An intimate underground bar in Adelaide’s West End, trap., has been recognised for its tasty cocktails and engaging atmosphere at the prestigious Bartender Magazine’s Australian Bar Awards in Sydney.
The 15-seat basement cocktail bar nestled just off the colourful Cold Chisel Laneway in Adelaide’s West End has been awarded the accolade for its innovative approach to cocktails and its contribution to Adelaide’s vibrant hospitality scene.
Founded by industry veteran Lachlan Gunner, he says the bar team is just as important as the cocktails on offer.
“When you first walk into trap. you can expect a warm welcome from one of our friendly bar staff. That connection continues throughout your experience,” Lachlan said.
“Being such a small space where most people sit at the bar, we really get to know the guest, which contrasts with tables further away where if you want can hide in the corner all night.
“It’s one of two things we value; beautiful tasty drinks and having a chat with the bartender, getting to know them throughout the experience.”
Lachlan attributes the team’s passion for friendly service as the reason behind the win – which he says came as a surprise!
“It’s finally hitting me, and it feels awesome to get recognition for a lot of hard work. I’m so proud of everyone who is and was involved,” he said.
“It happened so quickly we didn’t really have time to register at the time! But we are loving the feedback we’ve been getting from people. It has highlighted just how significant this win is.”
trap. ticked the judge’s boxes with their stunning small venue, mouthwatering cocktails and their unique presentation.
The bar’s current menu “Toy Soldiers” (launched at the beginning of this year) was inspired by the graffiti art group who previously occupied the underground space and features five meticulously crafted cocktails, developed over six months.
Lachlan says taking time to create the menu, letting the ideas come to him and lots of taste-testing along the way is how the unique menu came to life.
One eye-catching offering is a cocktail called robot, featuring Suntroy Toki Whisky, matcha, sesame and shochu. The one-of-a-kind beverage is delivered to you by a line-following robotic car, “similar to what kids build in high school,” laughed Lachlan.
“The robot car moves across the bar, along a marked white line, to deliver the drink as the staff are clapping and singing along to encourage the robot on its journey. The whole venue gets involved!” he added.
Lachlan says the basement bar is a fun spot to enjoy tasty cocktails.
“In drink design, we look to trends in other industries, specifically food,” Lachlan noted.
trap. works to actively contributes to the local community by showcasing Adelaide artists and hosting events that feature local talent.
On the last Friday of every month, trap. offers open mic hip hop nights, providing a platform for local artists to perform.
Additionally, they host cocktail classes every Sunday, featuring a weekly special cocktail that highlights local spirits.
“I hope we’ve opened the doors a bit more to new cocktail menus which have a lot more experience at the heart, investing more for the customer above margins,” Lachlan said.
Make sure to bring your colourful pens and pencils because patrons are encouraged to draw on the coasters, which are then displayed on the wall – adding a personal and creative touch to the venue’s atmosphere.
The branding of the bar’s name, trap. – styled in lowercase followed by a period – speaks to the minimalist design of the venue and its product offering.
“I’ve always wanted to open a cocktail bar. It was only a matter of time,” said Lachlan.
Arriving on the Adelaide bar scene in April last year, they’ve quickly made their mark taking out the top SA cocktail bar award at Australian Bar Awards night in Sydney last week, where Lachlan got to rub shoulders with the best in the boozy-business.
“As a magazine, Australian Bartender is something many growing and established bartenders and venues read to keep up to date on industry news and trends,” Lachlan explained.
“Being recognised here is amazingly rewarding and a good sign that what we’re doing at trap. is working.”
The Sydney Bar Awards are held during Sydney Bar Week and are Australia’s most prestigious industry awards. They are organised by Australian Bartender magazine and have been running for 23 of the magazine’s 25 years.
Keeping future plans close to his chest, Lachlan hints that there will be exciting developments on the horizon for trap..
“There’s a bit of pressure following this win for our next menu,” Lachlan said.
“We are gearing up to release a new line of cocktails ahead of New Years to ring in 2025.”
What will that look like? “Watch this space to find out,” he teased.
“We want to do things right, so we need a lot of time to think. We have great, art-related plans, but we’re keeping them pretty close to home for now.”
Lachlan says after winning the state title this year, next year they’ll take on the national competition.
“What I really want is to bring more attention to the Adelaide bar scene. The whole industry here is awesome,” he said.
What: trap.
Where: Basement 96 Currie St Adelaide, enter via Cold Chisel Lane
When: Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Closed, Wednesday & Thursday 6 pm–12 am, Friday & Saturday 4 pm–2 am
Instagram: @trapadl
Website: www.trapadl.com
Find out more, here.
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