A Local Pour for Every Mood: Where To Drink Victorian Spirits Right Now

There’s no single way to drink local. Some nights call for something sharp and citrus-led, while others suit a Martini with a little olive brine, or a rich whisky Manhattan. That’s the thinking behind Serves of the State, a three-week celebration pairing 45 Victorian distilleries with 15 venues across Melbourne and Victoria, each creating bespoke cocktails that reflect the breadth of the state’s spirits scene.

From May 25 to June 14, those venues will each pour three uniquely Victorian cocktails – spanning everything from coastal gin and native botanicals to coffee liqueurs, agave spirits and single malt whisky. As you try them, you can scan a QR code in-venue to vote for your favourite, helping crown Victoria’s Serve of the State. You’ll also go into the draw to win a VIP countryside distillery tour, curated and hosted by Vic Distilled ambassador Tayla Kendall.

Whether you lean bright and floral, rich and spirit-forward, or somewhere closer to dessert, there’s a Victorian cocktail with your name on it.

Bright and citrusy

If sharp, citrus-led drinks are your thing, Hazel is a strong place to start. The Passionfruit and Lemon Myrtle Gimlet keeps the structure of the classic but brightens it with passionfruit and native lemon myrtle syrup.

At Springrock, Blushing Duck pairs Angry Duck gin with Lillet Rosé, lemon and grapefruit rosella, while Bush Point balances blanco spirit with lime, verjus and bush salt.

Backspace’s Callipo Sour goes all in on Amore Limoncello, yuzu and lemon, while Go FIGure leans aperitivo-style with burnt fig gin and Fernet Branca.

At Death & Co, East 87 Hold Up runs tropical with passionfruit and pineapple with Fellow Vanilla and Cream vodka, while Chambray bringsBass & Flinders Noble Stranger Australian brandy, cinnamon and muddled strawberry.

Whisky and Alement’s Apple Cart Elixir mixes Melbourne Moonshine Apple Pie Shine with lemon and grapefruit soda, while Mr Mills serves Army & Navy with Patient Wolf Pink Lake gin, grapefruit cordial and alpine strawberry.

At The Pinnacle, The Pinny Spritz keeps things easy with aperitivo, prosecco and white chocolate-washed whisky.

Jackalope pours the Antipodes Gin Highball with apricot and soda, plus Chief’s Son Highball with pineapple and passionfruit.

At Moondrop, The Third Date layers Tano Spirits Jagari shochu black koji, yuzushu and hot honey, while Grainery Lane’s Elderfashioned lands between citrus aperitif and Martini with the use of their house Elderflower and London Dry gins.

Fruity and refreshing

Some drinks are less about structure and more about mood. At Union Electric, Brooklyn In The Summer does exactly what the name promises: think Here's Looking At You Kid Yam Daisy gin, coconut and lemongrass syrup, lemon and aloe vera juice.

At Black Kite Commune, Instupituous leans juicy, layering Penni Ave 16th Beach vodka, advocaat, lemon juice and Illawarra plum with lemonade.

Bar Selecta keeps things playful with Luna City Pop Highball using Puss & Mew Navy Strength gin, Dragon Hime Gimlet using Herbit Blue Dragon gin and Ichigo Shiso Bramble using Envy Navy gin – all floral, fruit-forward and bright.

Dom's Social Club’s Echuca Distillery Diablo blends Echuca Distillery Gold Agave Spirit, cassis and raspberry tea syrup, and the Quiet Corner Distillery Billionaire uses Quiet Corner Distillery Absinthe and bourbon, along with lemon juice, housemade grenadine and absinthe.

Reed House’s Purple Dragon combines Little Lon Miss Yoko Lychee gin with dragonfruit and mint, while The Pinnacle’s Wombat Shakerato adds rye, cider and yuzu.

Meanwhile, at Hazel, the Box Cutter Spritz mixes Jimmy Rum Navy with pink lady apple, grape and elderflower, while Strawberry Valentino brings together Bellicose pink gin and strawberry oleo.

Savoury and Martini territory

If your default order starts with “dirty”, this is your section.

At Jackalope, the Mornington Distillery Martini keeps things savoury. Send For Kelp gin is stirred with white flower vermouth and purple basil brine, then finished with basil oil.

At Mr Mills, the Pine & Vetiver Martini moves in a greener direction, layering Holcombe’s Spirit Sisters gin with vetiver, alpine bitters and dry vermouth.

The Pinnacle offers a sharper take with The Pinny Martini, where MGC - Melbourne Gin Co. Single Shot gin, dry vermouth, fino and dry orange pull the drink towards something cleaner and more citrus-led.

Whisky and Alement’s Sesame Sippin’ brings Backwoods Single Malt whisky, mirin and honey, while Black Kite Commune’s Interspectacular finishes with Macedon Distillery Mastiha and mascarpone cream.

Rich and spirit-forward

For slower drinking, Whisky and Alement and Reed House are strong starts. Apple of My Rye mixes Kinglake breakfast rye cask with Suze and honey-apple cordial, while Blackthorn Royale brings Recollection Spirits sour cherry nalyvka and whisky together.

Back at Union Electric, The Priest & The Beast pulls together Black Sheep Hooch, Benedictine, pear and brown sugar syrup for something rounded and softly spiced.

Elsewhere, Moondrop's None Of Your Beeswax adds Shaw's Red Wheat vodka with yuzushu, fino sherry and beezwax.

And Backspace’s All-Father finishes somewhere between an Old Fashioned and a dessert pour, combining In Good Spirits Butterscotch Whisky, corn whisky, dry vermouth and amaretto.

Sweet and dessert-like

Some drinks are best ordered instead of dessert.

At Dom's Social Club, that means the Seven Spice Chai Espresso Martini, where Hillmartin Distillery Seven Spice Chai gin joins coffee liqueur, cold brew espresso and vanilla sugar syrup, finished with salted cinnamon sugar.

Grainery Lane’s Laneway Confidential riffs on Irish coffee with their own rum, while The Blind Tiger leans creamy with crème de cacao with their own gin and Pietro Gallus Estate Liquore all'Arancia.

At Black Kite Commune, Fantabulous brings Daylesford Spirit Blueberry gin, watermelon and tropical fruit into the mix.

Waggle Dance by Union Electric mixes Mates Gin Distillery's Sweet Surrender gin with yellow chartreuse and honey syrup.

Whisky and Alement’s Midnight Mocha mixes Infusa Cappuccino, rye and chocolate bitters.

At Moondrop, The Last Slice folds Johnnie Walker Black Label, cacao husk pastis, banana and milk punch into dessert form.

The Coffee and Fig highball from Mr Mills spotlights That Spirited Lot Coffee vodka with a touch of sherry and fig aperitif.

Apollo Bay Distillery gin is the main character in Springrock's Golden Wattle featuring orange, honey and vanilla.

And Death & Co’s Beach Goth finishes with Starward Two Fold, banana liqueur and crème de cacao.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Vic Distilled. Check out all the participating bars and what they’re offering at Serves of the State at vicdistilled.com.au.