5 OF THE BEST SPECIALTY BARS

Name your poison. Denise Raward has found the best place to savour your favourite tipple

WHISKY THE SCOTTISH PRINCE

27/1176 GOLD COAST HIGHWAY, PALM BEACH

As the name implies, they take their whisky seriously at The Scottish Prince, where even the hardiest tipplers would take some time to work their way through the 320-plus Scottish and international whiskies on offer. Part owner Tim Hoult says the house has a preference for Scottish malts, but there’s no prejudice. The bar hosts regular masterclasses and it goes without saying staff are fully trained, loving nothing more than initiating new whisky drinkers. “For new palates, we would generally recommend a Speyside whisky from a particular region of the Scottish highlands,” Tim says. “They’re sweeter and fruitier, a good place to start.” Tim says there’s no judgment as to whether customers prefer their drams neat, with water or soda, or — gasp — combined with other mixers. “We’re sweet with that,” Tim says. “As long as people are drinking whisky, that’s all good with us.”

RUM THE CAMBUS WALLACE

4/2237 GOLD COAST HIGHWAY, NOBBY BEACH

Named after a ship, The Cambus Wallace has a nautical theme and serves the seafarer’s favourite drop, rum — 130 of them to be exact. The bar staff are there to help you narrow down the field, but senior bartender Gabrielli Campos says the most unique is the house-made spiced rum with more than a few hints of Christmas. “It tastes of spices, orange, coffee and cloves,” she says. “It’s very good.” Another secret recipe is their oldfashioned syrup. Just two drops is all that’s needed to bring out the deep flavour of the rum. Gabrielli says the summer cocktail list, with the emphasis on refreshment, has been very popular. That will change with the seasons when customers look to rum for its legendary warming properties.

SAKE ETSU

2440 GOLD COAST HIGHWAY, MERMAID BEACH

Behind the unmarked rustic door on the GC Highway lies a fine selection of contemporary sake. New-age sake is billed as offering something more than wine, notably texture and the elusive umami, the so-called fifth taste. Each sake comes with its own sweet/dry and acidity ratings — the bar staff are happy to explain. For connoisseurs and the curious, Etsu offers a “sake flight”, a changing house selection of three 40ml drops for tasting. It’s interesting to note, while sake sales are waning in Japan, they’re booming in international markets with the value of Japan’s sake exports doubling in the past five years. The traditional rice-based alcohol has also earned a place at the prestigious International Wine Challenge awards.

GIN THE GIN PARLOUR AND INFUSION BAR MIAMI MARKETTA

With 90 specialist gins on its list, there’s really no contest for Gold Coast gin lovers. Since its opening in September, this artsy meets olde worlde space at Miami Marketta has been mixing sublime concoctions from small-batch gins from around the globe. The Parlour’s annual list of 90 gins will be revamped this Friday. “There are so many new distilleries, we’re just keeping up with what’s happening,” proprietor Emma Milikins says. But if you really want to stay abreast of the blossoming bespoke liquor industry, get yourself to the Parlour’s monthly Gins and Tins nights where a guest boutique distiller and a craft brewer share their knowledge with the tipplers. The Gin Parlour and Infusion Bar is open Friday and Saturday nights.

TEQUILA STINGRAY LOUNGE

QT HOTEL, 7 STAGHORN AVENUE, SURFERS

Stingray Lounge, with its chic industrial decor, serves 25 hand-picked tequilas from the various regions of Mexico and, just as with fine whiskies, the highland and lowland varieties each produce a unique flavour and aftertaste. Food and beverage director Jared Thibault says Stingray’s mixologists have also created a clever array of tequila-based cocktails including twists on the classic margarita, paloma and rosita negroni. “For foodies, tequila is best paired with a fresh taco or refreshing ceviche,” Jared says. Visit Stingray on Taco Tuesdays for its popular margarita specials and make a point of trying the bar’s signature margarita, Day of the Dead, with red chilli infused cazadores blanco, lime, mango infused agave, habanero shrub and mini chilli.