The Double Deuce Lounge is the new bar on the way from the award-winning team behind Sydney’s Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern.
Set to open towards the end of March this year, Double Deuce Lounge takes over the basement site on Bridge street in the Sydney CBD, previously occupied by Bouche on Bridge.
This is the second venue for owner-operators Sebastian Soto, Charlie Lehmann, and Dardan Shervashidze, since opening Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern in 2014. And whereas Rascal is known for its good times and no-nonsense drinks, Double Deuce Lounge will be their take on a cocktail bar (complete with their irreverent sense of humour).
“A little late 60s, early 70s cocktail lounge is what it’s going to be,” says Soto. “it’s like an ode to the beginning of the golden age of porn.”
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“Think of Maybe Sammy, and then 20 years later when we take over,” says Lehmann. “You can see it happening. Like shitty downtown New York, Martin Scorcese, the Stones, us.”
Cocktails and wine will be the focus for the drinks at the 80-capacity bar, with no one particular spirit driving the list. And given Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern t-shirts are everywhere in the Australian bar industry, there’ll be merch for Double Deuce Lounge too.
“We’ll up our game on the cocktails and wine,” says Lehmann, “but it’s still going to be heaps of fun. A lot of soul, funk… and leisure suits. We’re going to have to up our game on merchandise too.”
Considering that the ownership trio has regularly been found behind the bar at Ramblin’ Rascal — and a large part of the reason why they’ve picked up the Bar Team of the Year award at the Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards three times — they’re keen not to drop the ball at their first bar whilst the second gets off the ground.
“We’ll take turns rotating in and out,” Lehmann says, “at the start we’ll be [at Double Deuce Lounge] a lot more. But [Marty] Bailey is here [at Ramblin’ Rascal], our new general manager, making sure it doesn’t burn down.”
As to the name, we’ll let Soto explain. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with [the R-rated 1989 Patrick Swayze film] Roadhouse, but the bar in that is called the Double Deuce. It’s super corny 80s shit, but it’s great,” he says.