Cocktails and spirits
What’s the deal with oyster-shell gins?
Want to feel like a merman or mermaid? Do a “Shelly” and slurp down a martini.
- Terry Durack
Raise a glass to the new feel-good cocktail of summer (starring the fastest-growing spirit in Australia)
Move over, margarita. Sayonara, limoncello spritz. This season, it’s all about the citrusy, tequila-based Paloma.
- Katie Spain
This corner terrace in Carlton North is your new go-to for French-ish snacks and pastis
A new owner has dialled up the charm at this double-storey neighbourhood wine bar, adding marble, linen and Euro-leaning dishes.
- Tomas Telegramma and Gail Thomas
The classic cocktail Melburnians can’t get enough of right now – and where to find the best ones
You can order them frozen, dusty and with a deli cabinet’s worth of garnishes. But don’t mess with the fundamentals, say bartenders.
- Emma Breheny
Move over minimalism, these three new bars are colourful, fun and original
One spot is a nostalgic experience for children of the ’70s. Another turns American takeaway dishes into killer bar snacks. None follows the rules.
- Emma Breheny
There’s no more fitting location for a navy-strength gin (and other magical drinks)
A whisky’s being aged using the sea’s motion to help impart barrel flavours; a navy strength gin by Four Pillars and a Lord Nelson beer called Smooth Sailing.
- Sarah Norris
Rule-breaking omakase pop-up Ronin is now a permanent restaurant
The upper echelons of Japanese dining aren’t always about fun. But Ronin is out to change that. Its unconventional culinary mash-ups are just the beginning.
- Emma Breheny
Move over, Aperol Spritz. There’s a zesty new must-sip drink this summer
After visiting Italy, Australian travellers have developed a thirst for limoncello, a lemon-flavoured liqueur that evokes good times.
- Katie Spain
- Recipe collection
- Best of
See off 2023 with proper spicy margaritas (and other delicious drinks)
From zesty spritz to fruity fizz, here’s 10 drinks recipes to help make it a fun and festive new year celebrations.
Fancy ice pushes cocktail prices ‘up by as much as $5’, bar director says
Wonder why your cocktail costs $25? A big hunk of that is frozen water. Welcome to the new ice age.
- Bianca Hrovat