Out of town guests visiting? Need a handy list of the best bars in Melbourne? The Time Out Melbourne Bar Awards have you covered.
Booze aficionados from both sides of the bar packed into a crowded waterside venue for the Time Out awards night. The list of nominees could easily serve as a who’s who guide for both locals and out of town visitors. International favourites The Black Pearl, beloved party bar Heartbreaker, and the storied Everleigh were all in the running for trophies.
The promise of awards lured over 400 people out to the Docklands. Aww… who am I kidding? The event also advertised drinks and bar snacks with the ticket price. Southern comfort, Yenda beers, and Montheith’s Crushed Cider were pouring all night. I was disappointed that a magazine celebrating excellence and creativity in the hospitality industry selected so many corporate alcohol brands instead of local producers. But at least the drinks were well stocked and the wait in line was relatively short. (An added bonus of attending an event full of bar professionals – their etiquette for ordering at the bar was excellent!)
While the drinks might not have been my favourite, I could at least console myself that I was rubbing elbows with top notch bartenders. In a well-deserved win, Gin Palace manager Trish Brew scored Bartender of the Year for ‘her talent at making everyone feel like they’re the most important person in the room.’ The hard working duo behind the Elysian Whiskey Bar won Best Bar team. TO readers agreed, awarding Kelvin Low and Yeo Wong with the 2018’s People’s Choice Award.
Bar Liberty’s well curated wine list won them Best Wine Bar for the second year running. But it’s not just the vino that makes them special. The Fitzroy venue was also named Bar of the Year. Bar pro Fred Siggins described Bar Liberty as “esoteric and also really good fun.” It “exemplifies the best of what Melbourne bars have to offer in 2018… Everything they do is incredibly high quality.”
Rounding out the awards night was:
Legend Award: Gerald’s Bar
Best Cocktail Bar: Above Board
Best New Bar: Paradise Alley
Best Bar Food: Bar Tini
Best Late Night Venue: Arlechin
Hot Talent Award: Cameron Parish from the Everleigh
Cheers!
– Jenny
Jenny S. is an event adventurer. When she’s not attending live shows, you can find her sampling the latest craft beer or sipping a creative cocktail.
Visit Time Out Melbourne to learn more about the bar awards and what makes these venues so special.
