Time Out Melbourne has announced the winners of its 2019 Bar Awards, celebrating Melbourne’s best bars across ten categories. Famous Fitzroy cocktail bar the Everleigh was named Bar of the Year during the lively awards event, held at Transport Public Bar in Federation Square and hosted by comedian Rhys Nicholson.  As well as the top gong, the Everleigh took out the award for Best Cocktail Bar.

“True champions are rarely content with what they have already achieved – they are the ones who are always striving for better, greater, more delicious things,” said Time Out’s National Food & Drink Editor, Emily Lloyd-Tait. “After eight years at the top of every hit list in the city [the Everleigh] decided to build a tower on a mountaintop.”

Another Fitzroy establishment, Japanese-influenced the Elysian Whisky Bar, also made a mark at the awards by taking out the reader-voted People’s Choice Award for the second year running.

Bartender of the Year went to Lewis Halls, the full-time advocate, educator and preacher on the virtues of Australian booze at Bad Frankie. Best Bar Team was awarded to Union Electric, whose crew of bartenders is ceaselessly energetic, tight-knit and with a genuine bonhomie. The peer-nominated Hot Talent Award for an up-and-coming bartender was won by the Gin Palace’s Jessica Clayfield.

The Time Out Legend Award was given to Tash Conte, who 17 years ago launched Black Pearl – a cocktail bar whose influence upon today’s Melbourne bar scene is hard to overestimate.

Among the bars to open in the past year, Port Melbourne’s Clooney Kitchen and Bar was named Best New Bar. Collingwood’s Congress, famous for its pig’s head sandwich, took out the award for Best Bar Food.

More than 500 Time Out readers and bar industry luminaries attended the awards. They enjoyed Southern fried chicken, pizzas, charcuterie and cheese platters courtesy of Transport Public Bar; free-flowing Espresso Martinis on tap; Malibu Piña Coladas; Altos Tequila cocktails; Urban Alley beers; and a bespoke cocktail from Perrier. They also got to sample Riot Wines’ wine in a can from McLaren Vale, and ciders from Hills Cider Co.

Everyone also received a hot-off-the-presses copy of Time Out Melbourne’s Bar Awards issue.

TIME OUT BAR AWARDS 2019 FULL LIST OF NOMINEES AND WINNERS:

Bar of the Year

The Everleigh WINNER!

[no shortlist]

People’s Choice Award

The Elysian Whisky Bar WINNER!

[no shortlist]

Best New Bar

Clooney Kitchen and Bar, Port Melbourne WINNER!

Bar Romantica, Brunswick East

Congress, Collingwood

Ends and Means, Fitzroy

Galah, Windsor

The Ghost of Alfred Felton, St Kilda

Miss Moses, Brunswick

Mjølner, Melbourne

Westwood, West Melbourne

Wolf and Swill, Thornbury