Do you want a sip of my Apple Tart? It’s this cosy little number in a tall glass, all warming spice, with the kick of moonshine and brandy, and pieces of glossy apple compote nestled into the milk-foamy whip on top.

It’s like eating tarte tatin with a straw and it’s making me exceedingly optimistic about winter.

Not feeling fruity? There’s also an answer to this question: what would happen if bush billy tea and hot toddy had a beverage baby? The Bush Remedy cocktail is a DIY banger with whiskey, rum and Australian spices and it comes with hot water to add as you please.

We’re at By The Glass, a dynamic wine bar run by Myles Davis-Schiele and bar manager Sofiane Boukabous, who has stayed on in the changeover from previous tenant Bouzy.

The main room is small but it feels like a destination: a gorgeous horseshoe bar sweeps through the space and an open kitchen is part of the action.

A wine wall peeps through to ornate Kings Arcade, where there’s more seating and sometimes a DJ. The experience isn’t entirely polished but the venue’s charm and good bones win through.

The Euro food menu is snacky and casual, changing frequently to suit weather and wine. Oysters are topped with pickled red onion and sumac. Macaroni and cheese croquettes have a good balance of crunch and ooze.

Kangaroo tartare makes good use of a protein that should be on more menus and King George whiting swimming in beurre blanc is excellent value at $28.

The plates can lack finesse but if you think “snacks with mates” rather than “fine dining”, it’s easy to enjoy.

For a place named after its drinks offering, By The Glass would improve with more information about its beverages. The list of 50 or so wines is organised into varietals, but there are no tasting notes and we didn’t experience any tableside expertise.

Some drinkers will be able to confidently choose between small-batch pinot noirs from France, Tasmania and Victoria, for example, but I’d suggest most would appreciate guidance, especially when the curatorial approach leans to the lesser-known.

The name says it: every wine is available by the glass, and freshness is assured by the use of the Coravin wine-saving system, which uses fine pouring needles poked through unopened corks or bespoke screw caps to minimise oxidation.

That’s a tick for quality but another blow for the experience because my wine was poured behind the bar and I didn’t get to see the bottles.

If this stuff matters to you, perhaps request a bar seat where you can easily chat to staff. And if it doesn’t, you may find me churlish.

No matter your opinion of me, I reckon I know what you’ll think of the cocktails: they’re creative and enjoyable cool-weather wonders.