Wine, Gin & Beer Experiences in Melbourne CBD

Choosing a Tasting Experience

Between Little Lonsdale St and Exhibition St, two CBD venues pour spirits for groups who want to understand what's in the glass. Little Lon Distilling Co. makes its own small-batch gin in a heritage-listed red-brick cottage, while Bar 1806 has its bar team host gin and whisky tastings in a room of chandeliers and old-world furnishings.

A few things that set each apart:

Little Lon's Gin Masterclass opens with a gin and tonic and works through every core gin with a guide.
The cottage at 17 Casselden Pl dates from around 1877 and is billed as the last single-storey cottage left in the CBD.
Bar 1806 runs a four-gin tasting, plus whisky sessions stretching from introductory styles to cask finishes.
Little Lon's gins carry names from the lane's past, such as Proudfoot and Dutchy Thomas.
Bar 1806's menu revives forgotten classics next to its own creations.

For a milestone birthday, hens or bucks party, Little Lon's events team tailors packages, and Bar 1806 can follow a tasting with a private space for the rest of the evening.

Melbourne CBD Wine, Gin & Beer Experiences

Little Lon's masterclasses start at 1pm and 3pm on Saturdays and run for 90 minutes.
Sunday sessions open up for parties of at least eight.
The heated gin garden, the cottage and a private meeting space above the garden give three sizes of room.
Bar 1806 offers the Main Bar, the Dress Circle overlooking it and The Understudy downstairs.

What it costs

Bar 1806's tastings and masterclasses are priced From $70 per person.
Little Lon's Gin Masterclass comes in From $95 per person.
Bar 1806 also sells an add-on of canapés or a drink on arrival.
At Little Lon, a cheese and charcuterie board can be added to the cocktail class.

Common Questions About Tasting Experiences

Which CBD tasting suits a group that prefers whisky?

Bar 1806, whose whisky tastings run from an introduction to four styles up to cask finishes and older, rarer drams. Little Lon Distilling Co. sticks to its own gin.

Can we see where the gin is made?

Yes, at Little Lon Distilling Co. The copper pot still, Yokohama, sits in what was once a bedroom of the cottage, and masterclass guests get to see the distilling set-up before choosing a cocktail to finish.

Can we drop in before booking a group?

Little Lon's cocktail bar and distillery door open from Tuesday to Saturday afternoons, and walk-ins are welcome, so it's easy to scout the garden and cottage first.

Do these venues host work functions?

Little Lon Distilling Co.'s events team builds packages for work functions as well as birthdays, hens and bucks. Bar 1806's Main Bar or Dress Circle suits a function of 40 to 60 guests.

Wine, Gin & Beer Experiences in Melbourne CBD

Compare Melbourne CBD Wine, Gin and Beer Experiences