Beer, Wine & Spirits in Melbourne

With its exposed bricks, arched doorways, and dim lighting, The Wine Room on Park Avenue evokes a medieval monastery. That may be why the sleek, Italian-made Enomatic wine dispenser, which controls bottle temperature and prevents oxidation, looks so much like a Star Trek-era gadget within the pleasantly rustic walls. With the push of a button, the metallic nozzles pour out precise 1-ounce sample-size, half-glass, or full-glass portions. To ensure spouts remain untainted from customer to customer, it cleans itself after every pour.

The Enomatic is one reason The Wine Room earned the title of Orlando's best wine bar from Orlando Magazine. Though the technology is impressive, the shop backs up their gadgetry with a staff of actual human wine connoisseurs. These friendly staffers help customers navigate the selection of 148 wines, and offer wine classes throughout the year. They can also recommend bottles to pair with The Wine Room's selection of cheeses, flatbreads, and yachts in need of christening.

Brew delights malt and hops lovers with an expansive drink list of more than 120 international and domestic beers in bottles and on draft in addition to a storehouse of liquor such as Jack Daniel's, Patrón, and Bacardi. Far-flung brews pack up their bags and make the journey to the bar, where Japanese pale lagers hobnob with German hefeweizens alongside homegrown brews from Orlando. Weekend socializers take in live music on Friday and Saturday, relax at the hookah bar, or sing a spirited round of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony around the pool table.

It’s hard to imagine that there’s a libation out there that Crown doesn’t carry. With a selection that spans vineyards, distilleries, and breweries from around the world, the bottles lining each location come from both small, artisan makers and those universally famed for their grapes or techniques. Home mixologists can cull inspiration for cocktails from a selection of top-shelf-brand mixers or pair their tipple of choice with gourmet snacks, from bush-pepper macadamia nuts to dirty martini party dip. But tastings may be the most distinctive thing about Crown Wine & Spirits. Whether customers stop in to try each location’s daily offerings of wine or spirits—or for special tastings that cover dozens of wines, bourbons or beers—Crown’s staff makes it easy to find a new favorite or to make up to your tongue for forgetting so many of its birthdays.

The wine connoisseurs at the independently owned Cork & Olive Lake Mary franchise introduce visitors to international wines, most of which originate from small, family-owned vineyards. In addition to pouring samples at a broad, wooden table, Cork & Olive’s team hosts events that range from in-home tastings to the monthly Sip&Dip, where wines come paired with select appetizers. Besides the many bottles of wines, the shelves also display craft beers, sake, chocolates, and cheeses, as well as gourmet olive oils and spices. Specialty services include custom wine-bottle labels for events, special orders for hard-to-find wines, and gifts such as wine aprons and holders and memoirs from picked-over grapes.