explore Monkey 47 Gin

Once upon a time, a cricket-loving Wing Commander from the RAF, who grew up in the magical city of Madras and moved to Germany after the War, met a monkey called Max at the Berlin Zoo. He decided (unsuccessfully) to become a watchmaker and finally disappeared into the Black Forest to make gin. It is…

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Henschke Hill of Grace 2015

Not even isolation and pandemics could prevent the annual release Australia’s most famous single vineyard wine, Henschke’s Hill of Grace

Welcome to the land of fizz FELLR

If you’re looking for a bevvy low in sugar, low cal and full of flavour, then FELLR is the choice for you. Created out of the garage on Sydney’s beaches, seasoned drink marketers Andy Skora and Will Morgan created an Alcoholic Seltzer that’s all-natural. Kicking off the launch is Lime & Soda and Dry &…

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Glenmorangie launch three whiskies for travel retail

BRENDAN MCCARRON doesn’t take long to cut to the chase. He’s in Australia a week after Dramfest in Christchurch, NZ and has something he wants us to hear. In front of him are three whiskies only a few locally have set eyes on: The Accord 12-Year-Old ($103), The Elementa 14YO ($120) and The Tribute 16YO…

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Mojito kits delivered to your door

We’re still in lockdown, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop and given it’s Friday, calls for cocktail hour kicking off from 5pm.

Frankland Estate wines you need to explore in Iso

As far as our imposed isolation goes, one has to think that the Frankland Estate winery in southern West Australia is in pole position. There are very few wineries so isolated. Frankland Estate is, not surprisingly, located in the Frankland River region (on Frankland Road), which is almost literally in the middle of nowhere, some…

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This week we’ve explored Château Thivin wines that you need to try

This is Beaujolais but not as you know it. No flower-adorned labels or promotion by races. Not your six-week-old Nouveau. This is serious wine, yet it has retained the wonderful exuberance which is the hallmark of fine Beaujolais.  Château Thivin is a Côte de Brouilly specialist and when combined with a stellar vintage like 2018,…

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Four twists on the Margarita cocktail you need to try

Friday afternoon drinks calls for a Tequila cocktail, and we can never go past Casamigos. The award-winning, ultra-premium tequila founded by George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, was created by following their thirst to enjoy the smoothest, best-tasting premium tequila. Instead of mixing up the traditional Margarita cocktail, the following recipes are a twist…

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Become a wine buff in Iso

Across the month of May, Young Gun of Wine (YGOW) will host a series of online events to replace its annual Top 50 tasting events. YGOW will host the virtual tastings with the top 50 winemakers of 2020 along with other experts in the field. Most of the events will run for about an hour…

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Beluga Vodka Enjoy it Neat

Remember the days when vodka was everywhere? Seems eons ago. Then along came the gin tsunami and vodka seemed all washed up. Vodka still does okay, though, especially in cocktails.  Great vodka is more than worthy of your attention as a sipping spirit. For me, a small glass (it becomes too easy to knock off…

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Our Wine of the Week: Bollinger 2012 Grand Année

The House of Bollinger, as famous as it is, may never have seen quite such a golden period as it has enjoyed in recent years. Their Special Cuvee has looked as good as ever. The latest releases have been their flagship RD (Recently Disgorged) from the 2004 vintage, the spectacular 2008 Grand Année and now,…

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A must try wine: Grosset Nereus 2017

It would be the easiest thing in the world to tell everyone how good the latest releases from Grosset are (and, of course, they are). I doubt there is a half-serious wine lover in Australia not fully aware that the Grosset Rieslings are world-class. The Gaia and Chardonnay might sneak under the radar to a…

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