Hamish Goonetilleke was ahead of the curve when he opened his rum den on Brunswick Street two years back. The spirit’s popularity has skyrocketed since, but this is still as good a place as any to acquaint yourself with its myriad guises.
Peppered with quotes from booze-loving literary figures, the leather-bound menu reads like a love letter to sugar-cane spirit. Spanning 170 bottles, the list skips through the Caribbean, to South America, Mauritius and Spain, including white, golden, spiced and raw varieties. Well-executed cocktails include the Morning Toast Daiquiri, which pairs burnt-butter-infused rum with pink grapefruit and lime for a blend that is both sharp and satisfying. Built with Goslings Black Seal rum and herbaceous house-made ginger beer that’s lively with coriander and capsicum, the Dark and Stormy is a crowd-pleaser, much like this dependable bar itself.