THE PERFECT PAIR

All that cheese talk got you tempted? Seeing as spring is the perfect season for afternoon drinks and a cheese plate on the deck, we've asked some of our favourite drinks makers for the pour they’d put in your hand this season – and the cheese they’d set down right beside it.

AURUM — NOT WINE, NOT CHAMPAGNE

AURUM White Gold

Paired with: a creamy Ash Brie

AURUM's pick is the White Gold — made not from grapes but from Australian Manuka and macadamia honey, fermented completely dry using winemaking techniques usually reserved for fine wine. Elegant and finely textured, it carries notes of white flowers and lemon curd, finishing with the balanced acidity of a cool-climate Chardonnay. Alongside it: a creamy Ash Brie, its rich, earthy character balanced by the wine's freshness, letting both the cheese and AURUM's honey-driven complexity shine. Founded in Byron Bay by French-Australian winemaker Louis Costa, AURUM is a contemporary take on one of the world's oldest fermented beverages, so refined that sommeliers have mistaken it for premium wine. Served chilled, it's an easy way to try something different. It's not wine. It's not champagne. It's AURUM. aurum.vin

CABARITA SPIRITS — A LITTLE MORE PIZZAZZ

Soltera Blanco Paloma

Paired with: a creamy blue or goat’s cheese

Cabarita Spirits’ pick is the Soltera Blanco Paloma, made with fresh grapefruit juice or CAPI Grapefruit Soda. Rum’s complex flavours mean it’s no surprise it works beautifully with a cheese board — in this case, a creamy blue or goat’s cheese. The cheese’s richness and saltiness soften the grapefruit’s bitterness, while Soltera Blanco’s character ties everything together. Served long over ice with a grapefruit wedge, it’s an easy pour for a crowd, no shaker, no fuss. As Cabarita Spirits sees it, a cocktail brings a bit more pizzazz to the table than the usual bottle of wine, lifting the mood and turning a simple cheese board into something worth lingering over. Perfect for warming up a spring afternoon with friends. cabaritaspirits.com

NONNIES WINE STORE — THE LONG LUNCH

A. Rodda Whitlands Chardonnay

Paired with: Délice des Crémiers

At Nonnies Wine Store in Mullumbimby, the drink of choice is A. Rodda's Whitlands Chardonnay alongside Délice des Crémiers. It’s a pairing built on balance. The wine's bright citrus, white peach and flinty minerality cut straight through the rich, buttery creaminess of the cheese, while its subtle hazelnut and almond notes draw out the Délice's delicate character. Neither one overpowers the other. This is Nonnies' idea of the perfect long lunch: put it in the middle of the table with some fresh bread, good conversation and a bottle for leisurely sharing. Australian wine, European cheese and locally made bread – it’s a simple, elegant, and thoughtfully chosen combination, made for celebrating the season. nonnieswinestore.com

BYRONCELLO — GOLDEN HOUR

The Byroncello Spritz: 50ml Byroncello, 75ml prosecco, 25ml soda, over ice with a sprig of rosemary or slice of lemon

Paired with: a creamy burrata, drizzled in lemon-infused olive oil, alongside grilled sourdough

A warm spring afternoon and a Byroncello Spritz go hand in hand. It’s exactly the kind of drink made for watching the sun drop with a friend by your side. On the platter beside it: a beautiful creamy burrata, drizzled with lemon-infused olive oil and served with grilled sourdough. Call it the perfect girl dinner. This isn't just another limoncello, it's Byron in a bottle. Alcohol, organic lemons, sugar and water are the only four ingredients in every bottle: no preservatives, no flavour enhancers, no reconstituted lemon, just real Byron Bay lemons, done the way the Italians do it. Byroncello started with moments shared among friends, and that's still the best way to drink it – slow, sunny, and in good company. byroncello.com.au

WINDING ROAD — WIND DOWN

Citrus and Sea Gin or River House Dry Gin Dirty Martini

Paired with: Nimbin Valley Dairy's Tintenbar Triple Cream

Winding Road's pick for the end of the day is a classic dirty martini, made with either the Citrus and Sea Gin or the River House Dry Gin, both full-bodied, unique expressions that hold their own against a good dry vermouth and a splash of olive brine. A twist of lemon zest around the chilled glass sharpens the clean, bright finish. Alongside it: Nimbin Valley Dairy's Tintenbar Triple Cream, its rich creaminess and slight lemon finish playing perfectly against the martini's floral, briny edge. A drink built for slow sipping, not rushing. As Winding Road tells it, a martini is the ultimate 'I'm done for the day' cocktail, and after a day's work, this pairing is the perfect way to wind down. windingroaddistilling.com.au

BURLY GIN — LAST LIGHT

Burly Basil Smash: 50ml Burly Cucumber Gin, 40ml fresh lime juice, 15ml simple syrup (2:1), 4 fresh basil leaves, shaken and double strained into a double rocks glass over ice, garnished with a basil sprig

Paired with: aged cheddar or Manchego

Burly Gin's pick is the Burly Basil Smash, a citrus-forward cocktail with subtle freshness from the Cucumber Gin and fresh basil. The basil sprig garnish adds one last lift of aroma before the first sip. Alongside it: a wedge of aged cheddar or Manchego, both work well. The cocktail's citrus character and subtle freshness cuts through the cheese's richness and resets the palate after every bite, while its herbaceous, fresh notes pair well with the rich flavours of an aged cheddar. Burly Gin's crew swear by mixing these up on the deck with friends as the last rays of sun fade and the smell of sea salt drifts in. It's the kind of drink that works either way, an easy one to close out the day or kick off the night ahead. burlygin.com