Rumblings of change at Newtown favourite The Gretz have long been underfoot. With owners Gregory Llewellyn and Naomi Hart recently revamping their other venue Hartsyard, it seems that the natural next step was to give their second bar a makeover.

The result is Wish Bone – a bar and casual diner that serves up Llewellyn’s famous fried chicken and fair few other American favourites. The bar was a joint effort with friends and creators of Mighty Car Mods, Blair Joscelyne and Marty Mulholland, and is designed for a nibble and tipple pre- or post-show at neighbouring The Enmore Theatre.

And while Wish Bone’s hype may largely surround Llewellyn’s fried chicken, it’s also the array of pre-batch cocktails that prove a stand-out for the venue. Designed by general manager Abe Talos, the drinks were crafted with speediness in mind. “A significant amount of trade from The Gretz was from people visiting the show, and even those popping in before dinner plans at a neighbouring venue, so we decided ‘how can people get their fix if they only had 10 minutes before a show?” he explains.

The result is a slick collection of bottled cocktails ideal for a drink when your time is rather limited. But creating the drinks options wasn’t without its challenges says Talos. “The next hurdle in the brief was making sure they were shelf stable, as drinks change over time in bottles all the time as is even without organics. We had to work out a way to get the fresh ingredients in to order but still have most of the product read to go for speedy service!”

It’s a compromise that has meant Wish Bone’s drinks largely stray from the traditional, for now anyway. “To be honest we couldn’t find a bottle we liked for providing a stiff cocktail which generally will still come around two standard drinks but without the bells and whistles of soda and juices. Also a lot of our favourite classics do have other organic materials (juice, mint etc) that we will need to get creative to get around, but we don’t mind reinventing the wheel in a creative manor. Some homework to be done!” says Talos.

Luckily for the impatient, that homework has already begun. “We’re currently mucking around with a savoury martini with Greg’s pickled goodies, but more on that later…”

Wish Bone
125 Enmore Road, Enmore
wishbonerestaurant.com.au