Whisky bar refreshed and relaunched

After a brief hiatus, Melbourne whisky bar Chez Regine reopened last month sporting a renovated new look and a new name, Whisky and Alement.

The venue still has the same owners – Julian White and Brooke Hayman – as well as the same staff, style of service and strong focus on whisky; however its interior has been redesigned to make it much more comfortable and intimate for its customers. 

"The interior is modern with lots of dark wood. When designing the functionality of the bar, we opted for a bold service space that also crosses as a thoroughfare for bartenders," said Hayman.

"The idea was to break down the barrier between customer and staff and in doing so increase the feeling of community - a whisky community."

The renovation was partly due to the 20-year-old bar structure needing to be replaced, but it provided the opportunity for a complete redesign, which enabled the venue to accommodate an increase in its whisky selection from 250 to 450 different expressions.  

"For three years we listened to what customers, staff and the community wanted, and now we've created it as Whisky and Alement," Hayman said.

Whisky and Alement
270 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9654 1284

Source: The Shout, 15 March 2013