The Ten Best Cocktails to Drink in Melbourne This Summer

The heat has turned up a notch and those long sunny days are stretching into balmy summer nights. What we are saying is, it's cocktail o'clock basically all the time. And while some cities scramble to the beach after work on particularly hot evenings, a Melbourne summer wouldn't be complete without prolonging your return to your hot house with a few cocktails and some top-notch bar food. Maybe you want to perch on a roof terrace with friends or retreat to an underground air-conditioned basement for some quiet time. Whatever you want, you've got it — here are the best icy-cold summer drinks and where to get them. 

SPECIAL CUP AT HOT SAUCE

If cocktail time coincides with dinner time, then Hot Sauce is a sure fire winner. Situated down a laneway inside the new QT Melbourne, the soundtrack is a mix of 90's throwbacks, classic hip hop and a few little-known tracks you will want to Shazam for later. But what to drink? We suggest the Special Cup. Japanese caramel fried chicken with spicy chilli and black sesame sits above a specially-made cup that hides a deliciously matched cocktail of Melbourne-made Capi sparkling smoked cola and Japanese whisky underneath. Cocktail and snacks in the same vessel? This is late night dining done right.

VIETNAMESE MOJITO AT UNCLE CBD

St Kilda's Uncle has been dishing up modern, upmarket Vietnamese eats for the last few years and recently crossed the river to open up a sister venue in the CBD. The casual sharing menu has a mix of classic eats that will remind you of street food adventures around Ho Chi Minh City (if you should be so lucky to have had some), and the cocktail menu is very much a Melbourne interpretation of classics with a Vietnamese twist. Think lots of Szechuan pepper, pho spices, Vietnamese mint and of course plenty of Sriracha and fresh fruits. Uncle's twist on a Mojito is perfect for washing down spicy, Vietnamese pho — particularly if you crave it even on hot days. Plenty of stolen white rum, Vietnamese mint, fresh cumquats, palm syrup, lime and soda will satisfy even the most staunch of Mojito purists.

Simon Shiff

CHAMPAGNE ICY POLES AT ARBORY

Icy poles and booze — they're the two staples of a quintessential long, hot Aussie summer and, let's face it, what icy treat can't be improved by the addition of alcohol? Thanks to POPS, which launched in Australia last year, these two faves come together in a genius mix of Champagne and ice served in a Calippo-like cardboard vessel. The Classic is a frozen Champers and juice icy pole and the Bellini is a mix of hibiscus, blood orange juice, peach schnapps and Prosecco. The only bar you can currently lick these frozen delights at is riverside bar Arbory. It's a damn fine choice of venue, but if it's too hot to leave the house — or you want to enjoy POPS by a pool of your choice — then booze delivery lifesavers Tipple deliver the frozen treats to you in 60 minutes. 

BLOODY SANGRIA AT GOOD HEAVENS

Just when you thought all bar themes had been exhausted, the team behind BBQ joint Fancy Hank's opens an '80s Miami Vice-themed rooftop bar. Perfect for summer, Good Heavens has a prime position on the second level of the building that once contained Tuscan Bar with a partially-open rooftop overlooking Bourke Street.

While the bar has plenty of '80s-inspired classic cocktails (including a reinterpretation of a Blue Lagoon), it's the Bloody Sangria we are most excited by. Fresh blood orange juice is shaken with Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, rosemary syrup and fresh citrus before getting topped up with Pinot Grigio. This cocktail would make it feel like summer even if it wasn't. 

QUINCESS LAYER AT NIEUW AMSTERDAM

Last year robbed the world of many great celebrities. To honour the late Carrie Fisher who will be long remembered for, amongst other things, her defining role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, comes the Quincess Layer. This cocktail is full of East London dry gin, cardamom liqueur, Mozart Dry, house-made raspberry and white cacao tonic, coffee oil and a quince paste rim. This is a perfect after-dinner cocktail — but we also recommend trying dessert. Here's to you, Princess.

FROSÉ AT MR MIYAGI

It wouldn't be a 2017 cocktail list without mentioning one of the most Instagrammed drinks of the summer: frosé.  This is less Frankenstein's monster and more a welcome love child between adult drinks and Slurpees — and the master of this summer treat is Chapel Street restaurant Mr Miyagi. Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Rosé, which has notes of strawberries and cream, is tossed into the restaurant's own Slurpee-style machine with a little sugar to be slushed, crushed and frozen for thirsty guests. Topped with an exotic-looking edible flower, we don't think this will be the only summer of frosé.

WATERMELON PASSION AT 400 GRADI

Walking past Brunswick's 400 Gradi, you could easily be forgiven for thinking it's just another pizza joint. You would be very, very wrong though. After Johnny Di Francesco's win at the World Pizza Championships — where 400 Gradi's margherita was awarded first prize — this pizza joint quickly shot to the top of every foodie's hit list. To wash down your award winning pizza, we suggest getting a sweet Watermelon Passion. Gin, fresh watermelon juice, a squeeze of lime and some sprigs of mint make this one of the most simple, yet tasty summer drinks on our list.

YARRA VALLEY SOUR AT ROOFTOP AT QT

Perched 11 floors above Melbourne sits one of the city's newest rooftop destinations: the Rooftop at QT. This bar is a mix of openair deck and casual indoor couches, which will come in handy when the warmer months unfortunately come to an end.  The expert bartenders are capable of making a drink to your tastes, but we suggest starting off with a few of their signature tipples first.

The Yarra Valley Sour is made with Healesville's Four Pillars gin, freshly squeezed lemon, orange blossom, egg white and topped off with a drop of Pinot Noir. We know what you're thinking: red wine in a gin-based summer cocktail? You'll have to trust us on this one — it's going to be one of your new favourites. With capacity for 185 people, we recommend getting here early to secure a seat. This is one of the best places to enjoy a balmy night, watching the cityscape with an ice-cold cocktail in hand.

MO' MONEY AT SEOULJA BOY

What kind of monster doesn't love a daggy pun? The team behind Bourke Street's new Korean-Japanese bar Seoulja Boy are not afraid to make a few. But what this bar is really about is anju — that is, the Korean version of izakaya pub food. So expect lots of smaller plates designed to be eaten, in a casual way, with friends over drinks. In honour of The Notorious B.I.G's classic lyrics, Mo'Money is a Korean-inspired cocktail made with green tea, muddled cucumber, mint, lime and Korean soju. If you're still thirsty after the Mo' Money, take the next logical step by ordering the Mo' Problems. 

TOKYO COCO AT HORSE BAZAAR

With regular nights featuring everything from storytelling and live hip hop to traditional Japanese performances and open mic nights, Horse Bazaar has something for everyone. But for summer, they've crafted some unusual and delicious cocktails to match their menu using classic Japanese ingredients such as yuzu, Japanese whisky, pickled ginger, umeshu liqueur and green tea. Our pick though is the Tokyo Coco which mixes strawberry-infused coconut water, Diplomatico Blanco white rum, a touch of rosewater and freshly squeezed lime juice. Perfect.