Caretaker: The hidden cocktail bar in downtown Auckland

Nestled on Customs Street in Britomart, Caretaker is in plain sight but is easily missed.

Caretaker is a cocktail bar founded in 2016 by Alastair Walker and Heather Garland. Instead of providing menus, the bar crafts cocktails tailored to customers’ drinking and taste preferences.

Walker said Caretaker has always attracted an older demographic, as it offers a more high-end style of drinking.

“Those with spare cash don’t tend to be the younger generation.

“I think the idea of speakeasies . . . that style is appealing to the younger generation,” he said.

Instead, Caretaker was inspired by traditional cocktails invented in famous hotel bars and reflects that era through both its drinks and décor.

“We wanted to do something similar but without the pomp . . . we wanted a working-class version of those,” he said.

Caretaker’s cocktails are a modern spin on traditional classics.

“When a brief for a flavour profile doesn't quite match one of those classics, we tend to make something up, but within that classic kind of frame.

"Our list of drinks is about 3000,” he said.

Walker said that although the bar was designed like a traditional speakeasy, Caretaker was not one.

“We have a name on the door. There's no password. And that's down to the idea that we don’t want to alienate anyone,” he said.

The head of communications and advocacy at Hospitality New Zealand, Sam Mackinnon, said changing drinking habits were leading customers to unique bars.

“That does drive people more towards experiential venues and tasting experiences.

“If you're not going out for that many drinks, you want to make sure the drinks you do have are enjoyable,” he said.

Mackinnon said it was important for Auckland to have a diverse nightlife that offered different experiences.

“There is definitely more of that search for experience-led cocktails and dining at that end of the hospitality spectrum.

“[It] does kind of push people more into cocktails, craft beer, boutique wines, and that sort of flavour-driven craft.”

Freya Hunter, a student at AUT, said she did not go out as much as she used to.

When she did get out, she was usually willing to spend around $100 and enjoyed the Caretaker atmosphere.

“You chat more, rather than at a regular bar where you might dance. At Caretaker, you're encouraged to have conversations with people.

"I do really like Caretaker, and I like the fact that it's different,” she said.

Olyvia Kaufusi, another AUT student, said she didn't drink due to religious beliefs, but hds noticed a shift in drinking styles among her peers.

“I feel like it's normalised to go out drinking once you turn 18.

“It depends on their opinions, their views, and what they believe in,” she said.

Walker said people were becoming more aware of their alcohol consumption.

“Everyone's standard knowledge of alcohol is increasing,” he said.

The latest Stats NZ data from 2025 showed the average number of standard drinks consumed in New Zealand per person per day was 1.6, a decrease of 8.4 per cent from 2024.

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Our journalists sometimes use AI tools which are checked by humans for accuracy.

AI was used to transcribe audio from the interview.