What to expect when Barry Parade Public House opens
A new bar from a Bartender of the Year is on its way; here’s everything we know.
The Brisbane bar scene is a bright one, thanks to a number of new, small, independent operators opening distinctive bars, from bartenders who are making their first foray into ownership.
And now there’s a new bar set to join the fold, from award-winning bartender, Dan Gregory. Dan, along with business partners Brennen Eaton (ex-Alba Bar & Deli, The Gresham) and barrister Lachlan Henry, will open the bar this September.
Barry Parade Public House will be neighbourhood bar, just one at which you’ll get drinks of the highest quality; after all, Dan’s way with flavour is what nabbed him the Bartender of the Year title back in 2017. He makes the kind of drinks that both bartenders and the civilian public can appreciate: layered with punchy flavours, using some smart technique, yet approachable and delicious. (I knew Dan was a lock for the Bartender of the Year title when, backstage, the other seven competitors were busy downing his pre-batched and carbonated cocktail.)
“I think a really good example of a neighbourhood bar is Satan’s Whiskers in London,” says Dan. “And they use that term because there’s no expectation, and the clientele can grow with the venue and you can guide it.
“And we didn’t want to do a theme bar at all,” he says.
Location-wise, Barry Parade Public House sits at a Brisbane crossroads of sorts. “Where we are, down the street, that’s the CBD,” says Dan. “Literally behind us is Spring Hill, and Fortitude Valley is just there. We are part of the Valley but we’re not in the thick of the chaos.”
It’s a short stroll down the hill to the CBD — five minutes to the recently opened Bar Miette, by my count — and just moments from the craziness of Fortitude Valley. But where they are, on the eponymous Barry Parade, offers a little respite and calm.
So they’ll make use of the footpath outside, with seats for 10 to 12 people, for a warm afternoon drink into the evening.
“Summer out here is going be really nice,” Dan says. “It’s a big, open, breezy area.”
Inside, the bar will take pride of place along the right hand side of the room, with seats for eight to 10 people; banquette seating will line the opposite wall, and all up inside they’ll accomodate around 30 to 35 people.
“We’ll keep it nice and narrow, simple, so it flows pretty well,” says Dan.
The room will employ a native green and white colour palette, in contrast to many other rooms in Brisbane. “Everything’s quite dark these days,” says Dan. “We’re going for a lighter-style room.”
Behind the bar will be a 178-bottle Vintec to ensure their wines — both red and white — are being poured at the optimal temperature, which is often a challenge in Brisbane’s heat and humidity. The stainless steel work has been custom made to sit underneath the bar counter and out of sight, which means they’ll be preparing all their drinks atop the bar; expect hand-cracked ice to order, using blocks from their own back of house ice program.
The back of the front room leads to an inside-outside decked area with bench seating and insulated roofing to keep things cool come summertime.
Drinks-wise, expect vintage spirits to feature, some of which Dan has sourced from auctions sites over a number of years — I spied a bottle of Coruba rum from the 1960s or 70s, some 1950s Gordon’s gin, and some vintage Bacardi among the collection.
They’ll have a short list of house cocktails available, between eight and 10, with the produce of Southeast Queensland featuring prominently.
“Queensland’s quite lucky because you’ve got the Granite Belt and Scenic Rim, that’s where most of the produce comes from,” Dan says. Although getting to the actual farm gate might be too far, they’re developing relationships with the purveyors at the market to get the best in-season fruit they can find.
For food, they’ll be slicing cured meats to order atop the bar, and offering a selection of plates from small to large.
“The best way to describe it,” says Dan, “is probably European feel, but with a Creole influence. We want to do comfort food — we’ll have a gumbo on the menu as well.”
You can find Barry Parade Public House at 122 Barry Parade Brisbane, and on Instagram at @barryparadeph.
While I have you — I’ve got some good news: we’ve published a print magazine! It’s called Bottled and we launched it up at the Bartenders’ Weekender in Brisbane last month — and it’s now available to buy. There are over 100 pages of stories about drinks and the people who make them from around the globe — stories you’ll only find in print. You can read more about what’s in the magazine and get your own copy at bottledmag.com. We’re shipping around Australia, New Zealand, the whole world really. I can’t wait for you to read it.
