A Manhattan Night Out, Without Leaving Melbourne

One of the best things about Melbourne is its ability to hold multiple identities at once. Within a few blocks you can slip between several different cities: begin with a leisurely Parisian morning, embrace the energy of Bangkok, then end the night at the Big Apple, all while remaining in the CBD.

To mark the launch of Redken’s After Hours, Broadsheet has teamed up with the haircare brand and two Melbourne venues on an activation that translates that late-night Manhattan sensibility into food and drink. From March 16 to 28, the participating bars will serve bespoke cocktails and dishes inspired by the Acidic Bonding Concentrate range.

Start your night at Bouvardia, tucked upstairs above Bourke Street, where low lighting, plush banquettes and a speakeasy feel offer refuge from the fast pace of the CBD. The bar sets the tone with The ABCs of NYC, a minimal cocktail that nods to the citrus notes in the haircare label’s Acidic Bonding Concentrate products. Clarified acid-adjusted pomelo and gin form the backbone of this drink, which is then layered with pandan syrup and coconut water, and finished with chilli-pickled pomelo garnish. Carbonated and served over cracked clear ice, it’s crisp, aromatic and refreshing – the kind of drink perfect for after a long day moving through the city. 

From there, continue the crawl with a stop at Death & Co, the Melbourne outpost of the New York cocktail institution, for a dish and drink exclusive to the collaboration. To eat, you’ll find the Chef’s Tuna Crudo, which pairs raw fish with smoked tomato and tarragon, served on a low-waste crisp made from spent bread.

Alongside it is the Golden Beautiful, a cocktail first created at Death & Co’s original NYC location. The tiki-leaning sour blends aged tequila with Campari, passionfruit, vanilla syrup and lime, landing somewhere between bitter and sweet.

Across both venues, each bespoke dish or cocktail comes with a travel-size sample of Redken’s Acidic Bonding Leave-In Treatment to round out the experience. Melbourne may be a long way from Manhattan but, for a couple of weeks in March, the distance feels considerably shorter.

Alongside the menu collaborations, guests will also have the chance to win a year’s supply of Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate, with competition details featured at the bars.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Redken.