Nostalgia is top of the list at new Melbourne venue, Blackbird

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Blackbird Bar & Dining is a transplant from Brisbane, recently opened in the multilevel space on Flinders Lane previously occupied by Botswana Butchery and the first Melbourne outlet from Ghanem Group. While overall the venue will focus on food and functions, there’s also a dedicated cocktail bar on the ground floor with Melbourne hospo veteran James Burchett at the helm. 

The food menu at Blackbird will be similar to the venue’s older sibling, but unlike that huge Brisvegas party spot whose million dollar views over the river are a major drawcard, the Melbourne version is more demure; intimate and urban, tucked among the high-rises at the Paris end of the CBD, the mostly black interior matching Melbourne’s favourite fashions.

The cocktail list is also 100 percent new (apart from Ghanem Group Beverage Director Aaron Clarke’s Bacardi Legacy cocktail), emerging from the deep recesses of Burchett’s memory in the form of classics reimagined through the lens of Aussie nostalgia. “When I was designing these cocktails, I thought a lot about going to primary school in WA,” he says. “Icy Poles from the tuckshop, walking through the bush, Tim Tams in front of the telly as a treat on the weekend — these things trigger that memory centre in the brain, and that helps create a memorable experience.”

Despite looking like he’d be more at home behind the stick at Hat & Tatts or Leonard’s, creating those memorable, high end service experiences is Jimmy’s true calling, he says. “My dad’s a hotelier, so I grew up in places like The Four Seasons and The Marriot,” Burchett explains. “I like the refinement of restaurant bars because it gives me the opportunity to provide a really wonderful guest experience, that’s what I thrive on, and a bar like Blackbird gives us the opportunity to do that.” 

As far as cocktails go, that experience comes in the form of a focus on local spirits and uniquely Australian ingredients. The Corpse Reviver 86, for example, is an unlikely combination of Brookie’s gin and Starward whisky, turned a lovely shade of Cosmo pink thanks to smoked blood orange syrup (a drink Burchett first listed during his time at the now defunct Lover in Windsor). It sounds like a lot, but the smoke and the whisky are subtle and well-integrated, offering just a touch of toasty oak and extra texture in an otherwise bright and aromatic drink.

And while seemingly silly, the Billy Tea is exactly the Aussie update the much-maligned Long Island Iced Tea needed. Here, there’s balancing tannin from a custom made tea blend and the funk of Aussie agricole-style rum really punching through. These are the kind of Aussie-nostaglia inspired drinks that many have attempted, but few have executed this well. I’ll definitely be back for the Mango Weiss Colada of Antagonist spiced rum, mango, whey and macadamia foam. 

Blackbird also offers super high-end back-bar bottles like Pappy 20 and Hibiki 21, clearly aiming at the high rollers of Flinders Lane, and with DJs on the weekends to draw the party crowd.

While all the shiny black marble and checkered shirt uniforms might feel a little corporate, these delicious cocktails are anything but mass-market. Throw in a $28 burger dripping top-quality beef juices — available all day and night from the bar food menu — and it’s the perfect spot for a quick break if you’re on the grind in Melbournetown. 

Around The Bars

The Girl Next Door. Melitta Next Door, the new space from Bar Bellamy owners Danielle and Oska Whitehart right next door to their Rathdown Street bar, finally opens this Friday. Considering how bloody good Bellamy is, we’re expecting it not to suck! Pop in and show some love for two of Melbourne’s best, and nicest, bar operators. 

Gin & Juice. Inuman, Melbourne’s favourite Philippines-inspired cocktail bar, is launching their first gin in collaboration with Dutch Rules Distilling with the return of their Barkada Takeover Series on Sunday, August 31st from 3-9pm. Nat Yao (Meatsmith) and Tom Smith (Caretaker’s Cottage) on the tools. On the menu: cocktails built around Pinoy Gin, a bold spirit infused with pandan, coconut, purple rice, rockmelon, lemongrass, tamarind, hibiscus, banana peel, coriander seed, and juniper. Stick around for dinner at Askal restaurant downstairs and get 15% off your bill.

Russell Up Some Bourbon. Bruce Russell, associate blender of Wild Turkey Bourbon and grandson of legendary distiller Jimmy Russell is in Melbourne this week hosting a sold-out masterclass at Goodwater on Sunday the 31st. But if you’d like to come say hi, he’ll be free to pour some whiskey and have a chat from 6-7pm. 

Mixographically Minded. Jim Meehan, the man behind PDT (Please Don’t Tell), the pioneering New York speakeasy that redefined modern cocktail bars, and author of multiple books, is in Australia as part of a series of events with Club Suntory. You can hear him talk in Melbourne this Thursday, 28th August at noon at Lillian Brasserie (enter via Society restaurant) at 80 Collins St, but space is limited so if you miss out you can also meet him hosting at Apollo Inn from 5-9pm. RSVP to the masterclass via Club Suntory or book a spot at Apollo Inn for the evening here.