DRY ISLAND GIN

The Golden Bijou

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MIX THE FAVOURITE COCKTAIL FROM THE MAKERS OF DRY ISLAND GIN

N EW D EL IS H G IN S TO TR Y

GET STRANGE

WITH OUR TONIC OF THE MONTH

THE GINSIDER

Craft work

MEMBER JIM KELLY ON HIS FAVOURITE SPIRIT

THE ART OF MAKING GIN WITH DISTILLER SEBASTIAN REABURN

Kindred Spirits

FOUR PILLARS AND HERNÖ ON CREATING DRY ISLAND GIN

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G I N

DRINK YOUR WAY AROUND ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S COOLEST CITIES L O V E R ’ S G U I D E T O

MELBOURNE

HERNÖ DISTILLERY, SWEDEN THE HERNÖ DISTILLERY IS LOCATED ON THE HIGH COAST OF SWEDEN. WHILE FOUR PILLARS AND HERNÖ WERE FOUNDED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE WORLD AND IN DIFFERENT HEMISPHERES, THEIR STORIES AND VALUES ARE VERY MUCH ALIGNED.

Founder’s

WELCOME Hello, 2019!

Following our launch in December with the fantastic RIVO Gin from Lake Como, it’s been a busy and festive few weeks here at Gin Society HQ. We hope you enjoyed RIVO as much as we did.

A big welcome to our new members – it’s great to have you on board and part of our growing community. We’re very excited about the year ahead and look forward to sharing all our fabulous new gin finds with you.

OUR GIN OF THE MONTH, DRY ISLAND GIN, IS A SPECIAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN TWO AWARD-WINNING DISTILLERIES, AUSTRALIA’S FOUR PILLARS AND SWEDEN’S HERNÖ.

We’re kicking 2019 off with a standout spirit: Dry Island Gin. A collaboration between two highly regarded and awarded artisan distilleries on opposite sides of the world – Australia’s Four Pillars and Sweden’s Hernö – both makers describe it as “an Australian gin with a Sweden touch”. We spoke to both Four Pillars and Hernö for this issue of Gin Journal to learn more about their special spirit.

This month, we’re showcasing all the firstclass craft gin coming out of Victoria, with a round-up of some of the state’s best distilleries and venues. As well as conversations with Sebastian Reaburn, distiller at The Craft & Co and co-founder of Anther gin, we sat down with member Jim Kelly for our first Ginsider. Trish Brew, manager of Melbourne institution Gin Palace, also reviewed and created a custom cocktail featuring Dry Island Gin. Drop us a line and let us know what you think at hello@ginsociety.com.

Enjoy!

Andrew Burge Founder, Gin Society

VISIT US AT WWW.GINSOCIETY.COM

indred pirit

Dry Island Gin is the product of a unique collaboration between two highly reputed and award-winning gin distilleries – Australia’ s Four Pillars and Sweden’ s Hernö.

We sat down with the master distillers behind this gin to find out what makes it so special.

The Hernö Distillery, Dala, Sweden

A modern take on gin

Cameron Mackenzie, Matt Jones and Stuart Gregor launched Four Pillars in December of 2013, and their first release, Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, was the result of years of research, exploration and experimentation.

“My role here from the onset has been to create gin recipes that were a little more modern to the traditional London dry style gin that most people – or their parents or grandparents – grew up drinking,” says Mackenzie, who, in addition to being a Four Pillars co-founder, is its master distiller.

From day dot, Four Pillars sought to be different. They

played with botanicals and pushed boundaries in their desire to create a more contemporary style of gin – one that really captured the essence of Australia.

“Gin is one of the only spirits that can have a sense of place about it,” he says. “Australia is a unique part of the world.

We are very much a part of Asia. We have these incredible spices from Southeast Asia, right through to the Middle East.

We also have very strong ties to Europe. Then we have these incredible native botanicals that are unlike anything I have seen anywhere else in the world.”

FEATURE ARTICLE DRY ISLAND GIN

Finding common ground When it comes to working together, what you have in common with your opposite number is more important than the ways you are different. While Four Pillars and Hernö were founded on opposite sides of the world and in different hemispheres, their stories and values are very much aligned.

Jon Hillgren launched Hernö, a dream over a decade in the making, in 2012. Working from an 18th century farm in the village of Dala on the High Coast of Sweden, as Hernö’s master distiller he creates organic, artisan gin using natural botanicals inspired by the beauty of the region.

GIN IS ONE OF THE ONLY SPIRITS THAT CAN HAVE A SENSE OF PLACE ABOUT IT. AUSTRALIA IS A UNIQUE PART OF THE WORLD.

Image credit: Anson Smart

The Four Pillars Distillery, Healesville, Victoria

Four Pillars and Hernö share a love of – and are makers of – well-crafted artisan gins. Both are pioneers of the craftgin movement in their respective home countries.

And both have received multiple industry awards, becoming highly regarded international names in the process.

IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE WORD “COLLABORATION” WAS UTTERED.

It was during this shared trajectory that Four Pillars’ founders got to know Hillgren and more about Hernö.

Through these encounters, Hillgren says it was evident they had “the same values, the same passion for making a craft spirit, and for making gin”.

FEATURE ARTICLE DRY ISLAND GIN

THE USE OF LEMON MYRTLE AND FRESH LEMONS WHEN DISTILLED HAS RESULTED IN IT BEING QUITE A CITRUSFORWARD GIN.

Shared ideas It wasn’t long before the word “collaboration” was uttered.

Then, in October 2017, Hillgren paid Four Pillars a visit at their Healesville distillery, an hour out of Melbourne in the Yarra Valley.

There was an instant connection between the two master distillers – Mackenzie says Hillgren was “part of the furniture and family straight away” and clearly understood Four Pillars’ equipment, gins and philosophy to creating

spirits. The feeling was mutual when he and Four Pillars cofounder Gregor journeyed to the Hernö distillery in July 2018.

Mackenzie describes Hernö as having the best gins in the Northern Hemisphere. “There is just a purity of spirit and a concentration of flavour that is really unmistakable. He [Hillgren] doesn’t cut corners and he really wants to extract flavour and purity at the same time.”

A Swedish– Australian collaboration “You both have to be on the same page in terms of quality,” says Mackenzie of how he and Hillgren approached the gin-making process. “You’ve got to make something that has meaning to both distillers. You throw commerciality out the window and you sit down and say, ‘How do we make the very best thing

London gin Swedish-style Keen to try another tipple by this artisan Swedish distillery? Try their Hernö Gin. It’s distilled with eight organic botanicals, including juniper, cassia, lemon peel, vanilla, coriander, lingonberries, black pepper and meadowsweet.

A round, smooth and modern London dry gin, it drinks beautifully as a G&T garnished with lemon zest and black pepper.

we can that’s interesting to people who drink gin?’ After that, it falls into place.”

The pair decided that two gins would be developed through this special Swedish–Australian collaboration. A decision that came about because they didn’t want to create a completely new

THIS IS THE FIRST GIN OF TWO PRODUCED FROM THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE DISTILLERIES. gin that was mixture of both of their distilleries, but ones that were, Hillgren says, “similar to our current ranges but, at the same time, something new.”

The first, Dry Island Gin, is a “Four Pillars gin with a touch of Hernö”. “It’s an Australian gin with a Swedish touch,” says Hillgren. The second gin, which will be “Hernö gin with a touch of Four Pillars”, is slated for release later this year.

The making of Dry Island Gin Dry Island is juniper-led – as is every Four Pillars gin – and distilled with coriander, river mint, roasted wattleseed, strawberry gum, lemon myrtle, fresh lemons and meadowsweet, which was the Swedish element. Hillgren says the herb is a commonly used botanical in Scandinavia that contributes “a fresh, floral, garden taste, but a bit of sweetness as well”.

Dry Island Gin was crafted at the Four Pillars distillery in its copper pot CARL stills. “We used a wheat-based spirit as our base,” explains Mackenzie. “Then we soaked all the botanicals in the still except for some fresh lemons, which we put in a botanical basket.

We opened all the plates on the still, which is something I don’t normally do. We usually close our plates.

“We slowed down the distillation, but Jon likes to open the plates and really pull through much more viscosity and flavour. You wouldn’t really open those plates for botanicals like star anise, cinnamon and cassia, but for these botanicals, which are more citrus-based, opening up the plates seemed to work really well.”

The end result is a deliciously clean and pure gin in a classic London dry style. Bright and lifted by beautiful citrus notes, Dry Island Gin has a lovely floral cut-grass character and a weighty palate with a fresh pine-forest notes.

www.fourpillarsgin.com.au https://hernogin.com

Drinking Dry Island Gin

“Across all our gins, we are first and foremost a juniperled gin,” says James Irvine, Creative Director of Gin Drinks at Four Pillars.

A diverse range of botanicals, which he describes as “citrus and spice”, sourced from across Southern Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia are used in the distilling process of Four Pillars gins.

“Dry Island Gin is incredibly fresh,” he says. The use of

lemon myrtle and fresh lemons when distilled has resulted in it being “quite a citrus-forward gin”.

It’s also versatile. Irvine says it can be enjoyed neat but is also “an amazing gin to drink in a G&T”. He suggests trying it with tonic water, a slice of fresh lemon and a sprig of thyme, or in a dry martini with a lemon twist. “A six-to-one ratio of gin to vermouth stirred down is great.”

Stu Gregor, Jon Hillgren, Magnus Ernstsson (of Hernö) Cam MacKenzie (of Four Pillars) celebrate the creation of Dry Island Gin at the Hernö distillery in Sweden.

FEATURE ARTICLE DRY ISLAND GIN

Cocktail Recipe

Golden Bijou

Translating to ‘jewel’ in French, the Bijou is a classic cocktail, with a history dating back to the 19th century, where it first appeared in Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual (1900 edition).

A bartender and cocktail innovator, Johnson’s take on the Bijou involved equal parts Italian vermouth, Plymouth gin, green chartreuse and a dash of orange bitters, finished with an olive or cherry and a squeeze of lemon peel.

Four Pillars has given this classic cocktail a contemporary twist with the Golden Bijou.

Ingredients

60mL Dry Island Gin 10mL Dolin Dry Vermouth 5mL Yellow Chartreuse Lemon and fennel fronds, to garnish

Method

Stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe or short tumbler filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist and some fennel frond.

Four Pillars Golden Bijou

STRANGELOVE If gin is the star of the G&T, then tonic sets the stage. A wellcrafted artisan gin is enhanced by a super-premium tonic, the likes of which are made

by Australian drinks experts StrangeLove. Established in

Byron Bay in 2012 by James Bruce and Stafford Fox, their range includes organic soft drinks, premium mixers, lo-cal sodas and mineral water. We sat down with StrangeLove co-founder Bruce for a chat.

FEATURE TONIC STRANGELOVE

Flavour first

From its high-quality ingredients and taste to how it’s made and positioned with its cool packaging and clever brand tone, Bruce says StrangeLove is designed to be different and a more adult drink than some of the more mainstream options, with less sugar and more delicate and nuanced flavours.

“It’s designed to look premium because it actually is.”

“It has taken us a long time to really master our craft, but our products are very well put together,” Bruce says. “We used some very, very high-quality botanical extracts and distillates that I know bigger companies wouldn’t even consider because of the cost.

“We feel people are increasingly looking for peak experiences in the way they eat and drink, and for us that means trying to give them something unexpected, something they haven’t had before. Products like our Dirty Tonic, Salted Grapefruit and Dry Ginger Ale with applewoodsmoked water fall into this category.

“General beverage is a really cool category to be in,” Bruce says. “It’s so personal. In a way, people take your product into

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their home, mix it with hideously expensive gin and then literally put it into their body! So it’s a wonderful area to be doing something interesting.”

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Cleverly crafted

A favourite of the hospitality industry, the craft nature of StrangeLove is also reflected in their cheeky brand voice. Bruce says StrangeLove’s taglines to some degree have always parodied the beverage industry.

Their current one – “The drink drink drinkers drink” – is “a bit of a tongue-in-cheek way of saying, ‘If you enjoy drinking, then our drinks are the drinks that the people who really know about drinking seem to drink, so drink it.’ See, makes sense now, huh?”

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The art of the G&T

As the purveyor of premium drinks, we figured Bruce would have a few handy tips on creating the primo G&T. “Get everything – including your glassware, tonic and gin – as cold as possible. Use a bigger block of ice too. The aim is to both prevent dilution and maintain carbonation in the tonic. Once you have everything cold, I would usually mix to a ratio of 1:2 to 1:3, depending on the gin. So 45mL of gin and 90 to 120mL of tonic.”

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Garnishing is a whole other story, he says, but generally it should be about aroma. “So the aim is to release oils that float on top of the drink. Use citrus peels and twist them, for example, or if you are using herbs, make sure to bruise them to release their delicious oils first.”

IMAGES: 1. DIRTY TONIC BY STRANGELOVE. 2. BITTER LEMON BY STRANGELOVE. 3. TONIC No.8 BY STRANGELOVE. 4. LIGHT TONIC BY STRANGELOVE. 5. DRY GINGER BY STRANGELOVE.

https://strangelove.com.au

THE GINSIDER

Jim Kelly

Each month, we talk to a Gin Society member about all things gin.

For our inaugural Ginsider, we spoke with Jim Kelly. An avid gin lover and collector, he owns Domestique, a corporate public relations business, and is a husband to Nicole and father of four boys – “so life is spent as a taxi driver, life coach and chef”. Kelly shares what he loves about and looks for in a gin.

Do you recall the first time you tried gin?

My long-term memory has long since gone to the dogs.

Whatever it was, it would probably not be remotely close to the kind of stuff I drink now. In the same way that Stone’s Green Ginger wine, which was a university staple, doesn’t resemble the wine I like to drink now. If I had to guess, I would say it was a Bombay and tonic, when I lived in London in the mid-’90s.

What do you enjoy most about gin as a spirit?

The beauty of wine is skilled winemakers can bring to life their terroir to create unique wines. Gin offers the same, if not greater, opportunities. I love that really well-crafted gin speaks more of place than pretty much any other spirit (with apologies to my whisky-drinking friends).

This means that the variation in gin styles is endless, making it a great spirit to fall in love with and explore.

Preferred way to drink gin?

I am starting to drink more and more gin neat, but you can’t go past a G&T. I do like to mix it up, too. I put a bit of thought into finding great tonics and also different garnishes like bay leaves, rosemary, pink peppercorns, grapefruit, grapes, and pieces of chilli. It’s another thing that makes gin really interesting and unique – mixing up garnishes can really create different taste profiles from the same wet ingredients.

Current favourite gin?

I am always looking for unique and different gins, and Ungava from Canada is certainly in

The gimlet, Jim’s favourite gin-based cocktail.

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NORDÉS ATLANTIC GALICIAN GIN TRULY IS FANTASTIC. IF I COULD ONLY DRINK ONE GIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE IT WOULD BE THIS ONE.

that category. How can I put this delicately – it has a slightly offputting yellow hue in the bottle that makes you want to make sure your cat hasn’t been near the collection.

It comes from the extreme northern regions of Canada where I would imagine it gets pretty cold, but uses botanicals that I have never seen before – Nordic juniper, crowberry, cloudberry and Labrador tea.

Longstanding favourite gin?

Without a doubt, my goto gin is Nordés Atlantic Galician gin from northern Spain. It uses an albariño grape base rather than a grain spirit, which gives it an amazing perfume and a unique taste. It truly is fantastic. You have to try it to believe how incredible it is. If I could only drink one gin for the rest of my life it would be this one.

Cucumber or lime?

If I can only pick between those two, then probably lime. But, as I said, one of the great things about gin is that it is a carrier for a wide variety of garnishes.

I have been known to offer friends a platter of a dozen or so options – herbs (try tarragon), citrus and other fruits (blueberries, cherries), and spices (try a cinnamon stick or cardamom pods).

Favourite gin-based cocktail?

Old school, you can’t go past a gimlet. There is a reason why it is the original gin cocktail. I had one once with a little agave syrup in it that made it pack a real punch. For a new spin on a non-gin classic,

I am a fan of a ‘New Fashioned’. Basically, you swap out whiskey for gin, add good bitters and lime peel.

Best gin experience you’ve ever had?

I am not sure you would call it the best, but it was certainly the most ‘different’. I was in LA visiting a friend earlier this year and had lunch at a new Mexican restaurant called Gracias Madre in West Hollywood that was building a reputation for cocktails using marijuana oil. I had a ‘Stoney Negroni’ that certainly left an impression. If gin is not your go, you can have a ‘Rolled Fashion’. I had one of those as well. Certainly a great idea to get customers to eat more.

What’s your gin collection like?

Too big and not big enough! I can get a bit obsessive so, over the past couple of years, have built a collection of 70 to 80. Probably half are Australian and the other half are from the UK, France, Spain, the US and everywhere in between.

What do you look for in a gin?

A great story and unique botanicals, but it still has to taste like the distiller knows what they are doing. A good example of all three is Clair De Lune, a smallbatch gin made by two everyday blokes in Sydney. Sourcing local and native botanicals, it’s fullflavoured and pairs well with soda.

The base spirit is made in-house using fermentation techniques from sparkling wines.

‘Stoney Negroni’ at Gracias Madre in West Hollywood.

I love the fact that gin is easy enough for people to have a crack at if they have the passion and the patience.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what three gins would you bring with you and why?

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin, the Nordés Atlantic Galician gin and Applewood Distillery Gin of Lust. Can’t get three more different gins, so at least my loneliness wouldn’t be boring.

Any standout gin-focused bars or venues?

My wife Nicole and I spent a week drinking and eating in New York in the middle of 2018 and hunted out the dozens of cool speakeasy bars that the Americans seem to do really well. Bathtub Gin club was a standout. The ‘Seasonal Negroni’ was incredible – Thomas Dakin gin, Dolin Dry vermouth, Campari, poblano chilli, and lemongrass. Stirred and served straight up.

What do you think Gin Society offers gin lovers?

I think it is a terrific idea to source unusual and interesting gins that over the course of a year will give gin lovers a great spread of styles, geographies and flavours.

Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin

Nordés Atlantic Galician gin

Applewood Distillery Gin of Lust

JIM’S DESERT ISLAND GINS

Aside from drinking it, what’s the best thing about gin?

Geology and climate really restrict quality wine growing to a limited number of countries and regions. Gin has the advantage of being available to anyone with knowledge, a still and the creativity to use locally grown botanicals to bring their ideas to life. That is what makes it a great spirit. Even I have had a crack. Every year we send our clients a bottle of Archie Rose that we blend ourselves at the distillery. Seems to be well received!

Ungava Gin: http://ungava-gin.com/en/ Nordés Atlantic Galician Gin: https://nordesgin.com/en/atlantic-galician-gin-en/ Clair De Lune Gin: https://buffalovale.com/products/clair-de-lune-gin Gracias Madre in West Hollywood http://graciasmadreweho.com Bathtub Gin Club: https://bathtubginnyc.com

ate m i t l u e h T s gin lo ver’ guide to

MELBOURNE The Victorian craft gin scene is booming. In Melbourne and regional Victoria, you’ll find some of the country’ s most innovative makers of our favourite tipple. From gin tastings and tours to workshops and experiences, here we round up ten of the best distillery cellar doors and bars in the state.

DISTILLERY

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Four Pillars Distillery 2A Lilydale Road, Healesville www.fourpillarsgin.com.au

The Four Pillars Distillery in the Yarra Valley town of Healesville is about an hour’s drive out of Melbourne. A bright and modern space, you can get an up-close look at the Four Pillars gin-making process and learn about it firsthand from their friendly team. Open seven days a week, pop in for a drink, do some tastings or tour the distillery. The space has recently been renovated, with a new mezzanine added. There are also plans to introduce masterclasses and mini-distillations in the future.

Four Pillars

Try Rare Dry Gin Rare Dry was Four Pillars’ first gin creation. James Irvine, Creative Director of Gin Drinks at Four Pillars, calls the Rare Dry Gin

“the DNA” and “the founding element” of the Four Pillars gin range. A crowd-pleasing modern Australian gin that’s spicy with great citrus, it’s made with triple-distilled water from the Yarra Valley, European juniper berries, spices from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Australian lemon myrtle and pepperberry, and whole organic oranges. Its farreaching appeal is clear, with Rare Dry being awarded three double gold medals at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 2017, and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2016 and 2014.

VENUE & DISTILLERY

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The Craft & Co

390 Smith Street, Collingwood www.thecraftandco.com.au

Craft distillery, brewery and winery – The Craft & Co is all three. Operating between two locations, their Collingwood site is a distillery and brewery, which doubles as a cellar door, micro-dairy, eatery and bar, while The Craft & Co Farm, in the southeast

Melbourne suburb of Bangholme, operates over a 40-acre vineyard and winery, with a cellar door and cafe/ bar. At their Collingwood distillery, The Craft & Co create their own impressive range of spirits (including gins), collaborate with other small-batch craft producers, and host a range of food and drink-led events, including gin classes and their popular Gin Night Market.

Try

Death gin

It’s hard not to be intrigued by a craft gin called Death, especially with its smiling-skull label. Death, in this case, is heavenly – a refreshing and complex dry gin that has a light clean finish with citrus undertones.

Distilled by The Craft & Co, Death gin is made with juniper from England, Egyptian coriander seeds, locally sourced citrus, peppercorn, and Australian native botanicals. www.deathgin.com VENUE

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Gin Palace

10 Russell Place, Melbourne www.ginpalace.com.au

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The Gin Palace is a Melbourne institution. A pioneer of the city’s laneway culture, it opened in Russell Place back in ’97. Among the dim lights and boudoir-stylings of this lavish late-night cocktail bar, you’ll find a comprehensive drinks menu with an impeccable gin offering. The team here – headed up by manager, and this month’s Gin Society expert, Trish Brew – know their stuff. Try one of their signature martinis or ask them to recommend one of

is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or take a masterclass or tour – by appointment.

Brogan’s Way

Try Everyday

Salvation gin

An Australian dry gin packed with botanicals, Everyday Salvation is a juniper-forward spirit made with fresh organic white grapefruit peel, Australian cinnamon myrtle, strawberry gum and native pepperberries.

A versatile and modern gin with an Australian twist, it has a 43 per cent alcohol content.

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the many, many artisan gins behind the bar. Open seven days from 4pm to 3am.

DISTILLERY

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Brogan’ s Way

61 North St, Richmond www.brogansway.com.au

In the inner-city suburb of Richmond, you’ll find Brogan’s Way. Housed in a cool industrial- style warehouse space, this boutique gin distillery and bar is the creation of father and daughter duo Simon and Brogan. A working distillery, the gins are made on-site by Brogan in a CARL GmbH still known as ‘Gilly’. Visit the bar, which

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DISTILLERY

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Kilderkin Distillery

11A Michaels Drive, Alfredton https://kilderkindistillery.com.au

Friends Chris Pratt and Scott Wilson-Browne opened Kilderkin Distillery in 2016. This great gin and whisky distillery in Ballarat, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, shares a space

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and cellar door with craft brewery Red Duck (which is owned by Scott and his wife Vanessa). Kilderkin’s range of small-batch spirits are made using a custom still crafted by Peter Bailly of Knapp Lewer Contracting in Hobart.

Their cellar door, which offers tastings and tours, is open seven days a week.

Kilderkin

Try Original

Larrikin gin

One of Kilderkin’s signature gins, Original Larrikin is a smooth and well-balanced Australian gin. Infused with juniper and coriander, with highlights of lemon myrtle, native botanicals bring hints of spice and warmth to this gin, which drinks well neat, in a classic G&T, or a gin-based cocktail.

DISTILLERY

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Little Lon Distilling Co 17 Casselden Place, Melbourne www.littlelondistillingco.com

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A historic single-storey brick cottage, built in 1877, sitting among the towering skyscrapers of Melbourne’s CBD is the unlikely home of Little Lon Distilling Co. Its name is a nod to the colourful history of this corner of Melbourne in the 1850s, once a red-light district known as ‘Little Lon’. This small-batch gin distillery and tiny oldworld cocktail bar is the work of brothers Brad and Jarrod Wilson who produce their gins in-house using a 200-litre copper column still called ‘Yokohama’. Operating as a cocktail bar on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Little Lon also runs tastings and masterclasses on-site.

Little Lon’s

DISTILLERY

Try Ginger Mick

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Loch Brewery & Distillery

gin

This gin is named after Ginger Mick – a likeable larrikin character from Australian poet C.J. Dennis’s The Moods of Ginger Mick. Distilled with Australian malted barley and Melbourne water, Little Lon makes their own base spirit, fermenting and distilling onsite in their cottage in the city.

Ginger Mick brings together orange and grapefruit with notes of ginger and juniper, and comes packaged in a handsome bottle featuring a beautifully detailed label design by Philippines-based illustrator Kerby Rosanes.

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44 Victoria Road, Loch www.lochbrewery.com.au

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Alchemy Distillers

242 Maroondah Highway, Healesville www.alchemydistillers.com

Located on the main street of Healesville in the Yarra Valley, Alchemy Distillers run a tidy set-up that brings together an eatery, bar, cellar door and boutique accommodation upstairs. Using a 1,000-litre hybrid reflux still, the Alchemy range consists of Chamomile Gin, a corn-based whiskey (called Moonshine) and Quinoa Vodka. They also do contract distilling. Open from Thursday through Sunday, pop in and try a tasting paddle or Alchemy spirit of your choice, or enjoy a cocktail, mocktail or beer alongside simple, tasty fare made by Joe Slinger.

Alchemy

Try Chamomile Gin

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Chamomile flower is the key botanical of this full-flavoured gin by Alchemy Distillers. With an alcohol content of 40 per cent, this is a lovely floral gin that is balanced out by sweet and savoury notes of rosemary, vanilla, honey, cassia bark, aniseed and cardamom. Alchemy suggests Chamomile Gin is served with tonic and garnished with a wedge of pink grapefruit.

Loch Brewery & Distillery takes its name from the small village of Loch in which it’s located, around an hourand-a-half out of Melbourne in South Gippsland. Their distillery and cellar door are housed in a beautiful, 100-year-old red-brick building, which was once a bank, and their brewery in the adjoining space was formerly a butcher’s shop. Loch began commercial production of their spirits in 2014. Using alembic copper pot stills from Portugal, they make a range of spirits, including gin, vodka and whisky. Loch’s cellar door is open Friday through Sunday, 11am till 4pm.

Try

Loch Brewery & Distillery The Weaver Australian gin

Loch’s The Weaver Australian gin is a big and impressive spirit, with a 50 per cent alcohol content. It’s made using stoneground Australian native botanicals, including juniper, lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, wattleseed, coriander, nutmeg, cassia, mace and strawberry gum – all of which are locally sourced and sustainably harvested. The Weaver is a savoury, juniper-led gin that works a treat in martinis.

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DISTILLERY

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Bass & Flinders Distillery 40 Collins Road, Dromana www.bassandflindersdistillery.com

One of the earliest players in the Victorian gin revolution, Bass & Flinders Distillery opened in the Mornington Peninsula way back in 2009.

It’s been a big decade of growth for the business and last month they moved from their original Red Hill site to a bigger new space in nearby Dromana, an hour out of Melbourne. Using a traditional alembic pot still, the Bass & Flinders team create smallbatch gins, spirits, brandies and liqueurs. Tastings and gin masterclasses are available at the distillery, with the cellar door open Friday, Saturday

and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Bass & Flinders

Try Distillery Gin 10 Wild and Spicy

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Handcrafted and triple-distilled, Bass & Flinders make their own base spirit using Shiraz grapes grown in a single vineyard, meaning each gin has its own unique character and expression.

Juniper, orange, cardamom, and native pepperberry are among the ten botanicals in Gin 10 Wild and Spicy, which is an aromatic gin that drinks well with tonic and lime or cucumber.

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Animus Distillery 1/89A Piper Street, Kyneton https://animusdistillery.com

Head an hour north of Melbourne to the food and wine region of the Macedon Ranges and you’ll find Animus Distillery waiting in the heart of a great little town called Kyneton. Animus Distillery also doubles as a cocktail bar and cellar door, where customers can watch gins being made on-site. Open Wednesday to Sunday evenings, do a tasting, try a cocktail or enjoy a local wine, whiskey or craft beer with bar food.

Try

Animus Distillery Macedon Dry gin

Awarded the Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2018, this dry gin is made with an Australian grain spirit, which is triple filtered, and native lemon myrtle, mountain pepperberry and many locally grown botanicals. A delicious, versatile gin that can be enjoyed neat, in cocktails or a G&T with lemon, tonic and a sprig of rosemary.

Sebastian Reaburn Image credit: The Craft & Co

TALKING GIN with The Craft & Co distiller Sebastian Reaburn

Sebastian Reaburn is a stalwart of the Australian “booze industry”, as he calls it. The co-creator of award-winning gin Anther and the talented distiller at Melbourne’ s The Craft & Co, we caught up with Reaburn to talk about Victoria’ s thriving craft gin scene.

A master distiller

distillation.

Reaburn’s career is a long and impressive “If you have an idea, we provide expertise one. He’s worked with reputed master and time on the still to make your idea a bartenders like Wayne Collins and Dick reality,” explains Reaburn, who oversees Bradsell (the creator of the Espresso Martini) The Craft & Co’s steam-powered copper 140 in London; at Melbourne institutions like Gin to 180-litre Palace and the Supper Club; at 42 Below CARL hybrid Vodka, Tasmania’s 666 Pure Vodka and FOR WORLD GIN DAY alembic pot Bacardi Australia; and he was a co-owner of from Melbourne’s 1806 cocktail bar. In 2016, he THIS YEAR, MORE THAN still FB*PROPAK. joined The Craft & Co, a distillery, brewery, 1,000 PEOPLE TURNED “We work winery and eatery that operates across two UP TO THE CRAFT & with people sites in Collingwood and Bangholme, as every part their house distiller.

CO’S COLLINGWOOD on of their plan “At The Craft & SPACE FOR THE EVENT i n c l u d i n g Co, I have a whole pile of different DESIGNED FOR 200. bl ao bt tel el ss ,, jobs,” Reaburn says. ingredients “Firstly, I create and and marketing. Then make the house we help plan your spirits for The Craft distillery! Our best & Co – grappa, success is when we limoncello, vodka help create a gin and gin. for a customer, then “The next part help them open their of my job is own space.” creating recipes with collaboration The golden The Craft & Co Gin Market partners. I really age of gin love working with a Reaburn believes whole raft of different Australian gin is people to bring their entering a golden ideas to reality. age. “This is an There is something awesome time very satisfying about for gin,” he says. sitting down and “Right now, there talking about an idea, “GIN IN AUSTRALIA are more gins and then a few months IS WHERE WINE WAS gin distilleries being later being able to created in Victoria drink it! But by far BACK IN THE ’70s, The Craft & Co Gin Market than ever. And this the most enjoyable THE START OF A is being driven by part of being the house distiller at The HUGE INDUSTRY.” consumers. People love gin! They are looking for new gins, they are buying new gins, and Craft & Co has been they are drinking new gins. Right now, there creating Anther Gin with my wife, Dervilla.” is so much support for the industry.

A collaborative spirits space “There’s also some government support The Craft & Co operates under a unique just coming, and there’s the awesome distillery model, which Reaburn describes as success of people like Four Pillars who are “a spirit brand incubator space”. In addition bringing Australian gin to the world – this to creating their own house spirits, The Craft is building our export opportunity. Gin in & Co team collaborates with both individuals Australia is where wine was back in the ’70s, and businesses to develop their styles. the start of a huge industry that will have a Their mission is to help entrepreneurs start global impact over the next decade.” their brands by providing easy access to

A city of gin lovers

The response to The Craft & Co’s Gin Night Market – an event that brings together a diverse range of local artisan gin makers in one space – indicates Reaburn is right.

For World Gin Day this year, more than 1,000 people turned up to The Craft & Co’s Collingwood space for the event designed for 200.

“So for Christmas we did it again. This time we had to ticket the Gin Market to make sure we didn’t get the crazy queues, and ensure everyone gets a good time with the gin makers. We sold out the four sessions in a week. Melbourne loves gin!”

Try

The Craft & Co Gin Market Image credit: The Craft & Co

ANTHER GIN

Distilled at The Craft & Co, Sebastian Reaburn and Dervilla McGowan launched Anther gin in September 2016, after ten months of recipe research and distilling.

It was awarded the trophy for ‘Champion Gin’ at the 2018 Australian Distilled Spirit Awards.

Reaburn describes Anther as a “really big juniper gin”, noting they put together the whole recipe around juniper.

“We use native finger limes for citrus, as the resinous character supports the juniper, a little eucalyptus radiata, as the secondary oils in the leaves are the same as the primary oils in juniper, and nutmeg, clove and Indonesian red ginger to soften the finish.

Then all the classic dry gin www.thecraftandco.com.au

botanicals: coriander seed, orris, angelica, and cassia. We also use wormwood and tarragon.

The final pieces are native lemon gum, which we love, and grains of paradise, which taste like juniper, black pepper and jasmine.”

The Craft & Co Gin Market Image credit:: The Craft & Co

Reaburn says the experience of creating Anther made Sebastian and Dervilla appreciate the uniqueness of Australian botanicals.

“As we have explored our native ingredients, tasting and learning about them, we have made a personal connection to this land.

Truly, Australia tastes amazing. Get out into our beautiful natural spaces and drink some local gin that celebrates the native botanicals.”

www.anther.com.au

Each month, a Gin Society expert reviews and creates a cocktail recipe with our featured tipple of the month. Trish Brew, manager of Gin Palace in Melbourne, is our gin superstar for January.

The Review

Four Pillars x Hern Dry Island Gin

w:

nö

GIN REVIEW

45 Trish’s tasting notes Nose: A barrage of fresh green pine needles harmonise with white pepper spice up front, followed intriguingly by candied lemon with whispers of petrichor.

After the alcohol dissipates in the glass, an avalanche of hot spicy lemon ensues, which eventually evolves into an unmistakable pyrazine character. Hints of spent coffee and old books are lengthened bountifully by a lingering strawberry-conserve finish.

Palate: A piping lemon tart flavour commands the front palate, with heavily steeped chamomile, fresh wood shavings and stewed strawberries. Green capsicum develops alongside raisins to follow.

The finish goes almost full circle to display freshly felled pine trees, with stark minerality.

Note: A gin you could sip neat due to its lovely viscosity. The texture of this gin is stunning.

GIN SOCIETY EXPERT

Name: TRISH BREW Works at: GIN PALACE MELBOURNE, MANAGER Hospitality is my middle name. Black belt in customer service with the memory (and palate) of a 76-year-old man. If you don’t like bow ties and long conversations with little to no conclusion, you are getting on the wrong bus. The mantra “harder, better and faster” will be engraved on my tombstone.

Flavour Profile

Profiled by Trish Brew exclusively for the Gin Society.

JUNIPER

60

CITRUS FLORAL HEAT

70

30

35

HERBAL SPICE

50

40

Graded out of 100

Cocktail Recipe: The Dry Island Martinez

This month’s resident expert Trish Brew puts a Dry Island spin on the Martinez. “My kneejerk reaction was to make a long drink like a Gin Fizz, which also works marvellously, but where’s the fun in that?” she says. “Maidenii Vermouth shares a harmonious botanical structure to the Dry Island Gin to produce possibly the best Martinez since the drink was invented around 135 years ago.”

50mL Four Pillars x Hernö Dry Island Gin 25mL Maidenii Sweet Vermouth 5mL Luxardo Maraschino liqueur 1 dash Angostura orange bitters 1 dash Boker’s Bitters Lemon peel to garnish Combine all ingredients into a mixing receptacle with ice and stir. Strain before serving. Pour into a cocktail or martini glass.

Garnish and serve immediately.

JOIN THE

The Gin Society strives to indulge its members with rare, premium gins that you won’t find at your average local bottle shop. Instead, we look to innovative Aussie makers and intriguing overseas distilleries.

We at the Gin Society fell in love not only with the exquisite taste of gin, but also with the stories that surround the distilling and making of this delicious, versatile spirit. It’s what’s driven us to explore and learn more about the fascinating world of gin.

Creating gin is both a science

and an art form, and we want to share the spirit and its stories with our membership.

As keen gin-thusiasts ourselves, we’ve travelled the globe, learning, experiencing and, yes, tasting what’s available for keen gin lovers worldwide. We want to help cultivate gin’s rapidly growing market as well as showcase inventive ways for drinkers to enjoy it that extend well beyond the classic G&T. Whether you’re in it for the cocktails, the events or just the

relaxing release of a crisp, classic gin at the end of a long day, the Gin Society is here for you.

VISIT US AT GINSOCIETY.COM

HOW DOES THE GIN SOCIETY WORK? The Gin Society aims to showcase gins from premium small distilleries – whether it be craft, local, international or something a little different – with a community of likeminded gin-thusiasts.

As a member of the Gin Society, you’ll receive a full-sized bottle of gin every month. Our team of experts, who are always on the lookout for exclusive, rare, unique or simply delicious gins, will carefully select your bottle.

Every month, a copy of the Gin Journal will accompany our chosen spirit. This magazine is the ultimate guide to your gin, featuring botanical information, tasting notes, and more delicious details on its place of origin and production methods.

To welcome you as a member, we’ve included a free gift with your first delivery. We hope it elevates you to a grand cocktail maker and shaker. As a Gin Society member, you’ll also receive invitations to attend exclusive events to celebrate our favourite tipple.

WANT TO BECOME A GIN SOCIETY MEMBER? Here’s what you need to know.

A Gin Society membership costs AU$95 per month (including shipping). With your membership, you’ll receive: an exquisite, fullsized bottle of artisan gin; a little something special to complement the spirit: our custom magazine, Gin Journal.

The Gin Society is currently exclusive to Australia.

FREE GIFT Spiegelau perfect serve large crystal mixing glass

RRP $161

Copper bell jigger

Copper bar spoon

Copper Hawthorne strainer

A SPECIAL WELCOME GIFT FOR NEW MEMBERS To say thanks for joining the Gin Society, we’re giving all our new members a special gift set – a Spiegelau perfect serve large crystal mixing glass, a copper bar spoon, a copper Hawthorne strainer and a copper bell jigger.

It’s the perfect kit for making cocktails with each of the special gins heading your way every month!

Visit us now at GinSociety.com

The Gin Society proudly brings you the Gin Journal.

www.ginsociety.com