Famous drinks in Sydney

Ten drinks that match Sydney's harbour hotels, beer gardens, and wine bars.

  1. 1. Australian lager (schooner)

    Beer

    The after-work pour. Serve sizes (middy, schooner, pint) are part of local bar language.

  2. 2. Hunter Valley wine

    Wine

    The nearby region for Sydney day trips: semillon and shiraz in particular.

  3. 3. South Australian Shiraz

    Wine

    A national red that Sydney restaurants still treat as a default steak pour.

  4. 4. Sparkling and prosecco-style locals

    Sparkling wine

    Toasts on the harbour, from local sparkling to imported prosecco.

  5. 5. Craft pale ale and IPA

    Beer

    Independent taprooms across the inner west and city fringe.

  6. 6. Espresso Martini

    Cocktail

    A small-bar and late-dinner staple in a coffee-obsessed city.

  7. 7. Aperol and spritz culture

    Aperitif

    Daytime terraces copied the European spritz for harbour weather.

  8. 8. Australian gin

    Gin

    Native botanicals (finger lime, wattleseed, river mint) on many back bars.

  9. 9. Rum

    Spirit

    A colonial-era spirit that still appears in punch and tiki-leaning rooms.

  10. 10. Cider

    Cider

    A warm-weather alternative in beer gardens.

Culture guide, not a dry-day calendar

World pages describe famous drinks, history, and common legal drinking ages. They are not legal advice and they do not say whether alcohol is banned today. For India dry days, use the homepage or a city or state calendar.