drinks trade issue 59 (Jul/Aug 2017) by the drinks association

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your news, your views July/August 2017 issue 59

SWIFT + MOORE

IS BACK

TOP 10 Whisky and Bourbon Bars and Bottle Shops

TALKS SHOP BEST 2017 VINTAGE WINES | VENUE INTERIOR DESIGN | FATHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY FORTIFIEDS | NSW WINE REGIONS

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ARE YOU READY FOR AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS 2017? www.australiandrinksawards.com.au #drinksawards

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AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS JUDGING KICKS OFF It’s only days to go until entries to the 2017 Australian drinks Awards (AdA) are sent to the consumer panel to determine this year’s trophy winners. “We’ve had a great standard of entries across all categories,” said the drinks association CEO Sandra Przibilla. “The panel will have its work cut out determining which brands and products had the edge on their competitors over the past 12 months.” Following exciting changes to the judging process

for the AdAs, entries will receive an overall score from the consumer panel. The winner in each category will be the brand/product with the highest score. “the drinks association believes these changes will build a better Australian drinks Awards,” said Przibilla. “We would like to thank our members for their continued support and participation in making our awards the most spectacular and respected event in the industry.”

EXCITING PLANS FOR THE INDUSTRY’S NIGHT OF NIGHTS the drinks association is gearing up to make the fifth annual Australian drinks Awards the most exciting yet. Together with Veritas Events, the drinks team has been busy choosing the dinner menu, decorations and entertainment for the ceremony to be held on Thursday 7 September.

The event will have a black, red and gold theme...so start planning your outfit! The night will kick-off with a theatre style presentation of the awards at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Darling Harbour, hosted by MC Michael Walton. The presentation will be followed by pre-dinner

cocktails and a sit down dinner at the ICC, where Brand of the Year and Supplier of the Year will be awarded. When the formalities of the evening conclude, the fun will continue with an after party featuring a big band, hosted by our Award Partner StayinFront.

www.australiandrinksawards.com.au

New vintage release Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz 2015 NOW AVAILABLE

CONTENTS

Contents

August/September 2017

45 52

22 39 PROMOTE

INFORM

CONNECT

Australian drinks Awards

Op-Ed: Red Tape Inquiry

Tasting Bench

NILWA Signature Drinks

News

Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Fortifieds

Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge

Interview: Giuseppe Minissale

Wine New Products

Woodford Reserve National Cocktail Challenge

Three Sides of the Coin: Vintage 2017

Beer and Cider New Products

Home Grown Breweries and Cideries

Spirits New Products

Trade Activity

NSW Regions and Wines

Eye

STRENGTHEN 32

Top 10 Whisky and Bourbon Bars and Bottleshops

Venue Interior Design

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WELCOME

CREDITS PUBLISHER the drinks association

Editor’s Note www.drinkscentral.com.au All enquiries to: the drinks association Locked Bag 4100, Chatswood NSW 2067 ABN 26 001 376 423 The views expressed in drinks trade are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine or the drinks association. Copyright is held by the drinks association and reproduction in whole or in part, without prior consent, is not permitted.

Other drinks association publications include: drinks bulletin drinksbulletin.com.au drinks guide drinksguide.com.au drinks yearbook

EDITORIAL PUBLISHING EDITOR Ashley Pini ..........................ashley@hipmedia.com.au ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hannah Sparks......................hannah@hipmedia.com.au ASSISTANT EDITOR Lukas Raschilla.....................lukas@hipmedia.com.aU EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Mary Parbery....................mary@hipmedia.com.au EDITORIAL INTERN Stephanie Aikins....................editorial@hipmedia.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Alana House, Angus Barnes, Ben Canaider, Jeremy Bull, Josh Morris, Nick Blair, Nick Levy and Simone Allan

DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Evelyn Rueda ................................ evelyn@hipmedia.com.au SENIOR DESIGNER Racs Salcedo ......................... ryan@hipmedia.com.au

ADVERTISING NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Chris Wheeler.................. chris@hipmedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Sasha Falloon ................ sasha@hipmedia.com.au

Produced and contract published by:

Director: Ashley Pini ACCOUNTS: accounts@hipmedia.com.au 169 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point NSW 2060 Ph: 02 9492 7999 | www.hipmedia.com.au | facebook.com/ drinksmedia ABN: 42 126 291 914

08|drinks trade

Welcome to drinks trade July/August, our 59th edition, published by the industry for the industry, and one that we enjoyed putting together as much as the first back in 2007. The next issue will mark our ten year anniversary and a chance to celebrate the last decade, and we invite you to tell us your views of the magazine during that time as well as your expectations for the future. Until then, it’s business as usual and the pages before you are no different. 2017 has already proven to be a year of many changes; brands moving and retail banners changing hands and launching exciting and new strategies. Our big insight in this edition is with Giuseppe Minissale, General Manager of Porter’s Liquor, sharing his views on multi-store ownership and the pathway forward for the retailer under Australian Liquor Marketers (ALM). The saying, “what is old is new again”, has never been more prevalent than now, with the reemergence of some of the most respected names, bringing a sense of yesteryear and some nostalgia back to the industry. Most recently, drinks trade learned that Swift + Moore is back, under the guidance of previous Managing Director, Michael McShane. Exciting times ahead as the people-orientated business re-opens for trade. With Father’s Day the next big event for trade, we’ve taken a look at some of Australia’s most revered fortified wines to put front and centre during this key selling period. We’re also excited to present Australia’s Top 10 whisky and bourbon bars and bottle shops once again. These were voted by you and the leading whisky and bourbon brands. Take a look at pages 32-37 for the winners; we’re sure you’ll recognise a few. There is plenty of activity on the horizon within our industry as we come out of the shorter days (and longest nights). This includes the second instalment of The Drinks Industry Show, held at Luna Park, as we go to print in early July. Check out www.drinksbulletin.com.au to see what happened at the show if you weren’t able to attend. And while you’re there, sign up for the drinks bulletin newsletter, which will come out every Friday in 2017, keeping you up-to-date on the latest industry news and new products for your shop, bar, club or restaurant. On 31 July, Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards will be announced, so keep your eyes peels on the drinks bulletin website for all of the winners and read about the awards in more depth in the next edition of drinks trade. And as we head into award season, it’s worth mentioning the return of the Australian T25 Bartender Awards on 7 August in Sydney. This event has been running in Hong Kong for five years and now also extends to Dubai, Singapore and our local market. For more details, visit drinks.world online. Of course, the biggest event of the year is in September, when the 2017 Australian drinks Awards will be held at the new location of the International Convention Centre in Sydney. A huge night of accolade is to be expected on 7 September and a new format to be enjoyed. See you there.

Ashley Pini Publishing Editor – Hip Media

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INFORM

THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY IS SUFFOCATED BY

RED TAPE By David Leyonhjelm, chair of the Senate Inquiry into Red Tape and the Liberal Democrats Senator for NSW

t won’t surprise any of you in the business of supplying and serving alcohol that the Senate Committee into Red Tape heard extensive evidence that your industry is suffocating under a mountain of illogical rules and regulations. The Committee heard that while each new piece of red tape might seem simple to the legislators, the entire regulatory burden is death by a thousand cuts. The licences, fees and restrictions mean that businesses are not free to operate, evolve or improve. Across Australia, there are no less than 62 different types of licences and 24 different types of permits for businesses to acquire if they want to serve alcohol. No wonder some businesses are moving interstate or just shutting up shop. The Committee also heard that much of the red tape burden in the industry arises from the tax system. In 2016, the OECD reported that Australia was the third highest alcoholic beverage taxing country among its member countries. This explains why Australian alcohol is often cheaper when purchased overseas. Small distillers and brewers faced particular discrimination from the tax system, not just with respect to the differing tax rates, but also with respect to their engagement with the Tax Office. Taxation is not only high but also confusing thanks to two taxation systems that provide for 16 tax rates and various concessions. This means, for example, that a case of a certain type of ginger beer is subject to $21.54 of excise tax, while the same sized case of a similar ginger beer is subject to only $8.70 of wine equalisation tax because it is characterised as a fruit or vegetable wine. This is despite the fact that the cheaper ginger beer subject has almost twice as much alcohol by volume.

We heard other examples where different rates of tax don’t support harm minimisation. For example, the ‘alcopops’ tax was encouraging young people to buy large bottles of spirits and pre-loading them rather than measured pre-packaged bottles of alcohol. And in a typical Queensland pub or club, after 1am you can order a bottle of wine (about seven standard drinks) or a jug of beer (about four standard drinks), but not a single serve of whisky on ice (one standard drink). Several inquiry participants, including representatives of the Northern Territory Government, agreed that alcohol taxation should target alcohol content, rather than the mechanism by which the alcohol is delivered. This is in line with the recommendations of the 2010 Henry Tax Review. We heard evidence that the industry is overseeing a general trend towards lower alcohol consumption and less binge drinking. The number of people in Australia drinking at levels that placed them at lifetime risk of an alcohol-related disease or injury fell by approximately 250,000 in the three years up to 2013. More people are choosing quality over quantity. And there are also increasing numbers of people abstaining altogether. This suggests that more Australians are drinking in moderation and that regulations should target those who are at risk rather than the vast majority of responsible drinkers. The alcohol industry is important to Australia. The retail liquor industry alone employs 47,800 people. It supports thousands of small businesses that annually contribute over $17 billion in sales activity and $5.1 billion in various taxes to the government. It deserves a reduced red tape burden. You can find the interim findings of the Red Tape Inquiry on the sale, supply and taxation of alcohol online at www.aph.gov.au

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INFORM

NEWS FIGURES AND FACTS, PEOPLE AND POLICY, CORPORATE & COMMUNITY

Sir George Fistonich, founder and owner of Villa Maria

BROWN-FORMAN TAKES OVER PREMIUM SCOTCH WHISKIES Brown-Forman Australia will take over the distribution of The GlenDronach, BenRiach and Glenglassaugh Single Malt Scotch Whiskies from 1 July. Following its purchase of the BenRiach Distillery in April 2016, the Brown-Forman Corporation has been working on the distribution plan for the whiskies on a market-by-market basis. Currently, they are distributed by island2island and World of Whisky in Australia. Vice President, Managing Director of Brown-Forman in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, Marc Satterthwaite, said both distributors had done a brilliant job at seeding the brands locally and that the company was privileged to have the opportunity to continue to nurture and grow them. “We are very excited to be able to bring these wonderful brands into the Brown-Forman portfolio in Australia,” Satterthwaite commented. “We believe that the award-winning single malt whiskies when combined with the Jack Daniel’s family and our other premium brands, will allow us to provide a more comprehensive whisky portfolio offering.”

LEADING WINE PRODUCERS JOIN FORCES Three of the world’s most accomplished familyowned wineries, Société Jacques Bollinger, Henschke and Villa Maria, have come together to establish their own distribution company, House of Fine Wine. The need for a new distributor in the Australian market for all three producers came about after the sale of Fine Wine Partners to Accolade Wines earlier this year. House of Fine Wine is now up and running, building upon the local distribution model that had been set up by Villa Maria in January with a dedicated sales and marketing team, customer services, supply chain and operational support. It will also be led by Villa Maria’s Australian General Manager, David Bird, who has transitioned to General Manager of House of Fine Wine. Contact House of Fine Wine for orders of Champagne Ayala, Champagne Bollinger, Cognac Delamain, Henschke, Vidal Estate and Villa Maria. 12|drinks trade

ICONIC BEVERAGE BUSINESS SWIFT + MOORE RETURNS The much loved and iconic beverage business Swift + Moore is making a comeback next month in what will be a keenly followed reincarnation of the name, which dates back to the late 1800s. The business will be under the guidance of Michael McShane, former Managing Director (ANZSEA) of Brown-Forman and Swift + Moore itself. The Swift + Moore name hasn’t traded in the local market since 2007 after the business was acquired by Brown-Forman Corporation and transitioned to Brown-Forman Australia, but now McShane sees the opportunity to bring back a business that was not only much loved, but very successful in its own right. Swift + Moore will be a truly independent and Australian business. “Despite a constantly evolving industry, Swift + Moore is always remembered with great fondness as a people-focused business that developed many of the great brands we see today,” said McShane. “Continuing the traditions of the iconic Swift + Moore era and building great brands and partnerships with people at the heart of all we do will be a hallmark of the new business.” For interested parties wishing to discuss opportunities with one of Australia’s best-known beverage names, contact McShane at corporate@swiftandmoore.com.au drinks trade will be providing in-depth coverage on the relaunch and future direction of Swift + Moore in the September/October issue. Contact us to make sure you receive your copy.

Left to right: Mark Richardson, Andrew Pengilly and Bruce Tyrrell of Tyrrell’s Wines

TYRRELL’S WINES SCORES A HAT-TRICK

Mystique in bottle

BROWN BROTHERS TRIALS NEW GRAPE VARIETAL Brown Brothers in Milawa, Victoria is in the process of trialling an exciting new grape varietal that has been developed with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO) at its innovative Kindergarten winery. The varietal, known as Mystique, is the first of its kind and has never been planted or used by winemakers anywhere else in the world. The official varietal background of this deep, rich, red coloured berried vine is still yet to be publicly announced, but it can be said that it’s a very easy-drinking style of wine, with characteristics of a very approachable mouthfeel and fruit flavour. The family-owned business has always been a pioneer of new varietals in Australia. Over Brown Brothers’ 127-year history, the family has always shown an interest in innovation and doing things a ‘bit differently’. Starting with varieties such as Crouchen, Flora and Mondeuse, the business has launched unique wines including Tarrango and Cienna, showing that Mystique is coming from a stable of innovation success. The Kindergarten mini-winery, established in 1989, allows Brown Brothers’ winemaking team to continue to experiment with new techniques and varietals and is often a research base for CSIRO grape varietals. The family is really pleased with the initial feedback from consumers at its cellar door to tastings of Mystique and is hoping to release the wine nationally in the coming months.

One of Australia’s oldest and most respected families of wine scored a hat-trick at the Hunter Valley Legends Awards at the end of May. Fourth generation family member and Managing Director, Bruce Tyrrell, was presented with the Hunter Valley Award for Excellence, recognising his contribution to the region’s wine and tourism industries. Red Winemaker Mark Richardson was also acknowledged as the 2017 Winemaker of the Year for his successes on the show circuit and commitment to promoting Tyrrell’s and the region’s wines. The winery’s third feat went to Group Vineyard Manager Andrew Pengilly, who was named 2017 Viticulturist of the Year. The award highlights that good wine starts in the vineyard and Pengilly is a key member of Tyrrell’s winemaking team, overseeing its viticulture teams in the Hunter Valley and Victoria. Other recipients on the night included Ian Tinkler, who was awarded Legend of the Year, and Rauri Donkin of Bimbadgen Estate as Rising Star of the Year. Andrew Thomas Wines was also chosen as the Cellar Door of the Year.

CBIA REMOVES LARGE BREWERS FROM MEMBERSHIP The Craft Beer Industry Association made a significant change to its membership in May, removing large brewing companies and other businesses that hold significant brewery holdings in Australia and abroad from its representation. The decision was made to help the peak body focus on the challenges faced by its small brewers. As a result, the association has also renamed to the Independent Brewers Association. “Our members face challenges in their businesses with issues such as taxation, market access and licencing that don’t align with those of larger global organisations,” said Chair Peta Fielding. “These changes allow us to narrow our focus on addressing the needs of the businesses that need it most.”

MAGNERS CIDER MOVES DISTRIBUTOR Magners Irish Cider will move to Coca-Cola Amatil’s portfolio on 1 July, after Bacardi-Martini Australia and manufacturer C&C Group decided to end their agreement in Australia. Bacardi began distributing Magners in 2014, but will no longer work with the brand from the end of June, citing a desire to focus on its core spirits brands. Magners will strengthen Amatil’s existing cider portfolio of Rekorderlig, Pressman’s and Angry Orchard, as well as international and local beers Miller, Coors and Yenda. Amatil’s Director of Beer and Cider, Judd Michel, said the news was well received by its team and that the company is looking forward to seeing what it can do with the brand.

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INFORM PROMOTE

NILWA has facilitated national onpremise marketing strategies on behalf of wholesale members for 20 years. We’ve listened to our supplier business partners, taken on board the feedback from results of the Advantage Group Survey, discussed needs with our customers and developed a suite of resources for the sales team. With our purpose built data warehousing system, we have tailored programs specifically to meet the needs of the customer channel using our on-premise data read to identify current trends and market changes. WE BRING TO LIFE… Signature Drinks by NILWA, supported by NILWA wholesalers. Signature Drinks is trademark owned by NILWA, an on-premise banner for all on-premise customer marketing activities and activations. The Signature Drinks Banner is designed and structured specifically for those ‘non-called’ or ‘non-serviced’ on-premise customers. Signature Drinks is free to join for customers in metropolitan and country areas who meet the criteria and have ‘fallen through the cracks’. NILWA wholesalers, with a national sales team of 40, have their feet on the ground; we have the relationship with our customers; and we now have the structure through Signature Drinks to grow brands specific for their channel. 14|drinks trade

• A promotional program designed for key onpremise selling periods and occasions • An online training module specific to each customer channel, assisting them to keep staff up-to-date with the latest trends, techniques and industry news • A POS Suite including templates for beer and wine lists, cocktail menus, glassware, videos, blackboards, aprons, coasters, all designed for on-premise, in-venue activations

We have identified five key on-premise customer channels within our database: bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants and cafes using the drinks association liquor licence database as a reference for licence classification of customers. Our objectives for Signature Drinks are: to work with suppliers on their key brands specific for each channel; to be appealing and give value to the customer; to capture on-premise sales back through the on-premise; gain back brand loyalty through tailored programs; to create a suite of resources to build brands. WHAT DOES THE STRATEGY OFFER ONPREMISE CUSTOMERS? Signature Drinks Marketing Suite: • Consistent, competitive, everyday pricing • A product range that is designed specifically for the channel • An ongoing loyalty program to encourage purchasing through the on-premise channel

NILWA is currently undertaking a major IT and data upgrade. Data and reporting systems are being developed by Culture Tech and Red Crow Digital, specifically for NILWA and the Signature Drinks programs. We know compliance and behaviour management is critical to making any marketing strategy successful. If you can’t measure it, you can’t invest in it. We are working closely with our business partners to ensure these needs are met in a transparent and timely manner. Our vision is to establish Signature Drinks as a respected, successful national independent onpremise banner group, partnering with the main supplier partners to deliver innovative and dynamic marketing programs to key customer channels. In August, NILWA will hold its Annual Sales Training Conference, where the sales team will be immersed into the Signature Drinks program. At the conclusion of the training, there will be a celebration of 20 years with an industry dinner to be held in Sydney. Signature Drinks will be available in trade from 1 September 2017. If you’d like more information about the Signature Drinks program, if you’re a customer who’d like to join or a supplier who’d like to become a partner, you can email NILWA General Manager, Jenny Hughes on jennyh@nilwa.com.au

JANE CARO: WHAT DIVERSITY MEANS TO ME Jane Caro will discuss “diversity in action” at the drinks association’s upcoming Network Breakfast. Caro wears many hats including author, novelist, lecturer, mentor, social commentator, columnist, workshop facilitator, speaker, broadcaster and award-winning advertising writer. We asked her to give a few insights on how diversity has shaped her life and career. drinks trade: Have you encountered diversity challenges in your career and if so, how did you tackle them? Jane Caro: I was always the only woman, or one of two women in the department, as a creative in advertising. I was often the only woman in the meeting or on the committee. I always argued for more women to be employed and given chances. I always tried to write ads that treated women with courtesy and respect (still am - I was the writer on the recent Women’s AFL League launch ad). I am now recognised as one of Australia’s foremost feminists and I always speak up in support of women. DT: What does “diversity in action” mean to you? JC: Quotas. Without them, we will get more lip service but glacial actual change. DT: What is your definition of a diverse workplace? JC: All shapes, sizes, genders, races and backgrounds – including class. Seek out a diversity of voices and listen to them. DT: What do you regard as the top diversity issues facing the Australian drinks industry? JC: Same as every other industry – lots of women at the bottom and middle, hardly any at the top and, of course, the wage gap. DT: What advice do you give your daughters about the challenges women still face in the workplace? JC: Don’t be frightened by them, challenge them. Remember, every time you win something for yourself, you win it for every other woman striving to earn a living too. The Network Breakfast will be held on Tuesday 27 June at The Big Top, Luna Park, Sydney. Go to www.drinkscentral.com.au to book tickets. Jane Caro appears by arrangement with Claxton Speakers International.

CHANGES TO SYDNEY’S THREE STRIKES SCHEME AND LIQUOR LICENCE FREEZE The three strikes scheme implemented in venues in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross will soon be amended to link to the licensee rather than the venue. The decision was made by former New South Wales Premier Mike Baird late last year as part of the reforms to liquor legislation in the state and will be implemented in the coming months. Minister for Racing Paul Toole said that while the three strikes scheme had been successful in deterring poor practices in venues, it had meant that new owners and operators had been unable to remove any strikes incurred by previous management. The strikes will instead be attached to the licensee rather than the venue so that “responsible operators won’t be penalised for the poor practices of previous management,” Toole commented. The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has also said that it will begin considering strikes on a case by case basis and review a strike after five months to see if it should remain or be revoked. As part of the new laws, the liquor licence freeze in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross will also become more flexible, giving a wider scope to prospective licensees in the areas to apply. The hope is that this change will bring a vibrant nightlife back into these communities.

AFFW HEADS TO THE US Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) recently headed to the US as part of Wine Australia’s Spring Roadshow – Australia Up Close, to meet with consumers, trade and media to share their stories and teach them about Australian wine. AFFW represents Australia’s oldest and most respected multigenerational, family-owned wineries, which combine 1,380 years of winemaking experience across 50 generations and 16 regions nationwide. Since the group launched in 2009, it has independently funded trips to the UK, Canada, China, Hong Kong and the US to promote Australian wine. This trip to the US was supported by the $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, allocated in the recent Budget to help grow the value of wine exports and wine tourism here and abroad. AFFW Chairman Bruce Tyrrell said, “It was with great anticipation that the AFFW group joined with Wine Australia’s Spring Roadshow - Australia Up Close in the US this month – our second trip to the States in two years.” “It’s exciting to be talking to young restaurateurs and sommeliers across the five cities (LA, Dallas, Chicago, New York and Boston), who had no idea of the quality, diversity and complexity of the wines we produce. There’s nothing like meeting the folk in person, telling our family stories and presenting our wines. The power of these face-to-face tasting and educational experiences cannot be under-estimated.”

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Thousands of people work in the wine industry but few end up on the bottle. At Yalumba, we’ve been making wine since 1849. One thing we’ve learnt over the years is that you can’t do much with a bunch of good grapes unless you have already picked a bunch of great people. With this in mind, in 1962, we decided to honour the great people who have made an outstanding contribution to life and tradition at Yalumba by crafting ‘The Signature’. Each release of this iconic Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend bears the signature of the person honoured. With the 55th Signature, we salute Andrew Murphy. Murph started his working life in the cellar where he quickly rose to Cellar Manager, qualified as a Winemaker, was promoted to Operations Manager and is today our Director of Wine. So he doesn’t need anybody to tell him that the wine which now bears his name is one of the finest Signatures we have crafted yet. In fact, he’d probably say the wine he’s ended up on is the one he’d most like to upend.

One family. Many stories.

Judy Argent 2008

Clive Weston 2009

Jane Ferrari 2010

Robert Hill-Smith 2012

Andrew Murphy 2013

VISIBILITY IS THE KEY

LOCALLY GROWN

MEET THE REP

Josh Morris is the Group Manager – Customer, Strategy & Transformation at BevChain.

Nick Levy has worked in the liquor industry for over ten years, including in marketing roles with Coles and Taylors Wines. His column examines best marketing practice worldwide.

Therese Stoll is the On-Premise Area Manager at Samuel Smith & Son, based in Adelaide.

Established in 2006 as an industry solution of consolidating volume from multiple beverage producers and distributors to streamline the delivery process at an outlet level, BevChain is taking the next step in improving its delivery experience. By investing in system capability, we are aiming to provide our customers - and their customers - with the visibility and certainty in the supply chain they need to ensure a seamless consumer experience at the checkout. Visibility is a valuable commodity for both on and off-premise venues, enabling them to better plan their resources and the flow of their trading day. By reducing the count of inbound vehicles (essentially, interruptions) and providing clear, timely and accurate information on what’s to be delivered and when, outlets can devote more time and energy to fulfilling their customer’s needs. An interesting shift in customer expectation is the desire for an online B2C-like experience in the B2B space. As consumers, we’re familiar with the pangs of anxiety that kick in after we’ve made a purchase – when will it be delivered, will I be there to receive it, will it all arrive together? As the pace quickens in B2B execution, these same worries exist in that market. We know what gives us comfort as consumers – visibility and certainty. Certainty that my order has been received, that it’s on its way, that it will be delivered – in full and at the time promised. As a leading provider of warehousing and distribution services for the Australian beverage industry, BevChain understands this simple, yet important need, and we’re investing in our systems and infrastructure to provide the even greater levels of visibility and certainty that our customers demand. For more information about how we can

There are thousands of liquor brands out there in the world today, and many of them sell essentially the same product. While it’s a somewhat saturated market, there is still room for growth and innovation in the market for spirits. Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles, California is one of those companies that is making it happen. Their story really begins with the idea that people around the world are starting to develop more of a taste for locally grown, organic and sustainable goods. Noticing this trend, in 2004 husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Matthew decided to jump on the train. Their angle? To handcraft local, organic spirits that support the farmers in their area. And after working with a few, they found that spirits made with organic crops were more aromatic and flavourful than spirits made with traditional ingredients. Since then, the company has grown more than they ever could have imagined. Greenbar Distillery now houses the world’s largest portfolio of organic craft spirits and their spirits are found across supermarkets in the United States. Even better, is that they continue to find ways to give back to the world. Among their projects to keep their company sustainable and eco-friendly is a partnership with environmental organisation Sustainable Harvest International. For this project, Greenbar Distillery plants a tree for every bottle they sell. The main take-away here for Australian companies is that there is a strong movement towards locally grown, organic, artisanal products. As consumer demand for these locally grown products and revenue in this sector continues to increase, Australian companies should consider the opportunity to craft and market offers that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Therese has been a part of the Yalumba family for over 25 years. Barossaborn, she started as a Marketing Assistant at Yalumba when Robert Hill-Smith was Marketing Manager in 1985. She caught the travel bug but couldn’t stay away for long, returning to the company’s Melbourne sales office in the early 90s, as secretary to the State Manager. A real go-getter, Therese then moved into a sales representative role in Melbourne, before moving to Negociants New Zealand selling Yalumba and Hill-Smith Family Vineyards wines to the Kiwis for three years. After one stint overseas, she decided to give another a go and transferred to Negociants UK in London, where she remained for six years. Finally, she returned to Adelaide in 2008 and has been on the ground servicing Samuel Smith & Son’s on-premise accounts in the Adelaide CBD, North and North West ever since. In today’s technological environment, Therese still places a real emphasis on face-to-face contact with her customers, ensuring that she fosters real relationships with them. Her favourite product currently, is the Yalumba The Virgilius 2016. An incredibly food friendly wine, she says the new 2016 vintage is mind-blowing, showing elegance and restraint, yet it still has the voluptuous depth and style that The Virgilus is known for. In her words: “God-damn gorgeous.”

help you, visit www.bevchain.com.au

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WHY MENTORING IS IMPORTANT Hannah Sparks is the Associate Editor at Hip Media and a participant in the 2017 Women in drinks Mentoring Program. She will be sharing her experience as a mentee over the coming months. I’m incredibly proud and excited to be part of the inaugural Women in drinks Mentoring Program, an initiative to identify emerging female leaders within the drinks industry and help them move towards the next stage of their careers. As a young woman in her 20s, I find it surprising and somewhat alarming that there is still such a wide gender gap at senior levels in so many businesses. Men still represent a much bigger percentage of roles than women, from early management through to CEO level. In fact, the latest statistics from the Federal Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency show that women account for just 27.4 per cent of management personnel across the nation. Yet research shows that the organisations with greater diversity – and that means an equal mix of men and women in this instance – perform better from both a human and financial perspective…so what are we missing? One of the factors is a lack of mentorship, with again statistics showing that men receive far more support through informal mentors and sponsors within their organisations than women. And just that can be the difference between a person being considered for a job or promotion, or not. There has been major support from senior leaders across the industry to mentor these women (including myself) to provide them with the tools they’ll need to move up in their companies, which is really encouraging to see. Mentors too will develop new ways of thinking and take away key learnings for their own teams by listening to their mentees. All 58 mentors and mentees will meet around six to eight times until October and drive the conversation on inclusion and diversity across the industry. The program kicked off with a half-day leadership module for mentees in early May, designed to provide participants with the tools and framework to prepare for the six-month program and also highlighted some of the barriers to inclusion at executive levels. It was a fascinating session and a great chance to meet my inspiring fellow mentees.

DRINKS INDUSTRY LEADERS BACK MENTORING PROGRAM

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU IN YOUR CAREER?

Alana House, Communications Manager at the drinks association, reports on the recent launch of the Women in drinks Mentoring Program.

Simone Allan is the founder and Director of Mondo Search (Destination for Best Hidden Talent). Since its inception 19 years ago, Mondo Search has interviewed over 22,000 executives and placed more than 2,500 leaders into business. Our research shows that there are five

Many of the drinks industry’s biggest names have joined the inaugural Women in drinks/Serendis Mentoring Program, which kicked-off last month, to champion diversity in their businesses. There are 58 participants involved in the 2017 program, including 28 mentors from companies such as Australian Vintage Limited, Brown-Forman Australia, Bacardi-Martini Australia, Campari Australia, Casella Family Brands, Carlton & United Breweries, Coca-Cola Amatil, Lion and McWilliam’s Wines. The executives gathered at North Sydney mid-May to be briefed on the crossindustry program. Designed to help talented women develop their readiness for leadership roles, it will also give senior leaders and influencers in the industry insights into the benefits, enablers and barriers to women in their organisation and the sector. the drinks association has been supporting Women and drinks and Serendis throughout the launch of its program and CEO Sandra Przibilla has been monumental in championing the concept and bringing it to life from the outset. She commented, “It’s incredibly rewarding to see the level of support the drinks industry is giving the Serendis Mentoring Program.” “the drinks association is thrilled to have joined with Women in drinks to bring the program to life and promote diversity of thought and leadership at a senior level in our member companies.” Mentees and mentors will meet regularly over the coming months until the program concludes in October. They will also take part in a Signature Strengths Workshop in June, which will give participants a framework to use in their mentoring sessions and where I will next be reporting from.

reasons why we work: 1. Wow leadership - the culture set by the leadership team 2. Work challenges - the job itself 3. Workforce planning - the career path opportunities 4. Workplace offerings - staff benefits like gyms and flexible hours 5. Wallets of money - the cash Twenty years ago, the workforce seemed more interested in the cash, titles and perks; it was a time when people would not consider a career move for less than a 20 per cent increase. Since the 1990s, there has been a shift in workplace motivators. At the start of the Millennium, Australia was excited by the Olympics and people were seeking more startup and entrepreneurial opportunities. The attitude between 2000 to 2001 did not last very long. In 2001, the world experienced the crisis of 9/11; in 2003 the Bali Bombings and in 2008 the world suffered the GFC, leading employees to worry about job security. In 2013, a shift occurred. Following the exposure of Google in films such as The Internship, we witnessed workplaces competing on who had the coolest space. Gen Y hit the job market and had a big interest in workplace balance and workplace offerings. Today’s job drivers are leadership and location, with the world witnessing some hectic leaders and many surprise mergers and acquisitions; people are asking about the integrity of the leaders that they will work for. Secondly, people are sick of long commutes; they will forgo money for a shorter commute. Clearly, ‘wow leadership’ and ‘workplace offerings’ are now more important than ever before. For the first time in history, the workplace is home to five generations, and such diversity of interests also explain these varying job motivators. Who knows what the future will bring, but it is evident that the five key job motivators do change as the world weathers new moments in time.

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INFORM PROMOTE

ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE Thursday & Friday 3 & 4 August 2017 (Industry Only) Saturday 5 August (Industry and Consumer)

Who should attend? Australian Distillers • Insights into export markets • Make direct contact with buyers from the Asia Pacific region • Access current technology to help with packaging products • Access new innovations in production and quality control • Assistance in developing further training opportunities in your business

he Asia Pacific Whiskies & Spirits Conference is the largest and first of its kind, providing industry stakeholders with access to the latest products and expert knowledge in the region. Between 3-5 August 2017, the Adelaide Convention Centre will facilitate a central meeting place for Australian retailers, distillers, on-premise, wholesalers, international buyers, brand importers and industry associations to network and learn about the latest in whiskies and spirits trends, production, packaging, distribution, promotion, and more. Delegates can discuss the commercial opportunities in the global spirits industry and hear from international experts who have conquered challenges along the way. World-class seminars and workshops will educate, expose

20|drinks trade

opportunities and create debate. The conference will cover key topics such as the latest market trends, how to range whiskies and spirits in the retail environment, glassware and drinks service; international regulations and measures, and category styles. Attendees will also get to taste top

performing and new produce from across the region and Australian wholesalers will take orders at the Whiskies & Spirits Expo. Don’t miss out on all this, plus the winners of the first Australian Icons of Whisky Awards, taking place on the first evening of the Conference.

Brand Importers • Access to both on and off-premise business owners • Exhibit your products at the expo sessions on day two and day three • Brand ambassadors gain access to the trade Retail and Hospitality • Access product knowledge and business development in the distilled beverages sector • Training opportunities for business owners and their staff • Access to the expo tasting and networking opportunities with brand owners • Whisky and spirits ranging and selling International buyers • Gain direct access to products made in Australia • Negotiate trade export orders from Australian distillers

James Irvine, winner of the 2015 Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge

PROMOTE

KNOW OF A RISING STAR? TELL THEM ABOUT THE ANGOSTURA GLOBAL COCKTAIL CHALLENGE The popular Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge is returning this year, between July and September, and distributor island2island is looking for top bartenders from across the country to enter. This once in a lifetime opportunity will challenge bartenders to put their skills to the test and learn from the best in the business. Considered as one of the most hotly contested competitions in the world, the experience not only provides contestants with world-class training but also gives winners and their venues national exposure.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? READ ON. WHEN

PRIZE

HOW TO ENTER

STATE HEATS

NATIONAL WINNER

Monday 31 July – WA Tuesday 1 August – SA Monday 7 August – NSW Monday 14 August – VIC Monday 21 August – QLD

• 12-month contract as the Australian Angostura Brand Ambassador • Cash prize of AU$10,000 • All expenses paid trip to Trinidad during Carnival in

Entries open 1 June at 12:01am and close 30 June at 11.59pm. Bartenders will need to submit two cocktails, as well as a video and written entry. For more information or to submit your entry head to angosturaglobalcocktailchallenge.com

NATIONAL FINAL

GLOBAL WINNER

Sunday 17 September – Sydney

• An additional cash prize of US$10,000 • Two-year contract as the Global Angostura Ambassador

February 2018 to take part in the Global Finals

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

INFORM

Giuseppe A RETAILER AT HEART Giuseppe Minissale has acquired a slew of titles over the course of his more than 30-year career, including Chairman of Alcohol Beverages Australia, General Manager of Porter’s Liquor and National President of the Australian Liquor Stores Association. Nevertheless, Minissale says he’ll always be first and foremost a retailer and loves nothing more than to work on the floor floor, which is part of the reason why he owns and operates seven of the Porter’s Liquor stores in Sydney today. drinks trade sat down with Minissale recently to discuss his beginnings, his subsequent successes and where he sees the industry heading in the near future. 22|drinks trade

drinks trade: Had you worked in liquor retailing before joining Porter’s Liquor Group as the Western Australian State Manager in 1990? Giuseppe Minissale: I started working in liquor at the age of 18 with Coles Liquor Group. At the age of 21, I was the youngest Grade 3 Liquor Manager, opening new stores for Liquorland at that stage. From there, I went to work for Liberty Liquors with Patrick Stephenson. I managed his number two store until he started expanding. Then I worked for Penfolds for two years as a sales representative in Perth. From there, I ended up buying half a share of Attadale Cellars and, from there, I purchased a couple more stores. But at the same time, we started a banner group called Ring a Ding Liquor, which ended up merging with another banner group, and another banner group again and becoming West Coast Independence. Around 1995/1996, I was the President of the Liquor Stores Association and came for a meeting in New South Wales. That’s when I happened to be in Mal Higg’s (retailer and ALSA Project Manager) office and heard that Porter’s Liquor was setting setting up and said I wanted to be a part of it. We took Porter’s to WA and then I was buying and selling stores and still running banner groups. Porter’s was really successful in WA, but those stores ended up being purchased by Liquorland. In 2000, I came to Sydney with Porter’s and the rest, as they say, is history.

it’s shifting to the consumer. If we go back to the 1990s when a lot of suppliers tried to dictate flavours and profiles, that was where the power was, but I think consumers are smarter than that now. I think they’re starting to work out what they want. They want diversification and that diversification comes in pack size. My prediction is that we’ll see packaged bottle size change in the next five years. I can see the market contracting to half bottles; less is best. That’s going to have a significant impact on us and our volumes. How are we going to manage that? So the retailer today has got to stay on top. You’ve got to be aware of what’s coming. Data is critical to maintaining the level of where you’re expected to be, but it doesn’t allow you to predict the future. I also think that in the next five to ten years, if you haven’t got 20 per cent of general merchandise, you’re in trouble. I also think that the next big things for liquor stores are larger outlets, good range, convenient and well-priced stock. Parking is also absolutely key. In the end, all locations are usually highly populated residential areas. And finally, don’t expect your consumer to travel far. DT: What do you wish you’d known before opening multiple stores? GM: When you’ve got two stores you think it’s easy. And if they’re close together, you can just transfer stock between the two. It’s pretty simple

I think consumers are smarter than that now. I think they’re starting to work out what they want. They want diversification and that diversification comes in pack size. My prediction is that we’ll see packaged bottle size change in the next five years. I can see the market contracting to half bottles; less is best.

DT: Was it always your objective to own multiple stores? GM: I am amazed that in this industry, especially the people that are passionate about this industry, never create a fallback plan. Between 2000-2004 was the only time I never owned any stores, I just worked for Porter’s during that time and thought life was good. But then a momentous event took place in Porter’s history - six or seven of the stores got sold to Woolworths, and it rocked me. Not the fact that they got sold, but I realised I could be vulnerable. So, I’ve always focused on having a fallback plan. As and when acquisitions became available, I would snap them up. DT: Has your retailing ethos changed with the market over the years? GM: It changes just about every week! I mean, who would have ever thought that Dan Murphy’s would have come along? When Porter’s started in 1990, it was all about Vintage Cellars. And when BWS came to the market with their orange colours, everybody laughed at them. When Thirsty Camel came to the market, everybody laughed at them too, but those brands have been incredibly successful. Suppliers have been the captains of the industry for a long time, but now

at that stage. But once you get three plus stores, it becomes very hard to manage. The biggest surprise for all of us has been the added complexity the stores have, not the simplicity of buying. It is procedures, strategies and strict protocols that we try to apply to the business. You don’t have that with one or two stores. And you’ve got to have a whole administration team. At first, we allowed every store to do their own thing, and it just became chaos. The individual managers were under too much pressure because they had to feed back the information. So they’re not serving; they’re not selling; they’re not on the floor. They’re just doing the bookwork. That’s the biggest learning curve. It’s about cutting out the red tape and paperwork so the guys can do what they do best - sell. But each store has to have a strategy and budget. You’ve got to run it as if you were Metcash. You’ve got to make every store accountable for their budget. It doesn’t matter if they’re my store or a franchisee of Porter’s, every store has its individuality. There’s not a liquor store in this country that’s the same. And that’s why you’ve got procedures and strategies to bring them under the same banner.

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INFORM

Porter’s Liquor’s Bexley store, Giuseppe’s latest acquisition

DT: What have been the benefits of owning multiple stores? GM: Trends. If one of our guys hears about something, like a new beer, they’ll be straight on the phone to one of the other stores to let them know. They’re part of a network. We can be home to a new product that one of the guys is passionate about within 24 hours. Dan Murphy’s likes to say that they were onto cider first. We were onto cider first. We were also onto rosé way before them. And we were onto half bottles and quarter bottles way, way before them. I can tell you, we’re way ahead of where the independent retailer is. DT: What do you think has been key to the success of your stores? GM: I think our catalogues are key. Talking directly to a consumer and expressing a level of expertise and knowledge is critical. It gives consumers confidence about the brand and a reason to come into our stores. That can be craft beer in Bexley, Cognac at Lansvale, or premium wine at Balgowlah. We give the guys the tools to be an expert. One of my biggest frustrations is that suppliers expect us to follow their key performance indicators, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s good value or you’re portraying a great product to the consumer. So we fight a lot. I think Vintage Cellars leads in that space as well, and Liquor Barons and Porter’s is starting to step up to the mark. Talking premium, quality and expertise are also absolutely critical. One of the things we want to do is move out of this convenience model and play in that niche, expert market. We, as an industry, need to learn to get on the front foot and be the experts.

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DT: How do independents remain competitive in today’s market? GM: The real important part for me is that I’m a retailer at heart, even though I work for Metcash and Australian Liquor Marketers, and for myself at Porter’s Liquor Group. When I get to work in the store, I can see what’s happening day-to-day with numbers and consumers. It really is different than what a set of data will tell you because data is just history; it’s what has happened, not what is happening. I’m always amazed when I’m working in a store how quickly the consumer is changing. We’ve got the leading experts in retail in New South Wales with stores like Dan Murphy’s and Vintage Cellars. They’re world class. Just look at what they’re doing. I implore people to have a look around. DT: Porter’s Liquor Group is set to relaunch next year and grow to 150 stores nationally. Can you tell us about some of the plans for the stores? GM: What we’ve done is matrixed the industry, and there are a lot of stores that play in the space of medium pricing and medium ranging. The ones that are different are the ones like Dan’s, which have a huge range and great pricing. We also know in hotels and little pub stores, that they have a small range and very high pricing. So we’ve decided that we need a big range and price elasticity. We need to have some red hot pricing and high pricing. We want them to fit in the middle, between 22-23 per cent gross profit after a promotional period. The core to Porter’s is that we wouldn’t sell a $3.99 wine unless it was outstanding.

INFORM Steve Webber

THREE SIDES OF THE COIN: 2017 VINTAGE WINES

Despite some unpredictable weather, the wine regions of Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia have once again produced a stellar crop of rich reds and bright whites, particularly among the aromatics. We sat down with Larry Cherubino, winemaker and owner of his eponymous wine company in WA; Steve Webber, Chief Winemaker and Manager of De Bortoli’s Yarra Valley Estate; and Ian Hongell, Senior Winemaker at Torbreck Vintners in the Barossa Valley to chat about their 2017 harvest and what we can expect from the wines. By Hannah Sparks and Stephanie Aikins drinks trade: How were the 2017 vintage conditions in your region? Were they similar to other years? Larry Cherubino: I haven’t seen a vintage like this, probably for about 12 or 13 years. We had really good spring weather, a very mild summer and a very strong finish to autumn, so it’s probably similar to some of the vintages of the mid-80s, early 90s/mid-90s. In saying that, it was tricky, but the irony in all of that is that we’ve ended up with some pretty good stuff. Steve Webber: It was a cool start to the growing season followed by a normal summer of reasonably mixed weather. Vintage followed the late Easter and most producers finished by mid-April. 2005 for us was a similar season with a long, mild autumn and the wines look similar at this stage. Ian Hongell: The winter and spring of 2016 received above average rainfall, which set up the growing season of 2017 with great soil moisture levels. The budburst was relatively late and this, combined with the mild summer temperatures, resulted in a late start and late finish to the harvest. 26|drinks trade

DT: How are the 2017 whites looking? LC: They’re super bright. Margaret River was a little tricky. You had to work around the rain and really hold your nerve, but as a consequence, there are some very good, powerful whites that came out of that season. Despite the late harvest, there are really good acidities and the wines are very fine and delicately structured. SW: Most white crops were down from the previous two years. However, chardonnay was a real highlight with lots of detail and charm. They’re perhaps the best chardonnays we’ve seen since 2011 and 2012. Pinot gris, sauvignon and pinot blanc all had lovely aromatics. IH: The whites are in tank and barrel at present. They certainly show great promise from the gentle ripening conditions of the 2017 season.

Ian Hongell

Larry Cherubino

DT: How are the 2017 reds looking and when do you expect them to be out from barrel? LC: The reds I was a little concerned about, because due to the mild summer we had very late ripening. But after veraison, they were showing incredible colour and a lot of ripe flavours early on. In the Great Southern, it was again a couple of weeks late but they had incredible colour and spice. In the cabernets we’ve got really, really fine tannins and great intensity. They’re just immaculately structured and flavoured this year, which is really pleasing. Very, very strong for the southern areas of WA. We’ll probably bottle some pinots and some of the lighter styles in November and release them in February/March of 2018. But we won’t see cabernets until March 2019. SW: There is lots of colour and tannin in the reds. Pinot is down a little in quantity but the quality is very good. The colour and depth look amazing at this stage. Mid-season reds, syrah and gamay are beautifully aromatic and complex. This summer was ideal for the later reds like cabernet that need time to develop tannins. The cabernet sauvignon is as good as we have seen for 20 years. We don’t really know the potential of the wines in cask until spring when they have completed malo and are showing some non-fermentation aromatics and flavours. Pinot noir at this stage looks like early January and the fuller reds will come out in mid-March. IH: Our red wines in oak will range from 12 months to three years in barrel prior to their release.

DT: Which of your 2017 vintage wines will be the best sellers? LC: The riesling. At this stage, the wines we’ve got in bottle are the 2017 rieslings from the likes of Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup and they’re some of the best I think I’ve ever had. They’re always really strong, but they’ve just got everything this year. SW: Quite simply, anything with a ‘pinot’ in front of it. IH: Whilst its early days, the grenache, mataro and shiraz wines are displaying great fruit and I think they’re going to have a promising future. DT: Are there any other 2017 vintage wines from your region that you’ve seen and think trade should look out for? LC: The southern end of Margaret River was tricky for reds but very good for whites, whereas the northern end of Margaret River was generally fairly consistent, with some very good reds. In the end, it was a good year for quality and quantity. SW: Chardonnays will be as good as we’ve seen in years. Pinot noirs are looking like they will be plump, aromatic and broadly appealing. Cabernet sauvignon for the resurrection! IH: A few of the local winemakers are talking up Eden Valley riesling this year, so I will be looking out for some when it’s released.

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PROMOTE

THE BOURBON CHALLENGE Woodford Reserve’s National Cocktail Challenge is returning this September, putting the focus back on bourbon and the Old Fashioned. Now in its third year, the competition will look for bartenders who are passionate about the award-winning Kentucky bourbon and classic cocktails. Competitors will be challenged to come up with an original and creative cocktail that showcases Woodford Reserve Rye as well as their own interpretation of the Old Fashioned. Entries open in August. Keep an eye out for more information.

WOODFORD RESERVE DISTILLER’S SELECT

WOODFORD RESERVE DOUBLE OAKED

WOODFORD RESERVE KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE

40% ABV A handcrafted small batch bourbon, perfectly balanced. Aroma: Rich dried fruits, hints of mint and oranges, with sweet cocoa and faint vanilla and tobacco spice. Palate: Rich, chewy, rounded and smooth with citrus, cinnamon and cocoa. Finish: Long, silky smooth, with a warming hint of spice and pepper. RRP: $65

43.2% ABV Double Oaked has been uniquely matured in two separate custom crafted barrels. It is a rich spirit imbued with a soft, sweet oak character. Aroma: Rich notes of dark fruit, caramel, sharp honey, chocolate, marzipan and toasted oak. Palate: A full-bodied mix of vanilla, dark caramel, hazelnut, apple, fruit and spices. Finish: Long and creamy with lingering notes of honeyed apple. RRP: $75

45.2% ABV Made in the traditional style of Kentucky ryes, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky delivers bold flavours and a long fruit and sweetly spiced finish. Aroma: Spicy with distinct notes of rye, black pepper, cedar and cassia bark sweetened with a dusting of marzipan. Hints of pear, apple and almond. Palate: Clove, rye, mint, molasses, sorghum and honey with hints of apple and malt. Finish: Long and sweetly spiced. RRP: $90

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HOW MUCH DO YOUR STAFF KNOW ABOUT WOODFORD RESERVE AND CRAFTING THE ULTIMATE OLD FASHIONED? SEE THE RECIPE AND FACTS BELOW. WOODFORD RESERVE OLD FASHIONED Glass: Old Fashioned Ingredients: 45ml Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10ml Sugar syrup 3 x Dashes of bitters Method: Add ingredients to the mixing glass. Stir ingredients for 30-40 seconds. Strain over ice into the Old Fashioned glass. Squeeze orange peel over drink to release the oils. Garnish: Orange peel and skewered maraschino cherries (optional)

DID YOU KNOW? • Established in 1812, the Woodford Reserve Distillery is one of the oldest in Kentucky, US • Barrels are made specifically for Woodford Reserve at its own cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky • Woodford Reserve is crafted in small batches to retain quality, which is what makes it one of the world’s most award-winning bourbons • More than 200 flavour notes can be found in Woodford Reserve, from bold grain and wood to sweet aromatics, spice, fruit and floral notes • The fermentation period is between five to seven days, among the longest in the industry • Woodford Reserve has its own climate controlled barrel house, where the barrels mature. They are then selected based on flavour and not age.

For more information, visit Woodford Reserve’s Facebook page drinks trade|29

151 YEARS LATER, EVERY DROP STILL COMES FROM LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE. IT JUST ENDS UP A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY. EVERY DROP FROM A SINGLE SOURCE.

PLEASE ENJOY EVERY DROP RESPONSIBLY

SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

STRENGTHEN

Australia’s

TOP 10

Whisky & Bourbon Bars and Bottle Shops as Voted by the Industry

drinks trade magazine’s list of the Top Whisky and Bourbon Bars in Australia is back, and this year we’ve also included the best bottle shops in the category. We asked you, our readers, as well as the leading local and imported whisky and bourbon brands for the go-to places to enjoy and buy these spirits. The criteria was simple – nominate a bar or bottle shop with a strong focus on whisky and bourbon that contributes to category growth through excellent knowledge, service and range of products. We received an overwhelming response, and now the results are in. Find out which venues and retailers are considered the best in the business, leading the way as ambassadors for these fascinating and wonderful spirits and helping consumers to find an appreciation in their complexity through education, great prices and recommendations.

Criteria Our criteria represents a list of what we believe makes a top whisky and bourbon bar or bottle shop, leading with knowledge, service and range of products. The bars and bottle shops featured in our 2017 list don’t have to be dedicated to whisky and bourbon, but must display a strong focus on the spirits and meet the following points: • The bar/bottle shop demonstrates a strong knowledge of the category and is able to recommend different products/serves • The bar/bottle shop demonstrates excellent customer service • The bar/bottle shop has contributed to category growth in Australia through industry and consumer interaction, such as events and tastings • The bar/bottle shop displays a great range and diversity of the spirit • The bar/bottle shop has a comfortable environment with a great fit out

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SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

Bars WHISKY & ALEMENT

270 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 www.whiskyandale.com.au This Melbourne institution has it all – excellent range, knowledgeable staff, great prices, education and even its own bottle shop. The cosy and secluded whisky bar has an impressive 800 bottles available for tasting at any one time and is home to the well-respected School of Whisky, which offers introductory and advanced classes and master classes.

THE GRESHAM 308 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 www.thegresham.com.au The Gresham is steeped in history, set in the old Queensland National Bank building and with the only Heritage Bar License in the state. Some of Australia’s best bartenders frequent this pub, which is also well known for its no-nonsense, laid-back and friendly service. That and its extensive range of high caliber whiskies and delicious Old Fashioned cocktails are what set The Gresham apart.

THE BAXTER INN Basement 152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 www.thebaxterinn.com The Baxter Inn has set the benchmark for what every great whisky bar should be. On the surface, it’s a bustling and dimly lit venue with a varied selection of some 630 whiskies. At the core, are passionate bartenders who show a genuine interest in the products they serve and are persistent in demonstrating the approachability of the spirit with simple drinks such as whisky and fresh apple juice.

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28 Vardon Avenue, Adelaide SA 5000 www.nolaadelaide.com This fun and hip New Orleans inspired dining bar is well known for driving people to alternate whisky regions and drinks. Its focus on American and Australian whiskies lends to an interesting mix of 75 local malts, bourbon and ryes. NOLA adds to this by importing rare releases and bottles not sold or distributed in Australia. Its whisky cocktails have also been known to convert a few, particularly the Café Noir - a twist on the espresso martini with whisky.

VARNISH ON KING 75 King Street (basement level), Perth WA 6000 www.varnishonking.com This fashionable venue is proving whisky is no longer a drink of yesteryear. In an attempt to get consumers to try something new, it’s paired our favourite foods with its American whiskies, including bacon (yes bacon). For the same reason, the bar refuses to stock single malt Scotch. This is backed up by regular master classes, a huge level of enthusiasm for the category and great recommendations.

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SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

NOLA ADELAIDE

Nicks Wine Merchants

SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

STRENGTHEN

Bottle Shops NICKS WINE MERCHANTS 10-12 Jackson Court, East Doncaster VIC 3109 www.nicks.com.au Collectors of whisky and bourbon have been visiting Nicks for years. This family owned business has around 1,000 whiskies available online and 80 per cent of those in store. The staff at Nicks are committed to tasting as many products as possible before they sell them, giving them the edge when it comes to product knowledge and recommendations. Customers can also taste many of the great products onÂ shelfÂ here.

WORLD OF WHISKY Shop G12, Cosmopolitan Centre, 2-22 Knox Street, Double Bay NSW 2028 www.worldofwhisky.com.au This specialist whisky store has made a real difference to the education and prevalence of this category in Australia, reaching over 5,000 people through tastings, master classes and shows since it opened almost seven years ago. The store stocks some 600 expressions and its owners offer exceptional knowledge and service. They are also willing to source unusual and hard to find whiskies for asking customers. 36|drinks trade

SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

THE OAK BARREL

SEA BREEZE CELLARS

152 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000 www.oakbarrel.com.au

244 Boundary Road, Dromana VIC 3936 www.seabreezecellars.com.au

This award-winning and independent whisky specialist has been educating local consumers for years. Many in the industry will know or have been to one of the many tastings and master classes held at The Oak Barrel’s tasting room. Its range of 450-500 features styles from around the world, including single malts, premium blends, bourbon, rye and more. It’s a mustvisit if you’re ever in town just to see what’s new on shelf.

This family-owned retailer is a favourite among both suppliers and customers and a popular destination outside of Melbourne for its 300 plus whiskies and bourbons from around the world. Owner Ray is passionate about whisky and bourbon and believes in educating his customers to drink less, but better by sharing his knowledge and encouraging tastings. Around 80 of Ray’s spirits are always open and waiting to be tried.

CASA DE VINOS 227 Bay Street, Port Melbourne VIC www.casadevinos.com.au Casa de Vinos is home to over 600 whiskies and bourbons, as well as an import and distribution business. What began as a bottle shop, is now also a main source for the latest and top expressions for local bars. Its range is well curated, developed through a lot of time and careful research, and features many independent bottlers. Casa de Vinos even has its own select cask bottled under its name, which can be tasted - along with many of the others in its range - at the store or one of its trade master classes in Sydney and Melbourne.

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INFORM

Home Grown Breweries and Cideries Breweries and cideries have a long history locally - at least as long as any of us can remember. James Squire, the pioneer of brewing in Australia, began business in 1806, while our first cider brand, Mercury, arrived in 1911.

ustralians have always been proud to drink their local beers and still today traditional brands including Carlton Draught, XXXX Gold, Victoria Bitter, Tooheys and Carlton Dry are among the most popular in pubs (Barscan). Cider too is gaining support and has experienced a massive uplift in distribution in the on-premise through tap takeovers, as well as in sales in the off-premise. This has been driven by demand from consumers for new and different flavours and has seen the number of local cideries grow from around a dozen in the mid2000s to around 150 currently. The same trend has brought about an explosion of new beer styles and flavours from both the big brewers and the swell of small breweries that have popped up across the country in the last few years. There are now around 300 breweries in total in Australia, reflecting a similar scene to that of the pre-1900s, before many were forced to close due to economic and legislative challenges. As a result, the message of ‘buy local’ in these two categories has only gotten stronger. Switching to local products is a trend that’s growing in popularity across food and beverage, and brewers and cider makers have been able to tap into this by promoting the homegrown ingredients they use.

More and more beer brands are highlighting where Australian grown hops and malt are used, while Australian cider makers, with the support of industry body Cider Australia, have been campaigning for more recognition of ciders that use 100 per cent Australian grown fruit, differentiating them from the bigger brands that use foreign concentrate. This comes with added benefits for the consumer with locally made beers and ciders generally containing no nasties, such as colourings and preservatives. Independent Brewers Association Executive Officer, Chris McNamara, says the fact that consumers can now easily visit their local brewery is acting as a reminder that beer is an agricultural product. And the same can be said of cider. The growth in local breweries and cideries means they have become popular places to visit and drink at over the last few years. Here, consumers can see where and how the products are made, meet the people and learn about the stories behind them. This transparency gives consumers more trust in the brands they purchase and a sense of connectedness, an important factor in purchasing decisions today. Here are ten local breweries and cideries we’re watching.

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A UNIQUE BREW One of the things that gives our ales and stout that unique Coopers flavour and appearance is a process called natural conditioning. To achieve this we add a small amount of live yeast to our beer just before bottling or kegging. This causes secondary fermentation in the bottle or keg which carbonates the beer and eliminates the need for any preservatives or additives.

INFORM 4 Pines kegs straight from the Brookvale Brewery on Sydney’s Northern Beaches Coopers Stout poured from the tap

BREWERIES The largest Australian-owned brewery, Coopers, is also familyowned and has been brewing over six generations. Located in South Australia, Coopers’ Regency Park brewery is well known for pioneering naturally conditioned and bottle-fermented ales and stouts. Natural ingredients are also at the core of all its beers. Coopers is best known for its Original Pale Ale and Sparkling Ale, which are both available nationally, as well as the annual, limited edition, seasonal Vintage Ale that is suitable for maturation and storing under cellar conditions, with the flavours growing deeper and more complex over time. Contact Coopers directly for orders. Synonymous with Fremantle, its spiritual home, Little Creatures began with a group of mates wanting to brew a hop-driven American pale ale. The brewery launched with this style of beer back in 2000, and it’s still a crowd favourite, made from hops sourced directly from growers in Victoria, Tasmania and the US. In addition to the pale ale, Little Creatures’ year-round range features the well known Bright Ale, a style unique to Little Creatures and a hybrid brew that is bright filtered (hence the name); Rogers’ Amber Ale; DogDays Summer Ale, Original Pilsner and IPA.

Brad Rogers, Stone & Wood

4 Pines beers: Brad Rogers, Stone & Wood – Brad Rogers, Co-Owner and Brewer at Stone & Wood

Brewers testing the beer at Little Creatures in Fremantle

In 2013, Little Creatures opened an east coast brewery in Geelong, Victoria to ensure those in the area were receiving the freshest beer possible. Its associated White Rabbit in Healesville, Victoria also outgrew its home and joined the Brewery Village in Geelong in 2016. Little Creatures and White Rabbit are distributed by Lion in Australia. Staying in Victoria, Mountain Goat first launched with its Hightail Ale back in 1997 and marked its 20th anniversary this year. Owners Dave Bonighton and Cam Hines contract brewed the initial batches before opening their own brewery and warehouse in Richmond. The Mountain Goat range, which includes the popular certified organic Steam Ale, Hightail Ale, Summer Ale, Pale Ale and Fancy Pants can now be found all across

Australia. Mountain Goat was also one of the first craft breweries to can its beers, so that its Summer Ale and Fancy Pants beers could be enjoyed at festivals and outdoor events. Trade should contact Asahi Premium Beverages for orders of or more information about Mountain Goat. In NSW, perhaps one of the more well-known breweries is Byron Bay based Stone & Wood Brewing Company. Well known for its Pacific Ale, the brewery was established in 2008 and followed with the opening of a second brewery in Murwillumbah in 2014 to meet growing demand. The highly acclaimed Pacific Ale is brewed using all Australian barley, wheat and Galaxy hops and is

joined in the core range by the Garden Ale, Green Coast Lager and Jasper Ale. Contact Stone & Wood directly for orders. Based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, 4 Pines Brewing was born from a post surf conversation between a father and son. What started as an intention of servicing the locals by setting up a microbrewery near the wharf in Manly, grew to a large-scale brewery in nearby Brookvale in 2012. The core range has expanded in recent years and now includes the 4 Pines In Season IPA, Indian Summer Ale, Kolsch, American Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, E.S.B and Stout. Contact 4 Pines Brewing Company directly for orders.

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INFORM

Sunrise over the Batlow orchards

The Hills Cider Company has complete land to hand control over every stage of production

Tractor in the orchards at Willie Smith’s in the Huon Valley

CIDERIES When we think of Australian cider, Mercury is the first brand that comes to mind. Its origins date back to 1909 when Leslie Murdoch, a prominent Tasmanian bookkeeper, joined forces with M. Peirlot to launch The Tasmanian Cider Company, with Auguste Bonamy as cider maker. Over the past century, many styles of cider for the Australian consumer have been made under the Mercury brand. These include Dry, Draught and Hard. Inspired by the brews made for the crew of the Australian Antarctic Expeditions, setting sail from Hobart, Mercury Hard Cider sets itself apart from other products with a 6.9% ABV and crisp, juicy flavours. Mercury Cider is distributed by Carlton & United Breweries. 42|drinks trade

Also in Tasmania is Willie Smith & Sons, Australia’s first certified organic cidery. The business dates back to 1888, when William Smith first started planting orchards in the Huon Valley. The cidery is now co-run by fourth generation family member Andrew Smith and business partner Sam Reid. Of key interest, is the fact that all of the apples are grown, crushed, fermented, aged and bottled on premise, meaning Australian consumers are guaranteed a 100 per cent natural, local product. While the core range includes the Organic, Bone Dry and Farmhouse Perry styles, Willie Smith’s is also well known for its seasonal releases; a little something extra to make your cider menu shine. For trade enquiries, contact Willie Smith’s directly.

Mercury cider apples ready for production

Moving over to South Australia we have the Hills Cider Company, which was launched on Australia Day in 2010. Steve Dorman and Tobias Kline own the brand and are committed to supporting local farmers by using only Australian fruit. This close partnership allows them to ensure exceptional growing conditions and high quality products in both apple and pear varieties. They also continue to push the boundaries of Australian cider by regularly releasing small batch, limited edition products, all of which are gluten-free,

vegan and have no added sugars or concentrates. The Hills Cider Company products are distributed through Samuel Smith & Sons. In New South Wales, Batlow Cider also heroes quality, local produce. A collaboration between the Batlow Fruit Co-operative, growers of Batlow Apples and Sydney brothers Rich and Sam Coombes, the brand is committed to supporting local growers and paying them a fair price for their fruit. Sourced from approximately 20 family-owned orchards, the fruit is grown at the base of the

The Flying Brick Cider House on the Mornington Peninsula

Batlow Premium Cider

Snowy Mountains, which allows it to ripen at an even rate. The core range includes a Premium, Cloudy and OPA (Oaked Pear & Apple) variety, and guarantees three and a half Batlow apples in every bottle and almost four in every can. Trade should contact Batlow Cider directly for orders or more information about its products. Last but certainly not least, husband and wife duo David and Lyndsay Sharp launched the Flying

Brick Cider Company in 2010. Located on the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria the Flying Brick range is the result of gathering, pressing and fermenting 100 per cent fresh, crisp Victorian apples and pears. The name even pays homage to the area, referring to the native yellowtailed black cockatoo, known for its happy and playful disposition. The range consists of Original (apple), Pear and Draught. Trade can order them from The Sharp Group.

drinks trade|43 4pinesbeer.com.au

INFORM

WINE

Why Choose Hunter Valley Wine? Oh for an earlier time, when the names of Australian wines resounded and took drinkers immediately to an idyllic place, to a happy expectation, and, thereby, to a natural understanding. I’m talking about the Hunter, of course. Hunter River Burgundy. Hunter River Hermitage. Hunter River Riesling. Yes, yes, these were not wines from those European places or necessarily even made from those European regions’ grape varieties; but the taste of the wines resembled the originals’ greatness, and so the names paid homage - and explained to Australian wine drinkers of yore what the winemaker was trying to make, and sell… By Ben Canaider, Wine Writer

rom the 1850s to the 1960s, these sorts of names meant much to those same said Australian wine lovers. It was a kind of guarantee. No one wanted Hunter semillon, but call it Rhinegold, and it walked out the door. That simple understanding and approach is all gone now, as it must, and the Hunter has become more refined, more detailed and precise. Then again, given the rollercoaster the region has been on for the last two hundred years, it is a wonder it exists at all nowadays, or that it hasn’t become a hole in the ground. Because it was originally called Coal River. Mining started it. To the extent that such was the new importance the area was renamed for the then governor, in 1797, Captain John Hunter. The black phosphorous soils bade well for farming and agriculture too, thank goodness, and so James Busby followed in the 1830s, with semillon and shiraz - the latter from Hermitage in the Rhone Valley. He also had pinot noir and chardonnay from Burgundy’s Clos du Vougeot, or so too many people say. More remarkable than the original vine cuttings and plantings and the hard work was the methodology. Go back to the Maitland Mercury’s records of the 1840s and you can read the reports of the vignerons’ halfyearly meetings, where there’s clear evidence of a

scientific, measured approach to the game of chance otherwise known as grape growing and winemaking. And the Hunter continued to inspire and regenerate new generations of winemakers and grape growers in the years ahead: Maurice O’Shea, Karl Stockhausen, and later still, Max Lake, Len Evans, James Halliday. Scientific methodology and exactness continued, to the point where we lost the old happy names of the area’s wines. Hunter River riesling became Hunter Valley semillon. And I suppose we are the better for that nom de stage name change? Of all the region’s wines, though, Hunter semillon (née rhinegold-riesling) remains the untouchable enigma. It is a wine that shouldn’t exist because if you got a wine technocrat to write the equation down on a recycled bio-dynamic, carbon-neutral piece of paper the answer would be no. Picked early (to beat the invariably wrong weather) and hence keeping its high natural acid, it is fermented dry and bottled quick (a bit like riesling). No oak. No cruel hand of man. It is delicate yet enduring, and durable. And, importantly, with a nod to history, it is becoming more and more anachronistic - because you can’t change it. The formula is too simple and flawless. It is perfect. The cornerstone of the Hunter Valley’s wines. And I’m going to start calling it Hunter River Riesling again.

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Views of the Hunter Valley over local vineyards

WINE

INFORM

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUTURE OF NSW WINE When the new Sydney International Convention Centre opened at the end of last year, it released a wine list containing 80 per cent of wines produced in New South Wales. This was a fantastic result for NSW winemakers, highlighting the quality and diversity that is being produced from New England in the north to Perricoota in the south. And a great way to start 2017, with our state wines being exposed to tens of thousands of international delegates each year and having an impact on the world stage. By Angus Barnes, Acting Executive Officer of the NSW Wine Industry Association 46|drinks trade

Views at sunset over Clonakilla’s vineyards in the Canberra District Photography by David Reist

Tyrrell’s Wines Cellar Door and Old Hut in the Hunter Valley Photography by Jamie Gilmore, Studio DC3 Windowrie’s Winery and Restaurant in the NSW wine region of Cowra

Vintage at Tyrrell’s Wines Photography by Jamie Gilmore, Studio DC3

he successes of this year haven’t stopped there. At the beginning of 2017, Wine Ark announced that two boutique NSW wines (Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2015 from Canberra and Lake’s Folly Cabernet 2014 from the Hunter Valley) were at the top of the list of wines added to its 16 cellars across Australia, by clients from over 30 countries. Major trophies for some of the state’s wines were also collected at the 2016 Sydney Royal Wine Show (including five trophies to Chalkers Crossing from Hilltops, De Bortoli from the Riverina, and Tyrrell’s, Brokenwood and De Iuliis from the Hunter Valley); the 2017 Australian Cool Climate Wine Show (Shaw Vineyard Estate from Canberra); the 2017 Winewise Championship (Tintilla Estate from the Hunter Valley); and the 2017 Sydney International Wine Competition (Coolangatta Estate from Shoalhaven and Berton Vineyards in the Riverina). The growing diversity of our wines and increasing quality of our lesser known wine regions was again highlighted at the 2016 NSW Wine Awards, where the big winners came from not only the Hunter, Orange and Mudgee, but also from the Central Ranges, Southern Highlands and Hilltops. The overall medal count was also up again with our Chair of Judges, PJ Charteris, commenting that this was a tribute to the passion and strength of the NSW wine industry, with resident winemakers having a red hot crack at producing high quality wines from old and new varietals. Major trophy winners at this show included Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley - Best Dry White and the big trophy to Windowrie Estate The Mill Shiraz 2015, Cowra – NSW Wine of the Year. I think it’s fair to say that NSW is currently making some of the best wines that have ever come from this state, but we still have some challenges ahead. A study recently completed for us by Wine Business Solutions showed that listings of NSW wines on NSW and ACT restaurant wine lists have decreased over the last 12 months. Numbers have also decreased on wine lists across Australia. Imported wines are growing competition within this arena, but it is interesting to see that listings of local wines in Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia have not been as affected, and even grown in some areas. So, what can NSW winemakers do about this? As we don’t generally have the large wine companies and big budgets based in the local wine regions, we need to do what smaller companies do best – innovate! Keep making bold, exciting wines, together with exceptional examples of the styles of wine that are very clearly what people want to drink, such as the

Brokenwood Wines Cellar Door in the Hunter Valley

recent popularity growth of cool climate shiraz and riesling. And get out into the market more to build relationships and showcase the hidden gems that are available. For those who are looking for great wines, don’t ignore the active and growing global trend that is ‘localisation’, which is seen very strongly in the food industry and is now making waves in the wine world too. We would love to see this trend be embraced across the board and see everyone supporting their local producers and wines. I think it’s also worth mentioning the growing tourism industry that exists in areas that have wineries, vineyards and cellar doors. There is a huge benefit for regional tourism for both NSW in general and its wine regions in particular. The State government has a great website detailing visits to our wine regions - www.visitnsw.com (and further search ‘wine regions’). Come and visit us, there is so much to see and do besides tasting wine! We are really excited about the upcoming 2017 NSW Wine Awards, with entries opening this month and awards presented in October. I can’t wait to see the range of amazing new wines that are out there. We hope that Sydney, NSW and Australia will also be watching and support the talented and dedicated NSW wine industry. Follow news and updates on Facebook @NSWWine If you’d like more information about the 14 wine regions of NSW, then visit www.nswwine.com.au

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CONNECT

WINE

L-R: Ashley Pini, Sharyn Foulis, Michael Quirk, Travis Fuller, Alison Eisermann and Ben Moechter

ALTERNATIVE REDS The term ‘alternative’ when used to refer to grape varietals means those that are less commonly or commercially planted in Australia. Varietals such as tempranillo, nebbiolo and nero d’avola for example, are much newer additions to our soils and less well known than the local heroes such as shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. Many of the alternative grape varietals grown in Australia today, have made their way from Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Italy and are, as such, considered by vignerons and winemakers to be well suited to our climate and palates, with many similarities existing between our popular cuisines and drinking occasions. These varietals are helping to diversify Australian wine and some members of the industry believe they are the future, particularly as climate change affects growing conditions here. As a result, winemakers have gone further than just experimenting with these varietals, to producing great quality wines. In just a few years, malbec, grenache, gamay and the GSM blend (grenache, shiraz, mourvedre) for example, have become increasingly popular and the Australian

Alternative Varieties Wine Show and specific groups have been established to grow the support for such wines. Exciting to see in the top 20 is an entirely new grape varietal that is not grown anywhere else in the world. Mystique has been developed by Brown Brothers in Milawa, Victoria with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO). At this stage, it can only be purchased at Brown Brothers’ cellar door, but there are plans for the wine to be available nationwide later this year. Read more about Mystique in News. While they may be a little harder to sell, their place on your shelves, combined with education, will go a long way to telling the story of such varietals and improving their awareness and popularity. Read on for our favourites.

JUDGES ASHLEY PINI

SHARYN FOULIS

MICHAEL QUIRK

TRAVIS FULLER

ALISON EISERMANN

BEN MOECHTAR

Publisher and Wine Writer

Wine Consultant

Wine Educator, McWilliam’s Wines

Marketing Manager – Hardys, Accolade Wines

Certified Sommelier

Ashley joined the drinks industry in 1987, working at Liquorland in Sydney, before choosing the path of drinks writing. Today, he is published in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia with multiple magazines including drinks trade.

Sharyn has worked in Sydney wine retail since 2002, including with Dan Muphy’s for the last 12. She has completed a Bachelor of Science and the WSET level 3. She is has also judged at a number of national wine shows.

Michael Quirk is the Wine Educator at McWilliam’s Academy of Wine and the Chief Steward at the Sydney Royal Wine Show. Michael has worked across all levels of education in Australia and internationally for over 30 years.

Travis Fuller has 23 years of experience in the wine industry, including working for the largest premium wine producer, Southcorp Wines, and has been a senior wine show judge across Australia and the world.

Alison Eisermann MW joined the wine industry 25 years ago and has a background in biochemistry, viticulture, winemaking, judging and wine education with Sydney Wine Academy, among others.

Ben Moechtar has enjoyed a career in wine for 25 years and is well known as the Dux of the inaugural Court of Master Sommeliers ‘Certified Sommelier’ course in Australia. Ben was also the first President of Sommeliers locally.

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NEW SOUTH WALES Calabria Private Bin Montepulciano 2016

Hanwood Estate 1913 Riverina Durif 2014

Hanwood Estate 1913 Riverina Touriga 2015

RRP: $15 Distributor: Calabria Family Wines Region: Riverina Tasting note: Intense, reddish purple colour. Enticing spice and ripe berry aromas. Raspberry jam flavour and firm, drying tannins to finish. Good value.

RRP: $25 Distributor: McWilliam’s Wines Region: Riverina Tasting note: Aromas of tobacco, dark chocolate and prune. Well-balanced tannins support complex layers of black pepper and dark cherry, which are followed by a good, strong finish.

RRP: $25 Distributor: McWilliam’s Wines Region: Riverina Tasting note: Deep, ruby red colour. Fragrant redcurrant and raspberry aromas lead to a soft, fruity palate. This is a very easy-drinking, fresh style of wine.

Morris of Rutherglen Bin No.158 Durif 2012

Grampians Estate Tempranillo 2016

RRP: $25 Distributor: Casella Family Brands Region: Rutherglen Tasting note: Aroma of old leather. Full-bodied with black fruit flavour. Good balance and firm, but ripe tannins. Showing all the hallmarks of a big, bold durif, but holding it all neatly in check.

RRP: $25 Distributor: Grampians Estate Region: Grampians Tasting note: An excellent example of this varietal; it is bright, juicy and full-bodied with good density and savoury tannin.

VICTORIA Brown Brothers Mystique 2016 RRP: $18.80 Distributor: Brown Brothers (cellar door only) Region: Murray Valley Tasting note: Deep, dense crimson colour. Intense aromas of mulberry, cherry and floral are matched in flavour. Bright acid and tannin on the palate. Overall, a very attractive and easy-drinking wine with lower alcohol.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Grampians Estate Grenache Shiraz Tempranillo 2015

Nepenthe Altitude Tempranillo 2016

RRP: $28 Distributor: Grampians Estate Region: Grampians Tasting note: A delicious blend and character of wine with a distinctive plum aroma and flavour. The palate is fresh and supple with good intensity.

RRP: $19.99 Distributor: Australian Vintage Limited Region: Adelaide Hills Tasting note: Reddish purple in colour. Bright, red fruit flavours with great, savoury tannins and a juicy, crunchy finish.

Taylors Estate Tempranillo 2016

Paracombe Cabernet Franc 2010

RRP: $20 Distributor: Taylors Wines Region: Clare Valley and McLaren Vale Tasting note: A bright, fresh and lively wine with lots of juicy red fruits and a balanced mouthfeel. Very enjoyable.

RRP: $27.50 Distributor: Inglewood Wine Merchants (NSW), Grand Cru Distributors (VIC), Paracombe Premium Wines (all other states) Region: Adelaide Hills Tasting note: Deep ruby, garnet hues. Aromas of chocolate, redcurrant and some eucalyptus development. Beautiful, harmonious palate with generous fruit flavour and soft tannin. Put a bottle away for a few years!

Partisan By Jove Tempranillo 2015 RRP: $20 Distributor: McWilliam’s Wines Region: McLaren Vale Tasting note: A dense, muscular and savoury tempranillo with dark, brooding red fruits and a long, savoury finish. An excellent example of this varietal.

McGuigan The Shortlist Montepulciano 2016 RRP: $28.99 Distributor: Australian Vintage Limited Region: Barossa Valley Tasting note: Deep red colour. Coffee, oak and bright, juicy berry aromas. A fresh, lively and medium-bodied palate.

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WINE

CONNECT

Atze’s Corner The Giant Durif 2014

Artwine The Grace Graciano 2015

RRP: $29.99 Distributor: Pail and Cooper (VIC), In Cantina Wine Sales and Marketing (WA) and Atze’s Corner Wines (SA, NSW, QLD) Region: Barossa Valley Tasting note: A lovely style of durif with a stewed rhubarb aroma and ripe fruit flavour, plus good tannin balance and length.

RRP: $30 Distributor: Artwine Region: Clare Valley Tasting note: Deep ruby colour. Aromas of vanilla oak, spice, ripe plums and red cherries. Fresh acidity on the palate with moderate tannin and generous fruit flavour of plum and cherry. Long finish.

Grant Burge The Holy Trinity Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2012

Artwine Leave Your Hat On Montepulciano 2015

Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Barossa Grenache 2012

RRP: $42.99 Distributor: Accolade Wines Region: Barossa Valley Tasting note: Aroma of violet. Lots of spice and fruit flavour, plus well-balanced oak. Overall, a great blend that’s been well made and distinctive.

RRP: $45 Distributor: Artwine Region: Clare Valley Tasting note: Dense, pure, long, juicy red fruit. Broad, plush flavours of dark cherries, plums and spice. Quite a mouthful!

RRP: $60 Distributor: Samuel Smith & Son Region: Barossa Valley Tasting note: A great style of this wine and typical of the region. Good length of flavour, plus nice acid, fruit flavour and oak balance. Well made and in balance; not over-powering.

Hardys Tintara Reserve Grenache 2016

d’Arenberg The Anthropocene Epoch Mencia 2016

RRP: $80 Distributor: Accolade Wines Region: McLaren Vale Tasting note: Aroma of rhubarb. Generous fruit flavour, tannin and balanced acid. Drinking well young, but deserves another two to three years – lots to come and all the pieces are in one place.

RRP: $29 Distributor: Young & Rashleigh Wine Merchants (ACT), Inglewood Wine Merchants (NSW), Thomas Chin (NT), The Wine Tradition (QLD), Empire Liquor (SA), David Johnstone & Associates (TAS), The Wine Company (VIC) and Off The Vine (WA) Region: McLaren Vale Tasting note: Aromas of ripe raspberry, cherry, spice and vanilla oak. Soft, fleshy palate with lovely balance, acid, tannin and fruit flavour. Overall, a delicious wine with a great mouthfeel.

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Purple Hands Mataro Grenache Shiraz 2016 RRP: $30 Distributor: Combined Wines & Foods (NSW), Nomadic Marketing (SA), Tirage Wines (WA), Wine Ways (VIC) Region: Barossa Valley Tasting note: Floral and honeyed aromas with some added spice and ripe blackberry and cherry. A beautiful and harmonious mouthfeel and concentrated flavour on the palate. Showing complexity and ageing potential.

2014 Announcing the new release of this iconic Cabernet Sauvignon from the Justin Vineyard in Frankland River, Western Australia. Tremendous power and elegance with length of flavour that almost defies description.

/HoughtonWines

houghton-wines.com.au

For more information contact your Accolade Wines Area Manager or call 131 492

Enjoy Houghton responsibly

STRENGTHEN

Venue Architecture and Interior Design

Sean’s Kitchen

The Dos & Don’ts Opening a new venue or thinking about refurbishing? Here, Jeremy Bull, Principal of Alexander & Co., reveals some of the unforeseen challenges his clients experience when wanting to change a building’s architecture or interior design and how to best manage such a project. Alexander & Co. is one of Sydney’s leading architecture and interior design agencies and has worked with hospitality businesses including the East Village Hotel, The Sheaf, Opera Bar, Surly’s, Sean’s Kitchen, The Morrison Bay & Oyster Room and Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel. Jeremy and his team also have experience in styling, branding and master planning.

DO GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME Clients of commercial projects are often in a hurry to get the job done, but these types of projects take time, especially if you require a council approval or if your venue requires a Change of Use Development Application. To avoid the myriad of pitfalls that occur when rushing a job, ensure that you have a sufficient and well-planned timeline that allows for the complexities of your project.

PLAN FOR THE BEST OUTCOME Operators can often be attached to components within an existing venue. However, it is important to let the consultant team design the best case outcome and not be hindered by what may otherwise be items of little or no material value.

PLAY TO THE VENUE’S EXISTING STRENGTHS When commencing a fit-out or refurbishment, it is very important to tell a story that uses the building or area’s inherent strengths. The success of a venue relies on the believability of the offering.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CONSULTANT TEAM Assembling the right consultant team is critical. Every property and project will have specific variables and it is essential that the operator proceeds to their local council or tender with a sufficient and experienced sub-consultant team. These consultants could include BCA (Building Code of Australia), DDA (Disability Discrimination Act), fire, acoustic, structural, hydraulic and kitchen. 52|drinks trade

MAKE SURE THE FIT-OUT OF YOUR VENUE MATCHES THE STORY BEHIND THE FOOD, PLACE AND BRAND The fit-out is a small part of the total story that needs to be told by the operator. It is critical that all parts of the brand are communicating the same intent.

East Village Hotel

DON’T UNDER PLAN YOUR STRATEGY Complex commercial projects are just that…complex! They can require highly resolved strategies, especially when dealing with the council or compliance issues within an existing building.

OVERLOOK EXISTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE VENUE An efficient and experienced architectural and consultant team will always forensically gather knowledge about the existing structure and services of a building. When the building fabric can’t be seen and is dilapidated it may constitute significant latent costs during construction.

THINK YOU CAN GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING Quality construction is expensive and a consultant team is usually around 20 per cent of the construction cost. Either initially spend the money to create a well-planned and properly detailed project or spend time and money fixing it later.

UNDER ESTIMATE THE BENEFITS OF MEETING WITH YOUR DESIGNER REGULARLY An effective project relies on highly effective communication between your appointed architectural practice team. Be respectful that it is a process and can often require patience, passion and trust from everyone involved.

BE SURPRISED BY HOW CHALLENGING YOUR LOCAL COUNCIL MIGHT BE Council interests can be complex as they represent the greater community as a stakeholder. They are often complex organisations with their own social and political structures, which may often have little to do with your project but could have a major impact on it.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel

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Fortifieds for

Father's Day

Before the emergence of table wine, Australians drank beer and on special occasions, fortifieds. This meant that while the world pursued the noble grapes such as shiraz and chardonnay, local winemakers became specialists at the art of blending over- ripened grapes with aged spirits to create sweet and luxurious wines that are high in alcohol. While production of this style of wine decreased significantly after the 1950s, our fortifieds, particularly the muscats and tokays of Rutherglen and the Barossa Valley, are still world-renowned. Once the staple of a good dinner party, a bottle of fortified wine remains synonymous with celebration and makes the perfect gift for Father’s Day. Make sure you have a couple of these gems ready to put out on shelf on 3 September. By Hannah Sparks and Nick Blair

Penfolds Great Grandfather Rare Tawny (South Australia) Penfolds has a long history of fortified winemaking and this wine was made in 1994 to celebrate the brand’s 150th anniversary. It’s only ever released in small quantities and each edition has a minimum average blended age of 30 years. The current release is rich in flavours of fruitcake, chocolate, coffee, vanillin and aniseed, perfect with cheese or dessert. RRP: $350/750ml | ABV 19.6% Distributor: Treasury Wine Estates

Nick Blair has gained an extensive knowledge of fortified wines over his 40 plus years in the international wine industry, including as Director of Morris Wines. Today, Nick is joint Director of industry consultancy firm, Vision Wine Partners, with his business partner Mike Every.

Bleasdale 20 Year Old Fortis et Astutus Rare Liqueur Tawny (Langhorne Creek) Bleasdale’s reputation for fortified wines was aided by its sole focus on the style until its first release of table wines in the 1960s. Its 20 Year Old Fortis et Astutus is matured in exbrandy kegs in the winery’s old cellars and displays aromas of dried fruit, spices and roasted nuts, an intense mid-palate and a subtle sweet finish. RRP: $150/750ml | ABV 17.0% Distributor: Negociants Australia

Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Rare Muscat (Rutherglen) It is sixth generation family member Stephen who continues to produce Chambers’ famous and highly prized fortified wines today. Only grapes grown in the winery’s very best years are used in the Rare Muscat, which is a complex expression of wood-age character with an alluring fruit flavour driven by muscatel raisin. RRP: $300/375ml | ABV 18.0% Distributor: Nelson Wine Company

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Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Rutherglen Muscat (Rutherglen) Campbells is one of the original producers of Rutherglen’s worldrenowned muscats and the Merchant Prince sits among its most prized possessions as the only Australian wine to be awarded a perfect score of 100/100 by wine columnist Harvey Steiman. It undergoes lengthy maturation and is only made from the winery’s highest quality wines, deriving intense raisin fruit flavours with a nutty rancio complexity. RRP: $120/375ml | ABV 18.0% Distributor: Red and White

Morris Old Premium Rare Liqueur Muscat (Rutherglen) Morris Wines is one of Australia’s most iconic fortified wine producers and the world’s most loved, with over 150 years of experience within the family business, which utilises the Rutherglen’s unique climate and soils. Its Rare Liqueur Muscat is one of its best-known fortifieds, with only award-winning wines selected to go into the blend. It’s rich, luscious and elegant, enjoyed best with a cheese board on Father’s Day! RRP: $90/500ml | ABV 17.5% Distributor: Casella Family Brands

Seppeltsfield ParaRareTawny (Barossa) Seppeltsfield has been synonymous with fortified wine production since the late 1800s and its Para Tawny Collection sits at the heart of its range as its oldest and most revered. Like any well-made tawny port, this wine is rich and sophisticated, characterised by old leather, spicy dark fruit cake, citrus peel and rancio. RRP: $75/750ml | ABV 21.0% Distributor: Negociants Australia

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De Bortoli Old Boys 21 Years Barrel Aged Tawny (multiple regions) Tawny or tawny port as it used to be called, is Australia’s most popular fortified wine style, and De Bortoli’s Old Boys Tawny is a classic. It has an average age of 21 years, which is achieved by drawing on the family’s extensive collection of old wines. It is matured in oak casks, deriving vanillin oak and nutty aged barrel characters on the nose and palate. RRP: $45/500ml | ABV 19.0% Distributor: De Bortoli Wines

David Franz Old Redemption X.O. ExceptionallyOldTawny(BarossaValley) David Franz, Vigneron and Winemaker of his eponymous wine company, has developed his award-winning tawny recipe with the help of his notable late father, Peter Lehmann, who acquired old tawny stocks from his years at Saltram. Old Redemption features tawny as old as 1947. But the real wow factor is in the layers of fiery spiciness and heady sweet oak that make this wine more like an XO Cognac. RRP: $40/500ml | ABV 19.9% Distributor: Quality Estate Distributors (QLD), WineWise Consulting (SA), Andrew Jamieson Wine Merchants (NSW), Anonymous Wine (VIC) and Glauch Wines (WA)

Kalleske2015J.M.K ShirazVP(Barossa Valley) This wine isn’t a muscat or a tawny, but rather a fortified shiraz, made with young and old brandy (up to 22 years). It is named in honour of fifth generation grape grower, John Malcolm Kalleske, who hand pruned and harvested fruit from the family’s vineyard for this wine. It’s dark mauve-violet in colour with a sweet and warming mouthfeel from the spirit, plus lashings of blackberry fruit flavour. RRP: $26/375ml | ABV 18.5% Distributor: Déjà Vu Wine Co.

Stanton & Killeen Classic Rutherglen Muscat (Rutherglen) Winner of Best Rutherglen Muscat at the International Wine Show three times in a row and an absolute steal at this price. It’s sweet and luscious with aromas of Turkish delight, tobacco and espresso. The palate has flavours of rich raisin fruit, rose petal, dried fig and cumquat. RRP: $36/500ml | ABV 18.5% Distributor: Déjà Vu Wine Co.

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CHANDON VINTAGE BRUT 2013

WINE

RRP: $40.99 Distributor: Moët Hennessy Australia Chandon has released the newest vintage of its elegant Vintage Brut. This great value sparkling wine is made each year as an expression of the winery’s unique vineyards, the individual season and the méthode traditionnelle Chandon is well known for, which lends to its creamy texture, rich mouthfeel and fine bead. A blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier from vineyards all in Victoria give the wine defining aromas of freshly baked lemon tart, hazelnut nougat and cranberry, which are supported by subtle yeasty aromas of dough and toast in the background. It has a zesty palate of pink grapefruit and pomegranate, and texturally the wine is very creamy with great freshness and persistence.

EILEEN AND THOMAS HARDY ICON WINES RRP: $94.99 (Eileen Chardonnay), $124.99 (Eileen Shiraz), $129.99 (Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon) Distributor: Accolade Wines The release of the Hardys Icon vintage wines under the Eileen and Thomas Hardy labels is always highly anticipated and this year’s is particularly exciting, marking the 30th vintage of the Eileen Hardy Chardonnay. These wines represent the best wines made at Hardys, named after two of the original and pioneering family members. Eileen Hardy is remembered as the matriarch of the wine company, having taken over the reins of the business when her husband, third generation Tom Mayfield, tragically died in a plane crash. In her honour today, the best chardonnay at Hardys carries her name. The new 2015 vintage of this wine is displaying aromas of white stone fruit and flinty, mineral characters. The palate has exceptional intensity with fruit, oak and acidity in seamless balance. The 2014 Eileen Hardy Shiraz is also of exceptional quality and was sourced from a single, century-old vineyard in the McLaren Vale sub-region of Upper Tintara, one of the most unique in the region. It’s showing complex aromas of spice, tilled earth, red cedar and dark fruits, plus flavours of sweet fruit and savoury old vine tannin. Thomas Hardy was a member of the first generation and founded the famous Australia winery. The Thomas Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon represents his notion of multi-regional blending to produce the very best wine possible from that vintage. The 2014 release was made from one of Australia’s most recognised regions for the varietal, Coonawarra, which had an excellent vintage that year. This has resulted in a powerful, yet elegant and refined style of wine. It’s showing sweet bright fruits of dark plum and ripe berry, beautifully integrated with subtle oak spices. 58|drinks trade

RYMILL THE YEARLINGS RRP: $15 Distributor: Oatley Fine Wine Merchants 2015 must have been a good year in Coonawarra, South Australia, with these wines following the February release of Rymill’s The Dark Horse Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from the same vintage and region. The Yearlings were made by winemaker and vineyard manager Josh Clementson, who joined the Rymill Coonawarra winemaking team back in 2014. Both wines were made using sustainable techniques and are strong expressions of their varietal and Coonawarra fruit. The Yearling Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 has a lively palate, with a rounded mouthfeel and smooth tannins, while The Yearling Shiraz 2016 emphasises blackberries and fruit.

A NEW DIRECTION FOR COCKFIGHTER’S GHOST RRP: $25/Single Vineyard range Distributor: Agnew Wines In her new role as Winemaker of Cockfighter’s Ghost, Xanthe Hatcher will turn her attention over the coming months to the development of the brand’s exciting new Single Vineyard range from McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. The premium wine brand is renowned for its focus on using the best grapes from selected vineyards and regions throughout Australia and Xanthe will bring a hands-on approach to the wines and use the Single Vineyard range to showcase their home in South Australia. “Whilst they bear classic regional hallmarks, Single Vineyard wines have an added charisma, a unique identity, one crafted from nature’s unequal influence over the vineyard from one year to the next,” she said. “The flavours of Single Vineyard wines are nature’s testimony of the vintage and a legacy for all of us to explore.” The July 2017 release of Cockfighter’s Ghost Single Vineyard range will consist of a series of red wines from the Cockfighter’s Ghost Estate in McLaren Vale, including a sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and ‘The Legend’ blend. This will be accompanied by the release of the white wines sourced from Single Vineyards in Adelaide Hills, including chardonnay, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc. There will also be more unique varietals released later in the year, including a nebbiolo, barbera and a sangiovese rosé.

BEVI PROSECCO SPRITZ RRP: $12.99/three-pack Distributor: Calabria Family Wines Calabria’s Bevi Prosecco Spritz is back with a new look and in a smaller 200ml bottle. Taking inspiration from the Calabria family’s heritage, this little spritz was developed a couple of years ago as a traditional Italian aperitivo with a refreshing twist. Bevi, meaning ‘drink’ in Italian, is a bittersweet spritz that blends locally grown Prosecco with natural citrus flavours. It’s recommended over ice, garnished with a slice of orange.

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LITTLE CREATURES FIRE FALCON HOPPY RED

FLYING BRICK 2016 MC CIDER RRP: $40 Distributor: The Sharp Group One of Australia’s fastest growing craft cider brands has released an exciting limited edition cider made with the same method used to create the world’s best Champagnes and sparkling wines. The French Methode Champenoise or MC, which lends its name to this innovative cider and its unique creamy texture, is the process of secondary fermentation in the bottle. Produced in the Bellarine Peninsula, Victorian heritage cider apples from the 2016 vintage were cloth pressed and allowed to naturally ferment before moving to bottle where the liquid was left to ferment for a second time over six months. It was then poured back in with the original apple juice for sweetness. The cider would be described as a dryer style with rich, sweet, fresh apple characters and natural acid. It has a lovely round palate with elegant soft edges. At 9.6% ABV, it’s a great alternative to wine and something interesting for customers to try either on its own or with a range of food. Flying Brick’s popular Original, Pear and Draught Ciders are also available from The Sharp Group.

RRP: $22.50/average six-pack Distributor: Lion Victoria’s craft brewery, Little Creatures, has created a limited edition winter pleaser that’s sure to warm consumers’ palates and hearts with its hoppy flavours and aromas of fresh citrus and pine. The third in the Winter Seasonal Release range from Little Creatures, each one gives the brewers the chance to experiment with new styles and seasonal flavours. The beer gets its name from the Falconer’s Flight hops that are used in the recipe and give the beer its unique aroma. It’s the first time that Little Creatures has used these hops, which originate from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Six specialty malts are also included, such as Golden Naked Oats, Chocolate Malt and Carared, which gives this beer its deep, red colour. The beer is available in bottle and keg, but only until stocks last.

4 PINES IN SEASON IPA RRP: $19.99/four-pack Distributor: 4 Pines Brewing Co. 4 Pines Brewing Company has made its In Season IPA a permanent addition to its core range. The brew has been available nationally in keg over the last two years, but its popularity prompted the team to move it to a can and make it one of its regulars. Unlike its counterparts, the recipe for the In Season IPA will be ever-changing, so as to showcase the best available hops throughout the year. The same subtle malt will be kept in the mix yearround however, to give the hops centre stage. The beer will also always be brewed in small batches to keep it as fresh as possible. 4 Pines co-founder Jaron Mitchell believes the current release is the brewery’s best hop combo yet. It’s a tropical palate pleaser, showcasing intense notes of tangerine, mango and peach, and packs quite a punch at 6.7% ABV.

YOUNG HENRYS WINTER HOP ALE RRP: $8/640ml bottle Distributor: Young Henrys Young Henrys has released an American red IPA for winter and will be rolling it out into venues and bottle shops until September. The Winter Hop Ale 6.1% ABV is available in both kegs and 640ml bottles. It combines warming malt flavours of Anzac biscuit and bready fruit loaf, with a full hit of classic American West Coast hop aroma and a rich mouthfeel.

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HAWKE’S LAGER RRP: $21.99/six-pack Distributor: Hawke’s Brewing Co. Hawke’s Brewing Co. is the all-new beer company that launched earlier this year in partnership with former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. The first beer, Hawke’s Lager, received a huge response from the market and was quickly secured on taps in 22 venues across Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle. The company will be rolling the beer out to the rest of Australia this year and has also moved the beer into cans to extend the offering to bottle shops. The actual brew has been made in Port Melbourne by Master of Brewing Justin Fox, from 100 per cent Australian ingredients including Helga, Ella and Topaz. It has a subtle citrus aroma, light bitterness and gentle dry finish. Proceeds of the beer are being donated to Landcare Australia, an environmental not-for-profit close to Bob’s heart that supports rural initiatives around the country.

I am extremely proud of our dedicated team on being awarded the Lion 2016 Supplier of the Year. We pride ourselves on the quality and depth of our customer relationships, and this achievement reflects our ongoing commitment. KYLIE FRASER BEVCHAIN CEO

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SPIRITS & LIQUEURS

FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN RRP: $85 Distributor: Vanguard Luxury Brands The popular gin that sold out in both 2015 and 2016 is back. After receiving numerous emails and calls from people searching for the gin, Four Pillars decided to create another batch, and enough this time around for everyone to get their fill. Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin started out as a simple experiment a few years ago when the distillery found themselves with a batch of shiraz grapes and tried mixing them with their gin. The result stirred up somewhat of a love affair with consumers, with all 600 bottles released in 2015, gone within just a few weeks. The following year, all 8,000 sold out and now there are 50,000 bottles, but who knows just how long they’ll be around for. Whether it’s the elixir’s bright purple colour or delicious flavours of citrus, spice and raspberry, we know consumers love this product and that it flies off shelves fast, so get your orders in quick.

JOHN WALKER & SONS PRIVATE COLLECTION 2017 EDITION RRP: $995 Distributor: Diageo Australia Johnnie Walker has unveiled the fourth installation of its prestigious John Walker & Sons Private Collection. Crafted by Master Blender Jim Beveridge, the 2017 Edition, Mastery of Oak, is the first bottle in the series to celebrate the full richness that the cask character can bring to blended Scotch whiskies. Made from an exceptional blend of malt and grain whiskies, only 5,588 individually numbered decanters (46.8% ABV) are available worldwide. Those lucky enough to get their hands on one can look forward to a mature Highland and Speyside fruit character and a deep, rich, vanilla sweetness from the experimental American oak casks on the finish.

NEW DISTILLERY MANLY SPIRITS CO. FAIR AÇAI LIQUEUR RRP: $35 Distributor: Noble Spirits Noble Spirits is now distributing FAIR’s Açai Liqueur in Australia. Made from handpicked açai berries from the Amazon rainforests and bursting with berry flavour and aroma, it’s the perfect liqueur to add to a number of cocktails. The popular berry is also known for being packed with antioxidants and fibre and the sugar used in the liqueur is organically grown from a Fairtrade co-op in Malawi. FAIR is a producer of sustainable and ethical spirits. Its range also includes a vodka, rum and gin, as well as coffee, goji berry and kumquat liqueurs.

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RRP: $75-85 Distributor: Manly Spirits Co. A new distillery has landed on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and is producing a range of premium Australian malts, as well as several unique white spirits made from native and foraged marine botanicals. The products have already picked up medals at the recent San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Australian Distilled Spirits Awards. Available nationwide, the Manly Spirits Co. range currently includes an Australian Dry Gin ($80), Marine Botanical Vodka ($75), Terra Firma Botanical Vodka ($75) and North Fort White Dog Malt Spirit ($85). The distiller is also in the process of laying down casks of single malt whisky, which will form part of the North Fort range from 2019. These are being matured and finished in a range of traditional ex-bourbon, ex-fortified wine French oak casks and ex-Australian wine casks. The two botanical vodkas showcase progressive Australian ingredients such as sea parsley, beach-cast kelp and wattle seed to deliver a distinctive flavour unlike other white spirits. The Australian Dry Gin is an alternative style that features ten botanicals including orange peel, sea lettuce, finger lime, anise myrtle and mountain pepper leaf. It is bright and fresh with citrus and peppery notes and recommended in a gin and tonic with a slice of orange. Finally, the Malt Spirit captures the generous grain and cereal notes of Australian malted barley to deliver an elegant, rich character with a full-bodied and lingering finish. It’s the perfect base for cocktails or enjoyed neat.

www.liquorbarons.com.au

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TRADE ACTIVITY THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE BRANDS

THE 2017 GREAT AUSTRALASIAN BEER SPECTAPULAR The 2017 Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular (GABS) was held in Melbourne and Sydney this May, with the largest number of craft breweries and cider makers in Australasia getting together under the one roof. To celebrate the wonderful world of craft, each brewery and cidery was asked to make a brand new brew for the event, which resulted in over 170 unique and one-off beers and ciders at the festival. GABS also played host to a number of industry Q&A sessions, interactive cooking seminars, live performances, street food stalls and the popular Yenda Wheel of Beer, which donates proceeds from its rides to charity FightMND (Motor Neurone Disease).

WHISKY LIVE TOURS AUSTRALIA Whisky LIVE has been touring Australia since May, with Perth, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart already ticked off the list. Whisky enthusiasts in Adelaide and Brisbane still have the opportunity to attend the event, which boasts a range of new and rare whiskies. Guests are invited to taste a number of whiskies at the Rare and Old Bar, including those from closed distilleries, special bottlings and extremely old and sold out expressions. Standard tickets cost $110 per person and include entry to the event, samplings of all the whiskies, a copy of the Whisky Tasting Guide and commemorative glass.

WORLD CLASS COCKTAIL WEEK Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane celebrated World Class Cocktail Week in May, with Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top bars and bartenders offering up over 100 experiences. Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three major cities hosted a number of events including master classes, tastings, venue take-overs and degustation menus. 64|drinks trade

THE WILD TURKEY WAY EVENT SERIES WRAPS UP Last month, the Annandale Hotel in Sydney and Whitehart Container Bar in Melbourne opened their doors to The Wild Turkey Way event series. Across a number of unique activations, consumers and industry were given the chance to experience the Deep South by way of cocktails, art and music. Live music was provided by the entertaining Hot Potato Band, while guests viewed artistic impressions on Wild Turkey White Oak barrel lids. The favourite cocktail of the evening was the all-new signature Wild Turkey Kentucky Firebird, which literally blew everyone away.

DAN MURPHY’S MOSMAN STORE OPENING

L-R: Chair of Woolworths Group, Gordon Cairns; General Manager of Dan Murphy’s, Campbell Stott; and National Operations Manager for Dan Murphy’s, Daniel Elull.

Dan Murphy’s celebrated the opening of its new store in Mosman, Sydney with local residents on 19 May. The retailer provided complimentary glasses of bubbles, tastings and live music. The new store takes inspiration from Dan Murphy’s flagship stores in Double Bay, Sydney and Prahran Cellars, Melbourne and offers a premium product offering. A key feature of the store is the tasting table at the back, which will be dedicated to providing customers with premium wine, whisky and Champagne tastings.

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A QUICK LOOK INTO THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, ON LOCAL SHORES AND ACROSS THE GLOBE.

THE LITTLE WINE HELPING YOU LOOK OH SO FINE Looking for a way to avoid those pesky red wine lips? Why not turn it into a fashion statement. Korean brand Laboitte has created every woman’s dream, a wine infused lipstick. Choose your favourite colour, or drop, from Cabernet Red, Malbec Burgundy, Nebbiolo Red and Shiraz Red. Each lipstick comes in the shape of a little wine bottle, making them the perfect accessory for a night out. Lipstick not your style? The brand has also created a wine lip balm in the shape of a goblet for those that prefer a more subtle look.

GERMAN HEAVY METAL FESTIVAL INSTALLS UNDERGROUND BEER PIPELINE Keep the good tunes and the good beer flowing! That’s what organisers of Wacken Open Air Festival, Germany’s premier heavy metal festival, aim to do this year with the installation of a 7km long underground pipeline pumping beer to patrons. The project will supply around 400,000 litres of beer to revellers, the festival’s yearly average consumption, and hopes to stop the “avoidable traffic” of moving barrels in and out of the stage area. Fewer interruptions, more Alice Cooper, Megadeth and Marilyn Manson; cheers to that!

IT’S RAINING TEQUILA, HALLELUJAH!

ALL ABOARD THE GIN EXPRESS! Ever dreamt of the lavish train journeys of yesteryear? See yourself cosying up inside a plush carriage with a gin in hand as you watch the British hillsides roll on by? Gin brand Tanqueray No. Ten and the Belmond British Pullman recently joined forces to indulge our luxurious fantasies. On 11 May, the ‘gin train’ departed London Victoria Station, whisking travellers around the countryside as they feasted on a specially crafted seven-course menu accompanied by complementary gin cocktails. Tanqueray No. Ten’s gin historian Joanne McKerchar was also on board to share the history of the gin and stories of founder Charles Tanqueray with punters. This lush experience did come at a pretty price though, at £450 per ticket. 66|drinks trade

Everybody knows the two best things about Mexico: the sunny weather and the flowing tequila. The Mexican tourist board has cottoned on, showing off the finest the country has to offer in an advertisement campaign with a twist. In an attempt to entice European’s away from the dreary winter to Mexico’s warm shores, the board has enlisted help from an American marketing company to create a cloud that rains tequila. Yes, you read that right. The cloud was then placed in an art gallery in Berlin and members of the public were invited to see and drink from the cloud! If that doesn’t make you pack your bags immediately, we’re not sure what will!

ONE AUSTRALIAN WINERY STANDS ALONE. International Winemaker of the Year for a world record 4th time.

mcguiganwines.com.au

Neil McGuigan, Chief Winemaker and CEO