Award-winning Sydney bar Double Deuce Lounge is back some nine months after it closed its doors on Bridge Street.
The bar is set to open for an eight week pop up run, starting this week on Wednesday 7 October. Double Deuce Lounge — which was the number one bar in NSW at the 2025 Boothby Best Bars NSW Awards — have teamed up with the tailor Mister Mister, and Ross Blainey (who you may know from this story and this story) to bring the popup to life. The popup sees Mister Mister taking over the space during the day, before Double Deuce Lounge kicks off at 5pm and the space becomes a cocktail bar.
Below, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, Double Deuce Lounge co-owner Sebastian ‘Cosmo’ Soto tells us more about what we can expect, why they’re doing it, and what you can expect from the drinks.
BOOTHBY: What’s the big idea behind the popup? Why are you doing this collab with Mister Mister?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: We wanted to do a pop up that’s a little different to others. We also happen to be great friends with Dani from Mister Mister. He is an amazing tailor that even did my wedding suit. Also he originally put us in touch with Aaron from Bitter Phew and really got the ball rolling.
The idea behind it is that our businesses have both been pushed out or gentrified by greedy landlords. So the thought was that Double Deuce and Mister Mister were like 70s businesses downtown and got pushed north up into 70s Spanish Harlem. And as Dani and I are both Latino, the pop up will take a more Nuyorican, pan Latino flair.
BOOTHBY: Tell us about the space - what have you done to give that Double Deuce feel?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: We want to try and make the space feel as much like the original Double Deuce as possible, but this is a collaboration so we aren’t completely taking over.
We brought our stools, some familiar posters and some new ones and the furry walls of course.
BOOTHBY: What’s the idea behind your drinks here - how would you describe the approach you took?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: We have kept some of the Deuce faves such as the fifth best drink on the Boothby Drink of the Year Top 50 last year, the Two In The Pink.
Also the Seabreeze, Full Bush and our Doris Martini of course.
We have split the menu and created four new cocktails that we feel represent this collab.
BOOTHBY: Could you describe one of the new drinks on the list that you love, and tell us a bit about how it came to be?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: For example the Bobby Bonilla, named after a famous baseball player who was signed by the NY Mets. He’d made some deal with them that pays him over a million dollars a year for 20 years even though he was cut.
The drink is a force carbonated twist on an El Diablo, with a fresh in-house made Jamaica cordial, which is a popular drink in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico containing hibiscus, spices and ginger.
BOOTHBY: Tell us about one of the Double Deuce classics and why you’re bringing that back for the popup?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: With names like the Two In The Pink and Full Bush how could we not bring them back to glory?!
But also if you have tried them you know they’re delicious. You gotta give the people what they want.
BOOTHBY: What does a popup menu need to do differently to the usual menu?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: Balance. So we have kept four of our original favourites and created four new ones that we think represent the collaboration.
BOOTHBY: What more can you tell us about plans for a permanent Double Deuce home?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: We are still in the works for a permanent home, but who knows?
BOOTHBY: Tell us who is involved? What are your trading hours?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: [Bar manager] Alicia Clarke, and [co-owner] Charlie Lehmann and I will be in service most nights every Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm until midnight. Dani and Ross will be floating around, helping out and making sure we don’t drown. We open this Wednesday the 7th from 5pm.
BOOTHBY: What is the role that Ross Blainey plays in all of this?
SEBASTIAN SOTO: Well it’s always a pleasure working with Ross. We invited him to be part of this as he’s now gone out on his own. We thought he would be the perfect fit to get this to be bigger than we could have imagined and more than just a regular pop up!
Now Serving... Double Deuce Lounge can be found at 137 Oxford Street, Sydney, beneath specialty beer bar Bitter Phew.
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