By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
From cocktail bars to lock-yourself-behind-bars, Alcotraz: The Immersive Prison Cocktail Experience that’s taken the UK by storm, is landing in Chippendale this October and it’s ready to throw you straight into a Hollywood-style prison drama. Think orange jumpsuits, crooked guards, shady inmates and a storyline you’re invited to star in.
Alcotraz isn’t just a bar. It’s a dramatic theatrical experience where your drink is part of the story and your table might just be your cell. Guests are given their own inmate number, their own orange jumpsuit and their own slice of chaos.
From the moment you step through the door, you’re not observing the action - you are the action. Crooked guards, shady characters and a bootlegging gang mix cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine while weaving a storyline that will keep you on your toes and your camera ready.
For cocktail lovers, this is the ultimate sentence, with a menu that is nothing short of criminally good. The Crime of Passion - a vodka-based concoction with passionfruit liqueur, strawberry puree, lime, cranberry and orange - is a sweet-but-sharp seduction in a glass.
For those willing to flirt with danger, the Conspiracy combines premium mezcal, burnt coconut tequila, chocolate butter, pineapple and a whisper of cinnamon into a dangerously smooth, smoky-sweet tipple.
If you’ve got ambition beyond happy hour, Alcotraz rewards initiative. Prisoners who win favour with the guards can sneak into secret areas to hatch escape plans with their gang, or negotiate with the Warden in a game of cunning and strategy. It’s immersive theatre meets speakeasy-style bar - part roleplay, part cocktail experimentation, all unforgettable.
Whether it’s a quirky date night, a birthday blowout, a hen’s or buck’s celebration, or a corporate outing that actually sparks conversation, Alcotraz promises photo-ready moments, laugh-out-loud twists and a cast of characters that will keep you guessing.
Guests can even step into key roles - The Mole, The Janitor or other personas - making friends, colleagues, or loved ones the star of the unfolding drama.
Tickets start at $65, which includes your ‘sentence’ plus a pre-set menu of four cocktails, mocktails, beer or wine. Alcotraz operates on both a ticketed and walk-in basis, but with limited capacity and intimate cell-style seating, advance booking is strongly advised. Groups can even serve their sentence together, making the experience as communal - or as mischievous - as you like.
Tickets are on sale now for sessions starting October at 12-16 Chippen Street, Chippendale. If you’ve ever wanted to star in a Hollywood-style prison story while sipping world-class cocktails, your cell is waiting.
