Drnks

Overview

A long-time purveyor of natural wines online, Drnks has finally opened its first bricks-and-mortar store. Tucked away inside the newly renovated George Hotel, it's stocked to the brim with everything from salty white peach beer from NZ's Garage Project to coveted magnums of wine by Gabrio Bini.

The bottle-o's labels are available for both takeaway or dine in, with an additional $20 charged for the latter. And if you don't feel like dropping $35 on a bottle pét-nat, cheaper cases of beer are available for takeaway, too. It's also open till 11pm, Monday–Saturday, so you can swing by after dinner.

It's run by Drnks founder and The George co-owner Joel Amos, who you'll often find working in the shop himself — giving out handy tips on what new bottle to buy if you're a full-on wine nerd or have just decided to dip your toe into the weird and wonderful world of natural wine. If you have just decided to test the waters, you'll be happy to know that the bottle shop regularly hosts tastings — and, best of all, they're free. Keep an eye on the Drnks Instagram to catch the latest.

As well as tastings, it'll also be hosting regular, bigger wine events, such as Loose Lips, which'll see over 30 winemakers and distributors from all over Australia descend on the Waterloo bottle-o — and the rest of the pub — for a wine-filled party. You will need to snag tix for this one.

Next time you're hankering for a drop with a bit more funk than your local can offer, make tracks to Drnks — and stop to enjoy a taco or two in the George while you're there.

Images: Kimberley Low.