“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.”

“Over the past two weeks, Top 500 Bars officially kicked off its annual countdown, unveiling the first part of its global ranking, which includes establishments ranked 300th to 200th. The 2026 edition sets a new record for global diversity, with 139 cities in 56 countries, up from 126 last year. The expansion reflects the incredible vitality of local scenes around the world. Following the growth of regional Cocktail Weeks and Bar Shows, new bars and innovative cocktail philosophies are emerging, continually pushing the boundaries of mixology.”

“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.”

“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.”

“One of Sydney’s most intimate bars, Cantina OK! proves good things come in small packages. Specialising in small-batch mezcal, it’s all about classic cocktails and margaritas. With space for only two bartenders, you might have to be patient, but the hand-shaven ice and hand-pressed limes make it well worth the wait.”

“Drink trends August 2026 show beverage innovation moving towards experiential serves, mainstream functionality and bolder QSR flavours. From guava sgroppinos to prebiotic soft drinks and Red Bull-infused mocktails, brands and operators are taking familiar formats and making them more distinctive, visual and occasion-led.”

“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.”

“With a name like Dine Out, you might be forgiven for thinking that Broadsheet’s winter festival is all about eating, but this year’s Sydney program has worked its way into plenty of the city’s hottest bars. We tapped 17 bars across the city to create a special one-off deal for the duration of the festival, from July 27 to August 2. Some venues offer substantial discounts, and others will serve meals that pair their venue’s most popular drinks with serious snacks. Here’s what’s happening around town.”

“Face time with the country’s top mixologists and bar managers, at venues ranging from Sydney’s Maybe Sammy to Melbournian go-to Gimlet, reveals why epicures are opting for fresher, lower ABV serves — bonus points if they can be recreated at home.”

“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.”

“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.”

“The dating scene is, let’s face it, a bit of a jungle. And if you’re feeling app fatigue and keen to take things back to good old-fashioned IRL chemistry, we hear you. That’s why we’ve teamed up with our mates at ING for a very special, very fun singles night: Dating on a Dime. Because in a world with rising costs and swipe fatigue, we're swapping small talk for spend talk and redefining what it really means to be a "good match" in 2026.”

“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.”

“It's already been a huge 18 months for Mucho Group—and they're showing no signs of slowing down. Fresh off the opening of their CBD basement martini bar, Bar Bridge, the hospitality collective is preparing to unveil another concept: a Margarita-focused venue set to take over Enmore Road.”