the speed rails of Melbourne’s vibrant bar scene, as this roundup of the city’s best watering holes by BarChick shows.

Melbourne’s vibrant bar scene is quickly gaining world-wide acclaim

Melbourne is recognised the world over as a destination for food and drink, from the crisp homegrown Chardonnays of the diverse Yarra Valley wine region, to the rich and authentic Italian tastes of the city’s Lygon Street. So it’s hardly surprising that this southern Australian city looks set to lead the way in the country’s burgeoning craft spirits scene.

Following hot on the heels of both the US and the UK, Australia is experiencing its own craft-distilling boom. Independent brands such as Starward Whisky, West Winds Gin, Tromba Tequila, Stone Pine rums, Maidenii Vermouth and the vodkas made by 666 and Firedrum are making a break for recognition among consumers in their respective categories. Behind this movement are people like Bill Lark, founder of Tasmania’s Lark Distillery. In 1992, he successfully lobbied the 1901 Distillations Act, allowing distillation in smaller still capacities, effectively breaking the seal and opening up the market.

Distributors like Paramount have also started to emerge, giving bars more choice in a range of smaller-owned spirits. But with taxation on small distilleries still at a premium, will the love of it all be enough to keep momentum and encourage growth? In Melbourne, the answer might just be yes.

You need only look towards coffee culture to see how this is a city obsessed with quality. Recently trumping Vienna and Rome to the title of World’s Best Coffee by hotel website Booking.com, Melbourne has long been thanked for saving us from a dreary cup of Joe. Perhaps the craft spirits industry can mirror the way café culture here first raised expectations and then standards. Amanda Beck, producer of Tasmania’s Firedrum Vodka, believes the richly colourful and supportive local hospitality scene, along with a little friendly competition, has trickled down to the customer and helped drive the industry. “Melbournians want new interesting experiences and will embrace them,” she says. “Quality products of any regard have a place in our industry. We are also very parochial and want to support local producers and products.”

But beyond an ingrained appreciation for both the local and the well-crafted, the very manner in which people drink in Melbourne is suited to a more considered approach. Melbourne was innovative in the rise of the small bars phenomenon in Australia, ahead of even Sydney, and these spaces are the perfect set up for encouraging a better consumer understanding of the spirits they choose. In Melbourne there is a more consistent drinking frequency where people drink through the week, but with a lower energy as opposed to traditional binge-driven Saturday nights. Jeremy Spencer, so-called “rear admiral” of West Winds Gin, explains: “This allows for a more intimate environment where drinks are often hand-sold and discovered.”

Small bars are less inclined to sell their well space to larger companies. The availability of more home brands makes the choice of going for an Aussie spirit over, or as well as, a mass-produced option, an increasingly easy one. Bars like Gin Palace and Whisky & Alement are helping steer consumers in the right direction, both offering classes and degustation focused purely on local spirits. For Sebastian Costello, who runs Melbourne’s Bad Frankie in Fitzroy, his decision to focus on Australian spirits, as well as tasty jaffles (cheese toasties), was about traceability. “I wanted to expose customers to stuff they could find in their back yard,” he explains.

In a time where integrity of certain “craft” spirits is under question, these local Aussie brands are bringing meaning back to the word.

Flick through the next few pages to discover the best bars in Melbourne.

For more global bar recommendations, visit BarChick.

Bad Frankie

141 Greeves Street; www.badfrankie.com

Seb Costello is at the helm of Melbourne’s original Aussie spirits bar, an homage to locally crafted spirits and the iconic jaffle. Designed as a stage to express the country’s finest food and drink, head chef Michelle Boyle creates seasonal jaffles to complement the extensive local spirits list, so you can munch while sipping a Tassie rum or three.

Whisky & Alement

270 Russell Street; www.whiskyandale.com.au

With an impressive list of over 500 whiskies from around the world, this is the only bar in the state licensed to sell Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings to non-members. Priced accessibly, they’re to thank for converting non-imbibers with the liquid gold every day. Where else can you grab an Ardbeg and a Peroni for AU$10 (£5.25)?

Nant Whisky Bar

Shop 3 Driver Lane; www.nant.com.au

Like many famous Melbourne bars, Nant is tucked down one of the CBD’s small laneways. Owned by Tasmania’s Nant Distillery, it’s a showcase for fine Tassie tucker, with beers and of course whisky to match. Try some of the famous Nant single malts themselves in a flight, or a cracking cocktail paired with food.

La Condesa

234 Johnston Street; www.lacondesa.com.au

This Fitzroy taqueria is named after the bohemian quarter of Mexico City, famed for its fashion, street art and bar scene. Although these guys may not carry a great selection of Aussie spirits (for obvious reasons), they are definitely carrying the Tequila Tromba torch.

Gin Palace

10 Russell Place; www.ginpalace.com.au

This space features luxurious décor, plush lounge seating and a more favourable music volume for enjoying your juniper without a racket. A crack team of bartenders whip up exciting cocktails, as well as the humble G&T from a list of over 200 gins. Bartender Shaun Byrne crafts his own fine Australian vermouth. Check out their latest Australian gin degustation to see how the Aussies are getting down with the spirit.