Best Drinks in Australia
Pink hue in colour. Stewed rhubarb, faint red berries, touch of hops/malt and a yeasty tang on the nose. Crisp and brisk, fresh acidity, with structure that makes you keep going back for more. There is so much detail here, texture too, an almost vinous expression of extreme complexity but deliciousness. Straight up visceral pleasure but married to drinkability and general appeal. What. A. Beer.
01. Wildflower - St Phoebe 2019
State: New South Wales Category: BeerThis is such an outstanding skin contact wine. Impressive in colour, detail in scent and flavour, wonderful and serious in texture. It offers drinkers the full flex of the variety with length, persistence and deliciousness on its side. It kicks off with cranberry, rhubarb and Campari scents while the palate drives long and deep with chalky texture bitter orange and cranberry flavours, licks of sour cherry fruit and a weave of puckering, Italianate tannins. Superb stuff.
02. Garden Gris - Pinot Gris
State: Victoria Category: Skin-Contact / OrangeAmazingly bold and exciting drink. It's a great standalone product that completely transcends the category. Is it even a brandy ?
03. Sullivans Cove XO Tasmanian Brandy - Double Cask Batch DCB01
State: Tasmania Category: BrandyA remarkable tonic. Complex and fresh, judiciously bitter and wildly appealing, works with still and sparkling water, but lock it in with a G&T and it's happy days. The quality is through the roof here - everything in the right place. A landmark product.
04. sin-ko-nah tonic syrup - original
State: Victoria Category: Soft Drinks, Mixers, Shrubs, CordialsBright, almost zesty, nose, with great acid and structure, a tightly-wound wine of intensity and vibrancy, good amount of grip holds the deep red fruit all the way through. This is quite a statement wine, brilliant and detailed, savoury and fruit-driven at once. A modern Australian wine of its own voice.
05. Koerner Wine - 'Niellucccio' - Sangiovese
State: South Australia Category: RedGrown-up butterscotch candies. Though it begins a little austere and tightly wound, this whisky opens up beautifully. Classic. Aussie. Whisky. Excellent.
06. Hobart Whisky - 19-002 - Ex-Bourbon Matured / French Oak Pinot Noir Finish
State: Tasmania Category: WhiskyPretty perfume, there's nice acidity holding it together with the palate tight and racy. As a drinker, you're sort of waiting for something to happen; a really exciting, slow-burner of a wine, delicate in style, finely detailed, and has super attractive fruit character. Lots of details, lots of interest, texture and general excitement in understatement. Superb white wine.
07. Mewstone - Riesling
State: Tasmania Category: WhiteWhat an incredible wine this is. So much detail, character and yet full thrust of charm. Saline, nutty, sherry-like in aromas with salty nutty character to taste across an epic length of flavour. It's Australia via Jura, a very special wine that nails the brief of freshness, power and concentration of fruit flavour, the saline personality of flor with general intrigue. Superb wine in any book.
08. Crittenden Estate Cri de Coeur - Savagnin
State: Victoria Category: WhitePleasant stone-fruit aroma, looks good too with a nice even haze and good foam retention. Well-rounded mouthfeel, definitely more on the bitter side of life. Lots of details yet lots of drinkability. Pitch-perfect play at hop-driven beer styles. Righteous stuff.
09. The Suburban Brew - No. 2 Pale Ale
State: South Australia Category: BeerBright nose of hops and peat (is this mezcal?!) on a super-clean base, remarkable distillate and elevated botanicals of celery seed and cucumber. Beautiful smoky phenolic grip balanced by a persistent, but restrained sweet spice.
10. Pinche - Agave Tequilana
State: New South Wales Category: Alternate / Experimental