A Floriade-themed cocktail, Golden Hour and Midday sessions: three reasons to make Midnight Bar your new local

Posted on 15 September, 2022

It’s been a vibrant, inviting backdrop for your night out many times before—but now Midnight Bar has undergone somewhat of a renaissance as it moves into the (day) light.

No longer catering solely to the night owls, the bar that’s made its home in the cultural hub of Braddon has extended its opening hours to seven days a week—including lunch times—making sipping and snacking that much easier.

And as we all know, good things come in threes. So, it only makes sense that as Midnight Bar celebrates its third birthday this month, they’ve brought in three new offerings to make spring all the more sweeter.

Here’s what you can’t miss at Midnight Bar.

Browse the new signature cocktail list and sip on the limited-edition Floriade-themed cocktail

A cocktail never hurt anyone—and Midnight Bar’s newest cocktail is spring in a single sip.

Paying tribute to Australia’s biggest flower festival, from Saturday 17 September until Sunday 16 October, a special limited-edition Floriade-themed cocktail will be blooming at Midnight Bar.

Aptly named Petal of Eden, the cocktail is made with Archie Rose white rye, violette liqueur, crème de lavande, apple juice, lime juice and agave syrup. Served shaken and double strained in a chilled rocks glass and garnished with torched rosemary and berries, the flavours are elegant and sweet—the perfect spring amalgamation. Drop in to try it for yourself.

However, if your tastes lean more towards fruity than floral, Midnight Bar has also updated its carefully curated cocktail list.

From the Peach Side (Canberra Distillery gin, peach schnapps, passionfruit, lime juice and simple syrup) to the Caribbean Kiss (Sailor Jerry spiced rum, banana liqueur, pineapple and lemon juice, vanilla and simple syrup, garnished with a dehydrated banana and pineapple leaf) and the South East Treat (coconut liqueur, sake, mango nectar, coconut cream and simple syrup), Midnight Bar’s new signature cocktails  invoke the atmosphere of warm days, a cool breeze and the smell of spring on the air.

Suggested drinking time? Midday.

Enjoy a Midday session at Midnight Bar

Credit: Pew Pew Studio

Freshly shucked oysters, polenta and parmesan fries, three-cheese baked rigatoni and pan-fried market fish with skinny chips, kewpie, lemon and capers. Meet the ultimate lunch time offering: Midday at Midnight.

A new introduction to Midnight Bar, this dynamic menu of elevated, seasonally inspired bar food and buzzy beverage list isn’t your average lunch. Along with their extended opening hours, you can now make the most of the warmer weather and book in (or walk-in) for lunch at Midnight Bar from—you guessed it—midday, Monday to Friday.

And with prawn toast, crispy cauliflower bites and spicy corn ribs as well as all the usual suspects on the menu (including the choice of three handheld sangas with sides), a weekday catchup in the spring sunlight has never sounded so good.

Call dibs on a cosy booth, or casually pull up a chair at the bar—they’ve got a table for you, two, or a few, no matter the occasion.

Head out for Golden Hour drinks (and the return of Live in the Lounge)

Credit: Pew Pew Studio

Imagine this: warm, glistening sunlight streaming through the windows, a cold cocktail in hand and a plate of sliced salumi and pickles by your side.

Named after the afternoon sunlight that turns the bar golden every afternoon, Golden Hour is a new happy hour offering that has the experienced staff at Midnight Bar pouring, shaking and stirring from 4 pm until 6 pm, Monday to Sunday.

Perfect for pre-dinner or those let’s-skip-dinner kind of evenings, bask in the glow and enjoy a glass of bubbles, white or red from local Canberra region winery, Lerida Estate ($10), a schooner of Midnight Bar’s ‘Braddon Ale’ collaboration beer with their neighbours at Bentspoke Brewing Co. ($8); or a bartender’s cocktail mixed to order ($12).

Nibbly? To graze, they’ve got $15 savoury sharing plates with your name on them.

Add in the return of Live in the Lounge —a soulful line-up of local music talent—and your Friday evening is well and truly sorted.

As the days get longer and the nights get shorter,  there are more reasons than ever to meet us at Midnight Bar. Save you a seat?

Feature image: Pew Pew Studio