By Emily Dunn
Whether it be writing, broadcasting, producing for television or irritating right-wing commentators, Marieke Hardy is not known for holding back.
From posting naked photos of herself online to her adoration of Bob Ellis and scathing assessment of political figures such as Christopher Pyne both on her blog and in her new book, a collection of essays, You'll Be Sorry When I'm Dead, it would be easy to assume that when it comes to drinking, Hardy's order would likely be a double of anything.
Red-letter date ... Marieke Hardy enjoys wine and Scrabble at her local pub.Credit: Rodger Cummins
Instead, Hardy confesses, she is the woman in the bottle shop reading the fine-print on wine labels or politely quizzing the bartender on the vegan credentials of a chosen drop.
''If I am eating somewhere nice I let them know a few days in advance that there is a vegan dining with them and if you give them fair warning they usually go out of their way,'' she says.
''A lot of vegans are not super strict. I have vegan friends who eat honey and I know of a group of vegans who eat roadkill.
''If someone says 'I drank wine that was refined with milk' I don't de-friend them on Facebook and obviously there are nights out when you are drunk and will drink just about anything.''
A vegan since 2008, a commitment that forced her to give up her beloved whiskey sours - which also happens to be the chosen drop of her idol Bob Ellis (What I Drink When, August 23) - because they are often made with eggwhite, Hardy usually chooses a rose´ or white wine.
''I am a chardonnay-sipping leftie,'' she quips. ''Although I don't drink a lot of chardonnay, they seem to be more likely to be refined with fish or egg products. Pinot gris and sauvignon blanc seem less likely.''
The Alderman, a pub ''within staggering distance'' of her inner-Melbourne home, is among her favourite watering holes, to enjoy a glass of wine and a game of Scrabble. The pub was also the setting for the first and second dates with her boyfriend, a musician. ''It is just a beautiful dark corner,'' she says. ''Some of the Scrabble boards have two sets of letters so you can fill the whole board. On the second date I beat him at Scrabble.''
While her boyfriend does not share her stoicism when it comes to animal products, ''he still eats a lot of cheese'', Hardy is hopeful of an improved labelling system to make it easier to choose vegan-friendly alcoholic drinks than squinting at the fine print and decoding ingredient names.
''I always put them back the right way but it must be very annoying to the people working in the bottle shops,'' she says.
VEGAN VINTAGES
To verify the vegetarian and vegan credentials of drinks, Hardy recommends checking the listings on websites such as Vegetarian Network Victoria. Several major wine producers, such as Yalumba, and many boutique wineries also publish online lists of suitable varieties and vintages.