The Gaming and Liquor Administration Amendment Act 2015 came into effect this week, establishing the new regulatory body Liquor & Gaming NSW, which encompasses both the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing and Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority. The act was passed by the NSW Government towards the end of last year with the purpose of creating a stronger and singular state regulatory body for the liquor and gaming industries. ...

Sesión Premium Tequila will add a third flavour to its portfolio this month with Mocha (RRP $90). Made using supreme tequila, dark chocolate and highlights of creamy coffee, this infusion makes for a fresh, bold addition to shelves. Sesión Mocha Tequila begins with an initial savour of coffee and maintains a creamy texture throughout its last sip. Similar to the Reposado and Blanco flavours, Sesión Mocha Tequila is favoured chilled ...

New Zealand’s award-winning Rochdale Cider is now being distributed through Dan Murphy’s in Australia. The family-owned brand, which uses only natural ingredients, is one of the country’s most popular ciders and its “honest” approach is also driving consumers to Rochdale in Australia according to the retailer. The cider is gluten free and has no added sugars or preservatives, which makes this product on trend according to General Manager of Dan Murphy’s ...

In under a year since opening, Teeling Whiskey Company’s new Visitor Centre in Dublin City is being celebrated as the Visitor Attraction of the Year. The centre, which has welcomed over 30,000 visitors since June last year, received the title from Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky Rest of World Awards. The awards are judged by the magazine’s independent editorial panel of judges and were established to celebrate the people and ...

A survey conducted by Diageo Australia has found that a large percentage of consumers in this country are unsure about the volume of alcohol they’re consuming. When asked about the number of standard drinks in a beer, wine and single serve of spirits with a mixer, half of respondents said lower than the actual amount. The survey asked just under 1,000 Australians, both men and women, aged 18 or over, and 500 of those ...

Dreamgirls and Bada Bing in the Kings Cross precinct, Sydney have been closed for selling illicit drugs to undercover officers. Both venue licences have been suspended for six months and could be suspended for longer by the Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing and NSW Police Force. Back in December 2015, undercover officers were able to purchase cocaine from staff at the strip clubs, who were also observed openly taking the drug. In an ...

Australia has topped the number of awards received at the recent China Wine and Spirits Best Value Awards. Australian wine producers were awarded 311 medals - more than any other country - reaffirming that the future is bright for exporters to China. China has been a market of particular interest for Australian wine producers since the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement was approved last year. The agreement opened up significant opportunities for Australia in ...

In conjunction with Heineken’s partnership with The Australian Open, over the last few weeks the beer brand has been leaving a number of unexpected and surprising gifts on the bar at venues across Melbourne. Undercover, Heineken’s mystery shopper, the Star Serve Guru, has been seeking out perfect serves of the beer and rewarding bartenders with tickets to this year’s season as well as generous tips. The pour a perfect serve, bartenders were required to follow the ...

Two Queensland bartenders have taken out the spring and summer rounds of Diageo’s World Class Drinking Steeped & Spritzed competition. World Class Drinking competitions are run with Diageo on-premise customers and the winners this year were Adam Bastow from Black Coffee Lyrics on the Gold Coast and Tristan Green from Canvas Bar in Brisbane. The competition tested bartenders’ ability to create a batched cocktail using a specially designed World Class ...

The introduction of a smaller pack size for Thatchers Gold in Australia is paying off for the English cider producer and Coopers Brewery. The distributor here has said that the 330ml bottle, released in October last year, has “provided a major boost for sales” of the product. While the original 500ml bottle remains a popular format for drinkers in the UK, Coopers said that it was not a size Australian ...