By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Step through the unassuming façade of Gin Lane on Kensington Street in Chippendale and you might find yourself questioning whether you’ve walked into a bar - or the opening chapter of your next favourite fantasy.
For a limited time until late December, the Chippendale hotspot has transformed its mythical 19th-Century townhouse into Tales & Tonics, a BookTok-inspired cocktail pop-up that takes guests on a liquid journey through the worlds of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. It’s immersive, it’s magical and it’s as intoxicating as a plot twist you didn’t see coming.
As you step inside, the first stop is the Seer’s Table, where a resident tarot reader will match your energy to the magical realm you’re most aligned with. Will you be swept into the lush, dangerous corridors of the Spring Court in A Court of Thorns and Roses, venture through the misty woods of Middle-earth alongside elves and wanderers or find yourself in the smoke-filled halls of Hogwarts with a wand in hand? The choice, like the twist of a page in a gripping novel, is entirely yours - and promises to shape which cocktails you’ll sip first.
The drinks themselves are veritable literary artefacts. ‘The Cauldron’ is a swirling concoction of rose-petal-infused Casamigos tequila, triple sec, spice, pressed lime and activated charcoal, accompanied by a bubbling citrus shot. It is an ode to Prythian, the mythical land of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses, where power and peril swirl in equal measure. A single sip feels like unlocking a plot twist you never saw coming.
For those with a penchant for shimmering fantasies, ‘Spring Court in Bloom’ is a fae-inspired elixir crafted with blood orange-infused Bombay Dry Gin, fresh lime and a sprinkling of edible ‘fairy dust’. It is as deceptive as it is dazzling, a drink that winks at the indulgence and intrigue of the Spring Court itself. With every sip, you half-expect to catch a glimpse of a winged creature flitting past your shoulder.
Middle-earth enthusiasts are not left behind. ‘Gandalf’s Pipe’ combines smoked coffee and cacao nib Cognac-Biscoff with cold drip coffee and salted caramel espresso, to ignite and inspire imagination. Meanwhile, Hogwarts aficionados can tipple ‘Slughorn’s Hourglass’, a violet-and-raspberry-infused Bombay Sapphire blend finished with Prosecco, white chocolate and lemon, for a potion that feels like a charm gone deliciously right.
Every cocktail is meticulously conceived by Gin Lane founder Grant Collins, whose vision for the bar has always leaned into theatricality and storytelling. Grant describes Tales & Tonics as "a chance to bring the escapism and world-building of fantasy novels to life and offer Sydney something truly otherworldly. Our townhouse provides the perfect canvas for a magical tavern experience that feels both intimate and immersive.”
Beyond the narrative drinks, Gin Lane offers a broader literary playground. Friday evenings are dedicated to the Seer’s Table, while weekends see a steady stream of fantasy devotees sipping shimmering elixirs, sharing whispered theories and posing for photos beside bubbling cauldrons and glimmering bottles.
For those who prefer hands-on escapism, Gin Lane’s Masterclasses invite guests to craft botanical blends, bespoke gins and cocktails that are as personal as the favourite page in a dog-eared novel.
Walking through Tales & Tonics, you feel the kind of immersive storytelling that makes you forget the mundane world outside. It’s a bar where books come alive, where the familiar tropes of wizardry, fae intrigue and mythical adventure are translated into liquid form and where each sip feels like turning another page in the most delectable of novels.
Whether you arrive as a casual reader or a BookTok superfan, Gin Lane’s pop-up promises to keep you enthralled until the very last drop.
In a city saturated with bar experiences, Tales & Tonics manages to write its own narrative. It is immersive, imaginative and intoxicating. For a few months at least, the worlds of Hogwarts, Middle-earth and Prythian are just a tarot reading and a cocktail away.
In this story, you are both the protagonist and the critic, happily lost between chapters, stirred, shaken and so very enchanted.
Photo credit: Images by Wesley Nel @wesleynelphotography.
