Must-Visit Botanik and Kabinett in Kyneton
Botanik Kyneton is a luscious cocktail lounge and bottle shop that specialises in aromatised wines, vermouths, aperitivi and amari, almost all of which won’t be found at mainstream bottle shops.
This is a must-visit in stunning Kyneton, and a place which offers new experiences and adventure. Guests can expect the largest collection of aromatised wines in Victoria available for tasting, with a unique experience for lovers of these underrepresented wine varieties, and for those yet to be initiated.
We were invited to Botanik Kyneton, as well as connected Kabinett to experience this unique and exciting offering. Thanks to Botanik we also stayed in Kyneton Springs Motel and had a delicious dinner at Spaghetti Bar in Piper St (see my social posts).
Cocktail goals.
Spectacular balcony.
Botanik bar features a stunning balcony, filled with plants and vintage furniture looking over historic Piper Street and the picturesque old gardens of the Kyneton Old Rectory. Botanik provides the perfect spot to witness the incredible sunsets that Piper Street is famous for, while sipping a delicious drink paired with bar snacks.
Next level hospitality from Frank.
The experience continues with a collection of premium cocktail- making equipment for both beginners and enthusiasts, available to buy. From glassware through to bar equipment, guests can pick up jiggers, shakers, spoons, strainers and mixing glasses, as well as a stunning range of vintage cocktail cabinets.
Botanik is the brainchild of Melissa Macfarlane and Frank Moylan, both well-known for their hospitality credentials from the Farmers Arms in Daylesford, the Royal George Hotel in Kyneton, and The Crimean in North Melbourne. Melissa and Frank bring 20 years of hospitality experience to the stunning venue.
During Victoria’s first Covid lockdown Melissa and Frank dreamt up the idea of a bottle shop that specialises in aromatised wines, vermouths, aperitivi and amari, as well as all the bitters, salts, tinctures and shrubs used for cocktail making. With the opportunity to transform the Royal George Hotel they turned this idea into reality. They sold indoor plants and made cocktails for the perfect Covid retail experience. From there, Botanik was born. (We were amazed by the array of, for example, Vermouths and Amaris).
Melissa explains: “After lockdown the concept proved to be solid, so we threw caution to the wind and invested into the bottle shop and built a cocktail lounge.
We offer tastings of everything that is on the shelves, so you can start your vermouth journey with tastings and flights at the bar. It is such a joy to introduce people to the wonderful world of aromatised wine.”
The cocktail bar is where the magic happens. Botanik has approximately 30 cocktails on the menu, including original creations from the team to a full page of negroni varieties and a page of classics with a twist. All the cocktail recipes feature an aromatised wine, whether it is an aperitivo, bitter, vermouth or an intense alpine amaro.
Bar snacks.
The current cocktail menu features the likes of The Art of Smoke with Mezcal Verde, Amaro Sfumato, Green Chartreuse and lime as well as the My Orchard’s on Fire with Lillet Rose Vermouth, Cognac, RinQuinQuin, Ardbeg 10 rinse, lemon, which are just a couple of examples of the delicious creations.
Botanik is upstairs from Kabinett, a gorgeous department store with beautifully curated homewares, rare jewellery and accessories, unique finds from across the globe, niche fragrances and original designs and furniture. Expect a blend of old and new, found and designed, and a mixing of eras, for the dedicated admirers of history, patina and the unintentional beauty created through decades of hard worn use.
Botanik and Kabinett is a must-visit destination in Kyneton where people can indulge in the decadent drinks menu while also shopping for unique and beautiful finds.
Located in the former Royal George Hotel in Kyneton, Kabinett is a department store with beautifully curated homewares, rare jewellery and accessories, unique finds from across the globe, niche fragrances and original designs and furniture. Expect a blend of old and new, found and designed, and a mixing of eras, for the dedicated admirers of history, patina and the unintentional beauty created through decades of hard worn use.
The creative duo behind Kabinett is Melissa Macfarlane and Frank Moylan, both well-known for their credentials from the Royal George Hotel in Kyneton, the Farmers Arms in Daylesford and The Crimean in North Melbourne.
Kabinett was previously located on Piper Street since 2009 and was relocated into the hotel during Covid, to offer a lifestyle focused and dedicated destination inspired by memories collected through years of travelling the world. The offering expands across two floors with Kabinett downstairs and Botanik cocktail bar upstairs.
The buying principles of the Kabinett team are driven by a sense of history, patina, design and collection. The store is immersive, inspirational, authentic, and curated with integrity. Kabinett seeks out the unexpected and unusual and works with small studios from around the world. Original furniture and objects designed by Melissa make the offering and buying experience truly unique.
Visitors can expect jewellery, not found elsewhere, that has a story to tell, as well as furniture pieces and interior objects designed by Melissa or ordered in small numbers. Fragrances from France, soaps from Portugal, mirrors, and dining table settings that evoke celebration and gatherings with friends can all be found. For those who wish to engage the talent behind the store, Kabinett offers an interior design service.
Stunning glassware.
Melissa heads a team of creatives who specialise in interior design, visual merchandising, graphic design. Their work is the highlight of the newly renovated Alimentari Goods Store on Smith Street in Collingwood.
The Kabinett ethos revolves around curation – the act or instance of pulling together, sifting through and selecting for presentation. Kabinett’s carefully curated homewares collection encourages people to think about what resonates with them and their interiors.
Furniture, artistic works, objects and ephemera all form a part of this considered process.
Extraordinary fragrances.
Melissa said: “We covet unique pieces that showcase incredible design, function, aesthetics, and sensory enjoyment. We are not driven by era, trends, or mass marketing. It’s about character over cost, and a unique and personal ambience over contrived styling. We are maximalist and we are minimalist; we embrace wabi-sabi; we love colour and we love monochrome; we see the value in texture; we think old is just as good as new. Our homes should not be generic, and so neither is our homewares.”
Botanik
24 Piper Street Kyneton, Victoria 3444
botanik.com.au/
instagram.com/botanikkyneton/