This winter we’re pairing buzzy new novels with top-notch sipping spirits.

Taking it slow is the aim of the game this winter. Pockets of unplugged, alert-free down time doing something you love is what we’re after. The Nords would call it hygge. A cosy nook, soft slippers, a warming drink and an enrapturing novel. Yep, we’re recommending two great things to do at once: new reads and spirits to sip. Befitting the season of slowing down, the reads are rich with big ideas and the spirits are superb, take your time with both. Savour the taste, the story, and the moment.

A novel and Solento Organic Reposado bottle

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Pair: A novel and spirit pulled from the American zeitgeist

Hanya Yanagihara became one of the most talked about authors (for years) after her 2015 novel A Little Life wrenched the hearts of readers around the world. If you’ve read it, you know. Her new release, like its predecessor, has incited euphoric praise and incensed debate. Which, of course, makes it a must-read. To Paradise is a tripartite novel set in the 19th, 20th and 21st century. The latter, in a world where global pandemics (yep, plural) shake the foundations of society. Unlike a lot of modern novels, Yanagihara’s prose is rich and lavish. Adjectives that could also describe US bar scene darling, Solento Organic Reposado Tequila. Firstly, let's get one thing straight, gin might be the trendiest spirit in Australia, but in the States, it’s all about tequila. Maybe it’s their proximity to Mexico, but sipping tequila and knowing about agave plants is hot in the US. Solento is a particular hit with the in-crowd because it's super smooth, displays sweet caramel flavours (thanks to being aged in an old whiskey barrel) and is bottled like designer perfume. Put these two together and you’re set to do an op-ed for New York Magazine.

Pair: A zesty gin and a transgressive debut

The fact that Jessamine Chan’s The School for Good Mothers has been described as “The Handmaid's Tale for the 21st century”, should tell you that reading it is going to keep you up at night, and, that it’s destined to become a feminist classic. The story is both a commentary on the cult of motherhood and what classifies a mum as “good”, and a dystopian thriller that should be right up your alley if you enjoyed Squid Games. Somewhere in all that, it also manages to be slyly funny. You’ll need something fresh to sip while you read and Great Ocean Road Guvvos Gin is just the thing. Created close to home, in Victoria, but in the London Dry style, this gin is classic with a twist. Literally. The citrus flavour is the first thing you’ll notice. All up, it’s infused with 24 botanicals and they really got the balance spot on.

A novel and Great Ocean Road Guvvos Gin bottle

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A novel and Hakushu Single Malt Japanese Whisky bottle

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Pair: A mind massage in paperback and a fresh take on good whisky

Haruki Murakami is the king of magical realism. He practically invented it. Certainly his brand of it anyway. His new book, First Person Singular, is a collection of five short stories, told in the first person. The narrator could be Murakami himself, or not. Making this book possibly a memoir, possibly not. Regardless, it’s a delicious read. No one writes quite like Murakami. So it’s a blessing he’s been so prolific. The author was actually running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo when the impulse to write a novel suddenly came to him back in 1978. That debut won awards and catapulted him to literary success, but it’s fitting that it started in a bar, because Japanese Whisky is the perfect accompaniment to a Murakami reading session. Specifically, Hakushu Single Malt Japanese Whisky, which is crafted in Suntory’s Mt Kaikomagatake distillery where the cool mountain microclimate of lush forests and frequent rain makes for a crisp, herbal tasting whisky. There is a gentle smokiness, for sure, but the distinct green flavour is what sets it apart.

Pair: A multipurpose read with a multipurpose sip

Eating Salad Drunk: Haikus for the Burnout Age by Comedy Greats is as it says on the tin. LOL-worthy poems in Tweetable, snack size, written by laugh legends like Jerry Seinfeld, Aubrey Plaza, Margaret Cho, Ray Romano and Aparna Nancherla. A pick-me-up book both because any page will give you an endorphins hit and because you can literally pick it up any time and read from any point. Perfect to have on hand for a dinner party that might be going south, or when you need some conversation but you’re pulling blanks. It pairs perfectly with a shot of Brookie’s Mac. Liqueur. This premium roasted Macadamia and Wattleseed liqueur gives a vibrant, nutty twist to your Espresso Martini, Affogato or night cap (over ice with a slice of lime). Versatile? You bet.

A novel and Brookie’s Mac. Liqueur bottle

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A novel and Ovant Royal Non-Alcoholic Spirit bottle

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Pair: Humour and heart with a bright berry-flavoured seltzer

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is the long-awaited sibling novel to her 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad. Like Goon Squad, this new release covers the multigenerational cast of characters, but this time between the 1990s and 2030s and with the focus on the Internet, rather than rock ‘n’ roll. Hyper realism and a touch of the futuristic calls for a true 2022 drink. And this year, it’s all about the zero%. Ovant Royal Non-Alcoholic Spirit takes its lead from the world’s great dark spirits. There’s a rum-like sweetness, and the smokiness of whisky, so much so that it’s perfect in a mock Old Fashioned, but there’s a unique brightness to it that makes it perfect to sip and savour.