“The votes have been cast, counted and sorted and so now we can reveal the finalists in the 2026 Australian Liquor Industry Awards. Once again a huge thanks goes to all those who voted for the favourite people, places and products to give us the finalists for this year’s awards. The Australian hospitality industry’s night of nights takes place at The Fullerton Sydney on Wednesday, 28 October.”

“The finalists for the 2026 Australian Liquor Industry Awards have now been revealed, as we countdown towards the industry’s night of nights. Below are all the product awards and finalists, and you can see the finalists in the Retail Awards here and the On-Premise Awards here.”

“Plus, a gyros and beer party at Grifter, a tequila festival in the city, a Darlinghurst block party with Tipo 00 and the best Scandi cardamom buns in Sydney.”

“The Australian drinks industry has a busy spring ahead, with a packed calendar of trade tastings, educational sessions, awards, festivals and industry campaigns. From major free trade tastings to scholarships and competition entry deadlines, here are some of the key upcoming opportunities in the Australian drinks calendar.”

“Spring is here, and Sydney is making the most of it. From colourful kites soaring over Bondi to world-class theatre and major art exhibitions, there’s plenty to get out and enjoy this weekend. Culture vultures have plenty to get excited about this weekend, with the Sydney Fringe Festival bringing its wonderfully eclectic mix of comedy, music and visual arts to venues across the city. In theatre headlines, My Fair Lady opens at the Sydney Opera House this week, celebrating 70 years since its Broadway debut. CURRENT by Sydney Dance Company also continues its run, whereas Velvet Inferno comes to a close on Sunday.”

“The finalists in the pub categories of the 2026 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA) are now revealed following a record number of votes being cast for this year’s awards. The process for naming the ALIA winners comes in two stages. Firstly, we ask the industry to vote for their favourite people, places and products across all the award categories – this gives us the finalists that are listed below. For the second phase of the process we send these finalists to our judging panel who will choose their top three in each category to give us our winners – subject to those votes being audited by Quantaco.”

“The votes have been cast, counted and sorted and so now we can reveal the finalists in the 2026 Australian Liquor Industry Awards. Once again a huge thanks goes to all those who voted for the favourite people, places and products to give us the finalists for this year’s awards. The Australian hospitality industry’s night of nights takes place at The Fullerton Sydney on Wednesday, 28 October.”

“Taste your way through the MUCHO Tequila and Mezcal Festival. MUCHO Tequila & Mezcal Festival returns to Centro 86 on Sunday 13 September, bringing together more than 30 producers from across Mexico for an afternoon dedicated to tequila, mezcal and the wider world of agave. It’s put together by the team behind Centro 86’s tequila back bar and Cantina OK!’s mezcal program, with standout names on the lineup including Herradura, Cascahuín, Los Siete Misterios and La Venenosa.”

“The votes have been cast, counted and sorted and so now we can reveal the finalists in the 2026 Australian Liquor Industry Awards. Once again a huge thanks goes to all those who voted for the favourite people, places and products to give us the finalists for this year’s awards. The Australian hospitality industry’s night of nights takes place at The Fullerton Sydney on Wednesday, 28 October.”

“The Australian Bartender Top 100 Most Influential List is back for 2026, recognising the people having an impact across Australia’s bar industry right now, with Spirits Academy joining as this year’s official sponsor. Held every two years, the Top 100 brings together the bartenders, bar owners, operators, managers, brand ambassadors, and industry figures helping shape Australia’s bar scene and culture.”

“A restaurant championing Aussie produce, a bar serving Margaritas in every shape and form, a Vietnamese cafe-meets-wine-bar hybrid and more have all joined the Hot List recently.”

“From micro mezcal den Cantina OK! to new suburb gems like Meadow in Cronulla, these are the best bars in Sydney right now. Sydney’s best bars range from micro mezcal mecca Cantina OK! to subterranean CBD wine bar Letra House and prohibition cocktail haunt Palmer & Co. Add boundary-pushing newcomers like Super 44 in Enmore and Cronulla’s Meadow, and you have a scene worth working through. Curated by Sitchu’s editors, this ever-evolving edit points you where to sip, whether you’re after gin, jazz or both.”

“Today is World Tequila Day, and if you’ve only ever experienced tequila in a Margarita, Mucho Group is offering the perfect excuse to dig a little deeper. Across Super 44, Cantina OK!, Centro 86 and Tio’s, the group has assembled what it believes is Australia’s most diverse collection of agave spirits. And if all that talk of tequila leaves you inspired, we’ve also included a recipe created by Jeremy Blackmore Creative Director of Mucho Group at the end of this story.”

“Enmore Road’s newest cocktail bar, Super 44, debuted on 26 June,  brought to you by Mucho Group. You may recognise Mucho from sister venue Bar Planet, just a minute up the road, Centro86 in Martin Place, or their other new venue Bar Bridge, tucked away near Circular Quay. Super 44 takes the place of Midnight Special, which closed its doors in September of last year.”

“Ahead of World Tequila Day on Friday 24 July, Mucho Group is drawing attention to what it believes to be Australia’s most diverse tequila and mezcal selection across its four agave-driven cocktail bars in Sydney.”

“Ahead of World Tequila Day on Friday 24 July, Mucho Group is drawing attention to what it believes to be Australia’s most diverse tequila and mezcal selection across its four agave-driven cocktail bars in Sydney.”

“Enmore Road is home to dozens of great venues. From a moody bar focused on one kind of cocktail to a fried chicken joint with a cult-like following, these are some of our favourites at the moment.”

“After thousands of nominations and votes from across Australia’s hospitality industry, Drinks World unveils the Top 100 Bartenders Australia 2026, recognising the exceptional talent, passion and dedication of the bartenders shaping the country’s vibrant drinks industry.”

“Mucho Group has taken its cult cocktail format to Sydney’s Inner West for the first time, opening the doors to Margarita bar Super 44 last Friday (26 June). Situated on Enmore Road, the compact, high-energy bar focuses on fruit-forward Margaritas and shaved-ice cocktails with a menu designed for quick service and broad appeal.”

“They say the classics never go out of style. They also say you’ve gotta know the rules before you can break ’em. The Margarita and Martini are two classic cocktails most bars wouldn’t dare to mess with, but Mucho ain’t like the rest.”