Renowned menswear designer Christian Kimber and Carlton’s award-winning Bar Bellamy are joining forces with luxury bourbon whisky, Woodford Reserve to launch an exclusive Most Fashionable Old Fashioned cocktail collection during PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival.
In celebration of the Woodford Reserve Fashion Bar opening at the Festival’s Fashion Forecourt on Monday, March 3, the trio has collaborated to reimagine a signature whisky serve, the Old Fashioned, with a fashion-forward twist.
Delicately fusing Kimber’s craftsmanship and Bar Bellamy’s creativity into each drop, the result is a pair of expertly curated cocktails that take inspiration from classic and contemporary style, through an Australian lens.
As a nod to our nation’s penchant for a laidback take on traditional tailoring, the first cocktail - the Amber Stitch - infuses Woodford Reserve with a fragrant corn silk tea, an earthy corn stock and is lengthened with a wattleseed and citrus soda in a ‘long’ Old Fashioned, perfectly suited to Australia’s warm Summer climate.
Filled with bold, complex flavours alluding to the coarse natural fibres and structured lines that epitomise classic style, the cocktail ends on an equally striking note, a flourish of beetroot, bitters and wattleseed paint.
In contrast, the Silken Sprig plays on a modern aesthetic, one that embraces fluid silhouettes, smooth fabrics and isn’t afraid to be adventurous. A playful, delicate drink reminiscent of the sheer silks of recent runways, the cocktail features mountain marigold leaf-infused Woodford Reserve, low-waste pineapple syrup, Zucca Rabarbaro amaro, calendula and toasted milk powder.
To top it off, there’s a caramelised milk chocolate and malt cream, plus a dusting of pepperberry and rosella salt, that acts as a visual cue to contemporary style’s comfortable, relaxed lines.
Thrilled to be taking his bespoke tailoring to the bar for the first time, Christian Kimber says, of the Most Fashionable Old Fashioned collection launch:
"Effortless style relies on incredibly thoughtful design - applying classic craftsmanship to concepts that deliver 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 my design philosophy and aesthetic, blending the smoothest and beautifully crafted whisky with uniquely local ingredients to celebrate both craftsmanship and Australian taste in a very contemporary way."
Co-owner of Bar Bellamy and the master mixologist behind the stylish sips, Oska Whitehart adds:
"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, but his style looks and feels right at home at Bar Bellamy.
"So, with Woodford as our foundation, we embraced the challenge, experimenting with textures and techniques to take the heart of an Old Fashioned and change it into something both familiar and completely new - something that captures the essence of Christian’s design philosophy, and that hopefully everyone can appreciate.”
Shaken, stirred and styled to perfection, the Most Fashionable Old Fashioned collection will be available at the Woodford Reserve Fashion Bar in the Fashion Forecourt at the Royal Exhibition Building and at Bar Bellamy, exclusively from Monday, March 3 to Saturday, March 8.
