Shirt is a small whisky bar that doubles as a shirt shop. Sounds strange? You’re obviously forgetting that messy night where too many brown tumblers of single malts resulted in a lost button and stained collar, or the time you shopped so much you had to obliterate all thoughts of credit card bills with a few stiff drinks. For those who have experienced either, the only thing strange is that husband-and-wife team Justin and Louka Marmot were the first to come up with this concept.

Granted, the idea of Sydney’s most innovative new small bar is neither to get so wasted you slop you drink down your front or to spend so much on shirts that thinking about credit bills induces thoughts of binge drinking, but the combination of booze and shopping makes sense in a more sophisticated way. Shirt is sleek, modern and leather accented, reminiscent of a classy gentlemen’s club, with just enough lighting over the shirt racks to make you certain they aren’t just areas for late-night lurking.

The hours are also a testament to the fact that the owners are not stocking shirts just to make few extra bucks out of late-night drinkers who’s shopping inhibitions have been loosened along with their ties. Shirt is only open until 6pm Monday through Wednesday, and until 10pm later in the week. By day it operates as a café, offering an assortment of countertop baked goods along with café whizz Adam Hofbauer’s own expertly-blended mix of coffee beans. Hofbauer is a connoisseur of quality dark liquids, holding the esteemed title of “Coffee Guy” at FAT Coffee for over a year before joining the team at Shirt.

But on to the booze — Shirt stocks 11 single malts, including a Glenfiddich 21-year-old single malt Scotch, plus a few top-shelf bourbons, rums and tequilas. Beyond the whisky-heavy front page the menu is more refined, offering only two of each kind of wine plus a couple of Peroni beers. If you’re undecided between caffeine and alcohol by the time you finally manage to locate this place you can always try the vodka and FAT coffee-infused Espresso Martini, one of the small number of menu cocktails — though it’s clear that whisky is Shirt’s focus, and the poison of choice for Sussex Lane corporates looking for an antidote to a stressful day of advertising pitches and frozen Apple iMacs.

Like Apple products the shirts sold at Shirt are elegant and look good in classic white, though they’re unlikely to become antiquated after 24 months. Local shirt label Ganton, a luxury Australian shirt label founded by Justin’s father 35 years ago, is stocked alongside Justin’s own label Jensen. These menswear labels will soon be joined by a range for the dark spirit-sipping businesswoman, but for now the lack of feminine options are certainly not doing Shirt any harm. Even those with no prior taste for bourbon or men’s clothing will have trouble avoiding the lure of shirts and suits  — just ask the bartender to blend the brown stuff up with something sweet, and take advantage of their personal tailoring service.