Barossa = wine in the minds of most Australians, yet the region’s newest venture is set to change that perception. Seppeltsfield Road Distillers, the area’s first artisan gin house, officially opened last week to much excitement. Owned and operated by locals Nicole and Jon Durdin, the distillery aims to showcase regionally sourced ingredients through its…
Category: Places
Five Australian Distillers You Should Know About
A wonderful eruption of local distillers has taken place in Australia over the last few years – yet that is not to say that there weren’t any here before. Often when old meets new you get something truly eclectic and in this case, we find ourselves with a fantastic mix of passionate producers championing award-winning…
Our Top Sydney Venues with a Fireplace
Sydney-siders don’t fear the winter chill. We’ve found some of the best venues with a fireplace for you to cosy up and settle in for the evening. So venture out this winter and enjoy some of our top winter picks. Hotel Centennial Hotel Centennial has that old world meets new world charm. The front area…
Explore: Sake Bars
In Japan, informal pubs or bars are called izakayas, and they’re the perfect places to retreat to in Autumn. Traditionally small, darkened hole-in-the-walls, serving flavoursome morsels of karaage chicken or gyoza dumplings, and top-notch sakes; we’ve picked our favourite places emulating this experience in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Words by Editor, Hannah Sparks FUJISAKI…
What’s Old Is New Again: Japanese Sake
Japan’s ancient world of sake is a new discovery for international drinkers. Understand a nation’s history, landscape, culture, traditions and cuisine in an iconic tipple. Words by Editor, Hannah Sparks It’s seven in the morning and I can only feel about two of my toes. I’ve been standing here for the last 15 minutes watching…
Bundaberg Rum Distillery Receives A Rather Royal Visit
His Royal Highness Prince Charles decided to pay the Bundaberg Rum Distillery a visit during his trip to Australia last week. The Prince of Wales was joined by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and hosted on a private tour and Blend Your Own Rum experience at the distillery. During the special tasting inside the Bundaberg Rum…
Five Great Wine and Spirits Disasters
Many years ago, a mate of mine ducked down to the local to pick up a couple of bottles. It happened to be a young gewurz wine as he and his wife were off to the Chinese at the end of the street for dinner and a bottle of Château Pétrus (from Bordeaux, and one of…
Discover Victoria’s Hidden Gem: The Moorabool Valley Wine Region
A burgeoning food and wine region in a pocket of Victoria many people have probably never heard of is the state’s newest tourist trail. Word by Kirstie Bedford The Moorabool Valley, tucked away north-west of Geelong, is one of Australia’s finest cool climate wine regions and has been creating quality wines for decades but has…
A Spirited Tale from Ireland
Irish whisk(e)y was once an export powerhouse. From the late 18th century, the Irish distillers controlled 90% of global whiskey exports. That’s until the Scots started to expand their industry and make their export assault in the second half of the 19th century. Would you believe that back then Australia was Britain’s largest export market…
Go Explore: Sydney’s Newest Bar and Restaurant
Have you heard about Bar Patrón yet? This sophisticated Mexican bar and restaurant opened in Sydney’s buzzing Circular Quay yesterday and has already proven itself as a hit. Words by Editor Hannah Sparks Behind the new establishment is Rockpool Dining Group and if you haven’t already guessed it, global tequila brand Patrón. With Rockpool’s knowledge…
Brewers Crafting Independence
Meet the breweries dedicated to crafting beer their own way. From Beechworth in north-east Victoria to sleepy Byron Bay in NSW, we meet the couples, friends and families dedicated to turning their love of beer into a lifelong passion by supporting independence and their local community. BREWERS BALTER TO THEIR OWN BEAT The boys at…
Five Great, Rare Rums
Great spirits. Aficionados will argue for hours about the best malt whisky, the finest Cognacs, now even the top gins. But rum? Not so much. And yet a great rum is as deserving of inclusion in any debate on the best of the spirit world. Indeed, I have made it my mission to search out…