SMWS DISCOVERY

A night out in Melbourne, Australia

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has members and branches around the world, and this year we’re going to be doing some whisky-related globetrotting with the help of some local knowledge on where to go on a night out – and the SMWS destinations where you can find a home-from-home. Adam Ioannidis gets us started with the perfect night out in Melbourne

WORDS AND PHOTOS: ADAM IOANNIDIS

ABOVE: A real HQ for the SMWS and our members in and around Melbourne, Whisky & Alement is an outstanding SMWS destination

Melbourne is a diverse and brilliant city. And when it comes to nightlife, there’s just about every type of bar (or local version) that you could want. Looking for a crisp golden lager in a laid-back classic pub setting? You’ve got it. Want a no-nonsense passionate whisky bar? You absolutely have that. Craving some overly-complicated cocktails to show off to your friends? There’s no short supply of those venues. I’m talking broad strokes here, but everything in between is locatable in the Central Business District (CBD) and its immediate surrounds. So, what does one night in Melbourne look like? Spoiler alert: it can be pretty incredible, if you know where to look.

THE NIGHT IS YOUNG

When the clock strikes 4pm, Matt Bailey and I are generally upstairs at our SMWS destination Whisky & Alement (W&A) working away; this is when we look at each other and say: “Guess what? The bar’s open downstairs, right now!” Exciting noises and remarks generally follow. However, there are two other venues that come to mind when starting your evening out (don’t you worry, we’ll return to W&A a little later, though I won’t hold it against you if you pop in for a quick single cask dram to start the night off).

PICTURED: Caretaker’s Cottage is an ideal spot to kick off a night out in Melbourne

ABOVE: Baklava Milkpunch at Caretaker’s Cottage

CARETAKER’S COTTAGE

Caretaker’s Cottage is the perfect spot to start an evening out, especially if the weather is in fine form. It’s housed within an old chapel, making it one of the more unusual settings for a Melbourne bar. Grab yourself a pint of Guinness, or an aperitif if you’re working up to the heavy stuff, sit yourself outside at one of the tables or on the lawn and enjoy the sunshine and lively atmosphere (this place gets real busy, real quick).

ONE OR TWO

If you’re looking for something more low-key, then One or Two is a dimly lit, monochromatic cocktail bar nestled in Celestial Avenue (even the avenue name sounds cool) that will suit your needs. A tightly curated cocktail list and whisky selection await you at this small bar, designed to quite literally be a place to have one or two beverages before or after dinner. One or Two is more my speed, and Andy Chu behind the bar (and owner), XY and Louis always bring good banter to the table or bar. Look out for the growing collection of ducks around the back bar and bar top…it’s a thing.

ABOVE: One or Two has a tightly curated cocktail list and whisky selection

PICTURED: Embla doubles as a wine and cocktail bar as well as an eatery, with a good selection of bar snacks to choose from

TIME FOR FOOD

You are spoilt for choice in Melbourne when it comes to dining. Russell Street is home to a slew of ramen establishments serving delicious tonkotsu; new Asian fusion restaurants seem to be popping up monthly; restaurants using the broad-stroke ‘Modern Australian’ cuisine are also in no short supply. If you’re looking to treat yourself a little, I would look towards Gimlet on the corner of Russell Street and Flinders Lane, or Nomad, just a few doors down on Flinders Lane heading west. If you’re opting for a budget-friendly option, then Musashi Ramen on Russell Street has a fast-moving line (though usually, you won’t have to wait), spacious seating, and good serving sizes.

When I embarked on this quest, however, I chose a venue I thought to be a good middle-ground — Embla (also on Russell Street, and around the corner from one of our venues, the Kelvin Club). A small wine and cocktail bar that doubles as a cute eatery, Embla has range.

ABOVE: Pork Belly at Embla

A good selection of small bar snacks to pick from, and a handful of large plates to settle your hunger. I invited one of our Melbourne members, Kosa Monteith, along to help explore these venues and we both agreed that the bread at Embla was otherworldly — especially when paired with the lavish mushroom butter (which was, somehow, both fluffy and dense). Embla’s seating arrangements consist of both tables and space at the bar if you’re going solo.

The bread was not the only thing we enjoyed. To accompany the beautiful carbs: some tasty pork belly, whipped anchovies with chicken skin, and soured cucumbers with feta. I would comfortably sum up this venue as very Melbourne, it’s not trying to mimic anything; it knows what it is, and it does it well. Embla’s not too small or too big, it is undoubtedly tasty, though. The wine list isn’t half bad either, and their classic cocktail list is executed flawlessly.

PICTURED: Pork Fat sando at Dessous to keep the evening going

AFTER-DINNER COCKTAILS AND DESSERT

Dessous — I guess you could call it a secret bar, on account of it being slightly hidden. After exiting Embla you’ll want to turn left, walk for about a block, turn right into Flinders Lane and you’ll stroll past a low window with a neon sign reading “Dessous” in cursive font. You’ll have to enter the lobby area of the restaurant above (Hazel) and head for the unassuming door right in front of you; head down the stairs and you’ll come out into the space that is Dessous. A range of cocktails, not too rowdy for an after-dinner drink and nibble, low lights, seasonal menu; Dessous is a stellar spot to wind down after a feed.

I opted for a chocolate cremeux with stout, blueberries, and malt biscuit…which was a delicious type of mousse, paired with a refreshing cocktail titled Too Few Tattoos (parts: grappa, sake, fino, coal-roasted cantaloupe and lemon). As a bonus, we also decided to treat ourselves to a little savoury sando — pork katsu with bulldog sauce (which was essentially deep-fried pork fat), lots of flavour in such a small bite. Like most of the venues on this expedition, it’s quite versatile and could also serve as the perfect start venue or nightcap, as well as being a middle stop.

ABOVE: If you’re in the mood for dessert, the chocolate cremeux at Dessous is a winner

PICTURED: SMWS destination Beneath Driver Lane

ABOVE: A Ritual cocktail at Beneath Driver Lane, combining Guinness with an espresso martini

THE NIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT

After you’re suitably well fed and have had time to digest (the pork-heavy evening I had by accident is of course compulsory), it’s time to visit one of our Melbourne destinations, Beneath Driver Lane, who host live blues bands and musicians every Friday and Saturday evening. Turn onto Driver Lane and you'll find the doorway with stairs leading down into the former bank vault. There’s a slew of warm lighting and candles illuminating BDL, and a fair chance the venue will be packed if a band is on. In addition to a selection of SMWS bottlings, BDL also has a brilliant range of cocktails to choose from.

I selected BDL venue manager Kealán’s personal favourite — Ritual: a homage to an Irish ritual combining the allure of a Guinness with an espresso martini. A real treat.

I arrived just before Jarrod Shaw hit the stage, filling the space with some classic, soul-thumping blues. BDL is fitted with six-seater booths lining a wall, round wooden tables and chairs in the middle, and, of course, seating at the bar. If you’ve got a large group, I recommend booking in advance to guarantee a spot. The bartenders at BDL have a solid level of flair so there’s a fair chance your social accounts will get some good content depending on the cocktail you order. Don’t be afraid to peruse their snack menu as well if you’re still feeling peckish, you deserve a third dinner.

PICTURED: There’s no shortage of Society bottlings to choose from at Whisky & Alement

THE PERFECT ENDING

After a cocktail or two at BDL, it’s time to wander back onto Russell Street and up to Whisky & Alement (they’re not too far from each other), the Society’s flagship destination in Australia stocking more than 100 SMWS bottles at any given time behind the bar. If you’ve never been before, it’s an unassuming and special experience. Look for the circular yellow sign above with “single malt whisky” written around it and turn into the doorway and through the curtains. The size of this bar is closer to One or Two but features a couple of six-seater tables to the left, a booth by the window (dubbed the honeymoon booth), and some high-top bar seating as well as some lower bar seating below the whisky cabinet. No matter where you are, you’re in the thick of it, and it can get pretty vibrant when it starts to fill up.

In addition to a vast selection of whisky and SMWS drams (like, a lot of SMWS drams), a tight and seasonal cocktail list, and an ever-growing list of curated local and international beers (that you’ll seldom find in other bars), Whisky & Alement is also now home to a carefully prepared food menu.

This welcome feature consists of some tasty bar snacks ranging from haggis pies with béchamel sauce to mussels with smoked crisps (not to mention a delicious charcuterie board).

It only felt right to order myself a little nightcap and snack — Cobblestone Cities cocktail (bourbon, fig curd, brandy and lemon), mussels, and potato and leek pies —and of course, a Society dram to end the night. You’ll never be without choices at W&A when it comes to Society drams, and every staff member is well-versed in the Society’s flavours, casks and ethos. As November Outturn was just around the corner (and the bar orders every Outturn bottlings every month) I thought it fitting to have a dram of Cask No. 72.109 Orchestral manoeuvres in the cask, a 10-year-old Spicy & Sweet from the Speyside region. Glorious stuff.

Thus concludes one night in Melbourne. There’s so much to discover in the city, and many more places that deserve to be on this list. Alas, time is finite, and so is one’s stomach. If you ever drop past Melbourne, be sure to try one or all of these venues and let us know what you think – and don’t forget your SMWS membership card for discounts at Whisky & Alement and Beneath Driver Lane.

PICTURED: Cocktails at Whisky & Alement with Shane