Seven Bars in Brisbane to Go for Cocktails with Friends When You're Feeling Extra

Frog’s Hollow retains its historic brick facade and brings in elements of cowboy culture with its old wine barrels, saddle-topped bar stools, cowboy hats everywhere, a wagon wheel hanging from the ceiling above the bar and a lot of country music. And they somehow manage to make this all feel tasteful — no mean feat.

Behind the bar, you will find an extensive collection of over 400 whiskeys with sips from Australia, America, Ireland, Scotland and beyond. The cocktail menu changes periodically, so you’ll have to go in and ask the talented team to create the perfect concoction for you — maybe a classic boulevardier which is a little fancy and a lot tasty. 

One of the spots that put Brisbane’s bar scene on the map. The Gresham’s feel is old charm and all class with custom-made Chesterfield couches, cedar tables and red leather bar stools. The same feel extends to the drinks list. Good luck stopping at just one.

Whiskey is the name of the game here with more than 100 on the menu but, whatever your spirit preference, The Gresham’s bartenders have cocktail making down to an art. For something different go for the Solid Gold made with bourbon, mango, white cacao, wattleseed, coconut, macadamia milk and chocolate bitters. Or opt for the venue’s signature Old Fashioneds. Pair your cocktails with in-depth chats and cheese toasties. At this bar, they never miss.

Images: Millie Tang

On the outside, Death and Taxes makes an impact. Painted black, the Burnett Lane favourite is guarded by a giant mural of the Grim Reaper. But inside, one of Brisbane’s swankiest bars and a wall of 500 whiskeys awaits.

The cocktail list compiled as an illustrated booklet is an embarrassment of riches for the spirit lover, including new takes on old favourites and more creative options. With such stellar sips, it’s no wonder that Death and Taxes is a spot that you’ll come back to over and over again (if you haven’t already). Pick a dram, settle into a comfy booth and you’re all set for a rollicking tête-à-tête.

Opening the door to this specialty whiskey and cocktail bar is like opening the door to a world of Edgar Allan Poe with dimly lit tables, melted red wax candles and floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves filled with every single genre of booze, malt and spirit imaginable.

Scan the 300 odd (give or take) whiskeys, bop your head to the sounds of 50s rock ‘n’ roll and cast your eyes over the ever-changing cocktail list, which stretches from the traditional to the tropical to the innovative and weird. Take for example the Batter Up, made with bourbon, Amaro Montenegro, dark cacao, sweet corn and ginger dry vermouth and orange bitters — a little weird but it really works.

Alba Bar offers up a unique blend of Spanish-inspired cuisine and innovative cocktails in a relaxed laneway atmosphere. Open for lunch, aperitivo and dinner, the food menu constantly evolves with the season, and its drinks menu is as diverse as its culinary offerings.

Pull up a bar stool and watch the team work its magic with the spirit selection while beats play above the buzz of the lively clientele. Pair your Old Fashioned with Iberico ham and chargrilled prawns or any other delicious snack of the rotating menu and proceed to get a little rowdy.

Set right on the river, Byblos is where the northern suburbs crowds detour on their way home. Perhaps this is a spot best saved for Friday shenanigans as it makes for quite the party to look forward to as the weekdays crawl by. When the working grind is done, Byblos just wants to have fun with great Mediterranean-inspired tapas menu and seasonal cocktails.

As the sun starts to dip across the river order a timely cocktail — the Basil Hayden Golden Hour made with bourbon, Lillet Blanc, and Campari and garnished with grapefruit. There are worse ways to mark the official start to the weekend.

If you’re after 180-degree views of Story Bridge and plush seats, the top sundowner session spot is Blackbird. Enjoy a grill-centric dinner of steak, smoked duck breast or coal-roasted market fish and match it up with your picks of the extensive drinks list.

Choose from the classic cocktails (like your Old Fashioned and whiskey sours), Blackbird signatures with options like the Honest Bootlegger with bourbon, apricot, rose, lemon, fresh mint and orange bitters, or the Blackbird Premium Classics which includes a Baller Old Fashioned with your choice of whiskey stirred down with a touch of sugar and the venue’s own bitters blend.