Brisbane's The Gresham wins nation's best bar award
A Brisbane CBD venue housed in a historic former bank building and boasting more than 200 whiskies has picked up the gong for the Bar of the Year at the Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards.
On Tuesday night, The Gresham was up against nine other finalists: Sydney's The Baxter Inn, The Barber Shop, Earl's Juke Joint, The Rook and the Ramblin Rascal Tavern; Melbourne's Gin Palace and Perth bars Mechanics Institute and Varnish on King, as well as another Brisbane contender, The Bowery.
One of The Gresham's trio of owners, Andrew Baturo, said he was "absolutely chuffed" with the win.
"It's great for Queensland and it's great to be recognised by our peers. Especially at a time when bar culture is burgeoning nationally, it makes it all the more special," he said.
Baturo, who owns The Gresham with business partners Paul Piticco and Denis Sheahan, said he believed part of the pub's appeal was the customer service ethos and egalitarian attitude.
"We've all got restaurant backgrounds and what we wanted to do was to bring that level of customer service to a bar," he said.
"We employ knowledgable bar staff who know when to impart that knowledge and when to keep quiet. Our aim is to make everyone feel welcome and have an 'attitude policy' rather than a dress policy."
Australian Bartender Magazine editor Sam Bygrave said while Sydney and Melbourne used to dominate the cocktail and bar culture, Brisbane and Perth were going "great guns".
"The Gresham was up against some pretty stiff competition, and while it's got an amazing list of whisky, it's about the high level of knowledge of the staff and the hospitality. It's a real neighbourhood bar in the CBD," he said.
Two venues within walking distance of The Gresham, Coppa Spuntino and Brooklyn Standard, were awarded the Best Wine Bar and the Best Live Music Venue, respectively.