HOBART, 10 FEBRUARY 2022 – The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart has finally swung open its doors and it is home to Hobart’s newest cocktail bar, Mary Mary. A seductive, sandstone-wrapped room lined with red ochre leather banquettes lit with the glow of brass table lamps. It is truly a captivating addition to the ever-growing Tasmanian bar industry.
The name stems from the heritage building’s origins; the former St Mary’s hospital constructed in 1847. It has now been reimagined as part of the Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart, and Parliament Square, located in the heart of the city and just a moment from the famous waterfront. You’ll find Mary Mary tucked away on the other side of the hotel with its discreet entrance off Salamanca Place. Through the doors, you will be greeted by a host that may guide you to a secluded table by one of the fireplaces or a seat at the padded leather bar.
The vision for the beverage program at Mary Mary was heavily influenced by its location and terroir.
Charlie Ainsbury, Senior Bar Consultant
Hobart’s food and drinks culture has long commanded global attention and attracts a discerning guest seeking a compelling experience, which offers us an impressive foundation to build upon.
We very much wanted to put Tasmania front and center when it came to the concept. It only made sense to support and celebrate the incredible artisans, producers, distillers, brewers and winemakers. As you read through the menu, you might be surprised to find classically inspired drinks but as you read further, you’ll see that every drink has been re-inspired and then re-constructed with a broad Tasmanian brushstroke.
Guests that arrive at the doors of Mary Mary will no doubt have undergone a journey to get there. For international visitors, even more so. Through its approach to cocktails and fine drinking, the team aim to satisfy and delight their guests for their imbibing needs whilst also presenting something uniquely Tasmanian. Drinks maintain a commitment to quality, seasonality and freshness as well as an unwavering ethos to approach the cocktail as if it was being made for the very first time in Tasmania.
The Signature Martini
Their Signature Martini is a mixture of a Tasmanian Gin of the moment married with Mancino Secco Vermouth and lifted with aromatized verjuice from Providence, Northern Tasmania.
Whisky Highball
The Whisky Highball represents this perfectly using a locally made Whisky and topped not with soda, but with a sparkling mead from a Derwent Valley brewer. Crowned with a locally foraged Wattle leaf, the drink is bracing and intriguingly complex.
The beverage offering at Mary Mary is guided by Bar Manager Ronán Kavanagh. A hospitality veteran with international and local experience and an impressive distilling background to boot. He is the guardian of the commanding back bar of spirits as well as the lead in sourcing ingredients across Tasmania from Braeburn apples of the Huon Valley to the locally foraged native succulent, pigface, found growing on the coastlines.
Bar Manager, Ronán Kavanagh
Mary Mary's Menu
In the near future, the bar will reveal The Coal Room. An old coal chute from the building’s original structure will be repurposed to house Mary Mary’s most exclusive, rare, and old spirits as well as oak barrels aging away locally made spirits sourced from neighbouring distilleries. Furthermore, guests can expect a regular schedule of programming to include intimate live music nights as well as the inaugural gathering of the Tasman Spirit Society; an inclusive group of spirits enthusiasts that come together to be led through a series of tastings hosted by distillers, winemakers or brewers.
Proof Creative’s involvement began in early 2018 implementing its renowned ’20 Pillar’ creative process. Led by Senior Bar Consultant, Charlie Ainsbury, work included the early concept development phase, bar functional layout, OS&E curation, sourcing through to spirits curation, drinks development, and pre-opening support and training.
The opening of Mary Mary is the latest in a long line of collaboration between Proof Creative and Marriott International.
“As the first and only representative of The Luxury Collection brand in Australia with the upcoming opening of the Tasman, we are proud to deepen our connection to the unique local character of Hobart with Mary Mary,” says Stephen Morahan, General Manager for The Tasman, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart. “This venue will be a beacon to the world of fine drinking here in Tasmania, joining a collection of the world’s most notable hospitality experiences. Our vision is for Mary Mary to enchant both locals and travellers in the know, guided by the passion and expertise of Charlie and Proof Creative.”
ABOUT THE TASMAN, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL, HOBART
Set on the crest off Hobart waterfront, the architecturally stunning and historically rich hotel is the first Luxury Collection Hotel in the Oceania Region. It hosts 152 luxury guest rooms and suites embracing a modern, elegant and sophisticated design whilst paying homage to two centuries of its heritage foundation. The Tasman Hotel embraces the character of its locale, integrating seamlessly with Hobart’s breathtaking scenery and culture.
For more information, please visit:
Marymarybar.com
@marymarybar