A new era for Three Wolves: Cairns’ first small bar finds a new home

Cairns’ first small bar is on the move, but will continue its mission to elevate the city’s cocktail scene now from a new venue with a bar nearly two and a half times the original size.

Cairns' first small bar, 3 Wolves, has relocated to a bigger venue at 13A Spence Street in the Cairns CBD. 3 Wolves co owners Sam Kennis, Andrew Pare, Darren Barber and Grant Buckham now have twice as much bar space, greatly expanding their ranges of whiskys available at the new venue. Picture: Brendan Radke

Tucked away in a quiet laneway, an unassuming spot became Cairns’ first small bar offering a premium cocktail experience for those craving something more personal, intimate, and refined.

Nearly a decade after first opening, Three Wolves has relocated just a few hundred metres from its original home in the heart of the city, following the sale of the building to a hotel developer.

Three Wolves co owner Andrew Paré, prepares a smoke on the water cocktail, with bourbon whisky, cinnamon and bitters smoked with red cedar. Picture: Brendan Radke

Despite the move, The Hospo Group founding partner, Darren Barber, said the heart of cocktail bar will remain the same.

“We’ve really tried to replicate the charm of Three Wolves into the new venue,” he said.

“One of the most exciting things is the new bar so we’ll have more whiskies and a lot more bar seating.”

The journey began in 2016 when three co-founders, Darren Barber, Grant Buckham, and Sam Kennis, came together to form The Hospo Group.

With the addition of Andrew Paré, the group operate six venues in Far North Queensland, including Wolf Lane Distillery, Flamingos Tiki Bar and The Hound.

The new bar is larger in size, with more areas to sit and lounge. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We brought across a lot of textures that are very similar to the old Three Wolves, so the layout will have a similar feel,” Mr Barber said.

With the expansion of the new, larger bar, nearly two and a half times the original size, almost 100 different types of whisky will be added to the already impressive collection.

“We should have 400-plus whiskies here — from Australia, India, Scotland, all around the world,” Mr Barber said.

Preserving the same mysterious, tucked-away feel which helped define its identity, owners chose a location with alleyway entry.

“It’s bittersweet. The new venue is very nice, and we’ve done a lot of things differently … things we would’ve done back then if we’d had the funds and knowledge,” Mr Barber said.

The team spent nearly ten months preparing the fit-out to ensure a quick, seamless transition. Picture: Brendan Radke

Sitting at the heart of what he calls an “entertainment hub,” Mr Barber said the new space keeps the charm and character patrons loved about the original.

The team spent nearly ten months preparing the fit-out to ensure a quick, seamless transition.

“We closed for just three days to move everything across, to ensure minimal disruption to customers,” Mr Barber said.

Cairns' first small bar, Three Wolves, has relocated to a bigger venue at 13A Spence Street in the Cairns CBD. The new bar's entrance is down an alleyway, like the original venue. Picture: Brendan Radke

Three Wolves’ founder added the venue has always kept locals at its core and will continue to keep the drinks flowing seven days a week.

“The reason for opening Three Wolves was there wasn’t anything around like the venues we used to drink at in Sydney. We wanted to create a small bar vibe up here,” Mr Barber said.

One thing is certain the boutique hospitality group is continuing its mission to lift the bar scene in Cairns one well-crafted cocktail at a time.

The new venue, located at 13A Spence Street, Cairns, will open to the public on Thursday afternoon, May 8.

Originally published as A new era for Three Wolves: Cairns’ first small bar finds a new home