Two revered international bars, Ghost Donkey (also found in New York City and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas) and GENUINE Liquorette (Fitzrovia, London) will debut in Auckland in Spring 2019, owners AvroKO, the award-winning design and concept firm who are behind many of the world’s most innovative spaces, have announced.
The two concepts will open in Commercial Bay, Auckland CBD’s transformational new hospitality, commercial, and retail precinct, where AvroKO has previously announced they will open a New Zealand outpost of their award-winning NYC and Moscow restaurant, Saxon +Parole.
The food programme across all three venues will be helmed by AvroKO’s Michelin-starred executive chef, Brad Farmerie, who spent a decade working under Peter Gordon in London and who, like the AvroKO partners, has deep ties to New Zealand. With a strong commitment to Auckland and keeping it all in the family, AvroKO are also working on the interiors for the precinct’s InterContinental Hotel.
Ghost Donkey mixologist Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jimenez.
Ghost Donkey is a high-energy, electric Mexican-influenced tequila and mezcal bar with a foodand beverage programme that’s seen it earn much acclaim in the States. Ignacio “Nacho”Jimenez, one of AvroKO’s beloved mixologists and a Mexican-born, New York bar community fixture, will lead the Auckland spot’s cocktail programme. This will take its cues from the bar’s US counterparts: think over 40 styles of mezcal, tequila-laced bottled Mexican sodas, mini Mexican popsicles served in Prosecco, Mole Negronis, Mushroom Margaritas and more. Brad Farmerie, who has collaborated with Nacho for over 15 years, will deliver a food menu focused on Nachos Especiales, a haute version of the classic with ingredients including house made mole and truffles.
GENUINE Liquorette is pioneering an inclusive bar and cocktail culture that is accessible to all. Like its namesake in London, the Auckland bar’s interior will be inspired by American liquor stores and bodegas of the 1970s, with a warm and welcoming aesthetic. The concept of GENUINE Liquorette is centred around demystifying cocktail culture and creating a platform in which everyone can engage, experiment and enjoy cocktails. In addition to top quality beverages as created by famed mixologists, Kiwis can look forward to freshly-made custom bottled cocktails and cocktails on tap that can be enjoyed at the bar overlooking the Waitematā Harbour or taken away and delivered to the home, the bach, or anywhere one fancies. The Auckland location will also feature GENUINE Liquorette’s famous “Cha-Chunker”, a repurposed arbor press that widens the hole of any can of juice or soda to fit a mini bottle of alcohol,creating a unique – and delicious – canned cocktail.
GENUINE Liquorette London.
Ghost Donkey and GENUINE Liquorette are both scheduled to open in Commercial Bay in Spring 2019.
AvroKO is the award-winning design and concept firm specializing in the disciplines of architecture, furniture, lighting, graphics and branding. Established in 2001 in New York City, founding partners Kristina O’Neal, William Harris, Greg Bradshaw, and Adam Farmerie have expanded to offices in San Francisco, Bangkok, and London working on projects in 12 countries and 23 cities worldwide, which have garnered them numerous accolades including 3 James Beard Awards, 8 Hospitality Design Awards, 7 Sleeper AHEAD Awards, 2 HA + D Awards, andthe Lawrence J. Israel Prize. www.avroko.com.
