Revealed: Cairns’ favourite drinks this festive season

Many Far Northerners have been enjoying a tipple with family and friends this festive season - and compared to the rest of the country, there are a few curveballs on this list when it comes to beer.

FAR NORTH residents have been getting creative with their drinking this festive season.

Louie’s Liquor Barn manager Anna Pedler said this year was a premium Christmas.

“We’ve sold a lot of premium spirits and wine. A lot more people are on the craft beers this year,” she said.

”People are going out of their way for XXXX Summer Bright Mango and the Miller Chill Blood Orange.”

But Ms Pedler said the bestsellers were Great Northern and XXXX Gold.

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It comes after marketing research company IRI Australia revealed Great Northern Super Crisp Lager was the top-selling beer across the whole nation in 2021.

Carlton Dry came in second place while Corona was in the sixth spot.

Ms Pedler said this did not correlate at her store.

“I would not put Carlton Dry in my top five. I definitely sell more XXXX Summer Mango than I do Corona on any day.”

Ms Pedler said pre-mixes were popular this year.

She said the most popular were Captain Morgan’s tropical cocktails, Smirnoff ice flavours and Malibu cocktails in a can.

But it’s not just cocktails that people are stocking up on this festive season.

“Whiskeys and bourbons are popular,” she said.

“Gin has exploded in Australia in the last couple of years.

“But people have forgotten a little bit about vodka.”

The most popular gins in her store include Whitley Neill Gin, Wolf Lane and Bombay.

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Originally published as Revealed: Cairns’ favourite drinks this festive season