A New Gin Distillery and Bar Is Opening Inside a Former Adult Bookstore in Kings Cross

Local distilleries have become a regular facet of the Sydney hospo scene, and the latest of these will launch in Potts Point this spring. Kings Cross Distillery is set to swing open its doors in just a few months' time, headed by distiller Odelia Potts. Situated on Macleay Street near the corner of Darlinghurst Road, the new cocktail den will feature house-made gins, whiskies and vodkas — plus personality aplenty.

As with many old buildings in the area, the venue's past lives are varied and salacious. These include a 1960s speakeasy, an illegal gambling den and an adult bookstore with a hidden vault. That vault is no longer home to questionable activities, but the distillery's precious bottles of gin.

The fit-out will pay homage to the building's history, too — think pin-ups and plenty of tucked away nooks to sip cocktails in. The distillery's 200-litre pot still will also sit front-and-centre. Expect seats for 120 all up and a dedicated kitchen serving mezze-style bites like baked kibbeh, vine-wrapped sardines and harissa carrots.

Apart from the gin, the distillery will also make its own vodka and whisky, and pour other artisanal brands from around Australia and the globe. Guests can even keep specially selected drops in personalised spirit lockers, where bottles can be stored between visits and then used in any concoction on the menu, including the bar's signature cocktail: the Aalto Martini, which features a dry vermouth rinse, a double pour of dry gin and a slice of preserved lemon peel. Eager punters can pre-purchase those spirit lockers (for a cool $400–1,350) and have one all ready to go for opening night.

In the meantime, you can grab a bottle of the KXG classic dry gin ($115), which launched on the website today. It's been adapted from a 1930s recipe and is made using your typical London Dry-style botanicals, including juniper, coriander seed and cardamom pods, plus locally sourced organic lemons and native myrtles.

Kings Cross Distillery is slated to open this spring at Shop 8, 127 Macleay Street, Potts Point. Keep an eye on this space for exact opening details.