Where Queensland has golden beaches and Sydney its gleaming harbor and iconic architecture, Melbourne is the city to which Australians, as well as visitors from across the world, come to drink and dine. A vast craft beer scene, innovative high-concept cocktail landscape and a pub culture rivaled only by the U.K.’s are all on offer. But it’s the city’s cultural diversity that makes it a truly world-class drinking destination. Joining long-standing Italian and Greek populations who have left their mark, more recent waves of immigration from across Asia have spurred a late-night culture that spans everything from karaoke to soju bars, not to mention plenty of ramen and dumpling joints to soak it all up on the stumble home. — Fred Siggins
Located in the trendy neighborhood of Collingwood, Bad Frankie was the first bar in the country to serve only Australian-made spirits, something that has become a nationwide trend. The tongue-in-cheek name refers to Governor John Franklin, who banned distilled spirits in Van Diemen’s Land (now called Tasmania) in 1839. Bad Frankie offers playful snacks in the form of jaffles—Australia’s version of a toasted sandwich—and serves cocktails, including one called the Piña Koala, out of koala-shaped mugs. The backbar here is overflowing with Australian booze, a testament to the explosion of the local spirits scene, which has gone from less than 10 distilleries to over 400 in under a decade.
A city steeped in European drinking traditions finds itself
Bad Frankie
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139-141 Greeves Street, Fitzroy
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1054 Capitol Ave, Madison, WI 53701
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1054 Capitol Ave, Madison, WI 53701
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