International craft brewing giant Brewdog has converted a vast locomotive workshop in the historic South Eveleigh precinct into a bar that accommodates 720 inside plus 190 in a beer garden. The sprawling new pub and bar saw a $3.2 million renovation into a buzzing, family- and dog-friendly place that counts Kylie Kwong’s Lucky Kwong and Re as neighbours. The space still has an industrial feel, thanks to the sensitive work of architects Studio Y. There’s everything to love about the revival of an unused part of Sydney, a vibrant outdoor drinking hole that has very much emerged from the ashes. Go for one of BrewDog’s most loved beers, Punk XPA, or there’s a host of no-alch options. Bay 1 Locomotive Workshops South, Eveleigh; brewdog.com.

Watsons Bay has an endless summer feel about it at the best of times, not least when one is clinking glasses filled with a Gordon’s gin, raspberry, Campari, pineapple, lime and basil cocktail and nibbling warm olives with lemon and fennel seeds while overlooking the glistening harbour. The Beach Club at this beachside playground-slash- boutique hotel is open to the public as well as inhouse guests. It’s a navy and white umbrellas, mimosas, seafood platters and let’s-get-married-here kind of place; a cliche we can’t resist. 1 Military Rd, Watsons Bay; watsonsbayhotel.com.au.

Aster at the InterContinental Sydney takes elevated drinking to new heights. Take the lift up 31 ear-popping levels to the hotel’s highest floor and you’ll be treated to a sweeping 280-degree view the includes Sydney icons The Royal Botanic Garden, Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The bar menu features small snacks, like Cherry blossom macaron duck pâté with rhubarb and shiso, and share plates that cater to those who are peckish or have brought their appetite along. Level 32/117 Macquarie St, Sydney; sydney.intercontinental.com.

Any place with a dedicated gin and rosé bar is worth checking out, but nothing quite prepares the first-time visitor for The Fernery – a love-letter to rooftop garden terraces with views across North Head, the Harbour and CBD skyline. The rosé bar with its retractable roof seats more than 60 people and serves rosé, clearly, and a small selection of seasonal Australian wine on rotation, alongside rosé and gin cocktails. Teusner Salsa Rosé is available on tap, or try one of the seasonal signature cocktails. 719 Military Rd, Mosman; thefernerymosman.com.au.

Those questioning the value Justin Hemmes and his Merivale empire has added to the Sydney bar and dining scene should look to Coogee Pavilion, a building that has sat at the northern end of Coogee Beach since the 19th century. It was an aquarium and bathing house, then a rough bar beloved by backpackers, and when Merivale moved in it became the beautiful jewel befitting every kind of Sydney patron it is today. There’s Mimi’s and Una Mas, and the family area downstairs. The rooftop holds a spectacle of indoor and outdoor bars, an adults-only space where the crowd skews young and the party keeps going, and going. But the drinks are great and the views over Coogee are extraordinary. Level 3/169 Dolphin St, Coogee; merivale.com.