Why you stayOne of the great things about Bad Frankie is the understated nature of its mission. Walk into the two-roomed space and you might think you’ve stumbled upon another of Melbourne’s cute, unassuming local bars. Bad Frankie – named for John Franklin, the governor of Van Diemen’s Land who, in 1839, made small pot stills illegal – was formerly an Italian men’s club and it retains an appealingly laid-back, retro atmosphere. Flip through the spirit menu to discover eight pages of Australian gin alone, including two pages dedicated just to Victorian gin, and you realise that not only are there producers of whisky, rum, brandy and vodka all across the country, but also of absinthe, Italian-style bittersweet liqueurs and vermouths of many colours. Now you understand the bar’s sense of purpose. And because it still feels like such fresh territory more than seven years after Bad Frankie opened, there’s also a sense of excitement about exploring the distilling landscape, armed with nothing more than a spirit of adventure and a plate or two of delicious jaffles.
