The Tipsy Cow

The Verdict

Now this is a combo: single malt scotch and friendly puppies. There aren’t many places in Melbourne you can get both, which is why we’re psyched to introduce Port Melbourne’s new dog-friendly whisky bar: The Tipsy Cow.

Paul Tudor and partner Anupam Sharma wanted to mimic the old Parisian tradition, which is basically: the more dogs in bars, the happier we’ll all be. Can’t argue with that logic.

Of course it helps when you have a space like this one. Not only does The Tipsy Cow have a front room stacked with obligatory leather club chairs (if you’re not drinking whisky in a deep leather club chair, you’re not doing it right), but they’ve ALSO got a brilliant, sun-dappled courtyard out back.

Swing by in the afternoon and you’ll find happy Port Melbourne locals—whisky in one hand, book in the other, pooch curled up at their feet.

Now, the drinks. Paul and Anupam have put together a smart little wine list: a few local bottles from the Adelaide Hills, Gippsland and Murray Darling, plus Savvy Bs from Marlborough and some hefty Spanish reds from Rioja. You can grab beer by the bottle too, a solid mix of Mountain Goat, Peroni Rossa (love this one), Hoegaarden white beers and some craftier labels (think Grand Ridge pilsner or a Shipwreck Stout from Robe Town).

But c’mon, you’re here for the whisky, right? Two straight pages of single malts, mostly from Speyside and Lowlands. The price ranges from $14 a finger all the way to $54 for a double shot of 18yo Talisker (totally worth it—that stuff is like liquid fire). Don’t expect a huge range of Japanese amber, but there’s plenty of rye and bourbon to keep things interesting.

Mostly this place is about the atmosphere. A friendly neighbourhood local where you can chill with your pooch and drink good whisky, sans hassle.

We’ll toast to that any day.

Image credit: Jenna Fahey-White