Game, Aussie whisky and classic pub vibes – take a peek inside the new-look Alliance Hotel
When Peter Hollands and Nick Winter open a bar, they always do so with a particular concept in mind – a quirk at the heart of the venue that gives it a sense of personality, an identifier. Frog’s Hollow, the award-winning haunt the duo operate on Charlotte Street, is famous for its saloon-style aesthetic, world-class whisky range, killer cocktails and playlist of country tunes. At Alice, Pete’s back-alley boozer tucked away off Elizabeth Street, it’s all about bourbon and 80s rock ’n’ roll.
The Alliance Hotel, the iconic pub that Nick, Pete and their respective partners – Katerina Makarov and Emma Hollands – took over earlier this year, has more than a century of history within its walls. After being approached by the owners of the Alliance’s freehold with the offer of taking over the venue’s operations, the gang relished the opportunity to give the old beauty a new lease on life. But first they had to peel back the layers of time, stripping back decades of history until they had a fresh canvas upon which to impart their own ideas. It was no small task.
“There are elements of running a pub – just because of how long it’s been here and all the quirks of the building – that have been new learnings,” says Pete. “We spent lots of time in ceilings, lots of time figuring out where cables go, fixing air-con and pipes, rearranging furniture, and filling skips.”
“I think we went through about nine skips, actually,” adds Nick.
When we first caught up with the pair back in February, they were already a couple of months into the cleaning process. At that point, the duo had an outline of a vision for the three-level Victorian-style building – a fixture of Boundary Street since its construction in 1864. They wanted it to be ‘The Pub’, the place you think of when someone suggests a quick pint or a feed.
“I said we just wanted to make a great pub,” Pete recalls. “After, we thought we needed to have a better vision than that – we were still figuring it out at that point, which is fine. When we are not sure what to do, if we have two options or we are arguing about a choice, we always go back to the brand – what’s on brand? It was always our rule for decision making. We didn’t have that clarity yet, but that was the first step of how we could make decisions.”
The team looked to the great independent pubs of Melbourne for inspiration – storied venues with cracking culinary offerings, killer drinks lists, considered interiors and, above all, a sense of character. With The Alliance, they’re following a similar approach, adding a few elements in the mix that are informed by their own tastes and ideas.
Perhaps the biggest changes the team has implemented can be seen at The Alliance’s new-look bistro and bar, dubbed The Whisky Warren. Clothed in an old-timey aesthetic reminiscent of warmth-filled British pubs, The Whisky Warren is the candlelit heart of The Alliance, filled with bentwood chairs and timber tables. Here, it’s all about classic table service, hearty fare and, as the name of the nook suggests, whisky. But not just any whisky – Nick, Pete, Kat and Emma have made Australian whisky a key focus of The Alliance’s drinks program.
“Alice has claimed bourbon in Brisbane, right? Whereas in Australia, no one’s claimed Australian whisky,” explains Pete. “So our goal is to have the biggest Australian whisky selection in the country. We’ve got about 60 up there now and we’re going up to about 150.”
“There are so many awesome distillers in this country and everyone’s putting out some interesting products at the moment,” adds Nick. “We’ve started with an awesome base menu, which covers most of the country. There’s a large portion of Tasmanian whisky there at the moment, but we’ve got some gorgeous ones from southern Victoria and Western Australia.”
Kat is spearheading The Alliance’s venue-spanning wine selection, curating a list of classics – think big slurpy reds and oaky chardonnays – and an eclectic range of cool, modern wines.
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For the venue’s kitchen offering, the team looked to the past for inspiration.
“We needed a reason for this to be a destination, more than just a local,” says Pete. “Gorks (Nick Gregorski, The Alliance’s previous operator) really liked game meat and he was doing nose-to-tail stuff – he was one of the first people to do it in Brisbane. And we thought that was a great idea – let’s do that. Because this is more of an Australian pub than an English pub, game meat was a great fit.”
The Whisky Warren’s menu is divided neatly between classic pub-style mains and game meats. The latter section features snacks like kangaroo tartare with onion and bean puree served on toasted brioche, and New Orleans-style fried crocodile bites with lemon mayo, followed by larger serves of Venetian-style duck ragu served with pappardelle, butterflied whole quail, grilled wild venison tenderloins and slow-cooked rabbit stew.
“It’s very approachable for people to step outside of their classic comfort zone and try something new,” says Nick, who adds that guests can still enjoy established favourites like Scotch eggs, chicken-liver pate, hand-crumbed schnitzels, wagyu beef burgers, chicken and mushroom pot pies, rope sausages and mash, and a trio of steaks.
For many punters, the first port of call at any pub visit is the front bar. The Alliance team has spruced up its street-facing bar, adding in a new bar top and kicker, installing a larger ten-tap beer font, adding a new speaker system, lighting and TVs, plus adding more Australian-inspired decor. That said, the team has been careful not to dilute the spirit of the existing space.
“There wasn’t really anything to fix,” says Pete. “It was pretty much perfect as it was – we just fixed the little elements that make front bars great. The catacombs of this place – the amount of different places that you can find within this venue is epic, right? But it starts at the front bar, with that style. And this is where the service is kicked off. The style of service we’re going to provide is that front bar-style service and that’s carried all the way through the venue.”
The front bar’s beer taps pour a mix of mainstream brews (including XXXX Gold and Guinness) alongside five taps that will rotate through independent breweries from Brisbane and across Australia. The back bar is well provisioned, with a tight list of cocktails riffing on familiar classics.
Most of the team’s elbow grease has been put towards updating The Alliance’s various function spaces, of which there are four. Downstairs you’ll find a wine cellar and private-dining room with room for 14, the industrialised 60-pax Mirror Room and the Actress and the Bishop Bar – a neon-lit 80s-style space named in honour of The Alliance’s former guise. Upstairs sits The Leichhardt Room, a spacious 120-guest room perfect for daytime functions, corporate lunches and conferences.
“[Functions] are going to be a real focus for us,” says Pete. “The different styles of spaces and sizes gives us a lot of flexibility.”
As the team continues to settle in at The Alliance, the crew hopes to establish the venue as the first port-of-call for locals seeking personable service and a curated offering on both sides of the menu. If the quality of the team’s other venues is anything to go by, pub-loving punters have a lot to be excited about.
The Alliance Hotel is now open to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00–10:00 pm – head to The Directory for menu details and other info.