With mining comes a hard-earned thirst and with hard-earned thirst come excellent bars to quench it. The watering holes in Australia’s mining capital (or at least the capital of its most gung-ho mining state) are regularly cited as some of the nation’s best. We suggest some of Perth’s most exciting places to get your booze on.

Descend to the basement of Fremantle’s Norfolk Hotel and revel in The Odd Fellow’s live music, deli counter and alcoholic offerings. Indeed, the spirit collection here easily tops 200. With talkative staff who don’t care whether you’re drinking the cheapest beer on the menu or the most expensive whisky on the list, the collegiate vibe makes this one more than worth a visit. www.theoddfellow.com.au

While it’s named for an unsuccessful movement to see Western Australia secede from the Commonwealth, The Dominion League isn’t politically inclined itself, preferring instead to let any and all (even easterners!) enjoy its upstairs wood fire, velvet-clad basement booths, and, of course, line-up of drinks. www.dominionleague.com.au

Once a mere pop-up, Enrique’s School for to Bullfighting (the error in the name is deliberate) now has a permanent home in Highgate. These guys stock some of the best gins in Perth and their Gintonica menu allows you to mix and match from a list of 15 gins, five tonics and 15 garnishes to make G&Ts the way you like them. The menu borrows heavily from Spain and is firmly in the tapas mode. www.enriques.com.au

If you’re the kind of person who regularly finds yourself sitting at the casino after midnight, just because it’s the only place you can get a drink at so late an hour, then this late-night designer dive bar is for you. Don’t let the name fool you: the “juice” available here is less freshly-squeezed than hangover-inducing, with an impressive brown spirit selection and diverse beer list the key draws. www.facebook.com/joesjuicejoint

According to this hidden gem’s website, mechanics’ institutes were once “places of learning, established in the 1800s to provide adult education to working men.” Owned by Brett Robinson (pictured), Perth’s modern-day Mechanics Institute doesn’t limit its clientele to the boys, but rather invites all to occupy its split-level space hidden among the rooftops of Northbridge. Offering an impressive line-up of beer, wine and cocktails, it was last year named Australia’s best bar. Tip: order the Bloody Mary with cheeseburger garnish (you read that correctly). www.mechanicsinstitutebar.com.au

While you’ll be tempted to take in pared-back setting of sleek leather and unadorned timber, we suggest you head straight for the bar and take in a few of the 130-odd American whiskeys lined up behind the bar. The menu abounds with reasonably priced, well-executed, produce-driven fare – the only hint that this isn’t a real speakeasy, but a very smart, savvy operation – which perfectly compliments that most noble of brown restoratives. www.varnishonking.com

Between the chesterfield couches, heavy drapes and working gramophone on the corner of the bar – not to mention the black tie and waistcoat get-up of the staff – Bobeche screams style. Boasting beer, cider and a cleverly-curated wine list, it’s bespoke tastes may not come cheap, but the experience is worth it. www.bobeche.com.au

With its appealing South American vibe, excellent food and impressive drinks list, Public House sits on the corner of Victoria Avenue and Adelaide Terrace in the CBD and attracts a nightly gathering of well-heeled schmoozers enjoying the alfresco ambience over a post-work drink or two. It’s more than enough to lure in passers-by, and you’ll be lucky should be one of them. www.publichouseperth.com.au

A favourite of Mount Lawley locals, “The Scotto,” as it is affectionately known, is laidback and welcoming, but always busy: testament to just how loved it is. The range of local and imported craft beers isn’t only excellent, it’s also affordable, and the Defectors Bar upstairs is the perfect place to defect (naturally) from beer and enjoy a good cocktail. 639-643 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley

This unapologetically kitsch, Polynesian-themed hot spot is brash, bold and a lot of fun. The tiny venue is one of the Perth bar scene’s elder statesmen, but has done a good job dusting off the fake palms and keeping itself fresh. Rum is the star attraction here and the quirky cocktail list is dominated by tropical concoctions adorned with fruit slices, carved wooden swizzlers and bizarre plastic toys. Not only good for a drink, in other words, but also for a laugh. www.hulabulabar.com

399 is one of the most laid back places you’ll ever drink. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tattooed punk, a well-heeled businessperson or something in between, you’ll be made welcome at this all-embracing watering hole – they’ll even let you hire the courtyard area for free. This one comes highly recommended by our spies on the ground. www.399bar.com

Classic Euro fare with a killer wine list to wash it down, Shadow Wine Bar is tucked in next to The Alex hotel in Northbridge and should be the first stop for any pub-crawler into charcuterie and cheese. They also do brunch on the weekends, which is an excellent excuse to try their first-rate Bloody Marys. www.shadowwinebar.com.au

Rockabilly-themed and decidedly gin-soaked. Frisk. Small Bar (don’t forget to include the punctuation) has a warm, welcoming, eclectic feel and, in addition to its array of gins, also sports an inventive cocktail list that is bound to get any adventurous boozehound salivating. www.frisksmallbar.com.au

Where a lot of the watering holes on this list have championed gin, Bluzou – pronounced “blue zoo,” which befits the décor – is very much on vodka’s side. If you prefer you clear sprits without the juniper, this is definitely the place for you. www.bluzoubar.com.au