Your ultimate summer drinks guide in NPSP

Toast the season with a perfect summer cocktail

The award-winning dishes that emerge from arkhé's kitchen have earned the restaurant a national reputation, but the bar staff more than hold their own with a constantly rotating cocktail list that showcases some truly exceptional flavours. Grab a seat in the spacious outdoor courtyard and feel yourself transported to a Southeast Asian beach by the gentle summer breeze and a freshly poured Azul Margarita that has a showstopping blue tint and tropical flavours of pandan and spiced vanilla.

For something from further afield, try the house speciality at brand new Korean restaurant 88 Pocha. So-maek is a DIY mixture of lager and the Korean rice spirit soju that cuts the bitterness of the beer and replaces it with a hint of sweetness. The result is a refreshingly light drink that's perfect for the warmer months. All you need to do is fill your glass two-thirds of the way up with an ice-cold beer like Kass lager, top it off with soju and mix them together, then sit back and enjoy.

Celebrate locally made craft beverages

One of Adelaide's original craft breweries, Little Bang is still going strong at its iconic Stepney tap room. Pop in for a visit and you can peek behind the scenes on a personalised brewery tour, or simply relax and raise a glass to summer... once you've chosen between 22 taps pouring everything from hop-forward IPAs to thirst-quenching session ales and mouth-puckering sours.

If you're looking for some non-alcoholic options that still pack plenty of flavour, head up the road to Mischief Brew's production facility. Say hi to the friendly staff at the shopfront, where you can taste incredible flavour combinations like the pineapple, habanero and lime Piña Picante, botanical-infused Sparkling Aperitivo and deliciously sweet quandong soda. Then take a few cans home for the rest of the family to try.

Bring home a bottle of something special

Since opening in late 2023, East End Cellars Norwood has established itself as the home of fine wines in the Eastern suburbs. The combined restaurant and bottle shop format means you can enjoy a cheeky glass of bubbles with lunch before grabbing something for your next dinner party on your way out. Here are General Manager Mathieu Smeysters' top recommendations for this summer.

Gentle Folk Rainbow Juice 2024, $35: a quintessential summer wine. Aromatic yet textural, this refreshing, skinsy light red drinks like pure sunshine.

Bink Crossroads Chardonnay 2023, $45: a terrific chardonnay from the Barossa, aged for 12 months on lees. Representative of the region but with great poise and elegance.

Crawford River Strata Riesling 2024, $50: one of the best Riesling producers in the country. Great minerality and aromas of wet stones, white florals, lemon balm and white peach.

Drink Responsibly.