Absinthesalon Melbourne brings the green fairy to Fitzroy.
Step past the graffiti-riddled warehouse frontage and you’ll be transported to a time that pays homage to 19th century Paris. Inspired by Absinthe Salon in Sydney, interior architect Rebecca Lombardo and husband Vince Marino, a builder and project manager have created Absinthesalon Melbourne, a 70 seat Parisian-style salon that depicts a timeline.
The story starts with absinthe before it was banned as celebrated by the likes of Oscar Wilde, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec. The courtyard, with its floor mural commemorates the prohibition and bootlegging period. Its walls are built from IBC water tanks that light green to indicate the presence of absinthe when it was officially banned. The present is represented in a unique reverse bar where all absinthe bottles are on display while the Parisian style-seating area with its Belle-Epoque fountains, hand-crafted glassware and a ceiling bedecked with hanging tulips gives a nod to Oscar Wilde’s absinthe-fuelled hallucinations.
Take a seat and a cast of actors, performers and artists will guide you through the ritual of absinthe drinking with a choice of nearly 40 varieties of French, Swiss and Australian absinthe, the largest collection in the country. You won’t find cocktails or signature drinks. The absinthe experience starts at your table with ice water slowly dripping from vintage fountains through sugar cubes resting on an absinthe spoon, making its journey into the measure of absinthe below.
The absinthes are listed in order of alcoholic strength, from Lemercier Absinthe at 45% ABV to Blanche de Fougerolles at 74% ABV, with their place of origin and three word descriptors such as “fragrant, floral, dry”. Naturally, a three drink maximum is the house policy allowing you to appreciate the potent spirit as you get acquainted with the romance of la fée verte.
Absinthesalon Melbourne
Address: 82 Rose St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Phone: 0406 207 903
Hours: Wednesday to Friday 5pm – 11pm; Saturday and Sunday 4pm – 11pm
Website: www.absinthia.com.au
In partnership with Absinthesalon Melbourne.
Photo Credit: Supplied
