What is the origin story behind Everleigh Bottling Co.?

The Everleigh Bottling Co. inherited its name, recipes and ethos from our flagship venue, The Everleigh. After a decade on Melbourne’s iconic Gertrude St, The Everleigh is an internationally-renowned cocktail bar. With a purist approach to cocktails, The Everleigh focuses on classic drinks from the time of the cocktail’s birth. Our method is one of careful and precise attention to detail. It is meticulous and systematic. Every step in the preparation of making and serving a cocktail has been considered to ensure efficiency and quality above all else.

Just like those made over The Everleigh bar, each cocktail created by The Everleigh Bottling Co. is handmade and bottled with the same quality spirits and distinctive attention to detail. The Everleigh Bottling Co. captures the very essence of The Everleigh in a perfectly sized single-serve bottle.

What are the core values of the business?

Our company mantra is ‘People Before Drinks’. We believe in making connections with people, listening to what they love and catering to exactly that. The lifespan of a cocktail is short, but we want the memory of that moment to be long lasting. We are service focused above all else and driven to create more than just great drinks, but meaningful experiences.

The group philosophy is founded upon five key principles:  Integrity, Authenticity, Quality, Consistency, and Excellence. For us, hospitality is quite simply, the business of serving people. No mixologists, no ego, just personalised, selfless service seven nights a week. All our products are created with our customer and community in mind, our drinks are Melbourne made and manufactured with locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.

What inspires you about the work you do?

We are inspired by people, and see opportunity in every moment in which we can be present in people’s lives. Whether that’s physically connecting with them over the bar or catering to them in the comfort of their homes. The most inspiring thing about people is that their wants and needs are constantly evolving. As a business, we pride ourselves in paying close attention to these changes and responding quickly and confidently. We like to move fast, and we feed off the energy of others. Enriching the fine drinking culture in Melbourne over the past decade has been an incredibly inspiring journey and we’re very proud to be able to continue serve our loyal community.

How do your products continue that legacy?

The Everleigh Bottling Co. continues The Everleigh legacy, transforming the in-venue fine drinking experience into a bottled memento to be enjoyed intimately, or shared in good company around the country. In 2016, we (Michael and Zara Madrusan) co-authored our first book, ‘A Spot at The Bar’. The book shared the story of The Everleigh, our ethos and all that we hold dear, together with over three hundred of our most loved drink recipes. The book has been a huge success internationally, a wonderful opportunity to serve those outside of the Gertrude Street locale.

From 2015 to date, our products have gained recognition and a reputation for their quality and consistency. We are honoured to have built the trust of our community through our dedication to these values without compromise.

How do we create a safe drinking culture?

We encourage our customers to drink less, but better, and the consumer is embracing this movement. Our latest Spritzed Cocktail collection has been created with a low ABV for the discerning drinker who seeks a lower alcohol alternative with no sacrifice to quality, flavour or integrity. All four Spritzed Cocktails are light, lively and perfectly balanced, drinks that celebrate sociality and togetherness.

We believe that the future is fine drinking, with quality valued above all else. The consumer is demanding not only low alcohol options, but those that taste as good, if not better than their boozier counterparts.

What’s your ideal night out?

Dinner is at a Melbourne institution, such as France-Soir or Cicciolina. Warm hospitality oozes from these venues and the offering is wholesome and consistent every time. The Everleigh will always be a special place for us personally. The glow of the candles in the window and the soft sound of jazz floating down the staircase give a glimpse of the magic housed inside. If we have the opportunity to enjoy an evening out we will be certain to pass through for an aperitif, such as an Americano or a Martini before dinner, or a night-cap like a Manhattan or Sazerac on the way home.