Melbourne’s Best Bars Are Celebrating Nikka Whisky With Bespoke Cocktails This Month

From today (February 3) all the way to Sunday (February 19), acclaimed Japanese label Nikka Whisky is partnering with some of Melbourne’s most awarded bars to “Discover The Hidden.” That is, these various venues, which range from Eau De Vie to Bar Margaux, will be putting their best foot forward to tell distinctive stories of Nikka’s highly-sought Japanese whisky via specially made cocktails celebrating the distillery’s rich and multifaceted legacy.

Each bar involved in the Discover the Hidden program has developed its own unique cocktail using one of the Japanese whiskies from Nikka’s range. In an effort to bring new angles and storytelling elements, some of Melbourne’s most studious bartenders have bought their own distinctive style to Nikka, which will be available as a limited-edition cocktail between the aforementioned dates.

Back in 1918, Nikka founder and noted “father of Japanese whisky” Masataka Taketsuru travelled from Japan to Scotland to perfect the art of whisky distilling. Hence, a pioneering legacy was born, and Nikka Whisky, which first launched in 1940, went on to define what has become one of the most celebrated and exciting chapters in the history of whisky making. To lift that legacy and bring a bit of a Melbourne twist to things is definitely not something that should be missed by any whisky drinker who finds themselves in Melbourne this month.

And to help you navigate it all, we’ve listed our two top picks below to give you a bit of a preview of what to expect when it comes to Nikka’s Disover The Hidden, with Melbourne’s finest CBD cocktail bars – all of which are within walking distance of each other. So fire up the group chat, head along to these crowd favourites, and enjoy these new takes on Nikka’s centuries-old story.

Eau Di Vie

As one of the most recognised whisky bars in Melbourne, Eau Die Vie’s involvement in Nikka’s Discover The Hidden is no surprise. The bar team here have chosen Nikka’s Taketsuru Pure Malt to tell their side of the Nikka story, building a cocktail named after Taketsuru’s Scottish wife, Rita. The whisky is layered with sherry, licor 43, maraschino, absinthe and lemon, presenting a hardy cocktail with intricate flavour expressions to mirror the passion Rita brought to Japanese whisky.

Address: 1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000
Contact: (03) 8393 9367
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Saturday (5 PM – 1 PM)

Bouvardia

For their Nikka expression, one of Bourke Street’s most popular cocktail bars has focused on the cultural intersection between Japanese and Australia with flavours from each country. For this, the bar team chose Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky and layered it with wattleseed shoyu, fresh wasabi and umami vermouth with a bit of pickled ginger as the garnish.

Address: Level 2/169 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday (5 PM – 12 AM); Thursday – Saturday (5 PM – 1 AM); Sunday (5 PM – 11 PM)

As for the others, they are best kept secret. In total there are nine participating bars, so there are plenty of ways Nikka’s story is being told by Melbourne’s most distinguished bars. The other participating venues are:

• Bar Margaux
• Madame Brussels
• Whisky Den
• Lily Blacks
• Whisky + Alement
• Double Happiness
• Hats & Tatts

This article was produced in partnership with Nikka Whisky. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.