Queenstown Nightlife

[This is one of many posts submitted live from the 42Below Vodka Cocktail World Cup international cocktail competition. For official event photos, go here. For my photos, go here.]

Here's a quick bar tour through Wellington I did on the third day of the 42Below Vodka Cocktail World Cup 2010. 

I started off at Subculture, one of many small basement bar/clubs in the city. It was also one of many venues playing drum & bass music, apparently the official soundtrack of Queenstown. 

Next up was Skybar, a lounge with clouds on the ceiling and a long cocktail list of mostly sweet-sounding drinks. Iearned from Jacob Briars that because it's between summer and ski season in Queenstown, many of the top bartenders are not around. Skybar has a great selection of beer and wine in addition to the cocktails.

  

We headed from here to a bar called Bunker, an upstairs bar above a small restaurant with a fireplace and leather couches. It was very apres-ski, as as many of the upstairs bars. After that, we headed to Bardeaux, a wine bar with an awesome spirits selection; particularly scotch whisky. I tried the New Zealand-made Mildord Single Malt, which had fruity apple and peach notes, a good amount of smoke, but a very light body. 

The next bar up was called Bar Up. It's an upstairs bar with shag carpet that became the dancefloor when our  group came in, and rafters that became monkey bars for the bartenders. 

   

We finished off the evening at Debajo, a bar we were in the previous night that serves some tiki drinks and a mighty good soundtrack.