Keeping up with trends can be a dizzying business. Look deep into the beverage crystal ball and the future looks refreshingly home-grown, experimental, thoughtful and creative. Provenance, sustainability, ingredients, producers of integrity – and the stories that go with them – drive what’s in the glass, from the burgeoning NoLo scene to Aussie-made wine, spirits and cocktails. Here’s what’s coming to a glass near you.

Garden to glass

Lines between kitchen and bar have blurred, and produce from nearby farms, markets and kitchen gardens is appearing both in the glass and on the plate. We’re not talking edible flowers atop cocktails here. Things are getting alchemic. Adventurous chefs and gardeners collaborate at Mudgee’s The Zin House Restaurant, which bookends its spring menu with garden cordial and garden tea made using the bounty grown on Lowe Family Wines’ biodynamic and organic property. The kitchen garden is also the bartender’s best friend at Victorian restaurants such as Brae, Tedesca Osteria and O.My, where flowers, fruit, native Australian herbs and other botanicals are plucked from their patches to use in drinks. Eureka lemonade, a non-alcoholic spritz featuring rosemary shrub, and palate-cleansing beetroot-ginger juice have all been spotted on Victorian drinks lists. At Sydney’s Barangaroo House, bar manager Jai Lyons applies a zero-waste approach to in-house made syrups, vinegars, purees and infused spirits using techniques such as sous-vide, force carbonation, and cold infusion.

Premium Australian whisky

Love a classic Old Fashioned, Whisky Sour or the good stuff served straight? Increasingly, your local bartender will be whipping them up using an Aussie spirit. During his role as head judge at the recent Tasting Australia Spirit Awards and panel chair for the national Melbourne Royal Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, Ollie Margan was impressed by the quality of Australian whisky.

“We’ve moved into a new generation [of production] and the stocks these distilleries can lean on to put blends together are robust enough to make products that are truly excellent,” says Margan.

“Australia has made really iconic, interesting whiskies for a long time but they often had rusticity to them. That’s because it takes time to hone in and fine-tune these styles. I think we’re getting to that point now, which is really cool.”

Top-end drops include The Gospel Solera Rye, a whisky made in Melbourne using Australian-grown rye, Fleurieu Distillery’s Don Quixote, which won best whisky at the 2023 Tasting Australia Spirit Award, and 78 Degrees 2023 Native Grain Whiskey, made with Australian cereal grains.

Aussie aperitifs

Expect to spot an explosion of home-grown bitters, amari and vermouth on Australian drinks lists.

“It’s something we can do with a high degree of uniqueness and integrity, Margan says. “We’ve got flavours and flora that no one else in the world can produce. To be able to lock that into time capsule-style beverages is impressive.”

It has taken a while for local distillers to produce shelf-stable products that can sit alongside industrialised aperitifs such as Campari and Aperol. “The integration of sugar, balance of acidity, colour stability and clarity are starting to creep into the production of those products, so to see the growth there has been great.”

Keep an eye out for the Regal Rogue Lively White Vermouth, made with grapes, samphire, lemon, and waxflower by New South Wales winemaker Justin Jarrett, of See Saw Wines in Orange. Others to try include the Maidenii Nocturne Vin Amer (a collaboration between French winemaker Gilles Lapalus and Australian bartender Shaun Byrne), and Beechworth Bitters’ range of amari, a passion project by Provenance chef and restaurateur Michael Ryan.

New-wave wines

While the tsunami of pet nats (or at least demand for it) seems to be subsiding, pockets of new-wave wine producers across Victoria and New South Wales are turning heads with wines exuding style. As co-owners of Byron Bay’s Bar Heather and natural wine importing business Lo-Fi Wines, James Audas and Tom Sheer have their fingers on the pulse. Producers who pour their heart and soul into resurrecting historical vineyard sites, particularly those working with cabernet sauvignon, excite them.

Spanish grape varieties are also hot right now. “It’s amazing to see so many Spanish varieties popping up,” says Georgie Davidson-Brown, head sommelier at Sydney’s Chiswick. “I’d never tasted so much New South Wales tempranillo until the past 12 months and that is super cool. I remember when people were overwhelmed and intimidated by tempranillo, and now it’s something I get asked for quite a lot in the restaurant. I’m keen to see what variety is going to be the next big one; I feel like small and lesser-known producers and regions that are going to drive that.”

The finalists: NSW and ACT

These are the five finalists for The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 Oceania Cruises drinks list of the year, an award that recognises a list that complements the restaurant’s food and style, with a range of prices and non-alcoholic options.

Cirrus, Barangaroo

Nothing whets the appetite like a list of original cocktails (10 and counting) and a non-alcoholic spread to rival it. Sommelier Nick Hildebrandt and the team make sure everyone is catered for thoughtfully. Hartshorn Sheep Whey Vodka from Tassie, Fortaleza Anejo tequila direct from Mexico, and Macchu Pisco far from its home in Peru are just the tip of the spirit iceberg. The wine list is a stonker – there’s no other way to put it. There’s a nod to locals, but the weight of the list is an exploration of the global kind.

Raja, Potts Point

It’s enough to warm the heart. “Ethical practice is at the forefront when it comes to the wines that we represent and that you will consume here,” the menu intro says. “This extends beyond the vineyard, but also into business practices, the way we treat other people, and how we represent ourselves in the world.” The wine list embraces emerging producers and doesn’t feel dusty, entitled or snobby. The house cocktails speak of the place and the cuisine and “Gola of the Day” (a slushie-like drink hailing from Mumbai) delivers something different.

Such and Such, Canberra

The restaurant’s intent is clear from the get-go: “Wine should be accessible, not used to create exclusion or draw boundaries of superiority.” Traditional place names are acknowledged next to all Australian wines, there’s an unwavering support of small, independent producers who respect the land they occupy, a focus on lo-fi, organic and biodynamic farming, and a decent representation of ACT wines, all accompanied by snappy stylistic explanations. And rounding off this utterly lovely work of vinous art, there’s a small but lovely offering of house cocktails and non-alc options.

Where’s Nick, Marrickville

Clear intent and unwavering focus on sustainability, minimal intervention and challenging expectations are key to this constantly shifting list, which has humour peppered throughout its 60 pages. There’s a page of options for people abstaining from alcohol, and beverage explanations are approachable and light-hearted. Sake, cider and some great left-field local beers also tick boxes, while the thrilling list of international wine producers thinks outside the box. The “Shortlist by Steve” is an excellent go-to for the overwhelmed and curious.

Yellow Billy, Pokolbin − WINNER

There’s more to a great wine list than a flashy cellar. The real magic happens when there’s personality, consideration, and imagination. Sommelier Pat Hester and the Yellow Billy Restaurant nail it. The list meanders with a relaxed gait: mocktails, cocktails, Aussie sparkling, an extensive range of by-the-glass options, all peppered with informative and entertaining descriptions. There’s a thoughtful focus on interesting New South Wales wines, alongside a thrilling line-up of Australian and international producers, many emerging and boundary-pushing. Spirit lovers are well looked after, too.

The finalists: Victoria

These are the five finalists for The Age Good Food Guide 2024 Oceania Cruises drinks list of the year, an award that recognises a list that complements the restaurant’s food and style, with a range of prices and non-alcoholic options.

Embla, Melbourne

Endearing approachability, tongue-in-cheek quips and illustrations are scattered throughout this joyful spread. Beverages are split stylistically into categories such as “crisp and salty” or “allegedly medicinal”. Consistently creative and full of love, it’s an inviting lead-in to a serious and exciting offering of global wines.

Kazuki’s, Carlton − WINNER

Chef Kazuki Tsuya and the Kazuki team have produced an imaginative and unpretentious 29-page list spanning Japanese beer, whisky and spirits, a handful of thoughtful cocktails with a Japanese twist, and global gins from Hiroshima to Macedon Ranges. The focus on Victorian wines is commendable and feels thoughtful, rather than tokenistic. Some start at $60 a bottle. It’s refreshing to see a decent spread of Aussie sparkling wines accompanying the French fizz. The Japanese teas are a nice touch, too.

Old Palm Liquor, Brunswick East

This list, focused on minimal-intervention wines, leaves you feeling vino-voracious. Clarifications after each wine (org-min, bio-min) help users navigate the list. There’s an eclectic array of “everyday” wines (priced between $58 and $120 a bottle), so there’s something for all budgets – and a healthy balance between Victorian, Aussie and international wines. Australian sparklings lead into an impressive international list that steers biodynamic. As global wines go, you can pretty much stick a pin in a map and find something from your country of choice.

O. My, Beaconsfield

Who said wine lists shouldn’t be fun? At O.My, you can decide what to order by price, style or using a “cloud” of words from zippy to finesse. House-made shrubs and a non-alc pairing option, informed by what the staff grow at the nearby farm, are a big yes. Different wines by the glass are offered each service and there’s a healthy smattering of Victorian wines throughout. It’s thoughtful and focused, down to the small but lovely selection of spirits. A bottle shop on site backs it all up.

Stokehouse Pasta & Bar, St Kilda

The fixed-price wine list approach at St Kilda’s Stokehouse Pasta & Bar is novel and a leveller of sorts. Group sommelier Wil Martin has curated an offering of 85 local and international wines, all priced at $79, regardless of their value. It hits the right notes for a convivial pasta joint and for many diners, takes budget anxiety out of the selection process. In that regard, it’s a thumbs up.

The Age Good Food Guide 2024 and The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 are on sale for $14.95 each from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au. Each magazine features more than 450 reviews, from three-hatted fine-diners to suburban gems. Venues listed in the Guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.