Just over 200 years later, and in celebration of this significant moment, a very unique bar opened in Exhibition Street named 1806, and whether they planned to or not, they have successfully placed themselves as one of the top cocktail venues in Melbourne. Unlike many bars constantly trying to reinvent the classics, 1806 celebrates them, featuring different cocktails from the mid 1700's until today and covering nearly every decade in between, together with information on the origins of each one, lubricating and educating patrons at the same time, with a little theatre added in for fun. That is not to say that these guys aren't creative, with the bartenders encouraged to design their own beverages which then appear as specials on the menu and used in food matched cocktail degustations. You can also choose to do a whisky flight and pair it with amazing cheeses and if you have a larger group of 20 or more, head downstairs below street level to The Understudy where you can have a private, tailored experience in a more intimate environment.

This is a bar not only built on history, it is a bar built on the history of cocktails. Listen, watch and absorb because this is a place of learning where the bartender is your teacher and guide. You may even be inspired to create your own delicious masterpiece, all based on that one defining moment, your evening at 1806.