As Australia’s bar industry reels from COVID-19 lockdowns, a Melbourne entrepreneur is supporting local distillers one cocktail at a time. Mel How has established The Cocktail Shop to support Australia’s incredible distillers, giving home cocktail makers a taste of the best local brands in easy-to-make cocktail kits delivered to your door.
“Every alcohol and drink product in my cocktail kits is sourced in Australia,” Mel commented “The more hyper-local, the better, which is why most of my suppliers are from Melbourne.”
The Cocktail Shop distillers include Maidenii, Melbourne Moonshine, MeMo Gin, Mister Bitters, Imbue Distillery, and other such well-known local brands, supplying gin, whisky, vermouth and bitters. Mel is also supporting local hospitality by selling batched and bottled cocktails by Melbourne’s BarNone.

“By choosing local artisan distilleries and drink makers to supply The Cocktail Shop, we are supporting local jobs, keeping our environmental impact low, and contributing to the Australian economy,” Mel commented “If you have some of the World’s best distilleries at your doorstep, why would you buy liquor from overseas? “There are so many wonderful local producers out there. Being a new business, we have only scratched the surface, but I want to work with as many of them as possible as we create more innovative cocktail packs.”
Mel explained that the Cocktail Shop gives consumers a way to make bar quality cocktails at home and sample a variety of local alcohol products without having to purchase multiple bottles of expensive alcohol. How added that Customers choose their favourite cocktail and it’s delivered to them in a cute little box, which contains all the liquid ingredients to make around four cocktails, as well as a recipe card and garnishes. They can also view videos directly on the site, which provide simple instructions to make bar quality cocktails at home.