A whisky worth gifting: LARK’s Fire Horse Edition honours Lunar New Year in style
Tasmania’s LARK Distillery’s limited-edition single malt is shaping up to be one of the season’s most luxurious gifts.
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If you’re hunting for a Christmas present that won’t end up re-gifted by February, LARK Distillery has delivered something genuinely special.
The Tasmanian whisky house has unveiled its 2026 Limited Edition Lunar New Year release, the Fire Horse Edition, a striking single malt that blends craftsmanship, culture and collectability.
Inspired by the Year of the Fire Horse, the release is as much an artistic object as it is a whisky.
Sydney artist Chris Yee has cloaked the bottle in a luminous wrap of symbolism and texture. His design fuses fire, wood and water, with Cradle Mountain and celestial motifs anchoring the scene.
Waves of movement and paths of connection run through the artwork, reflecting the journeys, traditions and family reunions that define the season.
Yee describes the concept in the release as an homage to the natural elements that shape both Asian and Australian cultures, saying he wanted to highlight how “fire, wood and water” sit at the heart of the distilling process and the stories we share.
Inside the bottle, the whisky is just as layered.
Matured in first-fill Sherry and Port casks, it opens with soft pear blossom and honeyed tea notes before moving through orange-spiced cake, apricot compote and treacle sponge pudding.
The finish lingers with hazelnut praline, glazed fruits and a whisper of highland peat smoke. It’s indulgent without being heavy; festive without being overly sweet.
LARK Master Distiller Chris Thomson captures the sentiment neatly in the release, saying the Fire Horse Edition “is about more than flavour, it’s about the feeling of coming together.”
The whisky holds the celebration in the glass, while the artwork reflects the journey home.
For those planning Lunar New Year drinks, LARK also suggests a few seasonal serves, including a Sencha Blossom Old Fashioned and a Toasted Fortune Highball with toasted sesame cordial.
With only a limited number available and strong gifting appeal, expect this one to move quickly.
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A new study models a potential $80.6 billion lift in Australian GDP after a decade, as national testing shows a decline in Year 10 digital literacy.
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Australia trails Singapore and Malta in a new Commonwealth index, while national testing shows fewer than four in 10 Year 10 students meet the standard for digital literacy.
Australia has ranked third among 56 Commonwealth countries for youth AI readiness, with researchers estimating that artificial intelligence could lift the level of Australian GDP by $80.6 billion after a decade under their middle scenario.
The Ayre Think Tank released the index at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda. Australia scored 71 out of 100, behind Singapore on 77.6 and Malta on 75. The United Kingdom followed closely on 70.8, with Canada fifth on 70.2. Only 15 countries reached the study’s benchmark of 53.
What the $80.6 billion figure measures
The researchers applied International Monetary Fund estimates for broad groups of economies to Australia’s 2025 GDP. The resulting scenarios put the potential lift in Australian GDP after 10 years at between $40.9 billion and $120.3 billion, with $80.6 billion representing the midpoint.
The figures describe how much larger the economy could be at the end of the period under each scenario. They represent a change in the level of GDP in year 10.
Digital literacy falls as schools roll out AI tools
Australia scored 8.7 out of 10 for access to technology and 7.5 for digital, data, media and AI capability. Separate national testing found that 37 per cent of Year 10 students met the proficient standard for information and communications technology literacy in 2025, down from 46 per cent in 2022. About one in 10 students reported receiving substantial teaching on AI-related tasks. National assessment results
The report points to two state initiatives aimed at building those skills. Queensland began rolling out an AI education platform in state schools in 2026, while Victoria introduced free specialist training for workers looking to develop AI skills or move into related roles.
The index draws on 1,128 sources and examines the conditions facing people aged 15 to 29, including access to technology, education and pathways into work. Australia had usable data for 76 of the 102 indicators used in the rankings. The researchers found too little comparable evidence to score an eighth area covering critical judgement and people’s ability to exercise control over AI systems.
Professor C. Justin Robinson, campus principal of the University of the West Indies’ Five Islands Campus, said young people should be equipped to question and improve AI tools and supported in building alternatives suited to their needs.
The report calls for affordable access to technology, more practical education and stronger links between training, employment and entrepreneurship. It also urges governments and educators to support AI tools suited to local languages and give young people ways to challenge automated decisions.
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