Six Beverages to Drink If You're Keen to Support Local Winemakers, Brewers and Distillers

Take a sip of Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co’s West Coast IPA, and the following flavours will pass over your tastebuds: orange zest, passionfruit, mango, malt, hops and a big splash of bitterness. This is a strong, rich Indian Pale Ale that’s tailor-made for beer lovers who like their IPAs to pack a punch. It’s also a gold medal-winner at both the Australian International Beer Awards (in 2019) and the Perth Royal Beer Show (in 2017 and 2018). As for the Cheeky Monkey crew, it’s a group of family and friends who like brewing beverages and, as the brand’s name makes plain, doesn’t take itself too seriously. The company started working its beer-making magic in 2012 from its Margaret River base, and now boasts a sizeable lineup of beverages, spanning everything from stouts and ciders to hard seltzers.

Support local makers like Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co by picking up a four-pack — or a carton — at BWS.

Bunn’s Vineyard takes two things seriously: commitment to sustainability and bio-dynamic methods, and its red wine. Both are worthy sources of obsession — including focusing on vinos of the crimson-hued variety. As every red wine lover knows, there’s nothing quite like a glass of the hearty good stuff, whether you’re unwinding, drinking with a meal or having a sip just because. Our tip: Bunn’s shiraz. It’s one of just two varieties on the Albany winery’s palate, so you know that the team has given it its full care and attention. Expect the deep red colour that comes with the territory, plus those oh-so fragrant berry notes, all in a vino that’s preservative-free and made with minimal intervention.

Support local makers like Bunn’s Vineyard by picking up a bottle at BWS.

There was never any doubt that the Margaret River Distilling Company, Cameron Syme’s second distillery after the Great Southern Distilling Company, would make a gin that’s heavy on botanicals. The Western Australian outfit is located in a scenic patch of the state, surrounded by peppermint trees, after all — and so it simply makes sense that its juniper spirit would embrace Australia’s native flora. Under the Ginversity label, in its Ginversity Botanical Gin, that includes handpicked sandalwood, boronia and lemon myrtle, as well as the most Aussie botanical there is: eucalyptus. That lengthy list of ingredients combines for a tipple that pairs perfectly with tonic, and strawberries and rosemary as a garnish.

Support local makers like Margaret River Distilling Company by picking up a bottle at BWS.

If you’re looking for a tipple with history, Yilgarnia Wines is a family-run vineyard that dates back to the 60s. This parcel of land by the Hay River in Western Australia’s Denmark region was home to cattle before becoming the 13 hectares of grapes, grapes and more grapes it is today. The livestock are still part of the property, but both vino and wildflowers are firmly on Yilgarnia’s agenda as well. When it comes to wine, full-flavoured drops have proven the vineyard’s speciality. That includes its shiraz, aka a standout, go-to red that heroes notes of cherries, plums, blackberries, spice and oak. This is a cool-climate version, too, with the rich take on the popular variety gaining prominence in recent years — in Yilgarnia’s case, rightfully so.

Support local makers like Yilgarnia Wines by picking up a bottle at BWS.

When Otherside Brewing Co first set up shop and started its beer-making journey, it knocked it straight out of the park with its debut beer. Still one of the brewery’s best beverages, its Festive Session Ale ticks every box in its moniker: it’s immensely easy to drink over an extended period, the medium-bodied flavour pairs well with a special occasion, and, ale-wise, it’s both malty and citrusy. Accordingly, it should come as no surprise that the brew was actually first made for a music festival. That was then, though; now, from its 1000-square-metre warehouse in Myaree, this beer-loving outfit has turned its initial one-off brew into an ongoing hit.

Support local makers like Otherside Brewing Co by picking up a six-pack — or a carton — at BWS.

Being passionate and celebrating that passion isn’t just nice advice at Old Young’s Distillery. It’s part of the Swan Valley-based company’s manifesto, too. Yes, that’s a pretty simple creed to live by when you spend your days making hand-crafted gin; however, these juniper spirits are easy to get passionate about. Take Old Young’s Six Seasons Gin, for example. Made from 100-percent Aussie sugar cane, it’s also the distillery’s tribute to the region’s Indigenous owners. The Noongar peoples view the annual calendar as a progression of not four, but six distinct seasons, including two phases of spring and summer. That’s something to honour while you’re sipping a blend of Tuscan juniper, coriander, angelica, bush mint and sea parsley, as well as both juniper and lemon myrtle, and desert lime.

Support local makers like Old Young’s Distillery by picking up a bottle at BWS.