A BRIEF GUIDE TO SUMMER DRINKING

By Alex Russell, Instagram @ozwineguy on November 24, 2016 in Food

We’re finally coming into some warmer weather, which means our drinking patterns change. Gone are the dense reds and fortifieds of winter, and in come the whites, beers, ciders and G&Ts of summer. So what should you drink during the warmer months?

Gin
This might surprise you, but there are a lot of awesome Australian-made gins popping up. I’m really enjoying the range out of Four Pillars – you can order a single bottle of whatever you like direct from them online. Other personal favourites include Poor Tom’s, West Winds (‘The Sabre’ and ‘The Cutlass’, the latter of which has this really interesting bush tomato thing going on), Young Henry’s and Archie Rose. You should definitely check out Archie Rose, by the way – it’s pretty cool place across in Rosebery.

I know many gin drinkers stick with the old school favourites, but do try these. Many are behind bars, so ask for them instead of the house gin. Also, don’t skimp on the tonic water. Many cheaper ones are quite sweet and will completely kill the G&T.

Beer and cider
If you’re like me, then you’re enjoying the craft beer (and, increasingly, cider) scene at the moment. There are lots of great Sydney breweries, especially around the Inner West, like Young Henry’s, Batch, Grifter, Wayward, Willie the Boatman and many others.

Also, it’s worth checking out Dave’s Brewery Tours. Dave will drive you from brewery to brewery, with plenty of tasting along the way, then to lunch at a great Marrickville pub (The Henson, where the pork belly burger with jalapeno mustard is possibly the best thing in the world). It’s a lot of fun. Visit davesbrewerytours.com.au.

White wine
Sauv Blanc and friends have always been a typical go-to in the summer months. There’s also a certain snobbery from some people about Sauv Blanc drinkers. The thing is, Marlborough SB drinkers tend to stick to one thing and don’t branch out, and many of us would love to see you exploring the wonderful world of other types of wines. But hey, you drink whatever the hell you want to drink – especially if you’re paying for it.

If you do want to try something else, my personal faves for summer are Riesling and Semillon. There are also interesting options in grapes you might not know of, like Fiano, or Vermentino.

For Riesling (and they’re not all sweet, I promise), Clare Valley is often released very young, which means super crisp, refreshing drops. Eden Valley tends to have a broader texture, and it’s often overlooked, but there are some beautiful drops available. Don’t overlook Victoria here, either. Best’s Riesling is really good stuff.

For Semillon, it’s hard to go past the Hunter. If you’ve been reading my articles for a while, you’ll know that Thomas (Braemore in particular) and Tyrrell’s (just about any of them) Semillons are top shelf. Brokenwood and so many others are great too.

With all that said, it’s always worth walking into your bottle shop and talking to your local retailer. Ask for options, put together a mixed six pack or dozen to save a few bucks per bottle, and enjoy summer!