Story by Cara Devine. Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks author. You possibly can electronic mail her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com
CAMEO at Ritz Carlton, Melbourne
650 Lonsdale Avenue, Melbourne
There’s a magic to resort bars. Even in case you’re in your individual metropolis, strolling throughout a gilded foyer and settling right into a room designed for pure luxurious is transportative indulgence at its best. Much more so when the bar is on the eightieth flooring with breathtaking views over the Port Phillip bay and the CBD, as is the case at Cameo bar within the newly opened Ritz-Carlton Melbourne.
This isn’t a bar that’s counting on the view for the wow issue, although. The idea was overseen by Melbourne hospitality the Aristocracy Michael and Zara Madrusan (The Everleigh, Heartbreaker, Bar Margaux) by way of their consultancy enterprise Bartender’s Selection. “We envisioned a vacation spot cocktail bar that invited friends to indulge within the ritual and ceremony of high-quality and uncommon cocktails that includes vintage spirits. The venue is centred round personalised service and storytelling – an intimate, contemplative area that pays respect to the high-quality consuming expertise and the historical past of traditional cocktail tradition. Right here, the view is secondary… At Cameo, the drinks and repair are designed to be as distinctive as the town skyline,” says Zara.
ADVERTISEMENT
 
Helming the execution of their lofty ambition is Joshua Hampshire as Bar Supervisor. Hampshire began his profession at an area resort within the Blue Mountains earlier than transferring – first to Sydney, honing his abilities at venues akin to Bloodwood in Newtown, after which Melbourne, touchdown as Venue Supervisor at The Ugly Duckling after which Mesa Verde – earlier than transferring again to his roots in motels firstly at QT and now the Ritz-Carlton.
He explains this attraction, saying “motels offer you lots of freedom from a artistic perspective however in addition they entertain a big number of purchasers so you actually need to know your native and worldwide market. It may be each rewarding and difficult. I wouldn’t anticipate anybody to know each drink development all around the world at anybody time however it’s actually useful to maintain your eyes on a number of key nations and what’s trending. One other draw card for me is help, with a lot administration in a resort you at all times really feel supported each step of the way in which.”
“Cameo is a considered one of a form bar, at the very least for Melbourne if not the remainder of Australia. Our total focus is round these Vintage Traditional Cocktails utilising our Classic Spirit assortment.” Josh Hampshire
He has additionally felt this help from the Madrusans on this undertaking. “Each Michael and Zara are a wealth of data. From creating service requirements throughout the bar to designing particular person cocktail lists for every outlet [the hotel also has an Australian ingredient focused restaurant on the same floor, Atria]. They have been additionally instrumental in helping with the pre-opening of the resort bars and offering hands-on coaching for the entire bar workers.”
The result’s a superbly designed venue with smartly-clad, attentive and educated workers and an unparalleled menu by way of the rarity of drinks on provide. “Cameo is a considered one of a form bar, at the very least for Melbourne if not the remainder of Australia. Our total focus is round these Vintage Traditional Cocktails utilising our Classic Spirit assortment,” says Hampshire. “It’s very thrilling and supplies a superb basis for the bar to be constructed upon. For our friends, we need to present a really distinctive expertise with each our distinctive beverage providing and our luxurious service fashion. The service fashion of Cameo Bar permits us to spend a substantial amount of time with every visitor so we will be taught what they like and dislike to create a tailor-made beverage expertise for them.”
The bar is particularly designed to intensify this sense of intimacy with the friends – it’s a precise duplicate of the bar station at The Everleigh, positioned within the centre of the room to permit interplay with the bartender as they combine up your drinks.
And what distinctive drinks they’re. Ever puzzled what a Manhattan tasted like in 1931, or a Sidecar tasted like in 1917? Nicely, at Cameo you want marvel no extra (you probably have the price range, after all, though they’re accessible in half serves). Not solely are they made utilizing classic spirits from that point, but additionally as shut as doable to the historic recipes.
“Cameo celebrates the lengthy historical past of classical cocktails. The bar is designed round respect, each for the integrity of the spirits on provide and respect for the historical past of every particular person drink,” says Hampshire. There are, after all, drinks utilizing fashionable spirits within the ‘Wonderful & Uncommon’ part of the menu; they keep true to the traditional theme of the venue with a nod to some influential drinks within the fashionable cocktail renaissance – I indulged in a wonderfully crafted Clover Membership, a pre-Prohibition drink which loved a resurgence within the 2000s because of Julie Reiner’s New York bar of the identical identify.
Hampshire’s personal favorite traditional cocktail? “I can by no means choose only one. However recently, I’ve been having fun with Gibsons with a touch of fino sherry and a number of the pickled onion brine.” And at Cameo, you would evaluate that to a 1970 Vesper – what an expertise.
