Hands Down is the long-imagined counterpoint to its siblings Bar Liberty and Above Board: an upbeat, high-spirited drinks hideout where friends gather before dinner, or slide into something stronger after it. Expect Continental cocktails, energetic wines, and salty snacks designed to encourage conversation, not cutlery.
In the glass it looks like Pastis Swizzles, new and exciting riffs on the Kalimotxos and 50-50 Martinis, poured alongside good-time snacks such as gildas, espelette crisps and guindillas. It’s a spirited nod to the drinking cultures of southern France and northern Spain: places where no one needs a menu to know what time it is.
And the team behind it? A three-part medley of big names from Melbourne’s drinks scene – Dom Xavier from Bar Liberty, Above Board’s Hayden Lambert and Manu Poto, and Pearl Diver’s Alex Boon – pulling this expertly shaken and precisely stirred package together.
Here’s Xavier now with three drinks you can’t miss at Hands Down:
Our 50-50 Martini is a must when you make it in. Something I noticed from my time at Liberty was how guests became more curious towards vermouths, sherries, and fortifieds over the course of my almost seven years there. You could see their reaction when trying well-made examples of these drinks, always a “wow that’s delicious” or “gee, there’s so much flavour there”. Perhaps a testament to the new producers elevating these categories out of the sugary doldrums.
When we were discussing what the lead drink would be for Hands Down, the Martini was naturally in the conversation, partly due to its popularity in the market at the moment, mostly as we all love them. I’ve always loved a 50-50, and I wondered if the customer intrigue into vermouth and sherry would cross-pollinate into the Martini craze. Et voila! It’s already our frontrunner.
Archie Rose Bone Dry Gin is a cracking base to work from, higher in ABV and perfectly lifted and dry at the same time. The second ’50’ is actually a 25-25 between Cocchi Americano and El Maestro Sierra Fino Sherry. The Cocchi brings lush textured fruit sweetness, and the fino handsomely balancing this with dry, nutty acidity. No doubt a worthy companion, a pitted gordal perello olive in a picante brine.
Pastis Swizzle
It has to be 100 per cent our Pastis Swizzle. A drink close to my heart, this was the first drink I conceptualised for our opening menu. Every time I visit France I drink more pastis than I thought possible, and when finally making it to Marseille on my honeymoon last year, my partner and I were ecstatic to learn it was half the cost of Parisienne prices.
Our Pastis Swizzle is built from the moscato-based Artichoke Vin Amaro from Dave Verheul’s Saison, something that gives the drink breadth on the palate and a longing vinous bitterness. We trialled many different pastis, and couldn’t go past the iconique Ricard – its sweetness the key here. Lemon juice to balance, and finally a float of Marionette’s Crème de Mûre. The magic of dark berry fruits and anise is timeless. Even anti-anise drinkers’ heads have already been turned since we opened.
CA-LEE-MO-CHO
Our twist on the tourist-shackled Spanish cultural byproduct, the Kalimotxo. A drink that has so much potential, but unfortunately is often relegated to ‘leftovers’ and ‘a means to an end’. I really wanted to highlight how delicious and sessional this cult classic can actually be. It doesn’t have to use leftover wine, or cheap sugary cola.
The base of an alpine amaro, Amaro Noveis in this instance, gives the drink bitterness and backbone. The body is undoubtedly Joy Italian Cola from Alex Gavioli at Cordelia and Don’s, and it’s a cracking product – think a dry spiced cherry cola.
Lambrusco Rosato links these two together. Its more floral and lush Rosato characteristics are better placed here than its notoriously tannic and bone dry Rosso counterpart, and finally an umeboshi vinegar which gives the drink real zip and complexity. Perhaps a little left of field as a Japanese product amongst Euro stalwarts, yet my affinity with it perhaps biased – it’s perfect summer drinking.