The Flavour of the Year for Australian mixology has been revealed at Paramount Liquor’s inaugural Future Proof event.

More than 250 hospitality professionals attended the event at the Calyx in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, where the top three flavours in Australian mixology were announced: Orange, Strawberry Gum and Ginger.

The announcement followed months of research and sourcing expert opinions across the country by Australia’s largest independently-owned liquor wholesaler.

Strawberry Gum came out on top and Alex Boon – award-winning bartender and the owner-operator of Pearl Diver in Melbourne – created a special cocktail for attendees to enjoy.

Boon worked with Curatif to prepare a cocktail for the evening combining Bombay Citron Pressé Gin, Rhubi Mistelle, strawberry gum, vanilla, jasmine, lemon and soda.

Strawberry Gum is a native tree endemic to the Northern Tablelands of NSW. It has a fruity, almost bubble-gum flavour and aroma filled with undertones of basil and strawberries.

“It’s been a very exciting process so far working with strawberry gum as Paramount’s ‘Flavour of the Year’,” Boon said.

“It’s a very versatile ingredient that leaves the door wide open to interesting ways you can work with it. What I wanted to create was an approachable and refreshing long drink that was bright and packed full of flavour with strawberry gum at the helm. I took inspiration from baking recipes that used strawberry gum and rhubarb as the key ingredients and away we went.” 

Paramount’s Evolution Marketing partners across beer, wine, spirits and mixers took part in the Future Proof event.  Accolade Wines, Bacardi Martini Australia, Brown-Forman, Campari, Craft Revolution, Carlton & United Breweries, CUB Premium Beverages, Diageo, Fermentum, Moet Hennessy, Proof & Co, Proximo, Red Bull, Sam Smith & Sons, Southtrade, Treasury Wine Estates and William Grant & Sons all showcased one or two key products to attendees. 

It was an opportunity to sample a wide range of industry innovations, from the latest flavours in RTDs to EcoSpirits’ closed-loop distribution system, which Proof & Company is pioneering and will offer shoppers the opportunity to sustainably refill a selection of craft spirit brands.

There were also panel discussions tailored to the on-premise attendees.  The three panels hosted by Sam Bygrave were Future Flavours, Future Proof Our Industry and Future Proof Your Career didn’t disappoint. Alex Boon from Pearl Diver, Evan Stroeve from Pollen Hospitality, Maybe Sammy’s Sarah Proietti, Mariella Menato of Denomination Design, Darren Leaney from Worksmith, Proof & Co’s Charlie Ainsbury, Cara Devine – Behind the Bar and Bomba, Krystal Hart of Campari and Natalie Ng owner of Doorknock and creator of the newly launched Tilde all shone on the stage, sharing insights, recommendations and learnings.