Deadwood Dromana is named after Deadwood, the historic gold rush town in South Dakota that attracted Wild West legends such as Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane in the 19th century. The bar nods to Deadwood’s watering hole, Deadwood Gulch Saloon, where highwaymen would meet over a nip of whisky.
While this seaside saloon isn’t quite as edgy, it does make whisky the hero. Here, you’ll find more than 100 different bottles on the shelves. Most come from the US, but there are a fair few from Scotland, Australia, Japan and Ireland too. There are rotating whisky flights – which make it easy to sample a few nips from one distiller – as well as beer and whisky pairings, and staff picks.
The whisky focus extends to the tight cocktail list. There might be Southern Spritz with Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple whisky, Hendricks gin, cucumber and citrus. Or Spiked Georgia Sweet Tea, which marries Southern Comfort with rye whisky, peach and soda.
Elsewhere on the drinks list, you’ll find craft beers, Mornington Peninsula wines and local spirits, as well as non-alcoholic cocktails, non-alc beer and soda.
To eat, there’s share-friendly Tex-Mex and American comfort food such as piping hot beef brisket croquettes, pulled-pork tacos, charred corn slathered in aioli, cauliflower “wings” and Buffalo hot wings served up with hot and blue cheese sauces. Come Wednesday night for $1 wings and Thursday for $4 tacos.
Behind the venue are hospo veterans Dan Green, Liam Watt and Lino Scidone (La Camera, Counting House Bar and Grill), who together used to run Waterslide Bar. They opened the coastal timber-clad space in late 2022, decking it out with a live edge wooden bar, leather banquette seating and tall tables with Bentwood bar stools. And a jukebox in the corner where you can choose a country, blues or rock soundtrack for the night.
