We’ve poured over Melbourne’s green restaurants and cafes, and now we’re serving up ethical cocktails from its emerging sustainable bars, doing their bit every day to be low-waste. Whether that be from turning restaurant waste into cocktails or minimising single-use glass bottles, these bars are kicking butt at sustainability, and they’re just getting started.
The next time you’re on the lookout for a crafty cocktail or glass of wine, peek into one of Melbourne’s sustainable bars.
Re-Wine
Brunswick, Fitzroy and CBD
Re-Wine is a bottle shop without any bottles. Instead, wine is housed in wooden barrels, minimising single-use wine bottles. The wine comes from local winemakers, both from the boutique and big operations, such as Seppeltsfield in South Australia. When you buy wine at Re-Wine, they give you a brand new glass bottle to take your wine home, but when it’s empty, you can refill it for $3 less than it costs for a new bottle of wine. The idea is to encourage people to reuse wine bottles, minimising single-use bottles. Re-Wine also has bars in Fitzroy and on Rose Street in the CBD, where patrons can sip wines from barrels and taps—supporting local wine producers.
Parcs
CBD
Parcs is the brainchild of Chef Dennis Young, who leads the charge behind this tiny, but the energetic kitchen. The concept is a fermentation-forward wine bar with dishes made from food scraps. More than 70% of the menu is made up of offcuts and peels destined for the bin, turning them into the star of the show. Every dish contains at least one fermented component. For instance, Mushrooms are coated in persimmon-pulp hot sauce before being deep-fried and served with preserved tofu cream. The best thing on the menu is the umami e pepe— a take on the classic cacio e pepe—praised by critics and diners. The beverage list is stocked with low-intervention wines, experimental cocktails, and house-made kombucha. By the way, if you didn’t catch on already, Parcs is scraps spelled backwards.
The Lincoln
Carlton
The Lincoln is a pub that has stood the test of time. The art deco bar is a throwback to Melbourne’s past, but its commitment to the future is ever present in its drinks menu. Instead of stocking wine bottles, The Lincoln offers wine on tap. The tipples are mainly from small local producers, including a handful of progressive winemakers, so expect to try something new with every visit. They also have 12 taps featuring a rotating list of Australian craft beers.
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