It’s been a short but very sweet stint in Surry Hills for Scout, the London bar that made big waves back in February when it landed on the top level of the Dolphin Hotel. The brainchild of cutting-edge cocktail maker and industry superstar Matt Whiley, Scout quickly made a name for itself in Sydney thanks to conceptual drinks like the Avo on Toast – which teamed the breakfast favourite with Tasmanian butter vodka with coffee oil, orange and sparkling wine to mimic the real deal – and an impressive range of house-fermented “fruit wines” that mirrored the funky look and mouthfeel of natural grape-based drops.
On Saturday, December 21, Scout will hold its final service at the multi-level pub – but thankfully, Whiley isn’t shutting up shop for good. The bar will be moving to a permanent new site in 2020, which will be announced in due course, and we can expect a whole lot more of Whiley’s wizardry next year as well. He’ll be assuming a new role as the beverage director of the Icebergs Group, which means he’ll be in charge of the cocktails across the entire portfolio of venues, including the Dolphin, Bondi Beach Public Bar, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and newcomer CicciaBella.
“This last year launching Scout into Sydney at the Dolphin Hotel and now into our new permanent space in 2020 has given me a huge sense of pride for what we have achieved in such a short space of time,” says Whiley.
There might even be a couple more achievements on the cards before year’s end. Scout is nominated for Best New Bar at this year’s Time Out Bar Awards, and the bar’s cocktail maestro Antonello Arzedi also got a nod for Bartender of the Year. Winners will be announced at the big event on Monday, December 9 at the Powerhouse Museum.