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Drink trends

Sparkling red wine spiders are the summer treat you never knew you needed.

Sparkling wine spiders are the new-yet-nostalgic summer drink you never knew you needed

Turn sparkling red wine into liquid dessert with this adults-only twist on the classic ice-cream float.

  • Katie Spain
Pornstar martini has made Google’s Year in Search list for the third consecutive year.

Who is drinking all the pornstar martinis?

More Aussies look up the recipe for this noughties-era drink than a Daiquiri. Here’s why it’s back and why you may be drinking it without even knowing.

  • Erina Starkey
Helen Goh’s soft, fluffy hot cross buns proved popular at Easter.

Raise your pornstar martinis to the most popular recipe search trends of the year

Google’s most searched recipes of the year are like 2025 itself: silly, salty and a bit of a rip-off

  • Andrea McGinniss
North Fitzroy Arms bartender Marnie Carson makes the bestselling appletini

From tacky to trendy: The Appletini cocktail is back to shake things up this summer

It’s bobbing up on drinks lists everywhere from pubs to hatted fine diners – but not quite as you may remember it. Plus, how to make your own at home.

  • Fred Siggins
Familia Wine Bar on Enmore Rd, Newtown.

NSW has turned its back on local wine. It’s time that changed, say industry leaders

We’re more likely to order a NZ sauv blanc than anything from NSW, even though winemakers are shaking things up. “We’re not that any more, this is why, let us show you.”

  • Bianca Hrovat
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Spring wine picks include reislings with lemon acidity.

Spring’s best wines and spritzes for $30 or less (including Aldi’s super-cheap riesling)

What’s in your glass should reflect the vibrant, playful nature of the season. It’s out with winter’s hearty reds, and in with crisp whites, rosés and fizz.

  • Katie Spain
Queues at Tanning Lemontea in Box Hill.

‘Cheese tea’, bubble and not a tea bag in sight: The new-wave tea shops worth queuing for

Specialty tea shops, many originating in Taiwan and China, have exploded in Australia in the last five years. What’s behind their popularity in a coffee-loving country?

  • Annie Hariharan
Bloomwood cafe-bakery on Exhibition Street.

Melbourne’s cafes have always been world-class. But in 2025 they’ve got even better

As we announce Good Food’s Essential Melbourne Cafes and Bakeries, Emma Breheny looks at the city’s shift from macchiatos to matcha, and the rise of third culture cooking.

  • Emma Breheny
Bar Bellamy in Carlton is thriving, to the point where its owners are ready to expand.

Flying high or calling last drinks: What’s happening with your favourite Melbourne bars?

Some old favourites are closing for good while other spots are packed. What’s going on with Melbourne’s independent bar scene? And why are more venues opening in such a tough economy?

  • Fred Siggins

What’s the deal with oyster-shell gins?

Want to feel like a merman or mermaid? Do a “Shelly” and slurp down a martini.

  • Terry Durack