Since its days as a flour mill, the building at 111 Constance Street has seen some colourful residents walk through its doors – including the pilots who used the building as a barracks during WWII – and its latest incarnation as a bar, aptly named The Mill on Constance, is set to see this trend continue.

Behind the bar, you’ll find owners Lorcan McCarthy, Gerard Harnett and Gillian Letham, who have put a lot of love into their new haunt. Irish lads Lorcan and Gerard were working in construction about town when they happened upon the old mill, and decided to make it a place of their own together with friend Gillian. Toiling away on polishing a concrete slab for the bar, sandblasting painted brick walls, knocking together tables and polishing floorboards, they have restored the space to its former glory and created a homely enclave. Overhead, an old grain turner has been suspended from the ceiling to pay homage to the building’s history.

You may not recognise some of the drops on the menu (craft beer, wine and spirits are the focus), but you’ll quickly find your match. Many of the craft beers and wines are exclusive to the bar, and in the spirits department you’ll find the likes of Western Australia’s The West Winds Gin and 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka. On weekends, the sounds of live acoustic musicians will join the hum of chatter of the bar, and early next year will see the opening of a kitchen that will proffer bites such as sliders, spicy wings and pizzas.

The Mill on Constance
111 Constance Street, Fortitude Valley
Open: Wednesday and Thursday 3:00 pm to 12:00 am, Friday 12:00 pm to 12:00 am, Saturday and Sunday 2:00 pm to 12:00 am