Melissa Hoyer
The brilliant and award-winning Jackalope Hotel is launching a first-of-its-kind culinary event, Jackalope Weekend, taking place Friday 13 June through Sunday 15 June. This event will take place in partnership with Melbourne favourites Yugen, ALT Pasta Bar and Starward Whiskey.
Jackalope Weekends program of events will include:
- Friday: Starward Whiskey masterclass by a bonfire, overlooking LL Vineyard
- Saturday: Yugen x Doot Doot Doot dinner
- Sunday: Alt Pasta Bar x Doot Doot Doot lunch
- Daily roving cocktail trolley for in-house guests, travelling to each guest room to bring a touch of theatre with a complimentary cocktail
- Exclusive “Jackalope” Pie available at Flaggerdoot and on the all-day dining menu, combining Venison and Rabbit for a taste of the mythical eponymous creature
- “The Realisation of Jackalope” – An intimate panel discussion exploring the vision, collaborators and creative forces behind the brand and hotel.
The Jackalope Weekend is available as an all-inclusive three night package, with bookings to launch from May 13. The event series will embrace the revolutionary and surreal nature of Jackalope through its pillars; art, design and dining. The program features events with partners and friends including Melbourne favourites Yugen, ALT Pasta Bar and Starward Whisky.
Jackalope Weekend is designed to embrace both the history and future of the iconic Mornington Peninsula property. In a nod to its namesake, the event series will be taking place the same weekend that the town of Douglas, Wyoming celebrates Jackalope Day, a day of festivities honouring the hotel’s eponymous mythical creature.
Jackalope Weekend will begin with a masterclass hosted by Jackalope and Starward Whisky, where a selection of cocktails will be brought to life in Flaggerdoot throughout the weekend. As the Jackalope’s drink of choice, Whisky is the focus of the evening, with a tailored approach to the delicacies of what Starward offer.
On Saturday night, Jackalope will welcome Yugen to Doot Doot Doot for a crossover dining experience. Yugen Chef Samuel Chee is known for his meticulous omakase menus that combine traditional techniques with contemporary flavours. This influence will be brought to life on the menu of Doot Doot Doot, with bespoke menu items such as roasted dry aged duck with black garlic, scallion pancake and shisho available for one night only.
Sunday will bring the team from ALT Pasta Bar to the Doot Doot Doot kitchen. ALT Owner and Head Chef Mino Han has consulted on a menu that features ALT’s unique approach to pasta dishes. The spanner crab and squid ink spaghetti with bisque, pastrami and basil oil will be a standout of this one-time menu.
In-house guests will feel a touch of Jackalope Weekend across their entire stay. An exclusive addition to the breakfast menu will be black and gold waffles, exciting the senses each morning. The day will be bookended with a roving cocktail trolley that will offer a complimentary cocktail to all guests each day, visiting every room to bring the guests chosen cocktail to life and adding theatre to this already luxury experience.
Sunday evening will feature a fireside Starward Whisky experience exclusive to in-house guests. Guests will gather around the Jackalope bonfire for a whisky masterclass overlooking the LL Vineyard. Also available at Flaggerdoot and on the all-day dining menu will be the Jackalope Pie, a hearty serving of rabbit and venison crafted to give guests a taste of the mythical creature.
No celebration of Jackalope’s culture would be complete without an exploration of the art across the property. The collaborators behind Jackalope itself will come together, alongside Jackalope Founder, Louis Li, to discuss the realisation of the Jackalope. The panel discussion will engross attendees in the art and design of the property and how this tells the story of the space. Open to the public, bookings are recommended to ensure you have a seat to a creative talk that delves through storytelling, design and the art of Jackalope.
Louis Li, Founder of Jackalope said, “The vision behind Jackalope was to create an immersive journey that is more than a hotel stay, it is a space to offer an escape from the everyday. Jackalope Weekend is the convergence of this vision and a statement on Jackalope’s unparalleled ability to create luxury experiences.”
In true Jackalope style, an all-inclusive Jackalope Weekend package will be on offer where guests are invited to stay for the weekend and experience the full breadth of what the hotel and its partners have to offer. The Jackalope Weekend package will make for the ultimate luxury weekend away, allowing guests to experience each aspect of the program, inclusive of each culinary experience, three-nights accommodation, each tailored dish for the weekend (inclusive of the Jackalope Pie and Jackalope breakfast dish), complimentary guest inclusions, daily guest experiences, and credits to use on beverages within the property.
And each day, a talented mixologists will knock on your door to create iconic Jackalope cocktails to sip and savour in your private oasis. The Jackalope Weekend all-inclusive package, starting from $3,247 can be booked online at www.jackalopehotels.com, or via the phone at (03) 5931 2500.
Individual bookings can also be made for the Flaggerdoot x Starward Masterclass, Doot Doot Doot x Yugen dinner, Doot Doot Doot x ALT Pasta Bar lunch, and the panel discussion via the Jackalope website.
*See the Jackalope Weekend program here.
*See the Doot Doot Doot x Yugen menu here.
*See the Doot Doot Doot x Alt Pasta Bar menu here.
*See Jackalope Weekend campaign creative here.
