A night of cocktails, whisky, bluegrass and blues on Solomon Street.

Sydney saloon Shady Pines is moving into Solomon Street party bar Cry Baby for one night only, as the two venues team up for a night of Cocktails, Bluegrass and Blues on Thursday, 5 September.

The Western-themed drinkery is credited as a pioneer in Sydney’s small bar scene, and it was through a conversation with a Southtrade rep (which distributes Buffalo Trace, Southern Comfort, Sazerac Fireball) that the collaboration came about.

“We’ve got that American vibe, I guess, and we’ve got the same sort of ideals, but they do it a little bit differently to how we do it,” Cry Baby’s founder Jon Di Pinto says.

“They’re absolute pioneers in the scene,” Cry Baby’s general manager Sean Howard continues.

“They changed the game over there and have produced some of the biggest hitting bartenders in Sydney in this point and time.”

While the pink neon and pool table are staying, the Cry Baby team will slightly augment the bar’s fit out to cater to their guests. Candles will replace the bar’s pendant lighting and bowls of peanuts in the shell will be placed throughout – both of which are well known elements of Shady Pines.

The Sydney crew has also programmed blues-folk musician Jimmybay to play live on the night.

The drinks menu has been curated by Shady Pines, and Sean and Jon want to maintain an element of surprise, but the away team is bringing along centrifuge juicers, which means the Shady Pines Booze and Juice – fresh-pressed granny smith apples and a shot of booze – will be on the menu.

“If you go into Shady Pines, every second customer is drinking a Booze and Juice,” Sean says.

“We’ll also be bringing across their two house beers they produce. There’ll be three to four different cocktails available, ranging from over the rocks, neat, boozy drinks, right through to a Fish House-style punch, a little bit tacky but a good-time drink.”

The Shady Pines bartenders will be behind the bar bringing their particular style of service, “which you will see is a little bit more curated around the specialisation around each product, rather than the amped up vibe that you see from the bartenders at Cry Baby,” Sean says.

While the level of service of the night will be more refined, Cry Baby’s raucous heart will still beat throughout the night.

“We don’t just want this to be Shady Pines, we want meet in the middle so you get to experience both at the same time,” Sean says.

“Both bars are very American, very whisky- and beer-aimed, absolutely promote getting loud, having fun, being free of demographic targeting, no scrutiny, no judgement for how you present yourself, who you’re with, how you drink, all of that kind of jazz.”

Shady Pines Saloon’s Cry Baby takeover is happening from 7pm on Thursday, 5 September. More information at the event page.