Mike’s pour

Getting ready to stock the fridge and bar for party season? Mike Bennie knows how.

2022-11-01 -

Any shindig I throw starts off with that retro classic, fruit punch. Punch is easy, simple and always brings people together. At the core of punch is seasonal fruit, bolstered by just about any alcoholic spirit, plus I often add Prosecco.

Outside that, what is a great party without a sink or tub filled with ice and an array of colourful bottles and cans? I go for thirst-quenching rosés, chilled reds (call me a heathen if you like) and a few interesting salty or textural white wines.

Rosé is often maligned, but makes for easy drinking and is versatile with a huge spectrum of food. A crisp, cool red can sidle up to a barbecue, stretch through a fancy dinner, or make seafood, salads or charcuterie come alive. For bubbles, I suggest pet nats – vivacious, naturally sparkling wines that finish fermentation in the bottle.

Beer and cider is where experimentation is fun. Ransack the craft beer section of your local bottle shop and offer a cornucopia of different brews.

And be mindful of those partaking in less or no alcohol; premium non-alcoholic drinks are among the fastest-growing beverage categories.

SEVEN SEASONS NATIVE YAM VODKA, $80

The delicious vodka from this stellar, Indigenous-owned and run distillery is made from wild-harvested native NT yams. It’s a little spicy, a lot excellent and great for punches, or just blended with soda and topped with finger lime pearls.

DELINQUENTE PRETTY BOY ROSATO 2022, $26

This is produced from lightly pressed organic nero d’avola – an Italian grape best known for cherry juice-like, lighter, fresher red wines. Here it’s all cranberry-drink dry and tangy, and lip-smackingly delicious.