News

The latest bar and bartender news.

Drinks Fest finishes up but Bar Week lives on!

After thinking long and hard, I have made the decision to bring to a close the Drinks Fest exhibition side of this year’s Sydney Bar Week. Sydney Bar Week will continue with our amazing trade parties and the influential Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards.

The Collins, Adelaide: First Look

With new bar legislation looking like it will come into effect in March, Adelaide looks set to become the next Australian cocktail destination. Looking to lead that charge is The Collins, the new bar opening soon at the Hilton, smack bang in the middle of the city. We got a look at the bar last week and were impressed with what we saw — the decor is sharp and the back bar is taking shape.

Pernod Ricard launch iPad-based training

Technology has been changing the world and now technology – in shiny new iPad form – will be applied to a new training program being launched by Pernod Ricard Australia, said Ben Davidson, their brand education manager.

Drinking ‘en plein air’ at Metro St James

The space behind St James station on Hyde Park, Sydney, is finally seeing some action. “The name is Metro St James,” said French owner Phillipe Valet (La Brasserie, Surry Hills). “I just want to start with a nice wine and aperitif bar and build it slowly,” he said of the open-air space, which can be enclosed by large, bi-fold doors.

Young Henry’s opening a new bar in the ‘Loo

Woolloomoo has a new bar brewing that’s a creative collaboration between Oscar McMahon from Newtown’s Young Henry’s brewery (pictured), Jack Brown (ex-owner Chingalings and hospitality business consultant), with Alex Watts and Nick Watney from Camperdown’s Runcible Spoon.

Bottleneck created outside Eau de Vie

This week sees the opening of a new bar in the Speakeasy group’s stable: Bottleneck. Located in the space that the now defunct Art Lounge occupied in the Kirketon Hotel (and practically on Eau de Vie’s doorstep) the new bar from Sven Almenning and company…

Kirribili welcomes its first small bar

The Honourable Julia Gillard MP finally has a local small bar and restaurant in which to drown her polling woes. The Botanist Kirribilli has just opened its doors in the old Milsons restaurant site thanks to owners Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts – the duo behind Bondi Hardware.

Black Pearl will stuff your stocking

If in the madness of the festive season you’ve neglected to find a gift for someone dear to you, give them the gift that gives all year round: the Black Pearl calendar.