There’s no need to sneak into 127 MacLeay Street anymore. The former speakeasy, illegal gambling den and X-rated adult bookstore in Sydney’s red-light district has reopened as a reputable craft micro-distillery and cocktail bar.

The new interiors pay tribute to its dark past with plush green leather booths and luxe gold detailing, complete with a collection of nude pin-up photographs at the back entrance. A former antique walk-in vault (don’t ask what it was previously used for) has also been repurposed as a fortified gin store.

Prop yourself up at the bar for a stiff drink. The specialty is the KXD Australian Classic Dry Gin flavoured with local myrtle, lemons and cassia bark root which is made in a 200-litre pot-still onsite. The recipe hails from 1937 and pays homage to the area’s bohemian past. Try it in a G&T or have it mixed into a cocktail like The Impeachment, a smoky peach sipper made from peach liqueur, bitters and prosecco. Buy a bottle onsite and you can store it in the venue’s personalised “spirit lockers” and they’ll bring it out every time you visit.

Beyond the juniper-spiked spirit, there’s also an impressive selection of wines curated by former Aria, MG Garage and Wildfire sommelier, Ben Moechtar.

The food menu is made up of Mediterranean-style mezze plates such as marinated anchovies known as boquerones, baked kibbeh and vine-wrapped sardines. If you’re looking to splash some cash, there’s also caviar in 10g serves.

King Cross Distillery
Shop 8, 127 Macleay Street, Potts Point
02 9062 8222
kingscrossdistillery.com.au