Natasha Conte - One of the industry’s leading ladies

Natasha Conte has been the face and driving force behind Black Pearl for over a decade. In that time her Melbourne institution has picked up numerous accolades, including most recently the Australian Bar Awards’ Bar Team of the Year in 2011

Black Pearl Expands

With any great bar comes the need to keep on developing, not only for the customers but for the staff as well, says Natalie Conte (owner Black Pearl). The team recently unveiled their new upstairs Attic addition with a ‘very soft opening’ for family, friends and a few bartenders. “It’s been pretty crazy,” said Conte of the build up. ‘I waited three months for my Hoshizaki ice machine and then it got dropped off the back of the truck in front of the bar and it fell apart.’

The Ketel One Hundred Club - Winner’s Videos

The Ketel One Hundred Club is a new initiative by the luxury Dutch vodka brand that has been formed of 10 bartenders from each of the 10 key Ketel One markets around the world. In Australia, Diageo’s Reserve Brands invited the top entrants from the World Class Vodka Martini Awards to join.

BLOG: It Pays to Read by Adi Ruiz

A journey into cocktail lore…
By Adi Ruiz

“Giddy with anticipation to get down to the bar I was taken aback further still, when reading on soon after, to discover “martini’s” cocktail.”

Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m quite easily distracted. Because of this fact I’ve been known to go off on a tangent at times [...]

Black Pearl Staff Strip Down for a Good Cause

Head to Black Pearl on Sunday, 31st January and buy a nude calendar of the Black Pearl team. Yep, that’s right, the boys and Tash have all stripped off to create a 2010 calendar to raise some funds for Prostate Cancer Research.

BARTENDER: 2009 Bartender of the Year, Chris Hysted

All you need to know about Bartender Magazine’s 2009 Bartender of the Year; from his love of Fight Club to his ‘Don’t Be A Dick’ Red Card…

EDITOR’S BLOG: Black Pearl Magic

Melbourne’s Black Pearl has been in the spotlight for lots of the right reasons lately. What’s the magic recipe at this Melbourne bar?

Most Influential Top 50 Announced

The votes are in for Bartender magazine’s Most Influential List in association with Diageo’s Alchemy. Read on to find out the who made the Top 50 based on your trade votes…

Adi Ruiz joins Black Pearl Team

Adi Ruiz, bartender extraordinaire, is leaving his post at Seamstress/Sweatshop to join the team at Black Pearl…

Tim Philips wins UK Bartender of the Year in CLASS Awards

Ex-pat Aussie bartender Tim Philips, who used to ply his trade at Fitzroy’s Black Pearl, has taken out the UK Bartender of the Year in the CLASS magazine CLASS Awards held in London just hours ago.