It only takes a quick glance at the back bars of Carlton North’s Sleepy’s and the recently opened Moondrop to realise chef-owner Steve Chan knows a thing or two about great booze. At Sleepy’s wine bar, you’ll find plenty of fun, familiar and sometimes fizzy names on the list – including Yarra Valley’s Fin Wines and Gippsland’s Momento Mori, to name just a couple – while over at Moondrop, it’s all about brave new riffs on classic cocktails, many of which come with a Chinese twist.
Off the clock, Chan’s world sounds just as delicious. Here he is now with what you might find in his glass between shifts at Sleepy’s and Moondrop.
For me, the most inspiring person in the Victorian drinks world is… I do love and appreciate Dane Johns from Momento Mori. His wine Fistful of Flowers was the first wine I ever drank in life (yes, I’m a late bloomer, leave me alone), but that opened my mind and world to all the flavours out there. Plus I love the balance he maintains between his family and his constant striving for flavour. His Nikau range is really inspiring to me, and constantly challenges what I take as the status quo. Bloody love you, Dane.
As far as I’m concerned, the defining place to get a drink in Victoria is Old Palm Liquor and Bahama Gold. I hate that I love them so much! They’ve got such an extensive wine list that’s categorised amazingly, and they’ve also got delicious food and cocktails to boot if you’re not up for a wine. How can you beat that? You can’t!
I’d love to see people distilling more rice- or sorghum-based drinks in Victoria. I’m a fiend for traditional baijiu and I understand we don’t distil much in Victoria because it’s so niche, but it’d be cool to share culture and highlight different flavours.
When someone hands me a drinks list, I like taking my time to read all the options. There’s always a secret or a sneaky delicious thing hiding in a drinks menu waiting to be found.
The last three delicious Victorian things I drank were Momento Mori’s Fistful of Flowers, several wines from Mise en Place in the Yarra Valley, and a delicious cocktail from Bar Bellamy – delicious cocktails made in Victoria, that counts right?
The Victorian spirit I’m loving most right now is Marionette Liqueur! I made my first cocktail the other week, which was a Daiquiri, and I was introduced to Marionette’s pineapple liqueur. Bloody delicious.
My favourite place to buy booze is Staple in Brunswick. It’s often my go-to – they’ve got a bunch of hidden gems in there when it comes to wine – plus they’re super close to where I live and I’m lazy as hell.
There’s no better value on a wine list or in a bottle shop in Victoria than pretty much anything from the Gippsland region. It’s just such a giving place.
My guilty pleasure at the bar is Campari. It’s so easy. Campari soda, Campari and coffee, or Campari with most things. Plus I only need to buy two other things if I want a Negroni – a third of my job is already done!
The best or most important change to the way people drink in Victoria in recent years has been social media. Everyone these days is an influencer. Critical thoughts aside, I appreciate the recent flood of content because it gives me easier access to knowledge and information. The things that pop up when I doomscroll now have really helped bring awareness to what else is out there, especially when I go on a drinks tangent.
Sleepy’s Cafe and Wine Bar, 787 Nicholson St, Carlton North, sleepyscafeandwinebar.com.au, @sleepyscafeandwinebar
Moondrop, Level 1/150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, moondrop.bar, @moondropbar