The cheeky alternative to ‘dry’ charity months such as FebFast and Dry July, Bars March, is back in 2019 and launching in Victoria and Queensland. 

The month-long celebration of bar culture in support of animal welfare was launched in 2010 by Sun-Herald social columnist Amy Cooper. Cooper was worried about the all months in the calendar the people were absent from their favourite watering holes.

She felt that doing good didn’t always have to mean deprivation and decided to redress the balance with a charity month devoted to encouraging responsible drinkers back out on the town.

The aim: to celebrate the talent, creativity and originality that personify Sydney’s bar scene, while raising money for animals – who bring to our lives even more pleasure than our favourite bars and drinks.

Nine years on, Bars March has evolved into an annual month-long party and favourite event on Sydney’s social calendar. It has been supported by more than 400 bars and raised $80,000 for Animal Welfare League NSW.  

During the month of March special cocktails will once again be sold by bars in Sydney and Wollongong to raise funds, while Melbourne, Byron Bay and Toowoomba have been added to the mix this year – with venues ranging from craft cocktail bars to big lively pubs, urban breweries and distilleries. 

The first bar to sign up in Melbourne is Port Melbourne’s dog-friendly whisky bar The Tipsy Cow, owned by dog lover and vet Anupam Sharma. 

The multi-awarded Loch and Key, upstairs at Melbourne’s oldest pub, The Captain Melville has also come aboard with their canine regular Tofu set to make a star appearance during BARS MARCH. And fellow acclaimed CBD haunt Golden Monkey also joins the fun.

In Sydney, the doggone good celebrations will kick off at Surry Hills’ new dog-friendly hotspot Caffe Bartolo (owned by dog-loving bar guru Jared Merlino) with a three-day $10 brunch cocktail special from Friday 1 March to Sunday 3 March. 

Meanwhile in the inner west, dog-friendly ‘The Erko’ – AKA Erskineville Hotel – will start the month with a Paws for a Pint dog party on Saturday, March 2.

In Toowoomba, Bar Wunder will be staging celebrations in their dog-devoted beer garden that sells doggy beer and dog treats. 

Balcony Bar & Oyster Co. will fly the flag up in Byron Bay, while Wollongong is proudly represented by the dog-friendly North Wollongong Hotel for the second year running.

Some firm favourites are also back in Sydney, including top fundraiser for the last two years running, O Bar Dining. This Sydney CBD venue raised $3508 for Animal Welfare League NSW in 2018, selling 1754 Unleashed cocktails over the month.

Sydney’s other participating venues for 2019 include The Commodore (Milsons Point), The Rio (Summer Hill) The Carrington (Surry Hills), Frisco Hotel (Woolloomooloo); Kittyhawk (CBD), The Lobo Plantation (CBD), The Swinging Cat (CBD), East Village Sydney (Darlinghurst), Big Poppa’s (Darlinghurst), Watsons Bay Hotel, (Watson’s Bay) and The Royal Leichhardt (Leichhardt). 

In another first for 2019, Bars March will be supported by dog-loving Tito’s Handmade Vodka. With a slogan ‘vodka for dog people,’ the US craft spirit is a dedicated supporter of its local animal shelters and the distillery is home to various rescue dogs. Bars March charity fundraising cocktails in select bars will feature Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Celebrity ambassadors for Bars March include TV vet Dr Katrina Warren, garden guru Jamie Durie and a squad of four-legged Instagram stars – the Kardashians of the canine world. They’ll all be out and about at the bars during March.

“Our other key mission is to showcase the creativity, talent and hard work that makes the Australian bar scene truly world class,” Cooper explained. “While our ‘why’ is helping animals, we’re also a hearty cheer squad for the hardworking people who drive the hospitality industry. Put simply, we love bars, and we want to spread that love.”

During Bars March you can show your support by visiting participating venues and buying a Bars March charity cocktail, attending fundraising events and taking part in social media competitions.

Visit www.barsmarch.com for more details.