At The Bar with Curatif Canned Cocktail Founder Matt Sanger

Melbourne canned cocktail pioneers Curatif make it look effortless, but there’s no easy way to get top shelf spirits into a ready-made cocktail format, that’s served deliciously from a can.

Since 2005, co-founder Matt Sanger and his business mates have pioneered the art of the ready-to-drink and changing the way we think about our next pour.

Curatif co-founders Jeremy Spencer, Matt Sanger and Sam Lane.

Yes, we know you can easily make your own negronis, margaritas and espresso martinis at home; but when they taste as conveniently good as this, why would you even bother.

After two consecutive years of winning the International Wine & Spirits Competition’s RTD Producer of the Year Trophy, The International Wine & Spirits Competition Awards Celebration will take place in November in London this year; with all eyes on Curatif no doubt.

They certainly impressed judges again this year, receiving four 95 point Gold Medals, as well as claiming the title for the producer with the most scores over 90.

“Winning these gold medals once again is a true testament to the passion and dedication that our team mix and pour into their craft,” said Matt Sanger.

Curatif’s award-winning flavours which secured 95 point Gold Medals included the Espresso Martini, Pina Colada, Pineapple Daiquiri and the Blue Hawaii Special Edition. The ready-to-serve cocktail brand also received a host of other accolades for flavours including Amaretto Sour, Coconut Express, Peach Iced Tea and Tommy’s Margarita.

Matt Sanger spoke to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.

MY CITY 

I’m a Melbourne boy born and bred, and have spent all of my adult life working in the drinks business. Before Curatif it was in the bar scene, and while these days the hours are more amenable and the scale is much larger, it’s still a passion of mine, so Melbourne’s best-in-class hospitality is #1 on the list of things I love above the city.

FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY 

Here’s a list of the best – the Bombe at Stokehouse St Kilda (before it burnt down) was an absolute standout, if my memory serves me correctly, one night I had three in a row. Lunch at Bistro Thierry. My wife and I have been visiting Thierry’s for something like 16 years and it never misses for hospitality, food and wine. The best lamb shoulder at Cumulus – whenever we have visitors from out of town, this is always on my list of recommendations.

FAVOURITE BAR EXPERIENCE

Jamaican Blackstrap at Der Raum when it first opened – in fact the whole list was unreal, the experience that Matt Bax built there was so far ahead of its time.

DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU

It’s probably got to be a Trader Vic’s Mai Tai. It’s the cocktail that got me into cocktails. It’s a serious cocktail, but at the same time it’s irreverent, fun – perfectly at home by the pool as it is in a world-class cocktail bar.

BEST HANGOVER CURE

A swim in the ocean. Absolutely the best way to instantly fix the worst hangover. A close second is going for a run, but that always seems to make it worse before it gets better.

BEST INTERSTATE BAR 

It’s always a blast at Jacoby’s Tiki Bar in Sydney. I’m a sucker for all things Tiki and Pasan and his team do an awesome job at it.

FAVOURITE WINE 

Currently loving the Hochkirch 2021 Pinot Noir, discovered at South Yarra Cellars (which is a killer spot to stop for a glass), an incredible biodynamic wine from Western Victoria. Honourable mention for the Bass Phillip Crown Prince, a wine we dearly miss.

FAVOURITE WINERY 

Polperro on the Mornington Peninsula – a beautiful spot to dine, great wines, and the accommodation is awesome. My recommendation is a long lunch rolled into a stay in villa 4.

WHAT’S YOUR CURATIF CAN OF CHOICE

It depends on the situation – if the sun is out, it’s time for a quenching Margarita or a nostalgic Piña Colada. A Rum Old Fashioned as a nightcap is top-tier stuff. An Espresso Martini before a night out, an Amaretto Sour with dessert. There is a moment in time when each is, in its own way, perfect.

EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE BRAND

We’re launching a new format in July and we can’t wait to show it off. New cocktails! Piña obviously just launched, but we have three more new cocktails coming this year which are all delicious. And, new partnerships – we’ll be announcing some exciting stuff over the next couple of months, plenty to chat about.

AWARDS – DO THEY MATTER

They’re a bellwether for us. I think sometimes as makers you can get stuck in your own echo chamber, maybe stuck on a particular format or flavour, so it’s eminently useful to get critical feedback from experienced judges just as much as the feedback we get from consumers and buyers, which helps us to stay on track and on trend. Additionally, we’re constantly making improvements to our processes and cocktails, so it’s great to see some of our all-stars continue to be recognised year after year. Oh, and it’s nice to see the trophies that say Global Producer of the Year on the other side of the office every day.

WHY DOES CURATIF RESONATE WITH SO MANY DRINKERS

An obsession with authenticity and an unwavering focus on the cocktails themselves. We don’t cut corners anywhere, which means that we can be comparably expensive from time to time, but that dedication to creating real, great cocktails shines in the finished product and consumers get it. It’s why the number one piece of feedback we get is, “I cannot believe that came out of a can.”

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