What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 4pm - 11pm Wednesday 4pm - 11pm Thursday 4pm - 11:15pm Friday 4pm - 12:30am Saturday 4pm - 12:30am Sunday 4pm - 10pm

Kismet Cocktail & Whisky Bar

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Kismet Cocktail & Whisky Bar

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A late night Cocktail & Whisky bar in the heart of Nelson CBD. Nelson's largest Whisky selection an

04/11/2026

COMING SOON TO A COCKTAIL BAR NEAR YOU.
No streaming. No spoilers. No Pop-up Ads.
Just a whole lot of 80s, 90s and early 2000s movie nostalgia, served with a generous splash of Kismet.

BE KIND REWIND IS BACK.
And this time, we're giving you a chance to win a night at the movies. Well, sort of. The drinks are better and there's no one kicking the back of your seat.

HERE'S THE PLOT TWIST.
Throughout this trailer are cocktails inspired by some absolute cinematic classics.

Think you know your movies?

Name ALL the films referenced in this reel in the comments below, and you'll go into the draw to win a night out at Kismet for TWO, on us, enjoying our brand-new Be Kind Rewind cocktail menu.

TO ENTER:

Follow both Kismet Cocktail & Wh**ky Bar and Innit Creative on Instagram.

Name ALL the films referenced in this reel in the comments below.

We'll draw one lucky winner at the end of next week, Friday 13 November.

No late fees. No membership cards. Just good old-fashioned movie magic.

BE KIND. REWIND. DRINK UP.
Now showing at Kismet Cocktail & Wh**ky Bar.
T&Cs apply. One winner drawn from eligible correct entries. Prize is for two adults aged 18+ and includes a hosted experience from our new cocktail menu, subject to responsible service of alcohol. Prize is not redeemable for cash. This promotion is not sponsored or administered by Instagram

29/10/2026

You better watch out - our Christmas events are coming in hot with this Hendricks Master Class officially out first event of the season 🎄

A Curious Affair with Hendrick’s - Gin, Chocolate & a Little Mischief at Kismet

Some things are simply better together. Gin and chocolate, for example. Add a little Hendrick’s eccentricity, a celebrated chef and the rather fabulous surroundings of Kismet, and you’ve got yourself a very special occasion indeed.

Join us for an intimate, two-hour experience celebrating the wonderfully curious world of Hendrick’s Gin, including an introduction to their intriguing new release, Another Hendrick’s.

We’ll begin with a beautiful welcome cocktail before taking you through the art of creating two exceptional gin cocktails, sharing a few tricks of the trade and discovering what makes this rather unusual gin so special.

We’re delighted to be joined by renowned chef Kevin Hopgood, who will guide you through a hands-on chocolate-making masterclass. Beautiful ingredients, a little culinary magic and something wonderful to take away from the experience.

Your afternoon of indulgence includes:

* A Hendrick’s welcome cocktail on arrival
* An exploration of the new Another Hendrick’s Gin
* Two expertly demonstrated gin cocktails
* A chocolate-making masterclass with chef Kevin Hopgood
* Delicious light canapés throughout the experience
* Plenty of opportunity for questions, conversation and a little gin-inspired discovery
* A full 700ml bottle of Hendrick’s Gin to take home!

Whether you’re coming with friends, treating someone special, gathering a few colleagues for a rather fabulous Christmas outing or simply fancy an afternoon of indulgence on your own, you’re very welcome.

Places are deliberately limited to keep the experience intimate, relaxed and wonderfully personal.

Tickets $200 per person | Approximately two hours
Ticket link in bio 🎄

28/09/2026

The final two Cheese Clubs of 2026 are here! We’ve had an absolutely incredible year and have loved every minute of our journey around the world in cheese and cocktails and just like that we are approaching the end of 2026 🧀

We know just how quickly this end of the year fills up, so we’ve decided to release our October AND November Cheese Clubs at the same time - giving you plenty of time to get them in the diary.

🇳🇿 October - New Zealand in Bloom
We’re celebrating NZ Cheese Month and feasting on the bounty of Aotearoa, with beautiful New Zealand cheeses, local flavours and a little something special the deep down south in your glass!

🎄 November - Deck the Boards
Our festive finale! Virginnia & Kymberly will be sharing their tips and tricks for creating beautiful Christmas platters, from styling an abundant board to those quick little additions that deliver maximum flavour and wow factor. Plus, you’ll get the first taste of “Kiss Me” by Kismet - Cocktails to Go, launching just in time for Christmas.

The Humanatix link is in our bio or pop in to see Virginnia at Cooks Corner for your tickets x

22/09/2026

Maker’s Mark deserves a little more room to move than just bourbon & Coke.

One of the things we love about Maker’s is how well that softer, wheated bourbon profile works in cocktails. There’s plenty of vanilla, caramel and oak, but without an aggressive spice character taking over everything around it. That makes it incredibly versatile behind the bar.

At the moment we’re using Maker’s across three very different drinks on our specials menu:

Iris Rose
Maker’s Mark, mint, lime, sugar, bergamot and a spritz of Hendrick’s Flora Adora.
Our springtime take on a Collins - bright, floral, refreshing and long. We love the Collins format because it gives a wh**ky room to breathe. Citrus, sweetness and length don’t hide the spirit; they open it up.

Harvest Moon
Green apple-infused Maker’s Mark, lemon, Licor 43, egg white and cinnamon.
Our apple-pie-inspired wh**ky sour. Sours are one of our favourite ways to drink bourbon: acidity cuts through the richness, the egg white gives texture, and those vanilla and caramel notes suddenly start behaving a lot like dessert.

Come Monday
Maker’s Mark, Cynar, whisked brownie liquor, coffee liqueur and bitters.
The darker end of the spectrum - bitter, coffee-driven, chocolatey and rich. Proof that the same bourbon that works beautifully in something fresh and floral can hold its own against some seriously big flavours.

We have three expressions of Maker’s Mark, from the familiar softness of the original, through the additional oak influence of Maker’s 46, to the bigger, undiluted intensity of the cask strength.

I am still scratching my head to figure out how the hell Mint found its way back onto the menu.. why not pop.in and grab a Makers Mark Suffering Bastard why it's still here.

Makers Mark

19/09/2026

Next week is that time of year again… Negroni Week.
21st–27th September.

We’ve had a bit of a hiatus from taking part in recent years, but at the last minute we decided to jump back on board - especially as this year money raised will be supporting Slow Food International.

Alongside a special Negroni Week menu, we’ve got a few exciting things planned, including an Italian Cheese Evening, served alongside Americanos and Negronis, plus a Negroni Workshop where you’ll even get to take home a bottle of Campari.

And yes… we have an off-licence now.

More event details coming this weekend.

Watch this space.

Campari New Zealand

18/09/2026

THE IRIS ROSE

A springtime floral Collins created in tribute to Margie Samuels, the woman whose creative vision helped transform not only Maker’s Mark, but the way bourbon presented itself to the world.

While Bill Samuels Sr. worked on the wh**ky, Margie gave Maker’s Mark its identity, creating the name, designing the distinctive bottle and label, and developing the hand-dipped red wax that remains one of the most recognisable signatures in wh**ky. Her influence extended beyond the bottle, helping preserve the beauty of Star Hill Farm and pioneering the idea that a bourbon distillery could be a destination as well as a place of production.

Our Collins takes its cue from that same sense of elegance and creativity: Maker’s Mark lengthened into a bright, floral and refreshing spring serve, soft, fragrant and unmistakably bourbon at its heart.

A glass raised to a woman who truly made her mark.

10/09/2026

HARVEST MOON

Jasper's apple pie take on a classic Wh**ky Sour.

There’s a reason Maker’s Mark works so well here. Its mash bill is 70% corn, 16% soft red winter wheat and 14% malted barley, using wheat in place of the rye traditionally found in bourbon. The nod to the barley and Scotch wh**ky is in the name: see Marker's Mark will be one of the only American Whiskies you will find that spells wh**ky without the 'e'.

That soft red winter wheat gives Maker’s its rounder, sweeter character, alongside notes of vanilla, caramel, fruit and gentle spice, pretty much everything we wanted sitting underneath fresh apple and cinnamon.

And there’s a nice bit of history behind it too. When Bill Samuels Sr. was developing Maker’s Mark, he tested different mash bills by baking them into bread rather than waiting years to distil and mature each recipe.

So taking Maker’s Mark back into the kitchen and building an apple pie-inspired Sour around it somehow feels rather appropriate.

Fresh apple. Cinnamon. Maker’s Mark. Licor 43.
Shaken hard and served up.

The Harvest Moon.

**kySour

10/09/2026

We didn’t need much convincing that Midnight Margaritas needed to be firmly on the menu at Kismet.

Whether you’re heading to Practical Magic 2 tonight or saving your little bit of magic for another night, we’ve got you covered.

The lime is in the coconut. We’ve flicked the switch.
The cauldron is bubbling. The Midnight Margs are ready.

Gather your Coven x

01/09/2026

Save that date...

29/08/2026

APPLETON ESTATE 15 YEAR OLD

Some rums are made for mixing.
Some deserve a little more time in the glass.

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks is one of those bottles.

Rich, beautifully structured and seriously complex, with layers of orange peel, toasted oak, warm spice, vanilla, dried fruit and deep molasses, all carried by that unmistakable Jamaican character.

It still has the energy and personality you want from Appleton, but with the extra depth and polish that only time in cask can bring.

This is the sort of rum that reminds you just how serious great rum can be.

Best enjoyed slowly, preferably with nowhere else to be.

Appleton Estate Rum
JamaicanExcellence SipResponsibly WeAreRumPeople

Address

151 Hardy Street
Nelson
7010

Opening Hours

Tuesday	4pm - 11pm
Wednesday	4pm - 11pm
Thursday	4pm - 11:15pm
Friday	4pm - 12:30am
Saturday	4pm - 12:30am
Sunday	4pm - 10pm

Website

http://www.kismet.co.nz/

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