There are plenty of things to be grateful for at the moment: the cherry blossoms are blossoming, footy finals fever is upon us, Canberra’s coming back to life, and The Bachelor is over!

These are all perfectly valid reasons to go out and celebrate with a couple of drinks – and with a couple of well-deserved long weekends coming up (yay!), why not round up your mates and head out on a bar crawl in our trendy Inner South? Here are six bars you shouldn’t miss on your way through:

The Dock
Kingston Foreshore

Occupying the southern end of the Kingston Foreshore, The Dock makes the most of its prime location by having a great waterfront beer garden and plenty of nautical features inside. And it’s got everything you’d want from a pub – an endless supply of sport on the big screens, live music, good food and ice-cold beer!

Walt & Burley
Kingston Foreshore

Up the other end of the Foreshore is Walt & Burley, where you can stop in for a drink and pay homage to the man who designed our great city. With its stunning views of the lake and buzzing atmosphere, you might be tempted to stay for a while longer and start cocktail hour early…

The Rum Bar
Kingston Foreshore

As one of the Kingston Foreshore’s quiet achievers, The Rum Bar will convert even the most ardent non-rum drinker with their classy selection of rums and great cocktails. They also run hospitality industry nights every Monday with special drink deals and a free shuttle bus that will drop you right off at your front door! It doesn’t get better than that…

Little Brooklyn
Kingston

Tucked away in Green Square is another one of CoCu’s gems, Little Brooklyn. With plenty of booth-style seating and an all-American feel to the bar, they stock a variety of beers from US brewers, including Brooklyn Brewery (where else?!) and their famous Brooklyn Lager, as well as Anchor Brewing from San Francisco, Rio Bravo Brewing from Albuquerque, and Boston’s Samuel Adams.

Joe’s Bar
Kingston

New to Canberra’s bar scene is this stylish little bar and eatery within East Hotel. There’s a strong Italian focus here, which means there’s plenty of Italian wines, beers and liqueurs to choose from (along with a good range of local selections), and their funky décor and styling will make you feel like you’re anywhere but Canberra!

Public Bar
Manuka

Even with Kingston’s expansion, Manuka is still a hub of activity – and much of it is centred around the corner occupied by CoCu Group’s Public Bar. With its laid-back atmosphere and sunny ‘garden’ vibe inside, it’s the perfect place to kick back with good company and enjoy a few drinks.