You came, you read, you made cocktails, took a trip to Margaret River and learned if vodka lives in the freezer or not.
From our Learn page, these were the how-tos, FYIs and deep dives that took your fancy this year.
Spirits 101: Should vodka be kept in the freezer?
Well, should it? You’ll have to have a read of this article to know for certain. We’ll give you a hint: chances are there will be more room for emergency party pies, icy poles and peas in your freezer after you do. And remember, for the love of distilled spirits, don’t let your vodka get warm; when this happens it releases more volatiles and the smell of pure alcohol can be a bit overwhelming. Not a vibe.
How to use that leftover bottle of Baileys
We’re calling 2023 the year of the Baileys renaissance! Even though it’s one of the world’s most recognised and popular cream liqueurs, poor Baileys has copped a bit of slack over the years. Might have something to do with its inclusion in cocktails like Slippery Nipple and Screaming Orgasm, but we digress. It’s a bloody versatile liqueur that shouldn’t only be dusted off during the holiday season and banished to the back of the cupboard shortly after. Here’s everything you never knew about Baileys, including the fact it’s B-Corp certified and the unsung hero in this mouthwatering Toblerone cocktail.
Why you should be drinking whiskey with your beer
A Boilermaker consists of two things: an ice-cold beer and a shot of whiskey. While it may seem super easy to master (how could you screw it up?), there are a few tips and tricks for making a great one, particularly when it comes to choosing your whiskey and beer. For this, we’ve enlisted the help of Adam Stewart, ex-Venue Manager of Melbourne’s Boilermaker House, Australia’s only dedicated Boilermaker bar. To top it off we also curated a list of the six best Boilermaker pairings so you can enjoy one with confidence at home. Just about time for a knock-off drink, wouldn’t you say?
Fresh from the Hit List, these were the drinks trends you jumped aboard this year.
A beginner’s guide to Japanese whisky
Looks like 2023 was a popular year to dip into a dram of Japanese whisky and we’re not surprised. Japan knows a thing or two about balancing complexity and approachability when it comes to this spirit – and with so many incredible brands to choose from you’d be forgiven for feeling a tad overwhelmed in the whisky aisle. Whether Suntory Toki is your style or you want to know what 113 years of distilling experience tastes like with Kurayoshi’s The Tottori, this handy guide to the best Japanese whiskies for first-time drinkers is a must-read.
Hot takes: The best tequila for Margaritas, according to top bartenders
Margaritas are always having a moment. Can you blame them? They’re sweet, sour, salty, bitter and downright delicious! The secret to an out-of-this-world Margy is the tequila, and if you get that right you’re laughing. We enlisted the help of four bartenders who gave us the inside scoop on which tequilas they were shaking up and why. From nailing both the classic Margarita and a Tommy’s, to fresh lime hacks and knowing when to break out the blanco or mezcal – these talented bartenders have you covered.
Steals: 5 wines under $15 for beginners to experts
Our Dan’s Wine Merchants love finding you a tasty bottle of wine under $15 – and we get five elite picks from them every month, just for you. In May we spoke to Eralde Felix, he’s the Wine Merchant at Dan Murphy’s Fisherman’s Bend in Port Melbourne. His number one piece of advice? Approach buying affordable wine and top-shelf wine the same way – and always grab a Dan’s Wine Merchant if you’re ever unsure of where to start. He also recommends taking a photo of the label of a wine you’ve enjoyed and making an album on your phone so you can always revisit it next time you duck into a Dan’s. Genius! His top picks will keep every wine drinker (and their bank account) happy.
Our Vine Guide features in-depth breakdowns of the best wine regions in Australia and beyond – but it was these three you kept coming back to.
Margaret River Edition
Margaret River (or ‘Margs’) is a small slice of paradise about a three-hour drive from Perth. This gorgeous coastal region stretches across 100 kilometres and is lined with rugged beaches and gentle eucalyptus forests. At its centre is the Margaret River township. Once a sleepy seaside town, home mostly to farmers, surfers and wine growers, today it is a bustling regional hub. The region offers visitors more than 90 cellar doors and over 200 vineyards, and alongside those is a vibrant food and art scene that attracts visitors from around the world. We dare you to not book a flight to Perth after reading this one.
From the picturesque beaches and buzzing breweries to a must-visit winery that’s won countless awards for its sauvignon blanc, the Bellarine Peninsula is full of (delicious) surprises. Mornington’s lesser-known western sibling might not be the first Victorian wine region that springs to mind, but that’s all part of its charm. Right near Geelong, this under-the-radar coastal spot is an easy 90-minute drive from Melbourne, or even better, ditch the car and take the one-hour ferry from the CBD over to Portarlington. This is a region full of hotspot destinations, like Queenscliff, Ocean Grove, Swan Bay, Drysdale, St Leonards and Barwon Heads. Fire up the group chat because a road trip is on the cards and we’ve got just the region and tips to boot.
Italy: Take a tour of the top regions in this wine paradise
So, you don’t know your nebbiolo from your barbera? That’s okay! We’re here to help. Like many European countries, Italy’s wines are bound up in seemingly complex rules, appellations and acronyms that appear on labels. Diversity is one of Italy’s biggest drawcards when it comes to wine. More than 400 grape varieties are grown across the country’s 20 wine regions; from whites to reds, fresh to bold, quaffers to blow-the-budget, Italy does it all extremely well. Here, we run through five of Italy’s best-loved regions, what they do best and a few wines to seek out next time you’re at Dan’s (but want to be in Sicily).
In among the hundreds of cocktails in our Cocktails directory, we put together plenty of round-ups this year to help you choose what to mix next. These were the themes that captured your attention (and here’s a wrap of the 11 cocktail recipes you went bonkers for this year, too).
8 retro cocktails ready for a comeback
Dust off that suede jacket and don a pair of your best flared jeans because retro cocktails are back and boy, are they fun! We’re talking ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, the eras when cocktails were tall, colourful – sometimes neon – and sweet. From a Blue Lagoon to a Midori Illusion, these drinks are anything but beige and will transport you to a banana lounge on a tropical island in one sip. Having a ‘70s-themed party? Read this. Just looking for an excuse to add blue curaçao to this weekend’s cocktails? This article will help you out there too.
4 classic cocktails with just 3 ingredients
We love the look of a fully-stocked drinks trolley just as much as the next person but that doesn’t mean you need to utilise every single bottle when you want a cocktail. Some of the best classic cocktails only have three ingredients and taste incredible. Fewer ingredients also means less effort which is great news if you’re the party host who’s juggling a roast in the oven and greeting guests alongside drinks service. If the minimalist movement has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes just a few great things produce the best results. Check out five of the best three-ingredient cocktails to make at home.
7 cocktails that double as dessert
Sometimes you actually don’t have room for dessert – and that’s okay. But, room for a dessert cocktail? You bet. The perfect way to satiate your guests’ sweet tooths without sending them off to sleep, these cocktails are the ideal serving of something delectable, surprising and decidedly grown-up. Consider your next dinner party menu done and dusted with cocoa powder and a dollop of cream.
Plenty of Drinks Directory venues caught your eye this year, but it was our themed round-ups that found their way into your bookmarks.
The 15 best spots to sink a beer around Australia
It’s a tough job uncovering some of the best places around the country to enjoy a beer, but someone’s gotta do it, ya know? Whether you’re after a tall pint at a traditional tavern with hearty pub fare, or a beer-tasting paddle showcasing some of the tastiest brews in the country, each state in our hop-laden country is bursting with options. Take note of some of our top picks next time you’re travelling interstate with a thirst.
Curb your tapas cravings at Australia's best Spanish-inspired bars
The Spanish just get it. They love an afternoon nap. The later the dinner sitting the better. And don’t get us started on croquetas. This nation truly knows how to turn a meal into an occasion, having served up share-style tapas dishes for centuries, among other specialities, while pairing them with pretty delicious drinks, too. If a flight to Spain isn’t on the cards, then the next best thing is one of these venues: each offering slick service, Spanish-inspired decor and the kind of buzz you’d find in a Barcelona bodega.
The 18 best places to enjoy a pét nat around Australia
We’re nuts about natty. Pét nat, that is. This craze is here to stay; you only have to spy a wine list at your local to see how popular ‘pétillant naturel’ is. The name translates from French as ‘lightly sparkling’. However, unlike other sparkling wines or Champagne, the bubbles are the natural result of fermentation and involve minimal intervention. This style is a great reminder that you don’t always have to take wine too seriously – just have fun and get a little fizzy. Here are some standout venues across the country that know their pét nats and stock some of the most intriguing natural fizz this country has to offer.
Next-Gen Host: An impromptu get-together at Beci Orpin and Raph Rashid’s Brunswick home
If, like me, you’re the kind of person who goes to house inspections for fun and lives for behind-the-scenes peeks at what iconic people are really like at home, then you’ll understand why I love our Next-Gen Host series so much. Last year we spent Mother’s Day with formidable artist Jenny Kee, ate raclette with Melbourne Food & Wine tastemaker Pat Nourse, and cooked up a campfire feast with Thi and JY of Jeow and other restaurant fame, but it was this backyard, Hibachi grill session with artist Beci Orpin and her food truck-mogul husband Raph Rashid that well and truly got me. If you want to know everything about how Melbourne’s coolest couple eat, drink and play, then read on.
Footy, tuna and Munda: Meet Australia’s newest Indigenous-owned wine label
First Nations Australians have lived in and tended this land for at least 65,000 years. The history of winemaking is utterly dwarfed by the history of the more than 500 Indigenous nations that make up this country – and the nuanced cultures, languages and practices of each. What an honour it was to learn from co-founders who are merging the two. Paul Vandenbergh and Damien Smith are the might behind Munda Wine, a First Nations-owned and -run wine label that debuted in 2023. In this piece, writer Dimitri Tricolas shares their story, how they’re approaching wine through a First Nations lens, and the impact they’re hoping to make on the winemaking, wine-drinking and First Nations communities.
THE Drink: The cocktail recipes that inspired the careers of 4 bartenders
Is it cheating to choose an article that’s actually a wrap-up of four other articles? Well call me Adam Levine because I’m doing it anyway. Early in the year, we rounded up four of our favourite bartenders, whacked a camera in front of them, and asked them to wax lyrical about ‘THE drink’ – the cocktail that inspired their careers and changed everything. From Emma Cookson’s Rye Old Fashioned and Nick Tesar’s Treacle, to Cara Devine’s Gin Sour with Celery Bitters and Matt Stirling’s Mojito, hearing passionate, talented people tell their origin stories will never not be fascinating. Here’s the kicker: they taught us how to perfect each one of these cocktails in the process, so get watching and you too can be a master of mixing.
