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Food & Wine
Your checklist for a well-stocked home bar
As stay-at-home orders come and go in Victoria, it’s a good excuse to get your liquor cabinet sorted.
There’s no reason to miss out on Friday drinks if you’ve got a well-stocked bar at your fingertips.
While responsible consumption of alcohol is paramount, pandemic or not, a sophisticated tipple is a pastime enjoyed for generations – and a fun touchstone while we’re stuck inside.
Here is a list of liquor essentials for your cocktail hour, with a focus of local varieties to order online and support Victorian producers. Win, win!
Vodka
Why you need it: No home bar is worth its salt without this staple spirit. Good-quality vodka is a smooth, neutral and versatile liquor that will go with most mixers, from soda and tonic water to juice and bitters.
What it’s good for: You also can’t go wrong with vodka for a boozy brunch. Give classic cocktails like the Gimlet, Moscow Mule or Screwdriver a go and if you don’t feel like making your own mixture, try the Bloody Mary Vodka by Craft & Co in Collingwood.
Where to get it:
- Alchemy Distillers in Healesville
- Timboon Railway Shed Distillery, the Otways
- Baboushka Vodka, Melbourne
Gin
Why you need it: Once known as ‘mother’s ruin’, the humble gin has become an exciting and delicious modern drink, with many Victorian distilleries doing great things with native Australian botanicals.
What it’s good for: Pair gin simply with a zesty mixer or enjoy on its own.
Where to get it:
- Four Pillars in Healesville is a stalwart on many Australian and international shelves, creating dry, citrusy classics through to limited-edition spiced gins and even wine-steeped concoctions.
- Patient Wolf, Southbank
- Reed & Co, Bright
- The Melbourne Gin Company, Melbourne
- Kilderkin Distillery, Ballarat
Being at home doesn't mean being without delicious cocktails. Image: Getty.
Whisky/Whiskey
Why you need it: This beloved spirit has a wide range of options that can make selection seem overwhelming – but if you know the differences, you can cater to your tastes. There’s the highly mixable American bourbon and Canadian whisky varieties; spicy rye whiskey, which suit many classic cocktails; and Irish whiskey or Scotch, which are smooth and highly drinkable – particularly single malt.
What it’s good for: A quality whisky will always stand on its own, whether served neat or on the rocks.
Where to get it:
- Starward, Port Melbourne
- Animus Distillery, Kyneton
- Backwoods Distilling Co, High Country
Rum
Why you need it: Two rums are better than one – stocking your cabinet with both a white and dark rum, you’ll be able to make a range of different cocktails throughout the year.
What it’s good for: Spiced rum is warming in winter or try a Dark ‘n’ Stormy for a lime and ginger zing. White rum is great in summery cocktails and punches.
Where to get it:
- Jimmy Rum, Mornington Peninsula
- Boatrocker, Melbourne
Martini- shaken, not stirred. Image: Getty.
Brandy
Why you need it: The ultimate statement of sophistication, brandy is a definitive classic in the refined liquor cabinet.
What it’s good for: It’s typically served after dinner as a digestif, but its aged caramel notes make it lush in a cocktail, too.
Where to get it:
- Bass and Flinders Distillery, Mornington Peninsula
- Mount Compass Spirits, South Australia
Tequila/Agave spirits
Why you need it: More of a niche inclusion, agave-based spirits such as tequila and mezcal, can be difficult to find from Australian producers as it’s a Mexican speciality grown from native agave weeds. However, there are some local craft distillers turning their hands to the rich and robust liquor.
What it’s good for: Much like whisky or gin, a smoky, aged tequila is best sipped and enjoyed – perhaps with a little lemon or lime on the side.
Where to get it:
- Echuca Distillery, Echuca
- Black Snake Distillery, NSW
And if there’s a particular spirit you like, perhaps the next step is turning your liquor cabinet into a well-heeled collection of favourites.
