The lads we speak of are Brenden Yeo, formerly of Byron Bay’s Roadhouse and current sales rep for Brookie’s Gin, former Stone & Wood brewer Zac Wright, and Sydney-based builder Paul Hodgkinson. On paper, the trio’s pedigree is the perfect recipe to create one mighty-fine watering hole – and they’ve done just that, and more. There are around 140 different bottles of spirits that have been hand-selected and placed behind Lockwood‘s impressive cement-topped, timber-clad bar – and around half of those are whiskies. Oh, and there’s no soft drink. That’s right, not a single drop of sugar-laden effervescent liquid in sight. The only mixers you’ll find are soda water and tonic. So, if you’re a ‘scotch and coke’ type of person, then the crew will happily create a similar sweet-tasting concoction, using only mixers that compliment the spirits being used. The reason? This is good booze – they treat it with respect, and we should be drinking it with respect, so there’s no need to be drowning out the taste and quality with colas and lemonades. It makes complete sense, and it totally sets the scene for Lockwood’s refined, comfortable and genuine local vibe.

There’s a tight list of cocktails (though, they can really create anything you want – just ask), and every cocktail has subtle twist. The Upstate Sour, for example, is made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, lemon, plus a blueberry and shiraz reduction – and instead of traditional egg whites, they use aquafaba, which is chickpea juice … so it’s more or less a vegan whisky sour. The Lincoln County Manhattan is created with Old No. 7 (that’s Jack Daniel’s for those playing at home), orange bitters and rosso vermouth – but it’s sweetened with an activated-charcoal maple syrup, because that’s actually how Jack Daniel’s is made, by being filtered drop-by-drop through ten feet of sugar-maple charcoal … don’t act like you’re not impressed! You’ll also find a tidy selection of beers, a small selection of wine, as well as made-to-order charcuterie boards, with everything from blue cheese to pickled vegetables and oily tinned Spanish sardines. The Lockwood guys want to educate you – and you should let them. Pull up a stool at the bar, tell the bartender what you like, what you don’t like, and they’ll muddle, stir or shake up a tipple to your tastes.

Head over to our Stumble Guide for Lockwood‘s location and opening hours. Oh, and you’ll find the ‘text to enter’ number at the front door.