Luke McCarthy

Thirty Years On, Sullivans Cove Whisky Is Better Than Ever

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The operation that put Australia firmly on the global whisky map has unveiled a groundbreaking new distillery – one that will enhance its already fastidious processes.

First Look: Backspace Bar Brings a Neighbourhood Feel to the Paris End

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The Whisky Den team and a former Nomad Group bartender have opened a new laid-back local in the CBD. Find seriously refreshing highballs, a retro rum and pineapple creation and “one of the coldest beers in Melbourne”.

With Bakery Hill in the Mix, Kensington Is Becoming a Hub for Craft Producers

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The distillery has finally moved from its Bayswater North home after nearly 25 years. Book a tour, visit the Sly Grog Shop for a dram or two and join the Kenzo Crawl.

First Look: Box Hill Was a Dry Zone for Decades. It Finally Has a Neighbourhood Bar

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The husband-and-wife-run Bar Nearby marks a new era for the neighbourhood. Order delivery from local restaurants or BYO food to enjoy with easy drinks, including local beers on tap and summery Pina Coladas.

First Look: A Former Medical Scientist Opens Subculture Brewing in Brunswick

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink Bring in a slice of pizza from nearby Madonna Electric and listen to the tunes playing on vinyl while you sip on local beers. And fit in a game of ’90s classic Street Fighter II on the arcade cabinet while you’re there.

Melbourne’s First Laneway Bar Meyers Place Was Relocated Piece-By-Piece and Is Now Bard’s Apothecary

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink Meyers Place was transplanted to its present location on Crossley Street. The piece of Melbourne history closed during Covid, but new owners have saved it and renamed it Bard’s Apothecary.

A Go-Your-Own-Way Whisky Tour of Tasmania for Winter

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink Warm your cockles this Off Season with a trip to some of Tasmania’s finest distilleries. In partnership with Tourism Tasmania, we take a look at six leading distilleries using the island’s native botanicals and waterways to produce distinctive whiskies.

First Look: Starward Whisky’s Port Melbourne Distillery Gets a Glam Refresh

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink There’s a new bar and kitchen where everything on the menu gets a dram of the good stuff. Plus, there’s a fill-your-own-bottle option and tours with whisky experts.

Boom to Bust: Why Are So Many Australian Craft Breweries Struggling?

18 Apr 2025

City File In the last 12 months, more than a dozen independent local brewers – including heavy hitters like Wayward, Hawkers and Akasha – have entered voluntary administration. How did our booming craft beer industry start to go bust? And how can you help?

First Look: It’s Pure Brewmanity at Former Melbourne Football Club Captain David Neitz’s Rooftop Bar

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The brewer has raised nearly $1 million for Fight MND since it launched in 2015. Its new venue will bring its “modern twists on traditional beer styles” to South Melbourne when it opens on Friday. Plus, the team has plenty of fundraisers and events planned for the space.

Now Open: Adelaide’s Pirate Life Opens Its First Melbourne Taproom

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The South Melbourne taproom has a flame-licked elevated food offering influenced by its market neighbour, 16 taps and an express lunch menu for office workers and market dwellers.

Now Open: Hobart Craft Brewery Fox Friday Opens Its First Melbourne Taproom, in Richmond

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink The new 200-person space is part of the brand’s plans to expand across the country and brings a new player to Melbourne’s already booming brewery scene.

Now Open in Ballarat: Itinerant Spirits, a Handsome Distillery and Cocktail Bar in a 160-Year-Old Goods Shed

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink Take a seat under soaring ceilings in a heritage-listed bluestone building and sip a velvety Valiant cocktail – a sour with house-stilled vodka, mandarin, pomelo and Aperol – as gin, whisky and vodka stills tower above you.

First Look: Find Martini Flights and Remixed Cocktails at Cedar Fox’s New Coburg North Gin Distillery and Cellar Door

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink Come for oak, mulberry and pomegranate gins distilled in the former warehouse space. Try riffs on classic cocktails by a former Farmer’s Daughters pro, including an updated Southside and a pomegranate and sumac-infused spin on the Cosmopolitan.

Five to Try: Australia’s Most Significant Whisky Distilleries

18 Apr 2025

Food & Drink Australia has been producing whisky near-continuously for 160 years, stretching right back to the convict era. Today we punch well above our weight, with several distilleries that consistently win big at prestigious global awards. Here are five of the most important thus far – and which of their many whiskies you should try.