Hains & Co has launched a new series of intimate tasting events designed for women who want to understand their drinks a little better. In Her Glass will run regularly at Admiral’s Quarters, the bar’s newly opened upstairs space on Gilbert Place, with each edition focusing on a different spirit, wine or drink category.
The format is deliberately informal. Guests are welcomed with a drink before a guided tasting with small bites, built around conversation and questions rather than a formal masterclass. There’s no assumed knowledge, and the hosts are women working across the drinks industry: distillers, blenders, brand ambassadors and educators sharing their expertise firsthand.
The series builds on Pouring Ribbons, an earlier run of women-only tastings held downstairs at the Gilbert Place bar. The Hains & Co team found that when women had the room to themselves, questions flowed freely and guests were curious not only about what they were tasting, but why they liked it.
“When women come together, there’s a completely different energy – it’s expressive, curious and excited,” says co-owner Marissa Galatis. “We wanted to take what we learnt from those events and create something with a home and identity of its own.”
“Drinks become so much more interesting when you understand where they come from and why they taste the way they do,” says Marissa. “You can go deep without making it intimidating – the best question in the room can quite easily be the one someone was worried about asking.”
The point isn’t to tell guests what they should like. “You might discover you love añejo tequila, a really peaty whisky or bone-dry Champagne. Or you might decide you don’t. Either way, you leave understanding more about what you like and why,” says Marissa.
Edition No. 01: Tequila & Margaritas
The first edition launches on Wednesday 14 October at 6:30 pm, led by Herradura Tequila Educator Natasha Vercoe. The session moves beyond the shot-glass-and-lime tequila most people know, guiding guests from agave to finished spirit. Vercoe will cover what separates blanco, reposado, añejo and extra añejo, and how ageing shapes flavour. Guests taste four premium tequilas, plus two mini Margaritas showing the spirit in a different form.
Edition No. 02: Japanese Whisky
The second edition follows on Wednesday 18 November at 6:30 pm, with Suntory Educator Erica Richards leading a session on Japanese whisky.
Both events are held at Admiral’s Quarters, upstairs at Hains & Co, 23 Gilbert Place, Adelaide.
Tickets can be purchased at hainsco.com.au
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