The Grocer
Sip responsibly and hangover-free with zero-alcohol gin from Banks & Burbidge
Food & Drink

Sip responsibly and hangover-free with zero-alcohol gin from Banks & Burbidge

09 Jul 2020

There are a plethora of reasons why you might be keen to give booze the boot – two-day hangovers, general health, financial gains and saving yourself from post-party remorse, just to name a few. Regardless of your 'why', up until fairly recently, non-alcoholic alternatives have, well, kind of sucked. Thankfully, as Bob Dylan once mused, the times they are a changin' and non-drinkers are no longer relegated to sipping sugary soft-drinks or bland beverages. The past few years have seen some excellent alcohol-free alternatives pop up on the market. One such option is Banks & Burbidge's alcohol-free gin, which looks and tastes like the real deal minus the drama. more

The Grocer
Beer to botanicals – White Lies Brewing enters the spirit game with Ginesis
Food & Drink

Beer to botanicals – White Lies Brewing enters the spirit game with Ginesis

02 Jul 2020

Even though 2020 has been a turbulent year, there's never been a better time to be a gin lover in Queensland. The last couple of years have seen several local operators launch well-received small-batch distilleries around Brisbane and the Gold Coast, including Winston Quinn, Brisbane Distillery, Fonzie Abbott and Grandad Jack's. Now Sumner-based craft-beer brewery White Lies Brewing is getting in on the action, releasing Ginesis – its debut range of craft gins – this Friday July 3. more

The Grocer
The Stores Grocer unveils Queensland's first refillable wine dispensary
Food & Drink

The Stores Grocer unveils Queensland’s first refillable wine dispensary

02 Jul 2020

The Stores Grocer in West End was already the stuff of turophile's sweet, delicious dreams thanks to a dedicated cheese room crammed with over 150 different blocks, chocks and wheels sitting pretty alongside delightfully fresh seafood, artisanal cured meat and no less than 20 different varieties of olives. What more could you ask for? Well, foodie friends, the fine folk at The Stores Grocer have upped the ante on sustainability and convenience, unveiling a refillable wine bottle station so now it truly is a one-stop shop. Go ahead, take all of our monies. more

The Grocer
Set your alarm clock – Aldi is slinging $70 SodaStreams this Saturday
Food & Drink

Set your alarm clock – Aldi is slinging $70 SodaStreams this Saturday

18 Jun 2020

Bubbles make everything better – parties, baths, champagne, water. If you're sipping still drinks like a sucker, make haste to your nearest Aldi on Saturday June 20 and nab yourself a SodaStream Spirit Machine for just 70 dollar bucks. The soda maker is part of the brand's Special Buys and if you've never experienced an Aldi run on drop day, well, you're in for a treat.  more

The Grocer
Spice up your next dinner party with a Noch Noch Momo kit
Food & Drink

Spice up your next dinner party with a Noch Noch Momo kit

04 Jun 2020

When you break it down, the dining-out experience is about more than just having someone else cook for once. We go out to enjoy the atmosphere and to bask in the collective energy of the restaurant in full flight. Sights, sounds and smells all play a part in making a night out special, which is hard to replicate when you're cooking at home. Noch Noch Momo is a new meal-kit concept that aims to bring a touch of that stimulating fun to your kitchen, providing everything you'll need for a memorable Nepalese feast! more

The Grocer
Sip a G&T sans the sauce from Monday Distillery
Food & Drink

Sip a G&T sans the sauce from Monday Distillery

04 Jun 2020

As a nation, Australians are among some of the heaviest drinkers in the world. If you find that statistic unsettling, you are not alone. Alcohol can not only have a detrimental impact on your overall health but also your mental wellbeing – after all, who hasn't had that feeling of instant remorse after doing or saying something stupid whilst under the influence? As a result, more and more Australians are opting to go booze-free for a bit (or for good) however, the downside to this healthy life-change is that you will be guaranteed to face some probing questions from well-meaning mates but also some fairly bland beverage choices. If you still want to enjoy the social side of drinking without the hangover, crack a bottle from Monday Distillery. more

The Grocer
Sip organic and minimal-intervention grape juice from LOC Bottle Shop online
Food & Drink

Sip organic and minimal-intervention grape juice from LOC Bottle Shop online

21 May 2020

One of the (many) great joys of eating out at a fancy restaurant is perusing the venue's thoughtfully curated wine list for unique and interesting tipples. You know the kind – the ones that you definitely won't remember the name of and aren't readily available at your local bottle shop. With all of the current restrictions on dining in place, we've been missing the thrill of unearthing that perfect, elusive drop that makes our tastebuds tingle. If you've been staring vacantly at the same old varietals on the shelf, say hello to LOC Bottle Shop online and sip better. more

The Grocer
Enjoy healthy household staples delivered to your door thanks to Part&Parcel
Food & Drink

Enjoy healthy household staples delivered to your door thanks to Part&Parcel

20 May 2020

If you're the kind of person who gives a damn what's in the food you eat and often find yourself lost in a vortex of reading and cross-referencing food labels and ingredients, you need Part&Parcel in your life. Part&Parcel is an online health food store that exists to free you from the burden of having to decipher misleading and complex labels and deliver a tightly curated selection of healthy household staples to your door. more

The Grocer
Get restaurant-made ready-to-eat meals through No Biggie's dark kitchen service
Food & Drink

Get restaurant-made ready-to-eat meals through No Biggie’s dark kitchen service

14 May 2020

At the tail-end of March things were looking grim for Australia's dining scene. Widespread panic-buying and looming lockdowns threatened to throw our hospitality industry into disarray, but thankfully the quick thinkers at The Mark Agency came up with an idea that could help. No Biggie is a booming online food service that is engaging with local restaurants and cafes to produce delicious meals for folks to enjoy at home, allowing venues to keep staff employed and direct income to their producers while simultaneously providing for those of us that crave accessible, restaurant-quality home-style fare and for folks that would prefer to avoid supermarkets. more

The Grocer
Say no to banana bread and get rollin' with Baller Blends
Food & Drink

Say no to banana bread and get rollin’ with Baller Blends

29 Apr 2020

If you've noticed your Insta feed flooded with slightly burnt loaves, you're not alone. For reasons that are not abundantly clear, the humble banana bread has experienced a resurgence in popularity of late. Perhaps it's the relative ease of the recipe or the prevalence of slightly browning bananas on bench tops around the country but either way, it's undoubtedly a sign of the times. If you're keen to up your iso-snack game, step away from the bananas and say hello to Baller Blends. more

The Grocer
From the farm to the city – newly launched Scenic Rim Farm Box brings the best local produce to your door
Food & Drink

From the farm to the city – newly launched Scenic Rim Farm Box brings the best local produce to your door

23 Apr 2020

If you (and your tastebuds) have missed escaping from the city and hitting the road to explore the Scenic Rim's renowned local flavours, friendly farms, wineries and boutique breweries, there's now a way to enjoy the best bits and bites of the region's food bowl without leaving your home. A group of local producers, supported by the Scenic Rim Regional Council, have recently launched Scenic Rim Farm Boxes – a new food-delivery service that brings the best farm-fresh produce straight to your door. more

The Grocer
Four Pillars fast-tracks the release of its Changing Seasons Gin in collaboration with Japan's Kyoto Distillery
Food & Drink

Four Pillars fast-tracks the release of its Changing Seasons Gin in collaboration with Japan’s Kyoto Distillery

01 Apr 2020

The temporary closure of our favourite pubs and watering holes means that we're now forced to (responsibly) enjoy tipples from the comfort of our couch. It also means that our home liquor supplies are drying out at a faster rate than usual – though, here's some great news to counter the sad state of your bar cart. Yarra Valley distillery Four Pillars has fast-tracked the third release in its exclusive Distiller Series – introducing Changing Seasons Gin, a new Japanese-inspired sip created for 'times that are changing faster than any of us can keep up with'. more

The Grocer
Pop worth the hop – Coles releases hot cross bun-flavoured popcorn
Food & Drink

Pop worth the hop – Coles releases hot cross bun-flavoured popcorn

10 Mar 2020

We don't mean to alarm you, but everyone's favourite chocolate-fuelled holiday is just around the corner! With hot cross buns flying off the shelf since Boxing Day and the chocolate eggs lining the confectionary aisle becoming harder to resist, the countdown until the upcoming Easter long weekend is well and truly on. Coles has decided to capitalise on Easter mania, and has been working hard in the kitchen to create your next holiday snack-time obsession – hot cross bun-flavoured popcorn. more

The Grocer
Stock up on natural wine from newly launched Gold Coast-based online store Ok. Wines
Food & Drink

Stock up on natural wine from newly launched Gold Coast-based online store Ok. Wines

05 Mar 2020

The exciting movement of minimal-intervention wine is certainly gathering steam and it's opening our eyes to a whole new world of all-natural, easy-drinking wines that are fun, interesting and (most importantly) delicious. Though, apart from getting to trial and sip them at our favourite restaurants, decent (let us reiterate decent) natural wines can be pretty hard to get your hands on. Enter Ok. Wines, a new Gold Coast-based online retailer specialising in natural grape juice with next-day delivery for locals. more

The Grocer
What to drink when you're not drinking – take your martini dry with Lyre's booze-free spirits
Food & Drink

What to drink when you’re not drinking – take your martini dry with Lyre’s booze-free spirits

16 Jan 2020

You may be participating in Dry January or just detoxing from the festive season altogether, but for those of us sensible (and selfless) enough to bear the burden of being designated driver on a night out, the craving for a cocktail can be a moralistic tug-o-war. That's where Lyre's steps in – a range of delicious non-alcoholic spirits that help make a mean mocktail. more

The Grocer
From Mexico to Queensland – Volando is the new tequila in town calling the shots
Food & Drink

From Mexico to Queensland – Volando is the new tequila in town calling the shots

19 Dec 2019

There are many countries around the world to thank for our favourite alcoholic spirits – Russia and Poland for vodka, the Caribbean islands for rum, Holland for gin, Scotland and Ireland for whiskey and, of course, Mexico for tequila. Tequila tends to invoke strong feelings in its drinkers – some love it in a margarita, others prefer a straight-shot approach. If you consider yourself a lover of the spirit, we have some pretty darn exciting news to share ... more