If you’ve ever tipped one in at Neighbourhood Wine, Old Palm Liquor or Bahama Gold and thought, “that’s good gear”, you’ve probably got Gus Gluck to thank. He’s the business operations and beverage manager for Neighbourhood Group, and his way with wine has earned him plaudits all over the world, Drinks Retailing Magazine dubbing him one of the 100 most influential people in the UK wine trade in 2021. Here’s what he drinks when he drinks Victorian.
When someone hands me a drinks list, I groan, I look around at who is with me, swear under my breath and order something which gets the least complaints.
The last three delicious Victorian things I drank were
– A Victoria Bitter in The Standard front bar in Fitzroy.
– A Xavier Goodridge Avon Chardonnay: a wine that can easily sit in the same bracket as Cobaw Ridge or Sorrenberg.
– Our newest release of keg wine from Little Reddie’s Pat Underwood: a rosé produced by Michael Bay but directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Liquid entertainment. Palate explosion.
Looking at the Victorian drinks world from the outside in, I think its key strengths are its geography and its people. It has one of the world’s greatest wine regions, with the Macedon Ranges producing chardonnay that easily rivals the old firm in Burgundy. Central Victoria’s savoury, fragrant and pure shiraz, too. And the people are truly welcoming. I am a migrant here, and my former home is unyielding and sharp. Here? Shag-carpet soft. An immense work ethic based mixed with effortless charm. Soft-skill levels in the hundredth percentile. Good people in abundance.
As far as I’m concerned, the defining place to get a drink in Victoria is Caretaker’s Cottage. Australia is but a small speck in the global drinks industry, but Caretaker’s is the 21st-best place for a cocktail in the world. It’s such an immense achievement because it’s not about the drinks, it’s about the intangibles, how you feel before you enter and after you leave. Now, to get Old Palm Liquor named as the 21st best restaurant in the world… [raises eyebrow]
There’s no better value on drinks list or in a bottle-shop in this state than Mac Forbes EB88. It’s a red wine that in simple terms is hungover pinot noir eating a sausage sizzle. It’s informal, uninformed maybe, best drunk cold, best drunk as a gallon. It’s $31. It’s a deeply unfashionable thing, and as such has real style.
My favourite place to buy booze is Bahama Gold, as they have litres of wine. And I work there. Or Samuel Pepys in Northcote; I’ve never actually bought wine from there but Joey Eldar is a legend, a world-class wine buyer, and deserves all the business you can give him.
I’d love to see Victoria planting more grapes in the Macedon Ranges. Brewing more ale in casks served at cellar temperature so I don’t feel homesick. And distilling more brown spirits, less white.
My guilty pleasure at the bar is a non-alcoholic beer and a bag of nuts. I taste hundreds of alcoholic drinks five days a week.
The Victorian spirit I’m loving most right now is Marionette bitter curacao. It’s a liqueur, but is kind of in the same category. Why drink Campari and soda when this does the same job but just from someone local made from local produce?
The best or most important change to the way people drink in Victoria in recent years has been drinking beverages that are poured from taps. There are still some guests who find the medium off-putting, but as an industry that produces a lot of waste and has fundamental budgetary pressures relating the rising costs of goods and cost of labour, these efficient systems are paramount.
For me, the most inspiring person in the Victorian drinks world is Matt Stirling at Caretakers Cottage. I’ve watched him work in exceptionally tough circumstances, late at night and with trouble in the air, and he is still the kindest, brightest and most giving of people. Yeah, he makes good drinks, dresses alright and has an immense business. But it’s the essence of his person that is most inspiring and special. In this era, how many great role models do us blokes have? Well, we have Matt.