With literally hundreds of cocktails on offer, you might be overwhelmed, but fear not, the helpful mixologists will help you choose your poison.
Lurking in a hole-in-the-wall space on Boundary Street, Sling Lounge would be right at home in a grungy Melbourne laneway. Part Belle Epoque and part bomb shelter, the space - like the crowd - is eclectic. With bare brick, concrete and a dimly lit trove of top-shelf tipples, the air is decidedly apothecarian. Never mind the ceiling of fake grass - it's unpretentiously hip and oh-so-West End.
With a 49-page drinks list and some serious talent behind the bar (and I'm not just talking drinks mixing here), it's an aficionado's paradise. There are the usual suspects available of course, but Sling is the only bar in Brisbane to truly get behind molecular mixology. With 12 types of American whiskey, a sickle-sized vodka selection and more than 20 wines available by the glass, it's a potential migraine for the indecisive.
If all this sounds more like studying the periodic table than something you'd want to do on a Friday night, fear not. The guys that own Sling also run it, and they're keen to help. Their pedigree includes Lychee Lounge, Sunbar and Press Club, and it shows - these boys know their negronis.
Food's not the focus here but the kitchen's open till 10pm every night, the bar's open till 2am, and if you keep the high-wire hijinks to the drinks list, Sling won't disappoint.
Vikki Moore
