The cigar fug of Baranows Lounge may have dissipated for good, but the keen whisky focus remains at Ben Baranow’s new venture on the same site. Caramel-coloured booths, bentwood chairs and wine barrels fill the cavernous, high-ceilinged hall of this masculine Hawthorn clubhouse. Behind the bar, nimble staff climb ladders to pluck bottles of single malt from the top shelves, before pouring the amber liquids over ice or mixing them into full-bodied cocktails.
Even those who don't normally go for brown spirits will find the appeal in the Queen Millionaire, a vintage coupe of tart green grapes muddled with charry whisky and cinnamon. For those seeking more punch, call for the Killer Burns, which marries scotch and vermouth with truffled honey and the floral, fragrant notes of the chrysanthemum and ginger bitters. The little kitchen can rustle up a simple ploughman’s platter or a bag of chips, but if you want to stay for dinner, have a pizza delivered from Santoni across the road.