Little Blood

Cute, moody little tequila bar hidden above Kodiak Club. Intimate but buzzy atmosphere, the bar keeps their list tidy — sticking to all things tequila with a side of Mexican beer.
They also serve corn chips and hot wings if you need a bite to eat.

I am not a huge tequila fan, until recently I hated the stuff! This being said, Little Blood has won me over! Tucked away above the Kodiak Club, with no signage whatsoever, you have to manœuvre around bourbon swilling patrons downstairs and clamber up a rustic staircase, finally arriving at a set of saloon doors that you get to barge through as if you were a gun toting cowgirl ready to pull out your six shooter and blast any empties away as a sign to the barkeep you’re ready for more.
Or maybe that’s just me, besides, the way that RSA laws have evolved both here and at the wild west frontier over the last 300 years it is more likely that if you shoot your empty shot glass the modern day bartender will cut you off…
Barging through the saloon doors to Little Blood I was more than happy to announce my need for a sneaky beverage by sitting at the bar and gingerly asking the wonderful bartender to guide me through the pages and pages of different types and styles of tequila. After what must have been ten minutes of attention from the bartender I settled on a reposado to sip with a side of Sangrita (Little Blood in Spanish and the name sake of the bar).
It was an absolutely delightful sipper and I decided to try another. Once both were finished and I had still managed to resist the urge to shoot the empties it was suggested that I try a Tommie’s Margarita… Dangerous. This is where, had I been smarter, I would have politely declined and decided to try this dangerous concoction another day. I’m not particularly smart.
Several Tommie’s later and fortunately a plate of corn chips and salsa, we progressed to shots, one for me and of course, out of sheer politeness, one for the host. By this stage we had moved to house tequila, surprisingly, house tequila here is Tromba and is rather easy on the throat.
I ended up stumbling out of my new friend Little Blood (which can be precarious as you do have to walk down stairs to exit) and realising that the sun was not long from rising and that I was in no shape to great it. Needless to say, this bar makes it onto the list «Remember arriving, not so much leaving…»

Best New Bars 2012
BY SHARKING FOR CHIPS AND DRINKS
I am sick of paying $ 18 plus for a run-​of-​the-​mill cocktail. No matter what your skillset is — don’t try and convince us that 3 – 4 minutes of your time and the ingredients are worth that much. I want a super-​duper experience if I am going to dapple in the dark side of mixology and the prices that come with it. I am as enthusiastic about shabby local bars as I am destination venues and everything in between. One type is not ‘better’ than another, it all just depends on what you are looking for. So how do I recognise if I am in one of these magical places? Community, passion, atmosphere and overall execution. These are a few joints I cherish:
This relatively undiscovered tequila bar, sitting above the whisky emporium that is Kodiak Club on Brunswick Street, is definitely one to watch. Last year’s Mexican wave of restaurants might be fading out (apart from the decent ones — Radio Mexico, Chingon and Touché Hombre all look set to stay — with the latter opening a new venue on St Kilda’s Acland Street soon), but if there’s one thing we would like to keep a hold of it is the tequila. Shots for sipping are served with little glasses of sangrita (little blood — tomato juice, chilli and spices) and verdita (little green — coriander, mint, jalepenos, pineapple and lime juice). No flavour-​crushing sprinkles of salt or wedges of lemon here. Swing in a one-​person hammock and gaze up at the sombrero-​studded ceiling. The tequila-​based cocktails and food aren’t bad, either.

Little Blood can be found on the first floor of Brunswick Street’s Kodiak Club. It specialises in Tequilla-​based cocktails, with its favourite being the Tequilla Tromba and you can be sure to experience mexico’s national drink in a totally different dimension when you head over there.
I’d been to Little Blood before for an Elite event. It was held on a Sunday and what a ripper of a day it was as well — nice, warm and sunny. I liked it, it was a cool place to hang out and chill on comfy hammocks while admiring sombreros that hung from the ceiling and posters of mexican wrestlers on the walls.
However, returning at night this time, I was really amazed — with its candlelit interior, Little Blood felt warm and intimate; the perfect ambience for post-​dinner drinks if you were on a date.
If you’re after something a little different, then give Little Blood a try. I know I know. Brunswick Street’s blesses with awesome cocktail bars but none of them will give you a Tequilla experience the way Little Blood will.

One of my current favourite bars… whilst the selection isn’t huge they do well with what they have. The atmosphere, candle lit with a sombrero covered roof and chair swings in the corner is a winner.

When you go to Kodiak Club you don’t realise that there’s a bar upstairs and it is a separate bar with its own personality, patrons, and drinks (and lots of tequila).
I just remember the bartender saying something about tequila so I went upstairs. I’m a huge fan of tequila (who isn’t really?) and the people I was with are huge fans of Tecate in a can (I’m not a fan of anything in a can). When I arrived, it had just opened, but the tequila list was impressive and would be expanding.
My favourite favourite thing about the tequila was it was actually served with sangrita. I think most Mexican/​inspired bars do serve their tequila with sangrita, but I’ve gone into a few where I’ve asked for sangrita and they’ve given me a blank stare. But yes… Little Blood does serve sangrita with its tequila. Great in my book.
Also, they have seats that hang from the ceiling.