Side Hustle Bar

About Side Hustle Bar

Side Hustle Bar is Morningside's self-styled 'lane bar meets wine cave' — a relaxed neighbourhood spot on McDonald St pouring pretty cocktails, an interesting wine list, Morningcider on tap and a deep bench of Yeastie Boys brews. It's the spiritual home of both Morningcider and Yeastie Boys, and the drinks list leans into it: classic apple cider by the tap or takeaways, hazy IPAs, tasting paddles of five, and a rotating slushy of the week.

Beyond cider and beer, there's a proper cocktail list (from the house Morningside Mule to a Smoked Apple Negroni and an Espresso Martini), wine by the glass and bottle, low- and no-alcohol options, mocktails, and a small sherry and port list for a slow nightcap. Happy hours run twice daily, 4-6pm and 8.30-9.30pm.

Food comes via popup kitchen residencies — most recently the award-winning Smoking Shack, serving smoked BBQ meats, burgers and tacos. The bar is a minute's walk from Morningside train station, about five minutes (700m) from Eden Park, with plenty of street parking, and the team hosts private events with no venue costs.

Side Hustle Bar: Lane Bar Meets Wine Cave in Morningside, Auckland

Tucked down McDonald St in Morningside, Side Hustle Bar calls itself a 'lane bar meets wine cave' — and that's a pretty fair sketch of the place. It's Morningside's most chill bar, built for long catch-ups and easy knock-offs, with pretty cocktails, an interesting drinks list and a rotating food offering that keeps regulars coming back. It's also the spiritual home of two of New Zealand's favourite brews: Morningcider and Yeastie Boys.

That home-brew loyalty shows on the tap list. Morningcider pours in a dozen guises, from the crisp, dry Classic Apple to Strawberry Rosé, Cherry Bomb (rescue cherries, brown sugar and cinnamon) and a sunshine-y Cider Sangria. Yeastie Boys counters with Supafresh, the ginger-biscuit Prejudice IPA, the 6.5% Thirst-Trap hazy IPA and the dainty 2.5% Blokequet pale ale. If choosing is too hard, that's what the paddles are for.

What to order

Start with a paddle — a Yeastie Boys tasting paddle of five beers, a cider paddle of any five Morningciders, or a custom paddle mixing any five beers, ciders or slushies. The Slushy of the Week is a house favourite: a homemade alcoholic slushy with flavours you'll have to ask staff about.

The cocktail list punches above its weight for a suburban local. The namesake Morningside Mule mixes vodka, ginger beer, apple cider, lime and mint; the Smoked Apple Negroni layers Hendrick's gin, campari, smokey apple and cinnamon; and the Espresso Martini is built on Quick Brown Fox coffee liqueur. There are spritzes (Aperol, Hugo, blueberry, limoncello), a playful Pinacolita margarita, and even a Pickle Lemonade. Wine drinkers are well looked after too, with a by-the-glass list running from Marlborough sauvignon blanc to Central Otago pinot noir and a serious bottle list that reaches Dry River and Valli. Low- and no-alcohol options — mocktails, a virgin pink G&T, 0% cider — get genuine menu space, and a compact sherry and port list covers the nightcap crowd.

Food, game days and the neighbourhood

The kitchen side of things comes via popup residencies, most recently the award-winning Smoking Shack, dishing up smoked BBQ meats, burgers and tacos — the kind of thing that pairs dangerously well with a cold pint. Keep an eye on the bar's socials to see who's cooking during your visit.

Location is a quiet superpower here. The bar is a one-minute walk from Morningside train station and roughly 700 metres from Eden Park, which makes it a natural first and last stop on game days — the team famously threw open the doors when the Warriors came to town for a final. Driving instead? There's plenty of street parking.

The vibe

Weekends run long: Saturdays kick off from midday, Fridays and Sundays from 2pm, and Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4pm, all running 'til late. Happy hour lands twice daily, 4-6pm and again 8.30-9.30pm — handy whether your evening starts early or recovers late. Tuesdays bring live soul sessions, Fridays mean a proper wine-down, and winter nights get cosy. Only Mondays are closed.

It's also a genuinely useful events space. The team hosts birthdays, gigs and craft ideas with no venue costs, and bookings can be made online. Whether you're settling in for a paddle of cider, a glass of Central Otago pinot or a pre-match quick one, Side Hustle does the neighbourhood-bar thing with more personality than most.

Signature items

• The Morningside Mule
• Smoked Apple Negroni
• Yeastie Boys Tasting Paddle
• Cider Tasting Paddle
• Slushy of the Week
• Espresso Martini

Menu

Paddles

• Yeastie Boys Tasting Paddle — A selection of 5 Yeastie Boys beers
• Cider Tasting Paddle — A selection of any 5 Morningcider
• Custom Paddle — Your choice of any 5 beers, ciders or slushies

Takeaway

• 4pk / 6pk 330ml Beer — Takeaway packs — options include Yeastie Boys hazy pale ale and State of Play 0%
• 330ml Cider or Mixed Cider — Morningcider classic apple — full flavour, no compromise
• 440ml Beer — Tallies including Yeastie Boys hazy pale ale
• 440ml Cider — Tallies of Morningcider

Cocktails

• The Morningside Mule — Vodka, ginger beer, apple cider, lime & mint
• Smoked Apple Negroni — Hendrick's gin, campari, smokey apple, cinnamon & dry vermouth
• French '75 — Malfy con limone gin, vanilla & champagne
• Blackberry Margarita — Cazcabel tequila blanco, cointreau, lime & berry coulis
• Pina Colada Margarita 'Pinacolita' — Cazcabel tequila reposado, cointreau, lime, pineapple & coconut
• Chocolate Monkey Whiskey Sour — Monkey Shoulder whiskey, creme de cacao, lemon, sugar & angostura bitters
• Pickle Lemonade — MC hazy old-fashioned alcoholic lemonade with pickle
• Espresso Martini — Quick Brown Fox coffee liqueur, vodka & a coffee shot
• Blueberry Mojito — Blueberry, white rum, mint, lime, sugar & soda
• Classic Margarita — Tequila, cointreau & lime
• Morningspritz — The house Aperol Spritz
• Hugo Spritz — Spritz variation alongside the Morningspritz
• Blueberry Spritz — Spritz variation alongside the Morningspritz
• Limoncello Spritz — Spritz variation alongside the Morningspritz

Beer & Taps

• Yeastie Boys Supafresh 4.6% — Yeastie Boys brew pouring on tap
• Yeastie Boys Thirst-Trap 6.5% — Hazy IPA
• Yeastie Boys Prejudice 5.8% — Ginger biscuit IPA
• Yeastie Boys Blokequet 2.5% — Hazy pale ale
• Asahi Super Dry 5% — 440ml serve
• Guest Tap Beer — Rotating guest taps

Sherry & Port

• El Candado Pedro Ximenez — Valdespino
• Elegante Fino — Palomino
• Valdespino Fino Inocente — Jerez
• Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa — Jerez
• Valdespino Amontillado Tio Diego — Jerez
• Real Tesoro Fino Seco — Jerez
• Taylors Fine Ruby — Porto
• Barros Tawny — Porto

Wine By The Glass

• Sauvignon Blanc — Mud House, Marlborough '23
• Chardonnay — Lake Chalice 'The Raptor', Marlborough '21
• Pinot Gris — Devil's Staircase, Central Otago '23
• Rosé — Bijou Terre de Providence, Provence '22 or Matawhero Estate, Gisborne '23
• Pinot Noir — Dice by Dicey, Bannockburn Central Otago '22
• Bordeaux Blend — Nugan 3rd Gen Cab Sav, NSW '21 or Trinity Hill 'The Trinity' Merlot, Gimblett Gravels '21
• Syrah — Pask, Gimblett Gravels '21
• Prosecco — Da Luca or Santa Margherita, Veneto, Italy
• Soave Classico — Cantina Del Castello, Soave '19
• Garnacha Blanca — LA Miranda, Spain

Mocktails & No/Low

• The Hustler Mocktail — Passionfruit, mango juice, apple & lime
• Virgin Pink G&T — Lyres 0% pink gin, grapefruit tonic, lemon & vanilla
• State of Play 0% — 0% option served as IPA, Hazy Nectaron or lager
• Cider Shandy 2.5% — Featuring Morningcider classic apple cider
• 0% Crisp Apple Cider — Morningcider's classic apple at under 0.5% — light, clean, crisp, easy drinking
• Karma Cola / Gingerella / Lemmy Lemonade — Non-alcoholic bottled sodas
• Lemon Lime & Bitters — Classic low-alk serve

Wine By The Bottle

• Trinity Hill 'The Trinity' — Hawkes Bay '21
• Nugan Third Generation Cab Sav — NSW '21
• Edmund de Rothschild Heritage — Bordeaux '16
• Vidal Legacy Cab Sav Merlot — Gimblett Gravels '13
• Famille Perrin Reserve Rouge — Côtes du Rhône '20
• Louis Jadot Bourgogne — Burgundy '21 or '18
• Dry River — Martinborough '14
• Valli Gibbston Vineyard — Central Otago '19
• 99 Rows — Martinborough '18
• Stat Nat — Marlborough '21
• Pask — Gimblett Gravels '21
• Devil's Staircase — Central Otago '23
• Meffre St Petraque — Rhône '20
• St Amour — Gamay Noir, Beaujolais '17
• Confini Chianti — Sangiovese '21
• Clearview 'Pinnacles' Malbec — Hawkes Bay '14
• Ricca Terra — Grenache & Negroamaro '21
• Gabo do Xil, Telmo Rodriguez — Spain '21
• Allan Scott — Marlborough '24

Spirits & ApéRitifs

• House Spirit Pour — Vodka, gin, bourbon or whiskey — with soda, tonic, ginger beer or ginger ale
• Rum Pour — White, gold or dark rum — with soda, tonic, ginger beer or ginger ale
• Tequila Pour — White or gold tequila — with soda, tonic, ginger beer or ginger ale
• Lone Bee Mead — Sparkling clover & manuka honey mead

Cider — Morningcider

• Classic Apple Cider 4.9% — Crisp, dry & reserved
• Ultra Low Carb Cider 4% — Crisp apple, less than 2g of sugar per 100mls
• Apple Pie Cider 6% — Morningcider's 6% apple pie cider
• Strawberry Rosé Cider 4.9% — Strawberry & peach
• Peace O'Pie Cider 4.5% — Granny smith w/ crunchy cinnamon
• Cherry Bomb Cider 4.5% — Rescue cherries, brown sugar & cinnamon
• Cider Sangria 4.5% — An awesome mix of sunshine, ginger & berries
• Alcoholic Lemonade — Old-fashioned lemonade w/ a twist
• Slushy of the Week — Homemade alcoholic slushy — ask staff for flavours

Frequently asked questions

Where is Side Hustle Bar?

16 McDonald St, Morningside, Auckland — a 1-minute walk from Morningside train station and about 5 minutes (700m) from Eden Park, with plenty of street parking nearby.

What are the opening hours?

Tuesday to Thursday from 4pm 'til late, Friday and Sunday from 2pm 'til late, Saturday from 12pm 'til late. Closed Mondays.

When are happy hours?

Happy hours run daily from 4-6pm and again from 8.30-9.30pm.

Is there food at Side Hustle Bar?

Yes — food comes via popup kitchen residencies, such as the award-winning Smoking Shack serving smoked BBQ meats, burgers and tacos. Check their socials for the current popup.

What is Side Hustle Bar known for?

Being the spiritual home of Morningcider and Yeastie Boys, with cider and beer taps, tasting paddles, cocktails, wine by the glass and bottle, mocktails and a weekly slushy.

Can I book a table or host an event?

Yes — bookings can be made online, and the team loves hosting birthdays, gigs and other ideas with no venue costs. Have a chat with them to bring an event to life.

How do I get there without driving?

The Morningside train station is a 1-minute walk away, and it's an easy 700m stroll to Eden Park for event nights.

Tips

• {"body":"Happy hours run twice daily, 4-6pm and 8.30-9.30pm — perfect for both after-work and second-wind drinks.","title":"Double happy hour"}
• {"body":"The bar is a 1-minute walk from Morningside train station, though there's plenty of street parking if you drive.","title":"Skip the car"}
• {"body":"It's only about 700m (5 min walk) to Eden Park, making Side Hustle a natural first stop before and after matches.","title":"Game day base camp"}
• {"body":"Choose a Yeastie Boys tasting paddle, a cider paddle of any 5 Morningciders, or a custom paddle of any 5 beers, ciders or slushies.","title":"Make it a paddle"}
• {"body":"Food comes via popup kitchens like the award-winning Smoking Shack BBQ — book ahead on popup days, as they're not around forever.","title":"Catch a popup"}

Good to know

• {"parking":"Plenty of street parking available."}