Scratch every preconceived notion you may have about cocktails. The team at Maker has the goods to convince the most dedicated draught beer drinkers and veracious vino lovers to cross over to the dark side. This tiny, hole-in-the-wall bar is home to the city’s best craftsman, with a tight list of eight clever, creative cocktails. Like a dirty martini? Try the kombu, green capsicum and olive muddled gin, iced down in a bath of liquid nitrogen and served with a tiny amuse of baby caper leaves and other garnishes. Native Australian ingredients are handled sensibly; Davidson plum, grapefruit and bitters enlivens Botanic Australis gin, made in North Queensland, while Tasmanian vodka is stirred with pepper berry and lime. Braver folk can try the whisky, handled one of two ways: with white port, honey, tea and orange and a side of blow-torched bone marrow, or mixed with filter coffee, local beeswax, pollen and macadamia.

From the hand-crafted oxidised brass bar to the custom-finished hanging porcelain lights, every detail inside Maker matches the same level of simple sophistication showcased by the drinks. Ditto the wine list, curated with a good eye for interesting labels, including McLaren Vale’s Alpha Box and Dice.

On the back wall, the charcuterie-laden cabinet remains a tease, with the long-promised food menu still on ice (hand crafted spheres, in case you were wondering), for the time being.

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