Don’t look for a sign pointing to Molly in Canberra. Just point your phone to the coordinates below and you’ll eventually come to Canberra’s speakeasy bar. Step through an unmarked wooden door, down a bare staircase and through another solid door.
Molly will simply transport you to another era.
You’ll need a moment or two to take it all in. The glistening long copper bar with over 350 whiskies, more than 40 gins, and three new American oak barrels ageing cocktails such as the Negroni, Old Fashioned and Sazerac which are rotated monthly. Two shelves are dedicated to bourbon and American whiskey, and if you look closely, you’ll see the Adelphi range and the rare Nikka from Japan.
Molly is best described as a classic cocktail bar specialising in whisky. The cocktail list doesn’t change often during the year, occasionally adding a cocktail or two. Six Molly Signature cocktails sit alongisde the classics. There are four blazers and barrel aged cocktails that can be sold to take away.
The venue was previously a bank and as such, there are 64 lockers kept behind a vault where a membership of $2400 a year, get you 3 bottles of alcohol then drinks at a reduced rate. A private room houses even rarer whiskies such as Pappy Van Winkle, Yamazaki 18 and Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique along with a cigar humidor. We are told that The Glover first release, the whisky collaboration between Japan and Scotland will soon be available.
The cocktails are what you expect from a classic cocktail bar, all in perfect balance, be it a Sazerac Rye or a Manhattan with barrel-aged house blended of vermouth with Picon, Antica Formula and Punt e Mes.
A cheese and charcuterie station stands at one corner with cured meat hanging on hooks beside strings of garlic. The charcuterie is freshly sliced, with French, Italian and Spanish plates ($25 each), three cheeses, bread and fanned apple to more than satisfy two persons.
The only problem with Molly is not how to find it. Once you’ve experienced that subterranean den, you won’t want to leave.
Molly Canberra
Address: -35° 16′ 46.45″ S – 149° 7′ 35.23″ E, or Hobart Pl, Canberra, ACT
Hours: Mon-Sat: 4:00 pm-2:00 am
Website: www.molly.net.au
Photo by Cocktails & Bars – © Copyright: All rights reserved.
