Five Spots for Festive Hangs to Hit This Month with Your Crew

in partnership with

Summer has landed at last and with it, all the fun and frivolity that goes hand in hand with the silly season. It's time for kicking back with mates and soaking up the sunshine and happy vibes of December, with top-notch tipples and cracking eats. And Melbourne's got no shortage of bars serving up exactly this situation. So, to help see you through the season in style, we've teamed up with Pernod Ricard, purveyors of festive tipples like Chivas, St Hugo and Mumm Champagne, and created a stellar lineup of spots to hit with your crew this December — from contemporary feasting halls to famous cocktail bars where indulgence is the name of the game

EAU DE VIE

'Tis the season for quaffing stand-out signature cocktails and luckily, you'll find some of Melbourne's most ingenious concoctions at laneway legend Eau de Vie. With its dapper old-world charm and penchant for great booze, this destination promises to lend a sophisticated edge to any festive season adventures. Head in with the crew, commandeer a plush little corner and prepare for a flavour-filled evening. We love the nostalgia-inducing sips like the Popcorn Flip — a sweet fusion of Martell VS cognac, honey, white chocolate and popcorn — best enjoyed alongside a couple of gourmet grazing platters. Right now, bites like smoked duck liver parfait, freshly shucked oysters and an oozy baked camembert have those party vibes on lock.

Kate Shanasy.

MJOLNER

If ever there was a place made for sumptuous festive feasts with friends, it's viking-inspired CBD spot, Mjolner. Upstairs lies a contemporary Scandi-style restaurant complete with beautiful private dining spaces, while a moody basement bar below proves the ideal pit-stop for those post-dinner libations. Reigning supreme on the drinks list is an impressive, Thor-worthy whisky lineup, with iterations from every corner of the globe. Match the three-course banquet menu with a quality dram like the Chivas Regal 18-Year-Old, or indulge in a signature concoction like The Raider — a punchy blend with Jameson whiskey, rum, rotisseried pineapple syrup and lactart.

THE ALBION

The newly relaunched Albion Hotel has fast become a South Melbourne hotspot, boasting a key DJ program and a rooftop primed for sun-drenched summer socialising. A haven for afternoon wind-downs and rollicking weekend parties alike, it's got something for just about every taste. To really celebrate the holiday season, venture upstairs, grab a bottle or two of Mumm Champagne to share with your favourites and enjoy the Saturday night soundtrack of funk and disco jams. The food offering is snappy, casual and replete with summer vibes — think, chicken karaage poké bowls and first-rate cheese boards, best enjoyed with a sunset tipple in hand.

ENTRECOTE

To infuse your summer season with a touch of French elegance, look no further than Domain Road darling Entrecote. An all-day haunt inspired by the corner cafes of Paris, this beauty sits overlooking the Royal Botanic Gardens, dishing up good times and upscale fare from breakfast through till late. On weekends, a Champagne-matched bottomless brunch offering is hard to pass up. Or, you can make like a true Francophile and venture in for the daily 'apéro' hour from 4–6pm for an afternoon spent unwinding over coupes of Mumm Champagne, charcuterie boards and freshly shucked oysters sounds like a pretty enviable summer celebration to us.

Giulia Morlando.

WOOLSHED

With its primo setting, collection of openair waterfront spaces and broad-ranging food offering, it's not hard to see why Docklands' Woolshed remains a firm festive season favourite. From after-work hangs to sit-down feasts, it's got the mood, food and drinks to suit. Wine-lovers are especially spoiled, with an impressive selection of Australian and New Zealand drops to choose from, including gems like Jacob's Creek Double Barrel, which has been finished in whisky barrels, and St Hugo cabernet sauvignon from the Barossa Valley. Alongside a sophisticated a la carte menu, the kitchen dishes up an excellent lineup of share-friendly bar snacks — think beef tartare, Kampot pepper squid and a daily changing cheese board selection, which will pair well with the aforementioned vino.

Start planning your festive hangs — Christmas will be here before you know it. And if you're entertaining at home or just having a Sunday arvo barbie down at the beach, waltz on into any Cellarbrations, The Bottle-O, IGA Liquor Stores or Big Bargain Bottleshop, grab any two Pernod products listed here and go in the draw to win a $500 travel voucher, offered every day until Christmas.