It says something about the health of Daylesford’s hospitality scene that the town has a dedicated cocktail bar on its roster. It’s not just about its existence though. Back Bar, which recently moved from a tiny back alleyway to freshly-renovated and more visible premises on Howe Street, also delivers serious cocktail cred.

Back Bar owner and head bartender Liam Oliver is a classic cocktail afficionado, meticulous about the quality and provenance of both the booze and the technique of the drinks on his list.

“I’m a brand whore so I like a good quality ingredient being poured,” he says. “I love a house list as much as anyone but when I order a classic, I want it to be the classic recipe. What we do at Back Bar is to respect the integrity of the recipe and to pay homage to the bartenders who invented these incredible drinks, to give them a kind of nobility.”

If this sounds a little too hushed and serious, think again. For starters, there are 100 cocktails on Back Bar’s list and storied classics like the Martini or the Old Fashioned rub shoulders with drinks like Blue Lagoon, Screaming Orgasm, Harvey Wallbanger and White Russian.

“I feel a big part of our personality is that we don’t have a snobbery or hierarchy about cocktails,” says Oliver. “We wholeheartedly embrace those cocktails and love the whimsical ones. We love classics in all their forms, whether they’re from the 1920s or the 1980s. The only proviso is that they’re made properly using the right ingredients.”

Oliver grew up in Daylesford, working in local hospitality businesses as a teenager before being poached by Melbourne institution Cookie – “with its 100-page wine list and every cocktail under the sun” – where he worked as a cocktail bartender for five years. The pandemic brought him back to his hometown where he realised the dream he’d had of opening a cocktail bar in his hometown was possible.

The first iteration of Back Bar was a tiny barebones place with no refrigeration, just an ice well and a sink as the only ‘technology’. The new version is double the size with a beautiful six-metre-long bar made from local blackwood, an outside courtyard (soon to be equipped with a roof and a pool table) and actual refrigeration for the local-leaning wine and beer lists that accompany the cocktails.

Then there’s the extended hours (Back Bar is open until 1am most nights), which has meant that it’s become something of a defacto clubhouse for Daylesford’s hospitality workers, something of a dream for Oliver.

“As a bar owner, having the hospo crew adopt you is all I’ve ever wanted – it gives you a quiet credibility,” he says.

The “analogue” heart of the business remains. Music is vinyl-only played on vintage turntables and speakers, lighting is dim and augmented by candlelight, the glassware is vintage and the mood is set to slightly worn comfort over sleek glossiness. Add DJs, live music and the embrace of the local community through events like book launches, trivia nights and forums for discussions of local issues and it’s little wonder the place has been embraced by the town.

“At its heart, Back Bar is about hospitality,” says Oliver. “We do a lot but we do it well and I love that you can come here and order an Espresso Martini or a Pornstar Martini without shame. It’s the dream. I’m hoping our red neon sign will shine over Daylesford forever.”