Venue Profiles

Mezcalito

Mezacalito is Hong Kong’s lounge bar and agave spirits mecca, housing the city’s largest selection of tequila and mezcal. Located high above Central with jetliner views, Mezcalito provides a relaxed environment for after work drinks, or a casual tipple. House crafted cocktails on offer here feature fresh flavours and ingredients such as elderflower, lemongrass, citrus fruits, ginger and berries. A short but ample list of wines and beers (cerveza of course!) round out the drinks list. Check out Mezcalito for all your agave needs.

ADDRESS:

27/F 18 On Lan Street Central, Hong Kong T: +852 2668 8444 W: www.mezcalito.com.hk

Opening Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 12pm-late Closed Sunday

The Elysian Whisky Bar

Kelvin Low and Yao Wong (both formerly of Whisky and Alement and Bar White Oak Melbourne) have opened a cosy neighbourhood whisk(e)y venue, The Elysian Whisky Bar in Melbourne’s trendy Fitzroy. The decor is based around Japanese bars with dark timber panels, a stunning Californian Redwood bartop, and a backbar with a selection that’s second to none.

Located on Brunswick Street, Elysian features a very modest but eclectic selection of whiskies from around the world. The primary focus here is independent bottlings of whiskies. Imagine drinking a Glenlivet, but from a single barrel, possibly finished in a red wine cask, and bottled at cask strength. The beauty of independent bottlings is they offer a whole new range of flavours and possibilities that do not exist within the official bottlings of a certain brand.

Other than whiskies, there are seasonal fruit and herb focused cocktails, an ample wine list and a small constantly rotating beer list. The smaller capacity of the bar is specifically designed to enhance the personal interaction between patrons and the bartender. There are a small offering of snack items focusing on charcuterie and cheeses that will be on frequent rotation.

ADDRESS:

113 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC T: (03) 9417 7441 W: www.theelysianwhiskybar.com.au

Opening Hours:

Tuesday-Saturdays: 4:30pm-1am

Long Chim Melbourne

Chef David Thompson has opened his first Melbourne restaurant on the Crown Riverwalk. This is the third Long Chim restaurant in Australia, hot on the heels of the successful openings in Perth and Sydney.

Long Chim translates to “come and try”, and Thompson invites all to taste Long Chim’s food, which is true to the streets and markets of Bangkok. Featured dishes include charred rice noodles with beef and basil and Siracha sauce, prawn laksa, chive cakes, green papaya salads, grilled pork and banana roti – there’s something for everyone.

On the drinks front, the man behind the drinks at the Perth and Sydney locations, Long Chim’s Head of Beverages, James Connolly has developed the drinks list, which includes signature cocktails such as the rum-based Bangkok Painkiller and gin-based 555. Connolly’s unique Or Tor Kor Mule concoction is one for the ginger lovers, consisting of ginger beer, vodka infused with kaffir lime zest and Thai bitters.

The addition of Long Chim to Crown Melbourne continues to take the premium dining offerings in the precinct to another level, and will join the list of acclaimed restaurants by the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Nobu Matsuhisa, Neil Perry and Guillaume Brahimi.

Address:

Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC T: (03) 8582 3082 W: www.crownmelbourne.com. au/restaurants/premium/long-chim/ info-booking

Opening Hours:

Monday - Sunday: 12pm - late

Stomping Ground Brewing Co is the epitome of Melbourne culture, where you can find a freshly brewed beer in an authentic space with great food and pretty great people. The industrial and rustic space that once was a sawtooth roofed warehouse, Stomping Ground has re-established their venue as a local hub for all, pleasing to both young and old. Community is key to Stomping Grounds’ success; communal tables and a kids playhouse made from recycled materials exercises the venues ‘come one, come all’ theme. The venue is built around the brewery’s tanks whilst all communal areas are set around the central bar featuring custom tap fronts and hand pumps serving 26 unique Stomping Ground brews. The venue is bright and open with a retractable roof above the beer garden bringing natural light to the entire venue. The craft beer speaks for itself in taste and quality, and the food is simple and done extremely well, providing a mix of pub classics and new favourites in the menu.

Stomping Ground Brewing Co

Address:

100 Gipps St Collingwood T: (03) 9415 1944 W: www.stompingground.beer

Opening Hours:

Monday-Sunday: 11:30am till late

White Rabbit Cocktail Room

On Northbourne Avenue in the heart of the Canberra lies White Rabbit Cocktail Room. A world away from the norm, this Alice in Wonderland inspired cocktail bar has created quite a stir, breaking away from the flurry of whisky bars and modern pubs.

Owner Nick Tuckwell said he wanted the concept to be an alternative to what the current market had to offer.

“Most of the local venues in Canberra are male-focused, whisky bars or speakeasies. These places are great, but I wanted to create a space that was designed for the female market,” Tuckwell said.

“The other point of difference for White Rabbit is our menu. Specialising in cocktails and desserts is unique – we offer custom creations, that you can only get here.”

Given the task of creating the amazing dessert menu was local pastry chef Adrian Peak, who has worked at other well known Canberra establishments such as Water’s Edge and Pulp Kitchen. While you can still partake in some savoury snacks to wash those amazing cocktails down, the standouts are the desserts, which have been attentively designed around the Alice in Wonderland theme to create some delicious masterpieces.

The atmosphere is also designed to make patrons feel like they have stumbled upon a secret garden in the middle of the CBD, complete with its own ‘rabbit’s hole’ in the ceiling (make sure you look up as you walk in or you might miss it!)

Patrons are also treated to table service, and many of the cocktails are prepared for them at their table.

This hidden delight welcomes all those who come with young hearts and curious minds, to feast upon the decadent whimsy and marvellous creations it has to offer.

Address:

65 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra ACT T: (02) 6257 7779 W: www.whiterabbitroom.com.au

Opening Hours:

Tuesday-Thursday: 5pm-12am Friday: 4pm-2am Saturday: 2pm-2am Sunday-Monday: Closed

Bar De Luxe

Bar De Luxe is a Japanese cocktail bar in Hong Kong that has been brought to life by Ueno Hidetsugu, the legendary mixologist and owner of Tokyo’s internationally renowned cocktail mecca, BAR HIGH FIVE. Ueno san’s protégé, Yuriko Naganuma, has moved from Tokyo to spearhead the long anticipated launch of Bar De Luxe as head bartender. Her vast experience and mastery of bartending will be on display at Bar De Luxe with each cocktail that is served. With exceptionally high standards and her unique mixology flair, each exquisite cocktail will be prepared to perfection.

Address:

29-30F, 8 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong T: +852 3706-5716 W: www.attire-house.com/bar Opening Hours: 10am-12am

There are eight taps here, with six dedicated Tallboy and Moose taps serving beers that are brewed in-house, one rotating local guest beer tap and one rotating local guest cider Tallboy tap. The drinks list is complimented by a short handpicked wine list and a selection of spirits, as well soft drinks. In addition, Tallboy and Moose offer a “booze and juice” option of freshly squeezed apple juice and your choice of spirit. For those who have a favourite Tallboy and Moose beer they want to take home, the crew have brought in a manual and simple single can seaming machine, designed to work with 1litre cans. Cans are filled directly from the draught taps, allowing guests to take home & Moose their favourite brews. The beer is filled and staff write the beer name, ABV, standard drinks and Tallboy and Moose is the latest brewpub in the Melbourne suburb of Preston. This open concept space is housed in a packaging date on the side of the can in the info section. Bar snacks are offered and Friday to Sunday sees rotating food trucks parked out former stripped back warehouse, where everyone including dogs front. and kids are welcome and beer enthusiasts can see the production process in action. Natural wood surrounds the venue, giving it Address: a warm feel, in addition to a mural wall and Tallboy and Moose’s 270 Raglan St. Preston, VIC 3072 Australia signature red and blue colour scheme accentuates the space. There are intimate “date night” tables for two, long beer hall W: www.tallboyandmoose.com Opening hours: Wednesday: Friday: 4pm-11pm communal seating, as well as a lounge area with couches and a Saturday: 12pm-11pm beer garden space at the front to enjoy the warmer days. Sunday: 12pm-9pm

Native

NATIVE is a cocktail bar with a focus on regional products, which extends this philosophy not only to cocktails, but also to the artwork, music and furnishings. The first of its kind in Singapore, the venue uses small brands from Singapore and around the region, providing a platform to showcase the products.

NATIVE is founded and owned by Vijay Mudaliar, one of the city’s homegrown talents, who prefers to work with ingredients that he grew up with and has knowledge of, rather than looking outwards for inspiration. Using herbs and plants that grow within a three-metre radius of the venue, in addition to plants such as cinnamon, betel leaves, turmeric leaves, curry leaves, fresh star fruit and their flowers are all incorporated at NATIVE. The back bar at NATIVE holds spirits from around the region, for example ceylon arrack from Sri Lanka, rum for Chalong Bay, and amrut whiskey from India. In fact, each element of the bar has been sourced either locally or from the region. Handmade ceramics made by local ceramics maker Ummuramics has created unique vessels for select cocktails. The décor also has a local touch with graffiti artist Rajesh Kumar creating the graffiti artwork along the stairway wall.

Address:

52A Amoy Street, Singapore T: +65 8869 6520 W: tribenative.com

Opening Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 6pm - midnight

FOOD & DRINK

Impress your guests with these recipes, ideas, tips and hints. This edition of DW we focus on humble jerky as a bar snack and innovation in cocktails.