Tag: News

Kings Cross facing an uphill battle

Nearly tens months on since the tragic death of teenager Thomas Kelly in Kings Cross the precinct is still suffering through a drop in trade. Bartender has spoken with a number of owners — some off the record — who have said that trade is down significantly, as high as 60 per cent in some cases. “The four to six month mark immediately after the incident absolutely smashed the traffic coming through Kings Cross, due to all the negative publicity the precinct received,” said Ben Walsh, who’s bar, Goldfish, has had to curtail its business hours and service in the wake of recent legislation introduced to reduce violence in the Cross.

Cider, tax and politics

Boring stuff, right? But wherever booze is there’s someone looking to make money from it, someone wanting to tax it, and someone looking to find ways they can sell more of it. Yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald carried a story about calls from the Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia to change the way alcohol is taxed — which would see ciders attracting a higher tax rate than they do now.

Beers and boutique rooms next for Short

Fresh from his successful launch of The Morrison, Fraser Short is casting his eye towards Sydney’s eastern suburbs with the recent purchase of the Watsons Bay Hotel.

A hotel bar gilt with talent

The QT hotel brand has opened their Sydney flagship location, complete with three high-quality bars over different floors and some significant Sydney talent. The emphasis on quality extends further than just your usual hotel bar fare, with the team using house-made ingredients where possible.