Drinks News

Bored of beer? Weary of wine? Not with this list of exciting new drops, plus where to drink them and gadgets to make them taste better. It's the drinks edit of our Hot 100 2017 - dive in.

What's next for the unstoppable spirit?

Australia’s love affair with coffee is stronger than ever; it’s become a way of life. But exactly how did a beverage manage to shape our country’s culture?

From cider made with English apples to unusually dense grenache, dark brandy to Mornington Peninsula savagnin sous voile, here are June's best drops.

Don’t be fooled – this cocktail looks pretty but packs a punch fit for a pirate.

The rise of minimal-intervention wines has made waves in the wine world. And the best way to understand it is to taste it for yourself.

You’ve got another chance at last winter’s sell-out drop from Four Pillars.

Talking boutique gin and symbolism with Kian Forreal, acclaimed Japanese-tattoo artist and Archie Rose collaborator.

In On the House, the tenders of our favourite bars talk us through their spiritual homes, glass by glass. Here Bad Hombres co-owner Sean McManus walks us through his line-up.

Run!

Stop! Put that bottle of shiraz down. Red wine is rarely chocolate's best friend, according to Max Allen.

From a bold Australian pale ale to a bitter and herbal chinato from Italy, here's what we'll be drinking this month.

If you’re not practicing Easter tradition this Good Friday, here’s our pick of bars remaining open across Australia.

An all-season stunner to transport you to the tropics.

Archie Rose Distilling Co's latest release incorporates the droppings of our native animals. Is this a step too far?

Distillery Botanica’s head distiller was let loose in the garden to bottle its essence.

For the first time, the world's top international sommeliers will take part in the World's 50 Best Awards too.

More and more adventurous local winemakers are embracing Vermouth's botanicals.

Adventurous winemakers in the West are applying a distinct lo-fi approach to their craft, writes Max Allen.

From a floral bottle of English bubble to a tangy gin perfect for a Dirty Martini, here's what we'll be drinking this month.

Featuring botanicals of red miso, sansho pepper and burdock root.

Reboot and refresh with this sweet and savoury non-alcoholic cocktail.

We’re spoilt for variety – and value – in Australia when it comes to good riesling. Max Allen picks the top 20 from a fine crop.

A wine bar with simple food to match.

A simple twist on a gin classic.

Vermouth is having a moment as adventurous local winemakers embrace the botanicals. Here are 10 of our top picks.

While it's not an Australian national holiday, why not take the excuse to celebrate?

Get a taste of vintage as well as the vine with the new crop of urban wineries, writes Max Allen.

Here's the story behind it.

A zesty riff on an après-ski pick-me-up.

To mark our 50th anniversary, we collaborated with Patrón Tequila and Neil Perry to create a Mexican-themed birthday feast that included this pineapple tequila swizzle. Cheers. Combine 10 ml falernum (an almond and lime syrup; available from liquor shops), 15 ml pineapple juice, 15 ml lime juice and 50 ml Patrón Silver in a double rocks […]

Cocktails and oysters are on the menu at the new venture by the Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall team.

To mark our 50th anniversary, we collaborated with Patrón Tequila and Neil Perry to create a Mexican-themed birthday feast.

Acting as an all-encompassing sensory and educational space, Handpicked Wines’ new flagship urban cellar door on Kensington Street in Sydney’s Chippendale is as strikingly designed as it is useful.

No eggnog here: this December, we're drinking a seven-apple cider blend, a spicy durif, and a luscious sweet Riesling.

Big in the '60s, the 50/50 Sazerac is a dry cocktail similar to an Old Fashioned, give or take a dash of bitter and a splash of absinthe.

Welcome to the largest private collection of Burgundy and Bordeaux in the southern hemisphere. You’re now allowed to step inside.

To mark our 50th anniversary, we collaborated with Patrón Tequila and Neil Perry to create a Mexican-themed birthday feast.

The Everleigh's Michael Mudrusan and Zara Young share their favourite cocktail for every summer occasion, from poolside afternoons to Christmas Day.

Whatever the cause for celebration, Max Allen has a juicy drop to enhance the festive spirit, from convivial red by the magnum to exuberant bubbles. Here’s to good times.

Have you ever tried distilled Christmas pudding? Christmas spirit redefined.

From dresses to wine bottles, what will Sydney designer Dion Lee do next?

Vignerons around the world—yes, even outside the boundaries of Champagne, France—are now producing an exceptional offering of sparklings to unprecedented quality. Here, your guide to deciphering those in the market and best enjoying your drop of choice.

Upcycling wine from spit buckets into brandy? Only at Rootstock.

Another way to have your apple a day.

Southern NSW oyster farmer Steve Feletti met his ideal wine match in the picpoul variety and now produces it here.

A modern-day gin palace, The Distillery, is set to open in the middle of London’s Portobello Market this year.

We don't have an official Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Wine List of the Year Hall of Fame. But if we did, it'd look a lot like this.

These are the drops we're savouring this month, from a tangy fortified wine to a refreshingly dry Australian rosé and a bargain bin riesling.

Two more Australian bars made the cut too.

A sunny orange tonic with sizzle.

Canberra just keeps getting cooler - and we're not talking about the weather.

These are the drops we've been drinking this month, from a Victorian shiraz to an apple brandy imported from Normandy.

As the shutters come down in other Australian capitals, Melbourne's vibrant nightlife is just hitting its stride. Michael Harden burns the midnight oil at the city's best late-night bars and diners.

Is this the year of gin going where no botanicals have gone before?

Long overlooked in favour of cabernet, Australian merlot looks set to enjoy its time in the sun, writes Max Allen.

In On the House, the tenders of our favourite bars talk us through their spiritual homes, glass by glass. Here's Bar Rochford’s Nick Smith, starting things with easy-slinging sweet and dark vermouth (and vinyl to match).

From an extra hoppy IPA to a nicely bitter Australian vermouth, these are the drops that are getting us through that final winter month.

Grab the mink and the fedora – this Baxter cocktail means business.

New World whiskies are making a splash with unique flavours cooking in the barrel.

Cachaça is as bold as Brazil, best expressed in the boisterous and joyful Caipirinha, writes Max Allen.

An update of the classic Old Fashioned with a bit of island flair.

Our top ten alcoholic picks for the month.

No dinner booking at Dinner? No problem, there’s a newly available seat at the bar.

A Victorian region best known for its wine is producing a gin with a difference.

We head down to Sydney bar PS40 for some tips (and recipes) for dialing back the booze while still quenching your thirst this Dry July.

This liberated classic is your passport to good times.

Local winemakers are using a centuries-old technique to produce excitingly complex wines.

The Apple Islanders celebrate cider with a mid-winter festival and have a wassail of a time.

A smooth and easy-drinking apéritif bound to bring on the good times.

What we're drinking this month, including cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and more, writes Max Allen.

Escape the crowds with these bars with a view.

A new way to enjoy an old favourite.

An energetic and accomplished new crop of wine talent is taking Beechworth to the next level.

Ed Loveday, co-owner and co-sommelier at Sydney’s Bar Brosé, walks us through the line-up.

From luxury tea to smashable Aussie reds and cocktails in tins, these are the biggest trends in drink-land right now.

What we're drinking this month, including pinot meunier, sugarcane rum and more.

Canberra gains a new bar, with top-notch bar snacks and a touch of jazz.

Sydney’s Brewquets delivers thank you gifts for craft-beer enthusiasts.

Sydney's CBD is in for quite the (fizzy) shake-up when PS40, a combined bar and soda factory, opens this month on King Street.

Fear not, Sydney. Melbourne might have its wine bar crawl sorted, but this year a host of new Sydney bars will keep the good times rolling in the city. Here are our top picks of Sydney bars to watch.

The Prince Wine Store set up shop in Sydney’s Zetland more than a year ago and now, just like its South Melbourne mothership, it’s getting its own wine bar where punters get to drink wines from one of the best independent wine shops in the country at retail prices. Danielle Rensonnet, head chef of Bellota, […]

In On the House, the tenders of our favourite bars talk us through their spiritual homes, glass by glass. Here's The Beaufort's Dave Kerr, starting things with a Martini.

David Lynch and tiki culture are the inspiration for Jacoby’s, a brand-new bar by a top-notch Sydney team.

A radical return to old winemaking methods is rehabilitating sauvingnon blanc, writes Max Allen.

Lewis Jaffrey and Jared Merlino are taking over the Hello Sailor site and turning it into an Italian restaurant/hip-hop bar.

Melbourne has a fresh crop of wine bars as notable for their kitchens as their cellars. Join us for a crawl? 

An array of trendy new wine bars have cropped up in Melbourne that are as notable for their food as they are for their cellars.

Did the cocktail game just get easier? We look at why more and more cocktails are being served straight from the bottle and not the shaker.

Lee Ho Fook's sommelier is set to open his very own gin bar in Melbourne, this spring.

Welcome to our new series On the House, in which the tenders of our favourite bars talk us through their spiritual homes, glass by glass. First up, Bar Liberty's Banjo Harris Plane.

Don’t expect a dog, a truck or a winemaker named Brian to greet you at Cake Wines’ new cellar door. It’s right in the middle of Sydney.

A zesty autumnal sipper balancing light and bright with Southern charm.

Local craft brewers are discovering saison, a style of Belgian ale just made for summer, writes Max Allen.

A summery cherry-powered treat that’ll leave you feeling as fresh as it tastes.

Australians are getting a taste for thirst-quenching reds made for drinking now. Here are ten of our favourites.

A fortifying summer cocktail that’s as portable as it is potable.

An unlikely wine region is proving to be fertile ground for progressive winemakers, writes Max Allen.

What we're drinking this month, including fiano, syrah, shiraz and whisky.

What can you suggest in the way of cocktails that can be made ahead for parties? Which ones work? Which ones don’t?