The Basement, 24 Fitzmaurice St, Wagga Wagga NSW @barolivette Last September, Nick King and Anna Wealands opened Olivette, a unique speakeasy in regional NSW that channels the glitz and glamour of the 1920s while celebrating their mutual love for whisky, cocktails, and genuine hospitality. Cities often claim to have the best cocktail bars, so it’s refreshing when great drinking spots (beyond the local RSL) pop up in regional areas. For those unfamiliar, Wagga Wagga is the biggest inland city in NSW. It sits beside the Murrumbidgee River in the Riverina District, boasting wide, leafy streets a ..read more

For decades, Jägermeister has been more than just a drink—it’s a tradition steeped in heritage. Its origins are rooted in Germany, where Jägermeister was enjoyed as a celebratory toast after the successful hunt in the dense forests of Lower Saxony. To this day, the ritual of sharing an ice-cold shot of Jägermeister infuses an exhilarating chill, fostering camaraderie and celebrating adventures as friends, both old and new, raise their glasses to toast life’s unforgettable moments. Rooted in Herbal Alchemy Crafted with unparalleled expertise and meticulous attention to detail, Jägermeister is ..read more

Story by Andy Ratcliff, email him at andrewjohn@me.com Photography by Christopher Pearche @christophernpearce Ramblin Rascal Tavern turns ten this year. To me, they are the groovy indie band that denied signing to a major label and refused to bow to the trends of the time but continued their pilgrimage to obtain a legacy of cheeky greatness. At the heart of this bordello of badass, they are three naughty boys who managed to pool their collective talents and instil an institution where good times reign supreme. Here, I talk to Charlie Lehmann and Sebastian ‘Cosmo’ Soto about the highlights and ..read more

Classic Whisky Sour at Piccolo Bar, Sydney Story by Andy Ratcliff, email him andrewjohn@me.comandrewjohn@me.com The whisky sour is one of the oldest cocktails in existence. It dates back to the 1860s, but sailors had been drinking something similar for long before that. There are a bunch of early references to it, but the first official record of it is from our boy Jerry Thomas in 1962.  It’s also still around today and is one of the most ordered drinks in Australia. I think I’ve made over three thousand of them during my years as a bartender. It’s a simple and delicious cocktail that som ..read more

Photography by Chris Pearce, drinks styled by Cherish Wilkie at Bar Louise 135 Enmore Road, Enmore @barlouise_enmore With our recent interview with Mikey Nicolian, what better time to showcase some of the drinks from his other bar operation, Bar Louise? Opening back in 2022, the team from Porteno, Ben Milgate, Elvis Abrahanowicz, and Joe Valore teamed up with Nicolian of Continental Deli fame to create Bar Lousie, a kitschy and cool Euro wine bar. The cocktail list is small and concise. Nicolian says there are cocktails but it’s not a massive focus, so everything is quality but not takin ..read more

Following the success of Attaboy’s Australian tour with the William Grant & Sons team in January, multi-award-winning bartender and bar owner Ryan Chetiyawardana—aka Mr Lyan (Lyaness, Super Lyan, Silver Lyan, Seed Library)—will be jumping behind the stick across the East Coast at the end of April. Seminars and bar takeovers will be taking place from Tuesday 23rd of April, kicking off in Sydney, with Ryan hosting an industry seminar on the Art of Storytelling at the Glenfiddich pop-up at ART AID on George Street, before teaming up with the Caretaker’s Cottage crew at hospo favourite Earl’s ..read more

Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, is joining forces with multidisciplinary artist, Jordan Gogos, for a multi-sensory art and Whisky experience. Set in the heart of Sydney CBD, the ‘Glenfiddich x Jordan Gogos Pop-Up bar’ hosted by artist-driven social enterprise, ART AID, located at 200 George Street, running from 17th April to 8th May, 2024. The exhibition invites Sydneysiders to immerse themselves in the space, groove inside a masterpiece, and sip on whisky cocktails from Sydney’s acclaimed bar, Dean & Nancy on 22. In Gogos’ biggest installation yet, attend ..read more

There’s no rest for us when it comes to planning Sydney Bar Week and we already have a jam-packed line-up of events confirmed. We will be kicking things off on 7th September and wrapping up with the 23rd Annual Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards on 11th September. “Sydney Bar Week for us was valuable in so many ways. By bringing the industry together it fosters an environment of community and enabled us to build connections with other incredible bars, brands, and industry leaders. We wouldn’t miss it for the world! Thank you, Australian Bartender!” -Danielle Whitehart, Co ..read more

Helicopter rides, regional fine dining, Masterchef’s cooking you breakfast? Winner winner, chicken dinner. Step into the Never Never is back for its fourth year with a new focus on flavour trends and a bartender prize that’s hard to match. This year, bartenders are encouraged to “Toast the Coast” by serving a gin and tonic that embraces our proximity to some of the greatest beaches and coastlines in the world. “More than 85 per cent of Australians live less than an hour from the coast,” says Co-Founder at Never Never Sean Baxter. “Coastal serves are becoming a huge part of how people are cons ..read more

“Dear Diary, Today my social media was filled with cocktail competition spam, brand newsletters flooded my emails, automated texts interrupted my day, and even my Fitbit vibrated mid workout to tell me about the latest six plus one deal. In a sea of sameness, I can barely differentiate one brand’s campaign from the other, let alone find the resources I’m looking for.” If you’ve ever felt like this, you’re not alone. As brands and advocacy teams race to become the first to market, we fail to stop and think whether we’re running the race the right way and whether we’re truly adding value to the ..read more