Poppies Southbank · Little Stanley Street

COCKTAILS
OF THE
MONTH

Every month we put two cocktails in the spotlight. This month it's our Aperol Margarita and Mango Pina Colada — two of the most-ordered drinks at the bar right now. We've written up the recipes so you can try them at home, but honestly, they taste better when someone else makes them.

Book a Table Available in May at Poppies Southbank

Two cocktails · Two recipes · One bar

Aperol Margarita at Poppies Southbank — amber crystal glass with dried lime garnish, South Bank fairy lights in background
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Cocktail of the Month01

APEROL MARGARITA

The Aperol Margarita is what happens when you take a classic margarita and give it a bitter-sweet Italian twist. The Aperol softens the sharpness of the lime and adds a distinctive orange flavour — refreshing, a little unexpected, and very easy to drink.

Ingredients

  • 45mlAperol
  • 15mlTriple sec
  • 30mlFresh lime juice
  • 10mlSugar syrup
  • —Salt rim
  • —Dried lime wheel to garnish

Method

  1. 01

    Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and press into flaky salt.

  2. 02

    Add Aperol, triple sec, lime juice, and sugar syrup to a shaker with ice.

  3. 03

    Shake hard for 15 seconds until very cold.

  4. 04

    Strain over ice into your salted glass and garnish.

Fresh lime makes a real difference here. Squeeze it just before you use it — bottled lime juice is noticeably flatter.

Cocktail of the Month02

MANGO PINA COLADA

A tropical twist on the classic pina colada, using Captain Morgan's mango and pineapple rum as the base. Rich, cold, and genuinely refreshing — the kind of drink that makes a Tuesday feel like a Friday.

Ingredients

  • 45mlCaptain Morgan Mango & Pineapple Rum
  • 20mlFresh lime juice
  • 20mlMango Monin syrup
  • 20mlCoconut cream
  • —Crushed ice
  • —Dried orange wheel to garnish

Method

  1. 01

    Add rum, lime juice, mango syrup, and coconut cream to a shaker with plenty of ice.

  2. 02

    Shake vigorously for 20 seconds — or blend if you prefer a smoother texture.

  3. 03

    Pour into a chilled glass over crushed ice.

  4. 04

    Garnish with a dried orange wheel and serve with a straw.

Crushed ice works better than cubed here — it chills the drink faster and gives it that proper tropical bar texture.

Mango Pina Colada at Poppies Southbank — crystal glass with salt rim and dried lime garnish, South Bank fairy lights in background
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Use fresh lime

Both cocktails use lime juice. Fresh squeezed makes a noticeable difference — bottled lime is flatter and less bright.

Chill your glass

Pop your glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before pouring. It keeps the drink colder for longer.

Shake properly

Both drinks need a hard shake — at least 15 seconds. It aerates the cocktail and gets it cold enough to dilute correctly.

The best cocktails in Southbank, Brisbane

Poppies is a cocktail bar and restaurant on Little Stanley Street, South Bank — one of Brisbane's most visited precincts. Our cocktail menu rotates monthly, keeping a core of classics alongside two cocktails of the month that reflect what our bartenders are excited about. This month it's the Aperol Margarita and the Mango Pina Colada, both available at the bar or as an addition to any table booking throughout May.

If you're looking for cocktails near QPAC, a drink before a show at BCEC, or just a good bar on Little Stanley Street, we'd love to have you. Walk-ins are always welcome.

Poppies Southbank · Little Stanley Street

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Recipes are great. But they taste better when someone else makes them.

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