Cameron Lee is a big believer in supporting the arts – visual or musical, it is worth celebrating. So deep does his appreciation run that he began hosting underground electronic music events in his father’s warehouse in Milton in order to help foster a similarly minded community and close the distance between artists and audiences. His ethos clearly resonated, as those events evolved to become perpetually popular shindigs for the culturally savvy set. Warehouse 25 is the next step in Cameron’s vision – a newly opened hub for artistic endeavours bolstered by a stellar drinking and dining component. Housed still in his father’s warehouse at 25 Finchley Street, Warehouse 25 is stepping out from the underground and into the limelight with a rustic and charming aesthetic achieved through some tasteful refurbishments. The building’s chic facade harbours more than meets the eye when viewed from the street – behind a set of barn doors sits Warehouse 25’s courtyard dining area, which flows into the moodily lit interior where the venue’s bar, distillery set up (boasting a gleaming 100-litre vodka still and 50-litre gin still), mezzanine dancefloor and DJ area, and underground function and gallery space can be found. Still to come is Warehouse 25’s own bottleshop, which is where guests will be able to pick up a bottle of Warehouse 25’s spirits to take home. Speaking of which …
Warehouse 25’s in-house distillery operation Calm Spirits Co. (a name coined after arranging the first letter of Cameron and his family’s names – his wife Alexis, mum Lyn and dad Mike) will be crafting spirits imbued with relaxing and calming botanicals such as lavender, lemon myrtle and rose petals, which will then filter into Warehouse 25’s cocktail list. In addition to a host of classic concoctions, Warehouse 25’s bar will also sling signatures like the Lavendar Martini (Calm vodka, lavender liqueur and lemon), Ginger & Rhubarb Spritz (Calm gin, ginger liqueur, rhubarb bitters, apple juice, lime and soda), Spiced Ice Tea (Calm vodka, amaro, lemon and spiced honey chamomile tea) and a grapefruit-and-rosemary sour (rosemary-infused Calm gin, grapefruit juice, Peychaud’s bitters and aquafaba). Local craft beers are available in tins and off tap, while a tight wine list features a pet-nat and vermentino from Delinquente Wine Co., chardonnay and rosé from Save Our Souls, and a pinot and a shiraz blend from Jumpin Juice. The venue’s kitchen is keeping bellies full with a menu featuring Italian-inspired share plates (golden chips, arancini, caprese salad, warm olives and burnt broccoli with toasted almonds and lime) and red- and white-base pizzas (ricotta and meatball, prosciutto and pear, pistachio and pumpkin, four-cheese pizza and more). Cameron will continue to amplify the work of Brisbane’s artists through Warehouse 25’s event calendar, bringing together visual artists, musicians and creatives for shows, exhibitions, block parties and other special events.
Warehouse 25 is open seven days a week. For operating hours, menu details and booking links, head to the Stumble Guide.
Images supplied by Warehouse 25, shot by Joseph Byford and Jamie Forson.
