These five gins are distilled right in your backyard and celebrate New South Wales’ native botanicals and flavours.
Springtime is upon us and there’s nothing quite like sitting on a balcony at a mate’s place with a G&T in hand watching the sunset (or sunrise if it’s been a big Saturday night). With studies showing that gin consumption in Australia has increased by 36 percent in 2015 and is showing no signs of stopping in 2017, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 most exciting gins being distilled in our backyard.
‘Ink Gin’ by Husk Distillers, North Coast NSW
Ink Dry Gin ($82)
Want to up the ante on your next G&T? How about introducing a gin that changes colour when combined with tonic? Ink Gin by Husk Distillers uses the petals of the native tropical equatorial Asian plant, Butterfly Pea, which when steeped in the spirit gives the gin its distinctive purple/black hue. Now, here’s the fun part – Butterfly Pea are highly sensitive to pH levels so when the floral-infused gin is mixed with something of low pH (like tonic water), the colour changes dramatically from dark purple to pink. The base spirit combines native Australian botanicals like lemon myrtle leaf, coriander seed, and Tasmanian pepper berry which together give the gin a dry finish – perfect for a refreshing summertime tipple.
Garden Grown Gin, Erina NSW
Garden Grown Gin ($84.99)
Picture this: It’s a balmy evening, the dry air surrounds you and as you’re walking you get a whiff of something sweet and just a little bit floral – it smells like summertime in Sydney. Now imagine if someone was able to capture that essence and bottle it – enter Garden Grown Gin from Erina on NSW’s Central Coast. Distilled by trained horticulturist and herbalist, Philip Moore using a variety of botanicals from his own backyard, Moore strives to capture the purity and essence of each individual botanical using a traditional copper still, blending each of the six separate distillations by hand. The use of the flower Murraya in the blend, with its distinctly jasmine-like fragrance, makes you feel like you’re sipping on a summertime stroll through the Botanic Gardens.
Stone and Pine ‘Black Truffle Gin’, Bathurst NSW
Stone Pine Black Truffle Gin ($135)
If gin isn’t your thing because you find it too floral, don’t worry. Stone and Pine from Bathurst has got you covered with their latest limited release batch – a decadent Black Truffle Gin, distilled with fresh local truffles from the region. To complement the truffle the gin also has inclusions of juniper berries, coriander seed, orris root, flaked local salt and black pepper. The earthy characteristics of this gin would complement an extra dirty martini. And if you’re feeling decadent, ditch the olive garnish for some freshly shaved black truffles instead.
Poor Toms ‘Sydney Dry’ Gin, Marrickville NSW
Sydney Dry Gin by Poor Toms ($69.99)
Move over London, there’s a new dry gin in town. Poor Toms’ Sydney Dry Gin is a collaboration between gin lovers, Jesse Kennedy and Griffin Blumer, and experienced distiller Marcel Thompson. Distilled in Sydney’s inner west hotspot Marrickville, the team use a traditional base of juniper as the backbone for this gin alongside fresh green apple, native strawberry gum leaf and chamomile. It produces a classic dry style gin that’s equal parts flavoursome and refreshing. Want to flip the bird to the British? Substitute the usual lemon or lime garnish for a strawberry to highlight the gins hidden strawberry notes.
Manly Spirits Co. ‘Australian Dry’ Gin, Manly NSW
Australian Dry Gin by Manly Spirits ($72.73).
There’s nothing more Australian than summertime at the beach, and this gin from Manly Spirits Co. is like diving face first into the ocean. Achieved by the introduction of locally foraged sea parsley and sea lettuce from Sydney’s Northern Beaches , it creates a gin that has flavour elements of salt water and just a hint of white pepper on the palate. The introduction of native Australian finger lime gives the gin a great lift and provides a nice citrus counter balance to the saline elements.
