All posts filed under: Drink

Melbourne breweries

5 Craft Beer Breweries to Visit This Spring

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The craft beer movement is in full swing in Melbourne (and surrounds). Today, there’s only the odd bar or pub that doesn’t have at least a couple of craft beers on tap. However, if you’re after the full craft beer experience we’d recommend a trip out to these craft breweries where you can down  a crafty pint and learn a thing or two about the brewing process. The Crafty Squire (James Squire Brewhouse) | 127 Russell St, Melbourne James Squire, a featured name is the craft beer world, have set up their own microbrewery within the Melbourne city center (the only one in the CBD), located in the iconic venue formally known as the Portland Hotel. Sample the much celebrated range of James Squire varieties (my personal favourite, The Chancer Golden Ale) and hand-crafted special ales brewed onsite. If you’re feeling peckish, try same true Australian delicacies including crocodile meatballs, emu koftas and chermoula roasted kangaroo. Mountain Goat Brewery | 80 North St, Richmond  From humble beginnings as a backyard project in the mid 90’s to now …

Four Pillars Gin

Take a ride on the Gin Bus

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If you’re a lover of Gin like us here at We Know Melbourne, you’ll want to sign yourself up for the Gin Queen on Tour 2016. With all Victorian gin distilleries based out of the city, the Gin Queen is making it easy to avoid the “Who’s driving” conversation when your friends suggest a day out to visit said distilleries. Since launching The Gin Queen in 2013, Caroline Childerley has actively promoted Australian gins through her tastings and masterclasses, she says; “I’m so proud of our hardworking Australian distillers and am constantly telling people to get out and see the distilleries first hand, but it isn’t always that easy as not all of them are accessible via public transport, so I decided to launch Gin Queen on Tour!” As part of the Gin Queen experience, you’ll be whisked away on  a private bus to one of Victoria’s leading distilleries where you’ll get to meet the distiller have a G&T, learn about their fantastic gin(s), and enjoy a light lunch before the gin bus departs back to the …

Project Botancials

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Bombay Sapphire’s Project Botanicals  is back in town this September. The experience will elevate the gin drinking experience through a sensory experience of flavours, scents, sounds and visuals, inspired by the ten botanicals found in each bottle of Bombay Sapphire vapour infused gin. The city’s most creative bartenders will collaborate with head chef of Taxi Kitchen Tony Twitchett,  to create some amazing dishes plus botanically inspired Bombay Sapphire cocktails all night. To top off the night, there’ll be live music from internationally renowned DJ duo Yolanda Be Cool plus fragrance specialist and creator Samantha Taylor, and installation artist Missy to reveal the ‘artistry’ of Bombay Sapphire. When: 8 September – 18th September 2016 Where: Taxi Riverside, Federation Square Visit the Project Botancials website. 

Emerson Rooftop

Winter in Asia – Emerson Rooftop

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This winter, escape to an Asian winter wonderland at  The Emerson Rooftop’s ‘Winter in Asia’ series. Strung with festive paper lanterns, blossoms, floral arrangements, fans and silk drapes, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in an Asian paradise, except without the jetlag. Collaborating with the beautiful Susie Wong, the Winter in Asia series will offer diners an array of delicious south-east Asian and Japanese bites in place of  the regular Emerson menu. Susie Wong owner and chef Peter Capurso have designed a menu of delectable dumplings, rice paper rolls, banh mi and teppanyaki skewers to warm heat-seekers up from the inside out. Standout dishes include soft shell crab banh mi with yuzu mayo or chicken, prawn and crispy five spice pork belly with caramel, apple and radish salad. If you’ve got more of sweet tooth, you won’t want to miss Susie’s bitter chocolate cardamon fondant with vanilla bean ice cream and mandarin dust. Up for a foodie challenge?  Take part in  ‘Dump DV Challenge’ every Thursday and see how many dumplings you can smash in 2 minutes. …

Hot Chocolate Festival

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Indulge your sweet tooth at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie’s annual Hot Chocolate Festival. Taking place in the heart of winter, this year’s festival will take your chocolate obsession to new heights with 31 different flavours over 31 days in August. The flavours will be anything but ordinary with the return of some of last year’s favourites including  Strawberry High Tea, The Slam Dunk (think mini-doughnuts!), and last year’s best-selling Chocolate Brownie flavours; alongside this year’s showstopping new flavours, the Wagon Wheel with its dunk-ready marshmallow and jam chocolate-coated biscuit skewered with a straw for extra delicious slurping; or Hot Gaytime’s cheeky temptation of hot caramel toffee poured into a milk chocolate, topped with crushed honeycomb and served with a vanilla ice-cream. Yep, it will feel like you’ve died and gone to chocolate heaven. The hot chocolate concoctions will be whipped up by The Chocolaterie’s very own Belgian and French chocolatiers inspired by premium couverture chocolate, seasonal ingredients and items from their kitchen garden with 8 new flavours will be introduced each week. Grab a front seat and watch …

Dominique Portet’s 40th Australian Vintage

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Last night the We Know Melbourne team were invited along to a wine tasting soiree to celebrate the 40th harvest of Dominique Portet wines. The celebrations were held in the intimate industrial space of QT Strategies where we got to mingle with other food bloggers, wine lovers and of course the father and son team of Dominique Portet. The Portet family have been making wine for ten generations, originally beginning in Bordeaux in the 18th century. Today the Portet name is closely associated with Dominique Portet and Ben Portet, the ninth and tenth generation winemakers. Dominique originally from France, has worked with vintages all over France before moving to Napa for 3 vintages, and in 2000, started the Yarra Valley winery and cellar door. While his whole family is involved (including wife and 2 other sons), it is Ben the 10th generation winemaker who works at the winery alongside his father. A humble and gracious duo, we were delighted to have the opportunity to meet such a family so committed to winemaking. The evening was completed …

A Day Trip to Merrick’s Creek Winery

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When it comes to wines regions in Victoria, we are certainly spoilt for choice. Drive an hour east and you’ll be in the heart of Healesville, drive an hour north and you’ll be in the Macedon Ranges or drive an hour south and reach the famous Mornington Peninsula. Last Sunday, we took a drive along the coast to Mornington. Our destination? The recently opened, Merrick’s Creek. Recognised for their award winning Mornington Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Merrick’s Creek opened earlier this year, and is a family run affair with Peter Parker, a Clinical Psychologist who’s in charge of bottling the delicious grapes and his friendly son, Sam bringing his knowledgeable, attentive service to the table. The cellar door is beautifully set right next to the vineyard and the space feels intimate and cosy, almost like you’re walking into an old friend’s home, complete with an open air patio and fireplace. Perfect for a cooler winter’s day. There was no air of pretension at this winery,  just a humble and inviting cellar door with incredible views. Upon …

City Shapers Festival – Heineken®

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Heineken®  are bringing their  City Shapers Festival to Melbourne on 4 August. Keeping it a secret to exactly where and what you’ll be doing, guests can expect to be taken on a worldly adventure through some of the most unique experiences Melbourne has to offer.  The festival will open your eyes through a series of striking murals designed to shape the way cities look, evoking more emotion into their environments. The journey will start at an iconic Melbourne train station where you will board an exclusive Heineken® train before being transported to a secret location, where Heineken® will transform an unassuming venue into a dynamic festival space, full of intrigue and worldly discovery. There will be a number of unique experiences at the event, from the vibe of bustling Asian cities to a trendy jazz club in New York and dazzling performances. Guests will be in for an epic night as Heineken® finishes with a performance from a surprise international act.  The evening will be filled with  exciting surprises and unexpected reveals so guests should prepare …

Matcha Pop Up Bar

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Supernormal are bringing a pop-up matcha bar to Melbourne this July for two weeks only. Throughout the two weeks Melbourne bar entrepreneur, Matt Bax will be hosting intimate tea ceremonies (groups up to 5) that will “break the rules”, in an idea he has been brewing for over fifteen years. With almost two decades of tea drinking and Japanese tea studies, Bax will educate the public on ceremonial grade matcha through Samu, a contemporary tea meditation. Experience real matcha like you’ve never before! Cost: $9 per tea, with accompanying wagashi sweet When: Lunch sessions 12 – 3pm, dinner service 6 – 10pm, July 18 – 29 Where: Supernormal, Flinders Lane Visit the Supernormal website.    

European Night Market

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If you’ve ever travelled through Europe in winter, there’s no doubt that you’ll always tell your friends back home about the outdoor winter markets that they do so well! This year, you can save yourself the cost of the plane ticket as Madame Brussels Lane turns into an European Night Market for four Friday nights starting on July 18. Inspired by the markets in Germany and Switzerland, the European Night Market will be filled with  rich European spiced aromas of mulled wine, German sausages, freshly baked pretzels and live music. Treat yourself to delicious Polish dumplings, French crepes, scumptious Flammkuchen, melting fondue cheese plus so much more. There’ll also be a German Beer Garden with ales, Italian aperitivos and mulled wine to get you into the winter spirit. When: 5pm-10pm Fridays, July 2 – August 12. Where: Madame Brussels Lane Directions: Madame Brussels Lane is a 10 minute walk from The Swanston Hotel and Mercure Welcome Melbourne. Visit the European Night Market website.  Want to find out more about what’s happening in Melbourne? Sign up to the We Know Melbourne mailing …