1806

For most of us, there can be no doubt that our school years number among the memories we'd rather forget. Math exams, English essays, legal studies; it was all a bit much. Well, at last there's one history lesson in town you're sure to take again and again and again. 1806, Melbourne's newest cocktail bar, has opened its doors to already mounting acclaim. Not only is this a cocktail bar par excellence, but also a history lesson in cocktail mixing's finest beverages. Indeed, the cocktail list itself is a chronological journey through alcohol's greatest, historical movements, offering one a cocktail to enjoy for every era. Yes, ladies, even the original Cosmopolitan is on the card. Settling into a luxurious leather couch, it's easy to understand why few of your fellow patrons bend their wrist for a simple glass of wine. Sure, you can protest all you want about being a 'chardy girl', or make allusions to the fact you actually know the European beer you've just ordered, but really, when ensconced within a shrine to all things mixed, shaken and stirred, why would you bother with anything else? What sets this bar apart from the multitude of cocktail bars shot-gunned into the landscape, is that the people making your drinks - managed by the team at Mixology Management - have done their homework. Scouring the far reaches of the planet to bring you authentic liquors and liqueurs, at last you can enjoy a bona fide Aviation, made with real violet liqueur, or an Old Tom (think: Tom Collins) - a faithful recreation of the 19th century recipe. And for those seeking some true spirits from history, the selection of rum, whiskey, gin and bourbon is vast enough to satisfy any urge. That's right, ANY urge.