Hi Melbourne friends, As promised, here are the details of a special evening at the Sofitel Hotel on Collins Street on the 19th February 2026. Places are limited, and feel free to look the part as I share all my pro-tips, history, stories and more about the most iconic of cocktails: the Martini. I’ll be
It is Grand Final Day for the national game, Aussie Rules, as I write this in Melbourne today. So not being particularly sporty myself, I thought I’d share with you the list of distilleries in and around this fine city. Many offer a tasting room experience, masterclasses, tours and tastings. In some places, there’s usually
Hi there, well it’s February already, how did that happen!? I’ve been super busy on a few fronts since I was in touch, so here’s the update for this month. New Distillers Added I’ve updated the list of Australian makers, and have added over 10 new gin distillers and more, bring the total to673 gin
Pretty much each week a new distillery or two pops up around Australia, and I’ve been tracking their evolution for well over a decade now, and keep my list up to date each month, so currently there are something like 543 gin distillers now and they keep coming. I did a poll on my Instagram
I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again, vermouth is the unsung hero of many a cocktail, especially the Martini. Without it, there is no Martini, but usually the bridesmaid, never the bridge compared to the gin or vodka. However, that’s been changing of late with a new appreciation of this venerable drink (you
The genesis of this website owes something to two leading Australia spirit producers, The West Winds Gin and Maiden Vermouth. They were the first to get behind my idea of creating the official Martini for Australia’s capital for its 100th Birthday to great success and I’ve had a soft spot for them ever since. In
Gin is for drinking and mixing, but it’s also for sipping. Most of us consume it in a cocktail or in the classic G+T, so its flavour is often disguised. I like to try a new gin neatly chilled to get to know it better before getting busy with the mixing so I know what
An alcoholic beverage that’s delicious and also good for you? Yes please! To state the obvious, you can’t have a Martini without is sister, Vermouth. Having started its life in the 19th Century (or earlier) Vermouth was intended as a healthy pick me up full of herbs and spirits making use of wine not always
As you sit and read this, there are distillers all around Australia planning big things for your next Martini. I’m reliably told that in the pipeline are at least a dozen new gins heading to the market this year in Australia alone. I think there are two main drivers for this: one is economic, if
My sojourn though the cocktail capital of the world continues. Previously I gave you the first 5 of my top 10 cocktail bars in Melbourne. With hundreds of small bars in the downtown area alone, let along the suburbs, its no small feat keeping track of them, knowing where they are, sampling and then deciding who
What do you get when you mix a French wine maker, a top notch mixologist and some fine native botanicals? Something very special. Regular readers will know I first discovered this Melbourne based range when developing the Centenary Martini last year, using two of them for the special cocktail. However, the Dry Vermouth was released
From down a country lane, amongst some of the best vineyards in Australia comes some fine spirits. Regular readers will have noted that I’m currently on assignment professionally in Melbourne + the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. This is very agreeable as it expands my Martini and Gin adventures scope considerably. I’d known of Bass and Flinders Distillery
Rum has a very long history in the white experience of Australia, going back to the very start of the colony in 1788. For that we can thank the Royal Navy whose ships brought the first convicts, soldiers and administrators here. The Navy rum ration is well known, and it wasn’t long before they were
The new Gin represents very well the new era of a confident and polished Australian Gin style that draws on local inspiration and ingredients, benchmarked against the super premium labels and the blossoming boutique distilling movement internationally. I was one the very fortunate 400 or so people to buy the first bottles of this brand new Australian Gin,
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