Bringing together high-end fashion and expertly crafted cocktails, renowned menswear designer Christian Kimber has teamed up with Carlton’s Bar Bellamy and Woodford Reserve to launch an exclusive collection of Old Fashioned cocktails.
This collaboration, named the ‘Most Fashionable Old Fashioned’, will be unveiled during the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival.
Set to mark the opening of the Woodford Reserve Fashion Bar at the Festival’s Fashion Forecourt on Monday, 3 March, the trio has reimagined the classic Old Fashioned cocktail with a distinct fashion-forward twist. The collection features two curated drinks, combining Kimber’s signature craftsmanship with Bar Bellamy’s innovative flair, offering a new take on the iconic whiskey serve.
Inspired by both classic and contemporary style through an Australian lens, the Most Fashionable Old Fashioned collection captures the essence of Australian tailoring and design.
The first cocktail, Amber Stitch, incorporates Woodford Reserve bourbon with fragrant corn silk tea, earthy corn stock, and a unique wattleseed & citrus soda. The result is a refreshing, “long” Old Fashioned, perfectly suited to Australia’s warm summer climate. A bold, earthy mix of flavours reflects the natural fibres and structured lines of traditional tailoring, with a final flourish of beetroot, bitters, and wattleseed providing an unforgettable finish.
The second cocktail, Silken Sprig, embraces a modern aesthetic that plays on fluid silhouettes and smooth fabrics. Drawing inspiration from recent runway trends, this playful drink blends mountain marigold leaf-infused Woodford Reserve with low-waste pineapple syrup, Zucca Rabarbaro amaro, calendula, and toasted milk powder. To complete the look, a caramelised milk chocolate & malt cream topping is dusted with pepperberry and rosella salt, offering a visual cue to the comfortable and relaxed lines of contemporary fashion.
Oska Whitehart, co-owner of Bar Bellamy and the mastermind behind the cocktails, said: “We couldn’t be happier to partner with Christian Kimber and Woodford Reserve for the Most Fashionable Old Fashioned collection.
“Translating Christian’s signature aesthetic into a cocktail really got our creative brains ticking. His style looks and feels right at home at Bar Bellamy, so we embraced the challenge, experimenting with textures and techniques to take the heart of an Old Fashioned and transform it into something both familiar and completely new—something that captures the essence of Christian’s design philosophy, and that we hope everyone can appreciate.”
Christian Kimber, added: “Effortless style relies on incredibly thoughtful design – applying classic craftsmanship to concepts that deliver a sense of ease and modernity.
“That’s what we set out to achieve with my favourite cocktail, the Old Fashioned. It was a pleasure working with Woodford Reserve and Bar Bellamy to come up with two drinks that reflect design philosophy and aesthetic, blending the smoothest and beautifully crafted whiskey with uniquely local ingredients to celebrate both craftsmanship and Australian taste in a very contemporary way.”
The Most Fashionable Old Fashioned collection will be available exclusively at the Woodford Reserve Fashion Bar in the Fashion Forecourt at the Royal Exhibition Building, and at Bar Bellamy from Monday, 3 March to Saturday, 8 March.
