For one night only, the Paddo Inn will dim the lights and set the stage for Cocktails & Crime Stories, an intimate evening where history, mystery and mixology come together under candlelight.
Hosted by crime historian Max Burns-McRuvie, the event will uncover dark stories of 19th-century Sydney through a series of true crime tales paired with cocktails inspired by the city’s murky past.
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While sipping a Bloody Berry Spritz, Eye-chee Martini and The Missing Cherry, guests will be guided through a chilling retelling of Sydney’s most unsettling stories. From the Pyrmont Bridge Stalker to the homicidal housewife of Botany Bay and the bigamist butcher of Sussex Street, Max traces the twisted lives and grim endings that once filled the city’s headlines, many concluding at the hangman’s noose in Darlinghurst.
Food will come courtesy of Il Baretto, with Italian canapés adding warmth to the night. Dishes include homemade focaccia with rosemary, fennel salami with seasonal fruit compote and rigatoni alla Norma.
The event follows the Paddo Inn’s popular experiential nights, including the sold-out Wine & Crime in March and Tarot & Tannins in July, both of which brought storytelling and atmosphere to the forefront.
For true crime fans, history lovers, or anyone after something a little different on a Monday night, this is a rare chance to experience Sydney’s darker stories up close, with a cocktail in hand.
What: Cocktails & Crime Stories
Where: Paddo Inn, 338 Oxford Street, Paddington NSW 2021
When: Monday, 24 November from 7pm
Cost: $60 per person. Includes three cocktails, canapés and storytelling