Overview
If you like your liquor amber in colour, strong in taste and made from fermented grain mash — and you live in Melbourne — then you're probably a fan of Whisky and Alement. The type of secluded establishment that you'd walk right by if you didn't know it was there, the Russell Street bar has long been a whisky-lovers favourite. From this weekend, however, the bar's boozing fun jumps up a level.
We mean that literally. Not content with serving up more than 500 varieties of the good stuff — and plenty of beer too — from their ground floor digs, the W&A folks have branched out into the space above their cosy hangout. That's where you'll find the Melbourne Whisky Room, which opened its doors on February 9. It's a watering hole within a watering hole, or inception for whisky drinkers.
The 50-seat space boasts six times that number in tipples, with curated collectable, vintage and independent bottlings the focus. Teaming up with the Australian branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, it'll also feature a number of their exclusive drams — 50 to start with, plus an archive of 100 more and growing.
Along with the usual W&A approach, aka knowledgeable staff on hand to answer all your whisky questions and make recommendations, the Melbourne Whisky Room will also offer table service and a focus on affordability. Yes, that means you can while away your nights in a quaint space sipping on rare drinks that won't break your bank account. Take our word for it, this hidden bar won't stay that way for long.
Find the Melbourne Whisky Room at 270 Russell Street, Melbourne. For more information, visit the Whisky and Alement Facebook page.