Molli

Cocktails? Why not? In a time when so many lists are cut from the same Martini-Negroni-Marg-Manhattan cloth, Kayla Saito’s range for Molli is decidedly more adventurous. Even the vocabulary is full of intrigue, with the drink descriptions brimming with the lesser-seen words and ideas. Cacao husk and rhubarb wine conspire with the Zuccara amaro in the Mandalay Spritz, for example, while chamomile doburuku (doboruku is a cloudy kind of sake) and poached quince meet the power of Saint Felix gin and a splash of pisco in the Daydreaming. Two of Melbourne’s most celebrated bottles, meanwhile, meet in the Bullet Proof, with the legendary Gospel rye whiskey doing a do-si-do with Grada, the world-beating Victorian coffee liqueur, served over a big ice cube in a fine tumbler with cold brew Square One coffee, brown butter and toasted sugar. Boom!

The low/no options are just as intriguing (check out No Aloha, a charred pineapple skins and Royal Ceylon tea number), and beers are rotating tap offerings from local brewers. And the spiel for the wine is “Interesting, approachable and delicious, spotlighting our favourite drops and lesser-known varietals from local Victorian makers and abroad.” In practical terms, that means some very smart local choices by the glass, plus a few internationals to keep things spicy. We’re talking MDI grigio from Mildura, Mac Forbes’ always excellent Yarra chardonnay, a sauvignon blanc from Latta that’ll have you rethinking how good sav blanc can be, and a white blend from the Rhône Valley powered by white grenache grapes. They hit the marks with some interesting skin-contact choices and a chilled syrah from Cre, and William Downie’s Cathedral shiraz and a very drinkable barbera from northern Italian producer Accornero Campomoro are the direction of travel for the reds