On a scorching summers night, my plus one and I descended the Fed Square stairs to an iconic Melbourne Bar. We were here to check out a brand new popup collaboration between Saintly Hard Seltzer and Riverland Bar; The Blessed Garden and Sacred Vaults. With Saintly Seltzer flowing and good tunes pumping, it was exactly where we wanted to be while reflecting on 2021.
While Riverland Bar is well known for their urban garden on the banks of the Yarra River, this popup allowed you to step from the light of the Saintly Blessed Garden’s leafy exterior beer garden into a darker side within the Sacred Vaults.
Originally constructed for Melbourne City Council in 1890, the vaults have been transformed with stained glass window decals. A tree adorned with Saintly cans & fruits lights up the start of the vaults, though if you venture deeper you will find a monochrome light-filled chill area with plenty of reflective seating and coffee tables, and a mirrored walkway leading to a shiny DJ booth complete with video art projected onto the curved ceiling. It’s defiantly a cool experience (and you might want to snap a few photos on the way).
We were lucky enough to arrive on the last night of dance floors for Melbourne (at least for now), however if you venture here be sure to check out the full experience of the vaults and the outdoor garden.
We hadn’t tried all the Saintly flavours before, and there were some interesting combos including Holy Watermelon & Mint, Hail Mango, Blessed Lime and our personal favourite, the Forbidden Pink Grapefruit. Building on the existing Riverland greenery and amazing views of the Yarra River, the Sacred Vaults and Blessed Garden summer popup is the perfect spot to wash those bad 2021 vibes away while catching up with friends.
– The Plus Ones
The Saintly Blessed Garden and Sacred Vaults are open every weekend until the 28th February.
Riverland Bar is an accessible venue, the Sacred Vaults are not wheelchair accessible.
