From the owners of Brisbane’s legendary live-music venue The Zoo, Stranded has a punk-rock heart and a mezcal mindset, serving up Mexican-accented cocktails with a come-as-you-are vibe.
Stranded’s entrance is relatively easy to find – look for the pink neon sign in a shadowy alcove furnished with an armchair and record rack, then climb the stairs to a low-lit space of distressed brick walls and louvre windows looking over Brisbane back streets.
Named for The Saints album and song “(I’m) Stranded”, the bar has an eclectic interior decked out with religious paraphernalia including a showpiece shrine to the Virgin Mary complete with blazing battery-operated candles. Framed posters from famous local gigs vie for attention with religious icons and photographic portraits of rock royalty, including The Saints lead singer Chris Bailey and Chrissy Amphlett of Divinyls fame. The bar, its tall shelves stocked generously with liquor bottles, is lit like an altar and lined with stools upholstered in blood-red leather.
At weekends, DJs spin vinyl tracks spanning punk, post-punk, rock and soul. “You won’t hear nu-metal or anything like that,” says co-owner Cat Clarke. “And probably no techno or dance music – ever.”
The religious theme ties in nicely with the Mexican-accented drinks menu, which reflects the mezcal and tequila tastes of co-owners Boo Johnston and Shane Chidgzey. The Casa Margarita is easily the most popular cocktail on offer, made either with tequila or mezcal. House cocktails include the Oro Caliente (“hot gold”), a mix of Arette Blanco tequila and Cointreau with Stranded’s own spicy mango syrup and pulp. There’s also the Saint Carajillo, which blends Nuestra Soledad mezcal, Licor 43 liqueur, Pedro Ximénez sherry, espresso and chocolate bitters into an Aztec version of the Espresso Martini. Other signature cocktails include Galgani’s Passion – spiced and dark rums muddled with passionfruit, dragonfruit and Chambord raspberry liqueur – and the Santo Llorando, a tequila-forward version of a Bloody Mary.
There are a couple of beers on tap and more than a dozen local and imported brews by the bottle, such as Mexico’s malty Negra Modelo. The compact wine list includes three natural sparkling wines for progressive drinkers, but the emphasis here is firmly on agave rather than grape. The lengthy mezcal menu includes offerings from renowned distilleries such as Bozal and El Jolgorio alongside noteworthy tequilas and the agave-adjacent spirits sotol and raicilla.
Stranded’s straightforward menu features plates that are easy to eat and, importantly, share. Snack options include fries with aioli, olives and dips, crunchy schiaffoni (think big rigatoni) stuffed with lemony ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and cured meats for no-fuss eating with friends.
Half a dozen pizzas range from the mezcal-friendly Mexicana topped with chilli con carne and crushed tortilla chips, to more authentic offerings of pepperoni or prosciutto and creamy burrata cheese. The sole vegetarian option – aside from the quattro formaggi, or four cheeses – features capsicum, mushroom and olives.
For a sugar hit, there’s affogato, the Italian ice-cream and espresso dessert, prepared with chocolate or pecan liqueur, and Spanish doughnuts with a mezcal and rich dulce de leche sauce.
