Much-loved Melbourne venue Bar Clara is celebrating five years of contributing to the city’s cocktail scene, with February marking the fifth anniversary of Bar Clara’s opening in its Chinatown basement location at 87 Little Bourke Street.
To celebrate the milestone occasion, the cocktail bar has collaborated with Australian gin distillery Four Pillars for the creation of a limited-edition cocktail which will be served exclusively at the venue on Friday 23 February for a limited run.
Bar Clara Owner Joel Mckenzie drew on his own experiences of growing up for the creation of the cocktail, named Petrichor, paying homage to long summers spent among nature in the Yarra Valley.
Using Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin as a base, Petrichor is designed to embody the essence of the region, with an earthy scent that replicates the aroma of rainfall and served on a visual display of ferns, moss and river stones with a cooling liquid nitrogen fog.
Blending with the Four Pillars base is Payten & Jones Oohlala Fortified Vermouth, Apiary Made Yarra Valley Honey and Gilderoy Springs Artesian Water, completed with a bush scented vapor bubble from Gumleaf Fragrances, designed to be popped by drinkers as a way of immersing them in the drinking experience.
Speaking about the concept behind the new cocktail, Joel says: “Since 2019, Bar Clara has been committed to showcasing seasonal ingredients. For example, right now, we are playing with fresh bananas, strawberries, chilies, plums, and shiso.
“Each cocktail on our menu aims to provide a sensory adventure by bringing those ingredients to life using modern culinary techniques. We infuse a new seasonal cocktail list every three months – things never get boring.
“As we introduce Petrichor to celebrate our fifth year, we want to evoke a nostalgic sense of summer, rivers, and nature through not just taste, but sight, touch, and smell, to truly create an immersive experience of the Yarra Valley right in the heart of the CBD.”
With the birthday celebrations underway, Bar Clara will offer a complimentary seasonal cocktail to every fifth customer to enter the bar until the end of March, capped at five customers each day.
