Back

Mooloolaba speakeasy gives non-drinkers the full show as more young adults skip alcohol

Sunny Comms

Key Facts:

• Mooloolaba speakeasy Hid Den is giving non-drinkers the full cocktail experience, with liquid nitrogen, foams and colour-changing drinks, as more young Australians choose to skip alcohol.

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show nearly one in four Australians aged 18 to 24 did not drink in 2022–23, up from around one in eight in 2007.

• Bartender Ms Reilly, named in Drinks World’s Top 100 Bartenders Australia in 2025 and 2026, said some drinks were created alcohol-free before spirits were considered. For those drinks, the mocktail is the original recipe.

• The menu includes Chasing Waterfalls, a Tom Collins twist that changes from blue to violet, and The Pink Oracle, a Paloma twist topped with Tajin air, alongside classics made with non-alcoholic spirits.

• Co-owner Dean Mariani said everyone gets the full show at the 20-seat venue in Mooloolaba’s Mantra building, whether they are the designated driver, pregnant, training or simply choosing not to drink.

Mooloolaba speakeasy gives non-drinkers the full show as more young adults skip alcohol

Mooloolaba speakeasy Hid Den is serving its mocktails with the same liquid nitrogen, foams and colour-changing theatre as its cocktails, as more young Australians choose not to drink.

The latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures, from 2022-23, show nearly one in four Australians aged 18 to 24 don't drink, up from about one in eight in 2007.

Bri Reilly, Hid Den’s venue manager and drinks program lead, who was named among Drinks World’s Top 100 Bartenders Australia in both 2025 and 2026, said some of the bar’s drinks were designed alcohol-free before a spirit was ever added.

"We wanted those drinks to stand on their own first, and we only looked at adding alcohol once they worked," Ms Reilly said.

"So if you order one without alcohol, you're having the original, and that's a long way from juice in a fancy glass. The nitrogen, the foams and the clarifying do the work a spirit normally would, so you still get the body, the texture and the show.

"Drinks should be relatable, fun and delicious, and that doesn't change because there's no alcohol in the glass."

The menu lists mocktails including: Chasing Waterfalls, a twist on a Tom Collins made with basil, lemon and oolong that shifts from blue to violet as butterfly pea flower tea hits the glass, and The Pink Oracle, a Paloma twist built on ruby red grapefruit and lime with a Tajin air on top. Guests can also order classics made with non-alcoholic spirits, including the coconut-crowned amaretto sour, a Dark and Stormy and a spritz made with fresh passionfruit, all built at the bar in front of guests like every other serve.

Co-owner Dean Mariani said the bar wanted every guest to feel part of the show, whatever was in their glass.

"Whether you're the deso for the night, you're pregnant, you're training or you just don't feel like a drink, you get the full service," Mr Mariani said.

"Everyone's welcome. Honestly, it's not that deep, you're here for the show."

Hid Den is a 20-seat speakeasy in the Mantra building in Mooloolaba from the team behind WAT Den, which was named a finalist for Regional Bar of the Year, Whisky Bar of the Year and Tequila Bar of the Year at the 2026 Australian Bar Awards. It opens Thursday to Saturday from 5pm until midnight and takes walk-ins only.

ENDS

About us:

About Hid Den
Hid Den is a 20-seat hidden speakeasy from the WAT Den team, serving experimental cocktails a short walk from WAT Den on the Mooloolaba Esplanade underneath the Mantra Building. Walk-ins only, Wednesday–Sunday, 5pm–midnight. Instagram: hid_den_bar 

About WAT Den
WAT Den is a specialty whisky, tequila and cocktail bar at 105 Mooloolaba Esplanade, Sunshine Coast. Instagram: @wat_den_bar

Contact details:

Lizzie Henebery
M: +61 402 809 650
E: [email protected]