The owner of a bar in Wanaka has been criticised after refusing to serve cocktails to a couple, instead directing them to a "gay bar" if they wanted to enjoyed a mixed drink.
Glyn Barry and Gordy Watson said they were subjected to a "verbal assault" when they visited the White House bar and spoke with owner Peter White, Stuff reports.
White refused to mix a whisky sour for the couple, telling them to visit local bar Lalaland, which he referred to as a "gay bar".
Barry said she was reluctant to complain but that White was "in the hospitality industry and standing behind a bar and it didn't come across in a friendly manner."
Lalaland Lounge Bar general manager Alex Earll told Stuff that his venue was a "safe space bar" that "doesn't judge on people's orientation."
