One of Sydney’s most compelling spots to drink, with an unstoppable creative streak.
When PS40 burst onto the scene in 2016, Sydney had never seen anything like it. Sure, there were plenty of cocktail bars, but none that doubled as a small-scale soda factory, churning out bottles of house-smoked lemonade and ginger beer flavoured with pimentos and blackstrap molasses.
In the time since, PS Soda has evolved into a brand all of its own, with a dedicated off-site production plant and an ever-increasing presence in venues across the country. And the bar where it all began has gone on to become one of Australia’s most respected and awarded drinking destinations, for fans of the hard and the soft stuff alike.
Big flavours and next-level technique have been the focus from the get-go, with plenty of wit and whimsy thrown in for good measure. Take the drink called the Jean Claude Pandan, for instance, which featured on the opening cocktail list and combined pineapple, pandan-infused rum and Ceylon tea with coconut water and whey. Clever, complex and captivating, all wrapped up in a reference to everyone’s favourite Belgian martial artist, Jean-Claude Van Damme.
What continues to distinguish PS40, though, is a vision that extends far beyond its four walls. Collaboration, in particular, has been key to its success – whether teaming up with Never Never Distilling Co in the Adelaide Hills to release an aquavit, or creating a cacao husk and cherry blossom soda with the help of Sydney chocolatier Meltdown Artisan. New and exciting ideas are constantly taking shape at this small but mighty bar, and that’s the reason to keep heading back.
Set foot in this mostly black and white, warehouse-like space just off King Street in the city’s beating heart, and certain things are guaranteed: the lights will be dim, the playlist will be bass-heavy no matter the genre, the welcome both warm and inviting. When it comes to the drinks, however, the only thing you can expect is the unexpected.
At PS40, the Negroni is no ordinary Negroni – it’s a Breakfast Negroni, served in a mug and spiked with banana bread, coffee and tonka beans. A far-out mixture of fermented rice, manzanilla sherry and peach oil, meanwhile, arrives in a metal pan, garnished with a block of honeycomb. Sage and sweet potato might even find their way into a Rye Whiskey Sour. The moral of the story is no matter how wild it sounds, it always makes sense in your mouth.
The temptation to try each and every drink on offer is real, and it’s a testament not only to the degree of imagination on display, but also to the inclusive and hospitable brand of service from owner and co-founder Michael Chiem and his crew. Show even a glimmer of interest in whatever’s happening behind the bar, and Chiem may very well offer you a taste of something he’s currently tinkering with – in a miniature glass from his own personal collection, no less. They’re always happy to have you, and that always makes you happy to be there.
