Grey Goose’s Very First Standalone Martini Bar Is Coming To Melbourne

In a major coup for Australia’s Second City, Grey Goose announced earlier this week that its first standalone bar will be arriving imminently in Melbourne. Dedicated, as luck would have it, to the classic Martini cocktail.

The ultra-premium distiller (which has produced and blended its vodkas in France since 1997) is partnering with Crown Melbourne to bring this exclusive new concept, entitled Le Martini, to life –– a lavish setting, consisting of 33 seats, where enthusiasts of mixed beverages can sip “expertly crafted Grey Goose Martinis, while immersed in exquisite surrounds”.

One of mixology’s most elemental and deceptively simple recipes, it’s no exaggeration to say (as Grey Goose certainly has) that the Martini is the soul of a world-class cocktail bar. Traditionally composed of just two ingredients –– with the spirited element so often being vodka –– the Martini has, over many decades, become a universe unto itself.

RELATED: How To Make The Best Classic Martini

With delicious historical variations like the Gibson, Vesper, and Tuxedo No. 2 to crib from, Le Martini promises to be noteworthy for reasons that go beyond its title as the first ever global Grey Goose Martini bar. At a bare minimum, all signs seem to point to the venue being a permanent addition to Crown Melbourne’s stable of eating & drinking destinations.

Guillaume Brahimi, Head Chef of neighbouring Bistro Guillaume, has been brought in to oversee the creation of Le Martini’s “bespoke food menu”; and the bar shall kick off operations with a range of takeovers by internationally acclaimed bartenders.

Discerning drinkers can immediately take the measure of Grey Goose’s resolve by looking at its first international guest –– New York barman Dale De Groff.

A North American legend (once referred to by The New York Times as the “father of the craft cocktail movement”) De Groff is responsible for penning Le Martini’s debut menu. According to spokespeople for both Grey Goose and Crown Melbourne, expect one-off menus and guest shifts from a range of award-winning international cocktail bars to follow.

To learn more about Le Martini, which is opening its doors next month, visit the Crown Melbourne website below.