Noriel Calub says it's time for the rest of the country to know how good the bars of Canberra are. As the owner of High Jinks, and with a long history in the industry, Calub says it's time to put Canberra on the map.
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High Jinks has been nominated for six awards in the 20th Australian Bartender magazine awards.
"I have this goal to stick it to the rest of Australia, it's time for the Canberra bar scene to be recognised," he says.
"We're pretty stoked because it is supposedly the most nominations a Canberra bar has received in their first year."
High Jinks is in the running for new bar of the year, regional bar of the year, ACT bar of the year and ACT cocktail bar of the year. Calub himself is up for manager of the year and Issey Larcombe has been nominated for host of the year.
The tiny bar is tucked away in New Acton, the perfect place to escape the outside world. Once you find your way down the hidden elevator you are greeted with candlelit tables, an impressive array of local liqueurs and rockabilly music.
Calub said the vision for High Jinks was to be a place where you could lose track of time, catch up with friends, spend date night or host a special celebration; an atmosphere he has certainly created with small intimate tables and soft lighting.
The recognition comes after a tough year for the hospitality industry, which is still impacting Calub today.
"At the moment there's been a slight dip. I feel like a lot of people are quite insecure about coming out," he says.
The re-introduction of mask mandates and border restrictions are also having their toll on the Canberra community.
The awards ceremony will be live streamed on September 21; another loss for the bar community, many of who use the Sydney event to network and strengthen connections.
Calub and his team will instead be watching closely from High Jinks to see if they reap the rewards of a year of hard work.
"I'm proud of the team but I'm not super proud until we take one of these home ... you know anyone can get nominated," he said.
He has plans to keep High Jinks fresh.
"As we approach our second birthday, we're working on a few special ideas to take us to the next level," he said.
The bar opened in October 2019 and has settled into the New Acton area quickly.
"There's a revamp in the area and I feel like everyone is jumping onto that," he said.
High Jinks is one of five Canberra bars nominated this year with Molly, Highball Express, Bar Rochford and Hippo Co all in the mix.
