We’ve been interviewing the people behind the award-winning bars from the 2025 Boothby Best Bars program. Today, we’re hearing from George Curtis, co-owner of Milquetoast in Brisbane’s CBD. Here’s what we’re talking about:
- why a cult favourite menu item was cut from the menu, and why it’s making a comeback
- why Milquetoast is emphasising approachability and doesn’t want to be “greedy” in pricing
- the personality trait in young bartenders that is a red flag in hiring
- and what they’re emphasising at Milquetoast to combat the crunch in consumer spending
2025 was a big year for Milquetoast, the wine bar in the Brisbane CBD that picked up two awards at the Boothby Best Bars Queensland awards back in June. The bar, which opened in the midway through 2024, picked up the title for Best New Bar in Queensland presented by Angel’s Envy, as well as the award for Best Bar Eats presented by Estrella Damm — in no small part, we suspect, thanks to the popularity of their excellent chip butty (which we have the recipe for, right here).
Bar manager Aidan Perkins also picked up a nod at the Drink of the Year Awards in December, with his Caspar Milquetoast cocktail landing on the Top 50 Drinks of the Year.
And there is news in said chip butty department: as co-owner George Curtis gets into below, the butty was booted from the menu last year, but it’s making its return from next week.
Below, George — who also owns CBD amaro bar, Before + After — gets into all things butty, unpacks a little about what has made their bar successful over the last 18 months, and gets into how they’re approaching the year ahead.