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Writer's pictureTayla H

Spirits from Beneath Driver Lane

Updated: Sep 21, 2023

During Melbourne’s cold winter nights, cocktails with award-winning spirits can be found Beneath Driver Lane.

By Tayla Ham - June 13th 2023


Interior of Beneath Driver Lane showing the booths and exposed brick
Cozy booths, exposed brick and exclusive drinks make Beneath Driver Lane a welcoming venue for loyal patrons Photo: Jake Roden / Broadsheet

This warm, comforting venue, with exposed brickwork and hundreds of lit candles, has a simple focus, “whiskey, blues and cocktails,” leading to its inclusion on numerous ‘best of Melbourne bars’ lists.


Owner Hamish Goonetilleke says he has a lot of regulars, due to the inviting environment Beneath Driver Lane fosters. A space “where everyone feels safe, they feel welcome, they feel comfortable, and that is why people keep coming back,” he notes.


Even former employees can’t seem to stay away. The relationships forged whilst working at the bar gave Alessandro Nardini, now a representative for distillery the Republic of Fremantle, the edge when Goonetilleke sought companies to collaborate with on cocktail menus. Goonetilleke says, “We like to support locals, and of course, we like to support our friends.”


Goonetilleke proudly works with locals and home-grown products that produce quality cocktails with a twist. “The Republic of Fremantle are doing things differently.” he says.


While Nardini emphasises his enthusiasm for vodka making, he also is keen to share that the Republic of Fremantle won world’s best vodka at this year’s American Distillary Institute Awards.

“It’s not about the awards, it’s about the passion behind the project.”


The collab sees a warming Winter cocktail treat, with a unique white spirit base, available for the first time in Melbourne, and only at Beneath Driver Lane.


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