Whether you scored a ticket or are staying in to celebrate your favourite artist, we have the perfect drink to match.
Happy concert season to all those who celebrate. We’ve made it to the pointy end of the year when huge international artists tend to bring their tours our way. If you’re headed to an upcoming gig – Zara Larsson, Hilary Duff or Harry Styles, perhaps – we hope all the ticket-buying panic is now a distant memory. You know how it goes: flicking between five tabs while on frenzied speaker chats, and an inevitable site crash and reboot to really make you earn it. But now, all these months later (or a whole year for Olivia Dean fans), it’s here – and that’s worth celebrating.
If you’re planning to hang at someone’s place before a show, you’re going to want some solid snacks and quality drinks – and we have just the thing. And if you’re one of the fans who missed out on a golden ticket, never fear – we think hosting a themed night with friends is the next best thing. Follow our lead with these ideas below.
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1. Olivia Dean + a fresh Spritz
Crowned Best New Artist at this year’s Grammys, Olivia Dean is sealing an unbelievable year with her first major headline tour on our shores. To celebrate the English singer and songwriter, we suggest cranking her breakout The Art of Loving album while everyone gets ready together for the show – or playing on repeat for a solid night in.
To drink? For us, it’s all about the chic little Peach Spritz from Poco Vino. The bottle design is almost as pretty as Olivia’s music, the Spritz is juicy, fresh and bright with peachy, citrusy goodness, and it’s the ultimate single serve. It’s even better with a platter of creamy cheeses and crusty bread.
2. Zara Larsson + a(nother) Swedish icon
Zara Larsson has gone from the 10-year-old winner of Swedish talent show Talang to the singer behind some serious 2010s earworms (we’re looking at you, ‘Symphony’ and ‘Lush Life’), to mega popstar. And now, she’s bringing her Midnight Sun tour to Australia, and we are here for it.
Throwing a pre-show party? Theme it right with the new release from Absolut, which, like Zara, hails from Sweden. The Absolut Tabasco is a spicy collab between the distillers and Tabasco, creating a balanced, spiced and bold vodka that’s a brilliant straight sipper on ice or the perfect mixer in your favourite spicy cocktails. Throw some sausage rolls in the oven for a top snack to match.
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3. Hilary Duff + a Millennial favourite
We love a good comeback, and Hilary Duff might just take the crown for staging our favourite revival this year. Fresh off the back of her sixth album release comes her Lucky Me tour, and to say she’s got a whole lot of Aussie fans excited is an understatement.
When it comes to a drink for this Millennial icon, we can’t go past that other Millennial favourite, Vodka Cruiser – but this time, we’re going for the Blueberry 10%. We know Hilary would approve of the nostalgic flavours, and, like the star herself, the drink has stood the test of time. This is full flavoured and a perfect choice for pre-show prep or a night in, best spent revisiting some of her cinematic classics as well as her biggest tracks.
4. Lily Allen + a bittersweet pick
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5. Robbie Williams + a coffee-fuelled spirit
By this point, we can pretty much claim Robbie Williams as Aussie. His upcoming tour marks his seventh to Australia, he’s visited our shores many other times, and he’s appeared at some of our biggest events like the ARIAs and the AFL Grand Final. He’s even declared that he “feels very Australian” and judging by sales for his upcoming tour, we’ll happily claim him.
To mark Robbie’s return, we’re paying homage to the singer’s love for coffee, and Australia’s famed coffee culture, with the new Belvedere Dirty Brew. It combines rich, bold flavours with smooth, quality vodka and complex dark toffee notes, making it an ideal serve over ice or as a base in a rich Espresso Martini.
6. Harry Styles + a watermelon-inspired refresher
It’s been an incredibly busy year for Harry Styles. Back in March, Harry released his fourth album Kiss All the Time, he started touring in May, and he also managed to get engaged to Zoë Kravitz somewhere in between. And now, we’re stoked that he’s ending his golden run here in Australia with his Together, Together tour.
And look, we realise that ‘Watermelon Sugar’ is already an old track and Harry has since released a raft of worthy music, but when toasting this huge English star, we can’t go past the Cupio Watermelon Rosé. Crisp, fresh rosé meets juicy watermelon flavours, creating a unique twist on an ideal summer wine that demands a charcuterie spread be served alongside it.
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