Drinking Melbourne is the weekly newsletter from drinks writer Fred Siggins, unpacking what’s happening in Melbourne’s bars (and what you can learn from them), sent every Tuesday to your inbox. Get on the list here.
Starward is on the hunt for Australia’s best New Old Fashioned — a cocktail that captures the flavour, creativity and modern Australian spirit at the heart of our whisky. The winning drink won’t just earn bragging rights: it will be bottled, labelled and released nationwide, giving one bartender the rare chance to see their creation become part of Starward’s story. The winner also receives a two‑day hosted trip to our Melbourne distillery.
As autumn marches ever on towards winter, and the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had in Victoria over April and early May finally relents to the grey blanket of cloud that will rob us of vitamin D for the next few months, our thoughts turn to the only things that make Melbourne winters worth living through: pints of dark beer by the fire in cosy pubs, glasses of red matched with pasta in warm Euro-inspired dining rooms, or several shots of cold gin served up in stemware at some subterranean cocktail lounge where the lack of sunlight outside, or the time of day for that matter, are inconsequential.
Yes, friends, it’s Martini season.
This year, Melbourne is making better and more interesting versions of this most classy of classics than ever. So for this week’s briefing, I’m highlighting a few of the city’s newest and most interesting interpretations of the modern Martini.
Vetiver & Pine Martini, Mr Mills, CBD
As part of the winter round of the Serves of the State promotion by Vic Distilled to get people drinking locally made spirits, Mr Mills in the CBD have taken their specific brand of modernist mixology and applied it to a Martini based on Holcomb Distilling’s Spirit Sisters Gin, distilled with fresh oranges. Combined with vetiver and pine amaro, vermouth, and topped with micro coriander and mandarin-infused Mount Zero olive oil, the result is a deeply savoury Martini that recalls the lingering of good cologne after its wearer has left the room. The aromatics are integrated in a way that reminds me of earthy eucalyptus tea, rather than overly perfumed hand soap, as can happen when Aussie gin goes gonzo on the lemon myrtle.
“The vetiver and pine resin component comes in the form of a specialty amaro blend, made by our good friend Paul Peng over at White Possum, who we've collaborated with on several projects,” says Mr Mills’ bar manager Peter Bosen. “It's one of the best interpretations of a Martini we've made since we opened. The pine and vetiver notes take centre stage, with the dry vermouth creating an almost forest perfume effect, which then leads into delicate notes of orange and mandarin.”
For those unfamiliar with the smell of vetiver, this essential oil which is distilled from the roots of vetiver grass sports a complex aroma that combines woody, earthy and somewhat sweet elements, its properties valued for thousands of years both medically, and in fine perfumery. Infused in this Martini in a classy, subterranean cocktail lounge, it feels just right.
Banh Mi Martini, Second Hand Dealer, Footscray
Probably the most daring departure from a traditional Martini on this list, the Banh Mi Martini at Second Hand Dealer in Footscray has been getting a fair amount of attention recently, and honestly I’m surprised it took this long for someone to combine one of Melbourne’s favourite sandwiches with a much-loved classic cocktail. Designed to reflect the amazing diversity of Footscray’s community and food culture, this Martini riff sees gin washed with roasted pork fat, pate and butter, then cut with vodka, mixed with vermouth, then garnished with a drop of aromatic coriander oil and a roll of pickled carrot. Stick that in your Gibson!
While certainly sporting more texture and richness than a classic dry Martini, and despite the inclusion of several types of animal fat, it’s not at all over the top. The vodka and vermouth provide cleanliness and balance, while the spices of the pate shine through more than the taste of liver. It’s a wonderful ode to the endless deliciousness of Footscray food, and a marker of the playful attitude this bar brings to its cocktail program.
Little Rose Martini, Little Rose, Fitzroy
Whoever’s doing the PR for Rosheen Kaul’s new French-Chinese bistro pop-up in Fitzroy deserves a prize, because they are getting some serious coverage. Front and centre at this much-hyped project is Joe Jones, one of Melbourne’s most respected bartenders and drinks consultants. His house Martini at Little Rose caught my eye, made with London dry gin, coconut, fino sherry (the best in a Martini — just ask Three Horses), and a house-made chrysanthemum vermouth.
The drink comes out super clean, with hints of coconut and chrysanthemum. “It’s not not classic,” Joey tells me, deliberately using a double negative to explain his classic-with-a-modern-twist approach. The chrysanthemum, he says, is cold-compressed into the vermouth, and the whole drink is washed with coconut oil and diluted with coconut water, then frozen and strained, keeping the coconut subtle and the drink wonderfully silky. It’s a perfect philosophical match for the classic French cuisine incorporating Chinese ingredients on offer here.
“If you’re writing about Martinis,” Joey tells me, “I have one at Flower Drum made with a nashi pear and black pepper distillate. It’s super clean and goes great with the pearl meat on the menu there.” Next stop, Chinatown.
Dirty Martini: Bar Bellamy, Carlton
Alex Gondzioulis‘s take on a dirty Martini at Carlton’s Bar Bellamy has unfortunately come off the list recently (they only prep 100 serves of every cocktail, so you gotta be quick), but still well worth a mention given its complex construction (and because they’ll always have some delicious Martini variation to try). The base was Melbourne Gin Company dry gin, some of which was washed in extra virgin olive oil for texture, and some infused with preserved lemon for that ingredient’s particular version of citrusy salinity. The dirty component came in the form of Greek salad brine, made by a lacto fermentation of tomato, cucumber and capsicum combined with preserved lemon brine and white wine vinegar. For a garnish, cherry tomatoes were nixtamalised, allowing them to hold their shape while being poached in a kombu dashi. I suppose I’ll accept that over a kalamata olive and a square of good fetta.
Honourable Mentions
Newly opened wine bar The Florence in the CBD above Meatball & Wine Bar is doing a spin on the dirty Martini using pickled Italian pepper brine in place of olive brine, and in South Melbourne the freshly revamped O’Connell’s Hotel’s signature drink is their Silk Road Martini, which includes vodka, pickled chili brine and rosewater. It’s a nod to the late Greg Malouf, an O’Connell’s alumnus who made a name for the pub through his pioneering Middle-Eastern menu in the 1990s. Plus if you haven’t tried the Mauritian-inspired Martinis at Boire wine bar in North Melbourne, they’re always on point.
And of course if we’re talking about Gondz’s version of the dirty Greek Martini, we have to give a shout-out to the OG Greek Salad Martini at Capers restaurant in Thornbury. This neighbourhood favourite taverna was ahead of their time when they first put the cocktail on their list back in 2022. Made with Tanqueray gin, Martini Bianco, vinegar shrub, cucumber, tomato, and olive brine, it’s perhaps the most Melbourne of all Martinis. Opa!
Around the Bars
Exit Strategy. Looking for your next opportunity in Melbourne hospo? There are a couple of great gigs that have popped up on our radar this week.
This first one is the Venue Manager at Vespertine Group (Gin Palace, Ampere, etc.) bottle shop/bar Bijou in the heart of the city. No shaking required. It’s a great company with a long track record of staff retention and elevating women and folks of diverse orientations and identities to leadership positions.
The next is a bartending position at Melbourne institution Florentino. Now under the umbrella of Edition Hospitality (Reine & La Rue, NOMAD), it’s a great opportunity to be part of a serious professional operation and also learn from former Black Pearl bartender Felix Woods who heads up the bar program for Edition. Plus who doesn’t want restaurant hours and tips?
And if you really want a change of pace, Rude Boy in Hobart is looking for a new bar supervisor to join their team. This is one of my favourite rum bars in the country, the owners are wonderful and the fried chicken is great, so if mainland life is getting too much for you, the Apple Isle beckons.
Sam Bygrave
