The Lui Bar at Vue De Monde has always celebrated the art of the cocktail. The indulgent selection is one of many drawcards of the Australiana-inspired bar that sits on the 55th floor of the Rialto Towers. Now, in a revamp of the basic paper cocktail list, the menu has been transformed into a pop-up recipe book that rivals the aesthetic of a children’s storybook.

Along with illustrations and pop-ups, each cocktail is accompanied with a story of how it came to be. And, keeping in line with the bar’s theme, each drink takes a nostalgic look back to Australia’s yesteryear. The Sous Vide Shrub – comprising rum, seasonal fruit, sugar and herbs – takes us back to Victoria’s gold rush, where no refrigeration meant fruit was preserved with alcohol to create a drink known as a ‘shrub’. These were potentially the first fruit cocktails in the world and the Lui Bar is keen to bring them back to the modern drinking experience.

Along with the Shrub, the book features the ingredients, recipes and stories of Lui’s signature cocktails, as well as favourite pre and post dinner classics. The elaborate list includes the Lola, Negroni, Sherry Cobbler and Koala Stinger. Local paper artist Frances Gray collaborated with the Lui Bar team to ensure that each drink is creatively represented in a fun and inventive way.

To launch the new pop-up cocktail menu, the Lui Bar will be holding an event on Tuesday July 10. Tickets are $65 and include a cocktail on arrival, snacks and a DIY pop-up cocktail menu kit.

vuedemonde.com.au