Goon bag gets glamorous glow up as ‘refined’ customers demand classy booze

A humble and well-loved party guest, the iconic Australian ‘goon bag’ is getting a modern glow-up – and it’s a little more classy than the traditional silver sack.

Friends Eliza Gannon and Catherine Fornell Hallberg enjoying ‘A Glass Of’ – a classy reinvention of the humble goon bag. Picture: Justin Lloyd

The humble goon bag has had a glow up.

Bagged wine in a box – better known and loved locally as a “goon sack”, is back, but this time in style.

Sydney wine lovers are ditching the classic “heavy” silver plastic bags – historically featured on Australian clotheslines and at backyard parties, for sleek and sophisticated small pouches.

Eliza Gannon said wine by the glass is the new “refined and practical” way to enjoy a drink with colleagues after work.

“They’re perfect for when you just want a single glass without opening a whole bottle,” Ms Gannon said.

A classic guest for a boozy party or festival – the iconic silver goon sack from a box of wine.

“Wine in a bag has always been about convenience, and that’s still true today, just in a more sophisticated way. With the pouches, it’s so much more refined and practical.”

Her friend Catherine Fornell Hallberg said she opts for pouched wine so she can try a variety of different drinks, without having to purchase a whole bottle.

“For me, it’s perfect because I like to explore new wines and discover different varieties and … I can sample these wines without committing to the whole bottle,” she said.

“Wine goes with everything. A red for a meat dish, white with seafood, and rosé for those warm summer days.

“Goon bags are so huge and wasteful — they’d go bad if you didn’t finish them. But these pouches are just the right size, so you don’t have to worry about waste.”

Local venues including The Abercrombie and the Erko Hotel are also following the trend, offering bagged wine to diners to enjoy at home.

Friends Catherine Fornell Hallberg and Eliza Gannon say the pouch wine is refined, practical and less wasteful than the alternative. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Australian small business A Glass Of is leading the charge, selling wine by the glass in 200m wine pouches – 50ml above the standard wine glass.

The pouches are priced around $9, with the same wine amount costing around $18 to $22 in Sydney restaurants and the brand is set to hit 58 Dan Murphy’s stores later this month, exporting also to luxury hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.

The wine range changes regularly, with guest sommeliers choosing their favourite five wines to be produced in pouch form and then that sommelier nominates the next sommelier who chooses their favourites.

A Glass Of was featured at the Sydney Good Food & Wine Show, with 33,506 people in attendance. It’s also set to return in November for the Sydney Christmas Market.

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