Dutch Rules Distilling

At Dutch Rules distillery in Mitcham, gins draw on botanicals from Australia and South Asia, reflecting owner Danny Perera’s Sri Lankan heritage and his interest in the movement of ingredients across nations. Chef Viveik Vinoharan leads the kitchen. In it, he cooks some of Melbourne’s most exciting modern Sri Lankan cuisine.

Dishes have French, Japanese and Italian influence, and they’re designed to sit alongside the drinks. Think plates such as lamb-belly skewers marinated in toasted coriander, fennel and cumin, or tortellini filled with St David Dairy curd served in a beurre blanc enriched with whey, brown butter, curry leaves and kasoori methi (fenugreek).

The drinks list centres on the flagship gins, served as flights or in cocktails like a clarified Pina Colada made with Thai Gin, or a riff on a Bee’s Knees with Dutch Ceylon Gin, kithul treacle, curry leaf, cinnamon, lime and coconut oil.

What was once a minimal production area now houses a fully rebuilt open kitchen, putting the cooking on show. The venue seats more than 100, split between a casual dining area downstairs and a more formal mezzanine upstairs that doubles as a private event space.