Old meets new at Ballarat’s Grainery Lane

An historic Ballarat grain house has been transformed into a Great Gatsby-style bar and distillery.

Named after the grains used to make the spirit, Grainery Lane is now open at 35 Armstrong Street North.

Its the latest venture from hospitality pioneer Brian Taylor – the driving force behind Ballarat institutions Hop Temple, Aunty Jacks and Roy Hammond.

Grainery Lane’s one-of-a-kind saloon-style bar brings back the glitz and glamour of the city’s gold rush era – think Peaky Blinders meets The Great Gatsby.

The original bar top sourced from Chicago spans an entire wall, backdropped by sparkling chandeliers, grand leather couches and furniture reminiscent of the 1880s.

A hidden bar lies behind a secret wall and honours the early 1920s prohibition era.

Eight gins and two vodkas are made on site from local produce, with a 400-litre copper still sitting in the middle of the venue.

Custom Grainery Lane bottles are inspired by corrugated iron – a nod to the silos of Ballarat’s grain farming origins.

The drinks menu showcases the venue’s unique gin and vodka products mixed with traditional and eclectic cocktails, plus five locally-brewed beers on tap and a selection of wines and other drinks.

Executive chef Scott Alsop continues the liquor theme on Grainery Lane’s south-east Asian/Latin American share-style menu.

Many of the dishes are infused with Grainery Lane spirits – think gin-infused oysters and vodka beetroot – while the rest of the menu features items cooked over coals.

Stay tuned for regular ‘make your own gin’ workshops for those looking to customise their own drop.