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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Amy Martin

Volstead Repeal team says 'howdy' to new Mort Street saloon

Canberra - it's time to meet your maker. Peacemaker, that is.

Mort Street in Braddon is now home to a saloon thanks to the team behind Volstead Repeal.

Just 30 metres down the road from the speakeasy-style whisky bar, The Peacemaker Saloon is a different take on whiskey, with the team taking inspiration from their love of Johnny Cash and the Colt 45.

Think country music on the stereo, a desilvered mirror behind the bar, antlers holding the only cowboy hat not worn by staff and "Howdy" spelt out with penny tiles in the entryway. There are even saloon doors leading you to a secret VIP area where you can sip on one of the "signature hooch" cocktails.

As for where the Colt 45s come in, aside from the pair of guns in the Peacemaker logo, it's also the bar's namesake.

The Peacemaker Saloon co-owners, Stu Inger and Paul Heylin ahead of the bar's grand opening. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

"The Peacemaker is in reference to the [nickname of the] Colt 45, which was a pistol in the western times. They would use that for basically mob justice," co-owner Stu Inger says.

"We want to have a big focus on Johnny Cash here - we love Johnny Cash and one of his songs, The Devil's Right Hand references the Colt 45.

"It's one of the concepts that we had in mind for a long time. We were going to do one thing or another, but it was always going to depend on the space that came up. And we saw this come up, and we were like 'Saloon. It's got to be a saloon."

The Peacemaker Saloon focuses on American whiskeys. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

The Peacemaker Saloon - which is in the location that was once Knightsbridge's final location - aims to be a more casual venue compared to Volstead Repeal.

It's part of the reason the bar opens at 4pm rather than 5pm - in a bid to attract the after-work crowds during the week.

But it also comes down to what's on the menu. While Volstead has an extensive range of whiskies from around the world, Peacemaker focuses on the varieties coming out of the United States.

"We have what other bars probably still consider a substantial selection of whiskey that's not American whiskey, so about 20 or 25. And then about 80 to 100 Americans," Inger says.

The Peacemaker Saloon is in the spot once held by Knightsbridge. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

"American whiskey is generally more affordable anyway. And also everything's just a lower price point. So it's just super accessible to everyone.

"I'm a big whiskey fan in general. I love American whiskey because it has a much narrower flavour profile than you'll get from other whiskies around the world. There are quite tight regulations.

"But the flavours are just flavours I really enjoy - everything is generally on the sweeter side. So it's definitely a less complicated or less complex spirit to get into."

The Peacemaker Saloon's grand opening is this weekend. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

When it comes to the food menu, the offering at the moment is split into sandwiches and hearty meals.

On the sandwich side of things, there are offerings fit for any self-respecting cowboy, including a sloppy Joe with cheese beef mince and rich tomato sauce, and South Carolina-style slow-cooked barbecue pulled pork with mayo-less slaw.

For something more substantial there is Frontier chilli - which is hearty beef and kidney beans in a spicy tomato sauce - and taters and links, with three thick beef sausages with buttery mash and house-made bourbon gravy.

The Peacemaker Saloon's grand opening is this weekend. Picture by Elesa Kurtz

"At Volstead, it's more that we try and do something that we find really interesting and do stuff that's never been done before," Inger says.

"We try and depart from doing anything too common that you might have seen elsewhere. And here we just want to make obviously really good drinks, and maybe challenge people's expectations of flavour a little bit but not to the extent we do at Volstead."

The Peacemaker Saloon is open from Wednesday to Sunday. The grand opening is this Saturday, with $13 margaritas, daiquiris and mint juleps. They'll also be giving out hats from 4pm to 6pm.

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