By Sacha Delfosse
Sydney's Bellevue Hotel has unveiled its new Upstairs Bar, developed by Dan Woolley as his first project since recently joining the Riversdale Group as group beverage manager.
The interior design was done by Michelle Leslie and pays tribute to the pub’s original heritage, featuring rich wood and brass finishes complemented by antique chandeliers and sophisticated leather seating.
Woolley’s passion for whisky has given the new bar a point of difference and another purpose, with a sitting room adjacent to the main area having been designated as a whiskey room that will be put to good use.
“When I saw the room I thought of whisky straight away, I wanted to make it a bit of a hub for whisky lovers, with the whisky room as the main focus. So the first Wednesday of every month we will be holding whiskey tasting sessions with a lot of food paring,” Woolley says.
The bar already has 50 whiskeys on its drink list and Woolley says that number will over 100 by the end of the year, and leading up into the warmer months there will be plenty of good summer whisky cocktails available.
“We’ll be trying to let people know that whiskey is not just for winter, and want to highlight some great summer whiskey cocktails.”
“The stigma that only old men drink whiskey is wearing off. I’ve noticed young females are getting more into their whiskey. Vodka is dead and whisky is rising,” Woolley asserts.
However it is not all about whisky with the drinks list also containing a good collection of classic cocktails, good wines and seasonal fruit sangria jugs, while the kitchen serves up a tasty selection of sharing platters and bar food.
“The Bellevue is offering something to the Eastern Suburbs that it never had before – a sophisticated drinking venue.”