Drinks Adventures - Wine, beer, whisky, gin & more with James Atkinson

• The trials and triumphs of mobile canning in Australia

  In this episode we’re joined by Chris Kelly of Australia’s first mobile canning provider, East Coast Canning. Chris founded the business in 2016 to provide small breweries with access to professional-grade packaging without them needing to invest in expensive canning lines of their own. Nine years on, East Coast Canning has a fleet of four mobile canning trucks and a static packaging facility in Melbourne that together have filled more than 33 million cans for customers on Australia’s eastern seaboard. Chris reflects on some of the highs and lows so far; such as the “sku-mageddon” groundswell of limited release beers; the lockdown era packaged beer boom; and the craft beer insolvencies that nearly brought the business undone. You’ll hear about the some of the emerging sectors of the drinks industry that are calling on East Coast for packaging services; and the company’s new Bulletproof can innovation, billed as the world’s most durable digitally printed can.

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• Why Cincoro is more than "Michael Jordan's tequila"

  We’re joined this episode by Emilia Fazzalari and Quentin Job of Cincoro Tequila. Cincoro is the ultra-premium tequila brand launched in 2019 by a group of NBA club owners including the legendary Michael Jordan, who it turns out is also a tequila aficionado. Also in the founding group are Emilia – the company’s executive chairperson who we’re speaking to today; her husband Wyc Grousbeck – owner of the Boston Celtics; and fellow basketball figures Jeanie Buss and Wes Edens. Our other guest today, Quentin Job, is an Asia Pacific-based drinks industry veteran who is leading the expansion of Cincoro into international markets including Australia, where it has recently arrived under a distribution agreement with Minleki Spirit Traders. From the outset, the founders aimed to create a tequila that could sit confidently alongside the world’s great luxury spirits. The team worked closely with producers in Jalisco, Mexico to develop a distinctive style, blending agave from both the highlands and lowlands to create a tequila that balances elegance with depth of flavour. Launched in 2019, Cincoro is rapidly carving out a space for itself in the competitive tequila category. But in this episode – produced in partnership with Cincoro – Emilia and Quentin are quick to emphasise that the brand’s success is about much more than star power. It’s about liquid that speaks for itself, supported by careful brand-building and a long-term commitment to quality.

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• The Guinness boom with global brand ambassador Padraig Fox

  We're joined this episode by Guinness global brand ambassador Padraig Fox. Padraig was recently in Australia as part of Guinness’s sponsorship of the British and Irish Lions rugby tour, which coincides with a massive global resurgence for the brand. And, as you would have heard in my recent interview with Lion bosses James Brindley and Anubha Sahasrabuddhe, Australia has not been immune to the trend. In fact, Lion sold about 2 million litres of Guinness during the recent tour, when there were 2650 venues pouring Guinness in Australia, which was an increase of 850 new tap accounts on last year. In his role, Padraig is responsible for sharing the Guinness story with audiences all over the world. And in this episode – produced in partnership with Guinness – we discuss how the brand has managed to stay relevant and exciting in a crowded beer market, what’s behind its recent growth, and how it balances its long heritage with the need to keep evolving.

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• Western Australia's brewing scene, with writer Guy Southern

  We’re joined this episode by West Australian beer writer and retailer, Guy Southern, winner of the Beer Media prize at the Australian International Beer Awards 2025. Guy may be familiar to you from his regular reporting for The Crafty Pint, where he’s covered the West Australian beer scene for well over a decade. And he was also lead researcher and writer for a mini-documentary on WA beer history that screened on a loop at the Liquid Gold: A Taste of WA Brewing History exhibition, held last year at the State Library of Western Australia. Coming up, Guy shares how the project reshaped his own understanding of WA beer history — particularly in uncovering early examples of brewing that predate much of the accepted historical record. We revisit how WA sparked the first wave of Australian craft beer, as well as finding out how the local industry is faring today, and getting some of his recommendations on the breweries and beers we should be keeping an eye out for in years to come.

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• Beer entrepreneur Steve Jeffares on his next chapter

  We’re joined this episode by Steve Jeffares, co-founder of The Local Taphouse and Stomping Ground Brewing Company in Melbourne, as well as GABS, the Great Australian Beer Spectapular festival. Steve’s new solo venture is Happy Camper, a community-focused venue in Glen Iris, Melbourne, in the site formerly occupied by Deeds Brewing, which ceased operations last year. As you’ll hear, it’s a deliberate step back from scale and spectacle — and a return to Steve’s roots in hospitality and curating great drinks experiences. Coming up, Steve talks us through what inspired the concept and how it reflects his evolving relationship with beer and hospitality. We also get into the changing landscape of Australia’s beer industry — from the early days of craft, to the maturing market we see today, and what he thinks the next generation of breweries will need to get right if they’re to survive and thrive.

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