A spanking silver trolley, laden with bottles, suddenly materialises at our table, wheeled by a suave bartender in suit, waistcoat and tie. Turns out this is no ordinary cocktail cart offering such classics as Negroni, Manhattan and Martinez. There’s a twist. Every bottle on board is a rare vintage spirit, some up to 90-years-old and perhaps the last bottle remaining.

“Today, I’m taking you on a journey,” announces Agostino Schiavo, bar manager at Society restaurant in central Melbourne.