Who | Mel Hack
Where | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Current Bar | Macaloney’s Island Distillery
Past Bar(s) | Whisky & Alement (Melbourne, Australia), Shelter Point Distillery (Campbell River, BC), Bakery Hill Distillery (Melbourne), Beneath Driver Lane (Melbourne) and Hotel Esplanade (Melbourne)
Favourite Spirit | Whisky
Favourite Juice | Whisky & Juice
Favourite Classic Cocktail | Garibaldi
First Classic Cocktail you ever had | Negroni
Favourite Part of the Job | Sparking joy in people
Favourite After Work Drink | Ice cold beer never broke my heart
Favourite bar in the world | Whisky & Alement
Best known for | Inclusion & Diversity Representation. I am also a multifaceted creative.
Favourite “at work” memory | Making a Freight Train Swizzle in a Melbourne bar after I had it at Attaboy in NYC and seeing the same joy in their eyes as I had in mine.
What’s the most popular cocktail in your city? Probably a Whisky Sour or Espresso Martini.
Favourite thing about your city | Melbourne? The people, culture and diversity.
Who is your favourite fictional bartender? Tyler Dent. He’s not fictional, but he does not represent himself at all, and is one of the best bartenders and my best friend.
What was the last photo that you took? A photo and review of ice cream in Hong Kong — I sent it to a friend who’s also a bartender and completely obsessed with ice cream. Can you guess who?
Where is one place that you have never been but would like to travel to? Mexico
Any claims to fame? I’ve been a global finalist for competitions like Jameson Black Barrel and Altos Tequila, and ranked among the Top 8 Australian Bartenders of the Year at the Australian Bartender Awards 2024. I’ve also been named one of the Top 25 Australian Bartenders by Drinks World 2024, and featured on the Top 100 World Class Australia list three times (2021, 2023, 2024). 2026 will bring a few professional anniversaries: 10th year in bartending, 15 years in hospitality, 6 years of Mel rose mixers, 8 years in the environmental sector, and 6 years of journalism.
Beyond the bar, I’ve worn many hats for one of the world’s most awarded distilleries, and recently represented Australia as a journalist and content creator at both the World’s 50 Best Bars Awards in Hong Kong and the World Class Global Finals in Toronto.
Oh — and I can probably balance a spoon on my nose if the moment calls for it. Some in the Canadian bartending community also know me as “Nutmeg.”
Aperitivo or Digestivo? Either or
Sparkling or Flat? Depends on my mood.
Paper Plane or Penicillin? Fuck. Why do you do this? Probably Penicillin.
Sherry or Vermouth? Sherry.
Are you available for freelance gigs? Always.
Follow her journey: Instagram | LinkedIN
Media: Bio Site
