Melbourne's best booze bundles for park picnics

Just in time for picnic season, some hot new drink bundles have landed, supporting multiple bars and brewers in a single package. As always, check local council rules on drinking alcohol and bringing glass containers before popping a cork in the park.

Melbourne Mixtape Vol. 2

The Everleigh Bottling Co. has just released Melbourne Mixtape #2, a collection of cocktails from eight of the city's top bars, who receive the proceeds. With spring here, the brighter batch includes a wax flower and white chocolate gin and tonic from Byrdi, a sherry cobbler from Capitano and an Americano topped with beer from Bar Margaux.

$150 via everleighbottling.com

High Country collab cases

Each year, Victoria's High Country brewers gather to collaborate on a beer. This year, unable to meet, they've built a COVID collab case so punters can taste the brewery trail without breaking restrictions. Choose a dark slab (porters, stouts and doppelbocks), bright, light and sour brews, or a mixed bag from the likes of Bright Brewery, Blizzard Brewing, and Mitta Mitta Brewing Co.

$125-$135, with free delivery around Victoria. brightbrewery.com.au

Glass-free goods

While drinking is allowed in some parks, the safest bet is to avoid glass. Get on board the rise of quality cask wines, beers and cocktails sold at Mr West in Footscray. You can get lambic beers in three litre boxes or 1.5 litre bagnums of skin contact wines or cocktails such as espresso martinis. mrwest.com.au

Don't need that much? Bar Liberty has negronis in 500ml refillable bags at bar-liberty.myshopify.com.

And if you want a refreshing cocktail in a can, independent start-up Curatif has now added a Bloody Maria (tomato juice with Tromba Blanco tequila) to its range. curatif.com.