Me: “What does the name ‘Old Growler’ mean?”
Bartender: “Well, the term ‘old growler’ can refer to two things. One is a 2-liter bottle of beer and the other is a woman’s vagina. We just liked the name and thought it fit”.
There are a lot of unusual names given to new bars and The Old Growler is no different. You’ll find this new underground bar on William St, on the left side of the street as you’re walking to the iconic Kings Cross Coke sign. It used to be a backpacker hangout called Down Under Bar that you probably walked past hundreds of times but never looked twice. You could easily walk past the entrance to The Old Growler as well if you missed the hanging light box out front. Walk down the dimly lit stairwell and enter a larger than expected space with stripped back walls, concrete floors, low lights and clean white tiles around the bar. The bartender great you with a warm welcome and will make you feel at home. It’s a nice escape from the craziness of the cross just minutes away.
The Old Growler is a bar first and foremost but that doesn’t mean the food is secondary. The menu features sustainable ingredients with a nose to tail approach. It’s broken down to Bar Food, A Bit More and Pudding. Who doesn’t love pudding?  On this particular occasion I have dinner plans so opt for a few bar snacks and a glass of Pinot Noir from Orange. The chicken liver pate with cucumber jelly is served with homemade beer bread. They make the bread in house and it is delicious. The pork bites with harissa are naughty but tasty. Open Tuesday to Sunday they offer Happy (Two) Hour with their house red, white and Young Henry’s beer on tap going for $5 a pop.
I think The Old Growler has opened just in time for winter. It’s the perfect place to cosy up, I could have easily stayed there all night eating and drinking. There’s a really good vibe in this bar. I just hope they don’t get too popular and I need to queue for my new local.