NOW EXPERIENCING:Frog’s Hollow Saloon
Drinks Directory|Good for groups|Casual catch-up|After work drinks

Frog’s Hollow Saloon

26 Charlotte Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000
Phone
NA
Website
frogshollow.com.au
Instagram
@frogshollowsaloon

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 13 Sep 2022

By
Fiona Donnelly

A handsome heritage building in a once seedy part of Brisbane now hosts a saloon-style bar where the whisky game is strong and the smart cocktails playfully recall the area’s shady past.

Why you goThere’s zero chance of anyone feeling out of place at Frog’s Hollow – just come as you are, and come often. The name of this cool honky-tonk saloon tips its cap to a time when Brisbane was a little less slick and a lot more swampy. It’s not somewhere shiny that you come to see and be seen – although you may spot faces familiar from go-to bars around town. The Hollow’s handsome and historic digs are designed for fun and good times – whether that be at a seat at the bar for a few schooners of XXXX Gold and a friendly yarn with staff, or a nip of an ultra-rare single-release whisky, followed by a few of the house twists on classic cocktails with your best mates. The owners, Peter Hollands, Nick Winter, and David Robinson, are clued-up industry veterans, while staff behind the classic timber bar are chosen for an ability to chat, as well as their skills, so they’re only too happy to shoot the breeze.
Why you stayFrog’s Hollow is the historical name for this part of Brisbane’s CBD, once a red-light district and the city’s Chinatown – a dank, shady place of opium dens and warehouses. Frog’s Hollow Saloon taps into a time when rogues and rascals roamed the streets, everyone came from somewhere else and usually had a tale or two to tell. Its characterful brick building with its beautiful arched sash windows is heritage-listed and the saloon-style interior is big, airy and fittingly straightforward. Ceilings are a mixture of timber and beam, and there’s plenty of exposed brick and timber throughout. Nab a high-top by the window and check those leafy views out onto Charlotte Street, or sink back on the leather banquette. But, really, Frog’s Hollow is all about the bar. You need to go up to order so why not sit a while and have a chat about the bottles neatly lined up on the up-lit shelves? You might discover a Brisbane gin distiller you’d never heard of, or a whisky from somewhere you didn’t know was on the malt map. The playlist swings from country to ’60s and ’70s classic indie rock during quieter times, but expect it to always make its presence felt.
What drink to orderThe whisky game is strong here, with some obscure independent offerings. But the cocktails at Frog’s Hollow are also worthy of attention. Most take their names from businesses that used to operate nearby in days gone by, many gleaned from an 1880s telephone directory. The Copper & Brass, for instance, is a whisky-fuelled take on the Cosmopolitan, mixing Sazerac Rye, dry vermouth, fig and pomegranate with a sprinkle of pepper to finish. The AJ Carmichael features Naked Grouse whisky with rhubarb, Golden Eight pear eau-de-vie and cardamom, while the Tommy Brown delivers a playful blend of Herradura Plata tequila, apple and a sprinkling of five-spice and kaffir lime. Tap beers include Guinness, XXXX Gold, and Geezer Pleaser extra-special bitter, and Voodoo Ranger IPA along with a Hard Fizz Orange and Mango Seltzer.
What to pair it withBread and dripping sounds suitably 19th century. Here, though, the buttery beef fat is whipped until creamy and served with bread baked by Jamie Fleming of laneway destination Alba Bar & Deli. Fleming, a one-time MasterChef competitor, looks after the Hollow’s food. That includes the likes of top-notch sardines served in the tin with more of that knockout bread, and classic treats such as pickled eggs with chilli jam, and beef jerky by Bigwig Jerky Co. Or you could do worse than grabbing a roast-beef sanga with piccalilli – and, yes, that beef is the very same that provides the dripping. 
Why we love itFrog’s Hollow is a return to the bar without gimmicks. Its aim is to be a quality watering hole for the neighbourhood – and you can’t help but admire that.
Regular’s tipIf you’re still sitting at the bar by the end of the night you might be in line for a free handout of chicken and vegetable soup. That’s if there’s any left in the tureen that sits at the end of the bar.
Who to takeAfter-work drinks in the city never looked this much fun before. Bring your mates, bring visitors, bring your visitors’ mates. Who knows? Your date might even like it. 
Authour image
Fiona DonnellyFood writer Fiona Donnelly turned her love of bars and restaurants into a career – and she’s still pinching herself.
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Drinks DirectoryCasual catch-upA+ spirits listGood for groupsKiller cocktailsBrisbaneBarParty vibesAfter work drinksRecently opened
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