These are Australia's 50 best drinks of 2024 - vote for your favourite now
From September to October, bartenders from bars across Australia answered the call to put their best drinks forward to be considered in the 2024 Boothby Drink of the Year Awards. Those entries have been whittled down to the Top 50 here by a small panel of Boothby advisers, looking at the recipes for each, and what they say about the world of cocktails in Australia in 2024.
The result? Some very fine drinking from some very fine bartenders.
And you can have your say on your favourite drink now — voting is now open for the 2024 Boothby People's Drink of the Year presented by Elijah Craig Rye. Take a look at the drinks below, then hit the vote button to have your say.
Below, organised in alphabetical order by the name of the drink, are the Top 50 Drinks of the Year 2024.
So what happens next?
Each of the bartenders with a drink on the Top 50 are invited to the exclusive Boothby Drink of the Year Awards on Monday 18 November at Now & Then in Sydney.
On the night, we’ll be counting down from 50 to 1 the Drinks of the Year, and awarding four big awards along the way:
- The Drink of the Year presented by Jim Beam;
- The People’s Drink of the Year presented by Elijah Craig;
- the Bartender of the Year presented by Glenfiddich;
- the Drinks List of the Year presented by Perrier;
- and new this year, the Breakout Bartender of 2024 presented by Hendrick’s for an up and coming bartender on the list.
In the meantime, voting is open for the Boothby People’s Drink of the Year presented by Elijah Craig — all you have to do is check out the Top 50 and vote for your favourite below before 11:59pm AEST on Friday 1 November 2024.
Thank you to all of the bartenders who entered their drinks — you've made this country a nicer place to drink at.
The 2024 Boothby Top
50 Drinks of the Year
(Not So) Irish Coffee
Lachy Boyle, Black Pearl
Irish Coffee with nostalgic twists of Milo dusting and vanilla malt cream, served warm.
Ingredients: Rock candy syrup, rye whiskey, cognac, coffee, vanilla malt cream, Milo dust.
Anchovy Toast
Andy Chu, One Or Two
A fun and savory drink, combining XO sauce, sourdough, and anchovy toast in a flavourful cocktail.
Ingredients: XO sauce, blended malt, mezcal, honey water, sherry, sourdough milk, anchovy mousse.
Blue Heaven
Oska Whitehart, Bar Bellamy
Inspired by Japanese kakigori and blue drinks, playful frozen treat with nostalgic blue milkshake flavours.
Ingredients: Raspberry, butter & vanilla distillate, blue curacao, calpis concentrate, lemon juice, fluffy ice.
Breakfast in Milano
Luca Baioni, Latteria
A milk punch capturing the flavors of a classic Milanese breakfast: cappuccino and apricot jam croissant.
Ingredients: Cognac, dark rum, coffee, apricot brandy, croissant milk.
Caspar Milquetoast
Aidan Perkins, Milquetoast
Turns the bland into the bold, with milk toast and fermented apple in a nutty, refreshing spritz.
Ingredients: Gin, sparkling wine, fermented apple, vanilla syrup, milk toast.
Chet Baker
Alex Gondzioulis, Bar Bellamy
Rich rum cocktail with banana molasses and beeswax, and a whole lot of flavour.
Ingredients: Beeswax-washed rum, banana molasses, pandan-infused Punt e Mes, bitters.
Consommé
Samuel Thornhill, Byrdi
A savoury, Bloody Mary-inspired drink with complex layers of tomato, chili, and ponzu flavors.
Ingredients: Agave spirit, distilled ponzu, ghost chilli, banana amazake, tomato saline, clarified tomato
Danny DeVito
Judith Zhu, Apollonia
A complex cocktail, just like its namesake actor.
Ingredients: Lime leaf mezcal, reposado tequila, clarified pineapple, clarified grapefruit cordial, lavender bitters.
Electric Blue
Elisa Rodrigues, Maybe Mae
A fruity, refreshing lychee-based cocktail with a striking blue colour.
Ingredients: Triple juniper gin, blue curacao, lychee concentrate, coconut water, chrysanthemum tea
Free Falling
Koby Harris, Dean & Nancy on 22
Inspired by feeling free above the clouds.
Ingredients: Hennessy V.S, mint, pineapple & champagne syrup, verjuice, bitters
House Martini
Caretaker's Cottage
A super-cold, always delicious Martini by Rob Libecans.
Ingredients: house gin, house dry vermouth.
Icebergs Sgroppino
Matty Opai, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar
A frozen, refreshing cocktail served with tableside theater.
Ingredients: Patron El Cielo, fresh lime, prosecco, lemon sorbet.
Jack of All Trades
Edward Quatermass, Dr Gimlette
A sweet and savoury post-dinner nightcap, featuring toasted wattleseed and caramel notes.
Ingredients: Roasted Wattleseed Jack Daniels Bonded, Banane Massenez, miso caramel.
Konbini
Jac Landmark, Bar Love
Inspired by a Tokyo internship, blending cool tea, warm foam, and cookie crumble.
Ingredients: Toki Whisky, black tea reduction, honey lactose syrup, coconut vanilla foam, cookie dust.
Matcha Fizz
James Irvine, JAM Record Bar
A fizzy, refreshing Japanese-inspired cocktail with green tea and yuzu for a fun and casual experience.
Ingredients: Green tea & yuzu spirit, white crème de cacao, lemon juice, egg white, yuzu soda
Nectarine Cavalier
Lachlan Bentley, Gimlet at Cavendish House
A low-ABV aperitif sipper showcasing fermented and fresh nectarine flavours.
Ingredients: Wine blend, calvados, Amaro Montenegro, lacto-fermented nectarine.
Passion Pop
Sam Kirk, Pleasure Club
A nostalgic riff on the classic Passion Pop with tropical flavours, carbonated and long.
Ingredients: Four Pillars Yuzu Gin, passionfruit marigold vodka, Lemon myrtle Campari, clarified passionfruit juice.
Peach & Tomato Gimlet
Matt Whiley, Re
A savory take on the Gimlet with house-made peach vinegar and clarified tomato.
Ingredients: Tanqueray gin, peach vinegar, peach and tomato syrup, salted clarified tomato, dry vermouth
Peaches & Cream Negroni
Pippa Canavan, Bar Love
A sweet and silky twist on the Negroni with summer peaches and subtle herbal bitterness.
Ingredients: Gin, Select Aperitivo, Rosso Antico Sweet Vermouth, peach syrup, buttermilk, lactic acid.
Pool Side
Sarah Proietti, Maybe Sammy
A signature hotel-inspired drink, perfect for lounging by the pool with refreshing, herbal flavours.
Ingredients: Basil-infused gin, bianco vermouth, palo santo cordial, coconut soda.
Rizz OK!
Storm Evans, Cantina OK!
A fully closed-loop cocktail, utilizing green tea and rice.
Ingredients: Green tea and rice-based ingredients.
Sea & Shell
Alex Boon, Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters
A Martini celebrating oysters with coastal gin and an oyster-inspired olive.
Ingredients: Oyster shell gin, coastal dry vermouth, verjuice, orange bitters.
Speed Bump
Luke Whearty, Byrdi
A fun Martini with vanilla, chocolate, and caviar, inspired by trips to London’s best bars.
Ingredients: Vanilla bean vodka, white chocolate liqueur, macadamia distillate, Yarra Valley Caviar
Strawberries & Cream Negroni
Pete Ehemann & Flyn Jocumsen, The Cumberland
A creamy Negroni with strawberry yogurt, perfect for Negroni lovers.
Ingredients:
Two In The Pink
Alicia Clarke, Double Deuce Lounge
A clarified vegan Milk Punch with rhubarb and strawberry yoghurt, fun and easy-drinking.
Ingredients: Rhubarb-infused vodka, strawberry and vanilla syrup, Select Aperitivo, coconut kefir.
Yuzu & Flowers
Tom Opie The Waratah
A non-alcoholic cocktail resembling a fine aperitif.
Ingredients: Nitro flower tea, clarified yuzu and citrus blend, dealcoholized oxidized wine.
