HICKSON RD GIN by ginsociety

THE HICKSON RD. EDITION

HICKSON HOUSE,

6 HICKSON RD, THE ROCKS NSW AUSTRALIA

FOUNDER’S

WELCOME

Time is flying in 2022 – we can’t believe we’re already on to our second bottle of the year! Hopefully you’ve recovered from the holiday festivities and are ready to experience another brilliant tipple. This edition has been a long time coming. Pandemic-induced delays meant we weren’t able to bring you these two fine gins from Hickson House last year. But now that Mikey Enright and Julian Train – founders of the award-winning Barrelhouse Group – have opened the doors to their distillery in The Rocks, we can finally crack into their magical spirits.

After a bit of jetlag from the phenomenal Brighton Gin at the start of the year, we’re stoked to keep things local in Sydney. We sit down with head distiller Tim Stones, student of the brilliant Desmond Payne MBE. Then we dive into the wonderful world of Mikey’s new brand, Enright’s Original Gin Company, which brings together the barbershop and the bar in a range of scented grooming products. Our brilliant Designer, Tori Gibson takes us on her personal gin journey in our latest Ginsider, and Mikey concocts an exclusive selection of cocktails, which hero both the Hickson Rd Australian Dry and London Dry gins, for you to whip up at home. As always, you can drop us a line at hello@ ginsociety.com. Have fun soaking up the last days of summer with a couple of gins that have definitely been worth the wait. Cheers!

SIGNATURE MARTINIS AND SEAFOOD SERVED AT HICKSON HOUSE

Andrew Burge Founder, Gin Society

VISIT US AT WWW.GINSOCIETY.COM

4 MEET THE DISTILLER

Tim Stones: a love for all things gin

Con

14 PUTTING THE BAR IN BARBERSHOP

Mikey Enright’s collection of boutique grooming products

18 EXPANDING THE BRAND WITH HICKSON HOUSE

Mikey Enright and Julian Train are putting Sydney gin on the map

The Gin Society team

Founder: Andrew Burge Director: Jagdev Singh Creative Director: Annah Lansdown Head of IT: Chris Richardson Membership Relations: Emily Prunty Designer: Tori Gibson Editor: Simon Jones

28 COCKTAIL HOUR

with Hickson House

32 THE GINSIDER Tori Gibson shares her personal gin-story

HICKSON RD. GIN

ntents 36 THE SYDNEY GIN LIST

Our pick of 5 top-notch Sydney gins you must try

43 FLAVOUR PROFILE

Hickson Rd. Gin

Get in touch | Gin Journal is the bi-monthly members’ magazine of the Gin Society. Members Got a question or query about your membership? We’re here to help. Drop us a line – hello@ginsociety.com

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Meet the DISTILLER

From his earliest days working at some of the biggest cocktail bars in the world to Global Brand Ambassador for Beefeater, one constant has always remained for Tim Stones: a love for all things gin. We sat down with the Head Distiller at Hickson House to discuss the origin of his Hickson Rd spirits. 5

MEET THE DI S TI L L E R

fter a supposed six-month stint at Beefeater ballooned into an eight-year saga, Tim had grown tired of the late nights, the constant travel, and the frustration of perpetually living out of a suitcase. While he counts himself extremely lucky for such a unique opportunity, he was ready for a new adventure. “So I had the bright idea to move into distilling gin, rather than just swanning around and talking about it,” Tim laughs. “I was lucky enough, working at Beefeater, to spend large amounts of time at the distillery, being around the distillers and specifically

Desmond Payne, the Master Distiller. Over the course of a couple of years, I realised that this was what I wanted to do.” After explaining the situation to his boss, Tim was quickly on his way up to Scotland to learn from some of the best whisky distillers in the world. He earned his General Certificate in Distilling and was ready to bring his newly acquired talents to the Beefeater brand. As often happens, though, his dreams were derailed by love. “I met an Australian girl and she persuaded me to trade in the bright lights of southwest London for Australia. So we decided to pack everything up and move out here in January 2017.”

Trading the bright lights of London for Sydney’s Northern Beaches

“So I had the bright idea to move into distilling gin, rather than just swanning around and talking about it,” Tim laughs.

MEE T THE DI S TI L L E R

ust five short years later, Tim is the newly minted Head Distiller at Hickson House Distilling Co., care of a lengthy stay as distiller at Manly Spirits Co. in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Tim, who had known Mikey Enright for years after frequent bump-ins at trade shows and cocktail competitions, found his new calling over a Sunday roast with friends. “We’d had a few beers and sat down and got chatting. I said to Mikey, ‘Maybe we should restart our conversations about this distillery thing.” They’d had the idea of working together while Tim was still at Beefeater in London, but the timing never seemed to work out. Now, at the start of 2020 and in the heady prepandemic days, it seemed like their stars were finally aligning.

JULIAN TRAIN, TIM STONES AND MIKEY ENRIGHT

Matching with Mikey

“We’d had a few beers and sat down and got chatting. I said to Mikey, ‘Maybe we should restart our conversations about this distillery thing.”

MEET THE DIS TI L L E R

t’s been a challenging – and sometimes treacherous – time for Tim, Mikey and Julian over the past couple of years. While COVID has wrought havoc across most hospitality businesses, it’s really done a number on startups and burgeoning operations trying to find their footing in the market. Thankfully, the trio are seasoned veterans of the industry and have an eye for knowing what consumers want. So it’s no surprise that Hickson House rode out the storm and is gaining widespread attention despite the congested gin sector. For Tim, he’s just happy to be making something that is in his blood: spectacular

gin. He’s even dusted off a few botanicals he kept stored away in the back of his memory for just this occasion. Both native thyme and oolong tea are in his Hickson Rd Australian Dry Gin, and they each play a part in Tim’s story. “A few years ago I got hold of some native thyme and I did a little test-run on it, just on its own. It was actually amazing, delicious. It was one of the real standout botanicals that I’d come across after moving to Australia. I kept it to myself for a little while, filing it away in the back of my memory bank. I knew I really, really wanted to do something with it, so when Hickson House came about I knew it was the perfect opportunity to work it into a gin. In our Australian Dry it’s a perfectly balanced botanical – it shines without being too standout or overpowering.”

Hickson Rd Gin being distilled in an 800L copper gin still

Sparking joy with unusual botanicals

80L ‘baby’ gin still used for one off batches, collaborations and experimentation

Oolong tea, on the other hand, is a nod to his former mentor Desmond Payne. “He basically taught me how to make gin, and I might be wrong but I believe he was the first person to put tea in a gin when he created Beefeater 24, which has Japanese sencha and Chinese green tea. Tea is a really interesting ingredient in gin because it contains thousands and thousands of different flavour and aroma compounds. It’s very good at binding other flavours together. So the thought of using tea worked well, and oolong has got a beautiful apricot-y, stonefruit flavour profile to it.”

MEET T H E DISTILLER

im knows better than most that the gin scene is becoming more and more crowded every day, which means it’s even harder for new distilleries to break into the market. But the team at Hickson House come with plaudits and

A steady ship for the future industry experience that other up-andcomers would kill for. So it’s unsurprising that Tim is calm when asked about how his gins can outrank the competition.

I’ve been a Global Brand Ambassador travelling and seeing what everybody around the world is doing, and also learning from Desmond Payne at Beefeater.

“One of the things that sets us apart is the background of myself and Mikey. He’s basically been ‘Mr Gin’ in Australia for quite some time. He’s a phenomenal partner, and he knows a lot about gin. For myself,

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We just want to make some really good-quality gin. Our backgrounds and our influences are what shines through in the final product.”

in Hickson Rd Australian Dry Gin Juniper Coriander seed Angelica root Orris root Liquorice root Orange peel Oolong tea Native thyme Finger lime Aniseed myrtle

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We just want to make some really good-quality gin.” 13 TIM STONES

PUTTING THE BAR

in Barbershop

The ubiquity of gin is such that it has seeped into numerous parts of our lives. Hand sanitiser, body wash, soap, desserts, cheese – you can find all these things and more infused with the botanical goodness of gin. Now, Mikey Enright is taking our favourite spirit to new heights with a collection of boutique grooming products.

A barbershop experience at home

airdressing has always been close to Mikey’s heart. It’s where he began his career back in the late 1980s before an about-turn saw him enter the cutthroat hospitality industry. More than three decades later – and with accolades including ‘Best New International Cocktail Bar’, ‘Best Bar Operator’, ‘Gin Bar of the Year’ and ‘Time Out Legend Award’ to his name – Mikey has returned to the scene and is using his diverse expertise to create the ultimate men’s experience with Enright’s Original Gin Company. Truthfully, men’s grooming has never been far from Mikey’s

mind, even when he was topping best-of lists and consulting in bars around the world. It’s why his barbershop/ cocktail bar – aptly named The Barber Shop – in Barangaroo is such a well-loved haunt for Sydneysiders and spirits aficionados alike.

‘BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL COCKTAIL BAR’ ‘GIN BAR OF THE YEAR’ ‘TIME OUT LEGEND AWARD’ Armed with this unique skillset, Mikey is arguably the bestpositioned professional in the world to create a range of gininfused grooming products. As Mikey puts it: “My obsession with gin during my career has been raised to a whole new level. I wanted to create a gin experience in the barbershop as well as the bar.”

Quality above everything else

Crafted in the tradition of “the best gins of yesteryear”, Mikey is a skilled perfumer who knows how to balance essential oils for a superior product. Most of all, he wants to deliver the quality of a bespoke barbershop appointment into the hands of consumers.

To find out more about Enright’s Original Gin Company or to purchase any of Mikey’s grooming products, visit enrightsgincompany.com or @enrightsgincompany on Instagram.

The Barbershop

ike everything Mikey touches, his latest venture required perfection before it was released to the masses. Enright’s Original Gin products are made in Australian from only the finest natural ingredients. They are non-petroleum and contain a host of botanicals including grains of paradise, violet, sweet orange and of course the deftest touch of juniper.

Botanicals with benefits Enright’s Original Gin Company products are made with: Juniper Bergamot Ginger Cardamon Coriander seed Grains of paradise Lavender Rosemary Rose Orris root Violet Cyprus Liquorice root Sweet orange Lemon Hair paste Liquid hand soap Oil burner liquid Shave oil Aftershave balm Shave soap Shave set

Some of the products you’ll find at Enright’s Original Gin Company 17

Expanding the brand with

Hickson House

At their brand-new digs in The Rocks, legendary entrepreneur Mikey Enright and his Barrelhouse Group partner Julian Train are putting Sydney gin on the map once again at Hickson House Distilling Co.

Staunch in the face of adversity To say Hickson House’s journey to opening was mired in challenges would be a severe understatement. What was supposed to be the beginning of a grand new adventure in January 2020 quickly became derailed as a stealthy virus spread around the world. While it took almost two years for Mikey and Julian to unveil their crowning glory in the historic laneways of The Rocks, Hickson House Distilling Co. is perfectly placed to meet the demands of thirsty spirits lovers, finediners and those who simply want to share a meal with friends. “We really focused on the distillery not just being a storage facility for the spirits,” Mikey explains. “It’s an experience in itself. Our talented head chef has worked closely with our distiller Tim

to incorporate some of the botanicals we use in the gin with the flavours of the food we’re producing.” While the distillery officially opened at the end of 2021, a new COVID strain put something of a dampener on the achievement. “As soon as we launched, Omicron kind of closed it all down again,” Mikey says. “People were nervous, they stopped going out and started leaving the city earlier. We were only open for a few days over Christmas and we even had to cancel our New Year’s Eve event. It was a tricky time to be selling gin.

High and Dry Bar at Hickson House Main Bar at Hickson House

Tricky? Yes. Impossible? Never. Thanks to a groundswell of local support as well as a topnotch product – the trio of Hickson Rd gins – Mikey and Julian hosted a “banging launch party”, are sponsoring several events in the coming months and are welcoming droves of excited visitors into their distillery every week. In fact, Mikey sees the pandemic-induced downtime as something of a boon for Hickson House. “It allowed us time to do more planning, to get ourselves organised and to ensure all our equipment was working in harmony. We even made our first batch of whisky, which is pretty amazing.” 21

GOLD TAP - “THE WATER WE SERVE OUR GUESTS IS RUN THROUGH A REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER FILTER. WE USE THIS WATER TO CUT THE GIN TO THE STRENGTH WE WOULD LIKE.”

No strangers to success If you’ve been around the drinks scene in Sydney, you already know the name Mikey Enright. He’s a genius mixologist, a savvy entrepreneur and has a flair for spotting gaps in the market. It’s why arguably his most famous accomplishment, The Barber Shop in Barangaroo, which doubles as a cocktail bar and a classic barbershop, is so wellregarded. After the success of The Barber Shop, 22

Mikey and Julian struck gold again with their classy inner-city venue The Duke of Clarence. Bringing their vision of a mid-1800s tavern to life, it’s like stepping into a time machine where guests can enjoy fine cocktails, cask ale and unmistakeably British eats. With their latest venture, the pair will undoubtedly find success a third time if the quality of their gin is anything to go by. And for Julian, leaning into the idea of a ‘classic’ gin is what

Hickson House is all about. “We’re at a bit of a crossroads,” he says. “I feel like the industry is at a point where all these places have opened up and everyone is trying to be different. A big question that we’ve been trying to answer is: how do we stick to the roots of what gin quintessentially is while still injecting the flavours of Australia in a balanced way?

“I believe that if you’re going to call something gin, you have a responsibility to give it a gin profile. The big challenge for everyone is to create a point of difference, but also to not cross the line where it becomes a flavoured vodka. That’s why we spent over a year working on our product, and that really became the cornerstone of everything we do. We built everything from a base of classic gin flavours, and then brought things in only when they made sense to the nose, the balance and the palate – as opposed to just trying to be ‘out there’ for the sake of it.” 23

Finding a home for the spirit Mikey has spent years helping other distillers make their own gins, so when the kernel of Hickson House started to develop into a fully formed plan, he wanted to do things right. “We didn’t want to cleanskin our spirits from another distillery,” he says. “We wanted it to be the home of the spirit. We wanted it to be made from scratch. That was critical for us. We wanted to do everything ourselves, from start to finish.” In an ideal world, Mikey and Julian’s combined experience and industry clout would have made the emergence of Hickson House Distilling Co. a smooth journey, at least compared to their lessseasoned compatriots. But it took them almost two years to find their ‘unicorn’ space. “It’s been a journey just trying to find the space,” Julian says.

SMUGGLERS COVE COCKTAIL

“We were looking around the city trying to find this unicorn where we could be close enough to the city to welcome people into the home of spirits. We looked all over within a five-kilometre radius of Sydney’s CBD.” Fortuitously, the disruption that COVID caused to other businesses created an opportunity for the Hickson House team.

https://manlyspirits.com.au/

“It sounds terrible, but prior to COVID we would have had zero chance of even being presented a space in The Rocks like the one we are in. We’ve also been lucky that the state government and The Rocks’ strategy team have been incredibly supportive of what we’re doing, which is essentially putting a highly flammable factory into a significant heritage building. “We’re a ferry ride away from lots of parts of Sydney. There’s loads of public transport. It’s an easy walk down the hill from the CBD. We’re really, really blessed with a location that’s super-easy to come and visit.”

TUCKSHOP PUNCH • • • •

50ml Milo Milk-washed Ratu Dark Rum 10ml Mandarin Oleo 2 Dash Chocolate Bitters 2 Dash Saline

LOUNGE AREA IN THE MAIN BAR

“We’re a ferry ride away from lots of parts of Sydney. There’s loads of public transport. It’s an easy walk down the hill from the CBD.”

Love rum too? Hickson House have some amazing rum cocktails on the menu as well like the Tuckshop Punch.25

Making the trip worth it Of course with an abundance of choice available to the average punter, Mikey and Julian understand that they need to deliver a product worthy of patronage. It’s why they’ve taken the time to ensure every ‘t’ is crossed and every ‘i’ is dotted, especially when it comes to the nuances of their gins. “Mikey and Tim are both incredibly qualified in the world of gin,” Julian says. “Tim with his experience at Beefeater and also being trained

by Desmond Payne. Both of them being judges at various gin shows. Our ownership of The Barber Shop. We’ve lived and breathed this spirit for many, many years.

We’ve tasted a ton of gins, we’ve been to a lot of distilleries, and I suppose what has come out of that is we’ve m a n a g e d to get that beautiful balance of showing off Australia – in the aroma, in the flavour and in the mouthfeel – while not stepping too far away from that ‘classic’ gin element.”

approached o u r Australian Dry. It has citrus on the nose, it’s a little bit more s h e r b e t - y, and it is flavourforward but with the dryness of juniper. We also have our London Dry and our Harbour Strength, which are both clearly defined gins in their own right.”

Mikey says that this distinction to be ‘classic’ while still innovative is what sets Hickson Rd gins apart.

It’s been an uphill battle to get Hickson House Distilling Co. off the ground, but now that it’s here we foresee it will become a stalwart of The Rocks and a must-visit destination for any discerning gin lover.

“Is an Australian Dry gin the same as a London Dry gin? No. They are remarkably different,” Mikey says. “Australian Dry is almost like its own category these days. So that’s how we

6 Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney hicksonhouse.com.au

“We didn’t want to cleanskin our spirits from another distillery,” he says.

“We wanted it to be the home of the spirit.” MIKEY ENRIGHT

27 VIEW OF THE DISTILLERY THROUGH A WINDOW IN THE MAIN BAR.

W H I T E

INGREDIENTS

45mL Hickson Rd. Australian Dry Gin 60mL Chardonnay 1 Large Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream Grated Lime Zest

C A R G O

Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, shake 8 times and strain into a frozen coupette glass. Garnish with grated lime zest.

R E D

INGREDIENTS

50mL Hickson Road London Dry Gin 20mL Spice Mix 20mL Lemon 90mL Tomato Juice 5 Drops Lobster Oil (FLOAT)

S N A P P E R

Build in a shaker with cubed ice, roll the shaker 4 times and pour over fresh cubed ice in a highball. 29

R O Y A L

N A V Y

INGREDIENTS

50mL Hickson Road Harbour Strength Gin 20mL Lemon Juice 15mL Strawberry Orgeat 2 Dash Angostura 2 Dash Saline

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a lowball glass with a large ice cube and garnish with sliced strawberry.

T I N Y

D A N C E R

A BRILLIANT VARIATION ON THE CLASSIC BEES KNEES COCKTAIL.

INGREDIENTS

50ml Hickson Road Australian Dry Gin 20ml Eucalyptus Honey 20ml Lemon Juice Pinch of Salt Eucalyptus

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake well. Strain into a coupette glass and garnish with some eucalyptus and a pinch of salt.

THE GINSIDER

Our latest Ginsider is member and resident designer Tori Gibson, who shares some intriguing gin-sights.

What draws you to a gin? Firstly, the look of the bottle and its design. They say don’t judge a book by its cover but I guess I’m totally guilty of that being a visual designer. With the immense market choice I think you really need to have both now – not just an exceptional gin but also a beautiful bottle to stand out from the crowd.

I love all my Gin Society bottles, especially Bobby’s Schiedam Dry Gin for the Indonesian flavours, Pink Pepper for being the most sippable tipple just over ice (a regular dessert), the delicate Garden Grown for G&Ts and the juniper-forward Juno for my Martinis. Not only delicious gins but beautifully designed bottles too.

Gin rts A fire Way Hea an’s Brog

Gin Dry don ed L on Spic ntal

I love its durability, its versatility in cocktails and how it’s an all-seasons spirit. I love entertaining and offering friends a G&T over the usual wine or beer. It’s a simple no-fuss cocktail that always goes down well with guests and lends to me being able to share my gin knowledge – any excuse! Great conversation starter too.

At the moment I’ve probably got around 40 bottles. There’s Citadelle Original Gin from France, Four Pillars Christmas Special ‘Prawns & Pavlova’, Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, Plymouth Sloe Gin, St. George Terroir Gin, ROKU from Japan, Never Never Juniper Freak, Banks & Solander’s Signature Gin from Sydney, Hendrick’s – for the staples.

r Ori e

What do you like about gin as a spirit?

What does your personal gin collection look like?

Opih

Tori Gibson

With COVID and no overseas travel I have found myself being drawn to international gins. I guess I’ve been travelling in spirit! The gin’s botanicals really help guide me with my decision process too as I like different gins for different seasons. Hearts Afire by Brogan’s Way was the perfect winter gin with its flavour profile based on mulled wine. So warming and I’ll be picking up another bottle next winter.

What are your 3 desert island gins? Audemus Umami Gin, for the Martinis. After falling in love with Pink Pepper with its unique ingredients (pink peppercorns, vanilla, tonka beans) I just had to try more gins from them. Umami is produced using hand-picked Sicilian capers, capsicum and parmesan cheese – quite niche but very cool! Bobby’s Schiedam Dry Gin, for the exotic Indonesian flavours like lemongrass and cubeb pepper. The bottle design is gorgeous too – a pattern inspired by their Indonesian heritage. Plus, they have some really unique cocktails on their Instagram (@bobbysdrygin).

What do you like most about the Gin Society?

If you could travel anywhere in the world to sample gin, where would it be? I would be heading over to the Audemus Distillery in the Cognac region of France to meet the geniuses behind Umami and Pink Pepper. They operate a vacuum distillery out of the distiller’s (Miko’s) living room in the centre of Cognac, which would be pretty cool to see. They also do a range of French-style bitters and liqueurs that I would love to try. Then I’d probably head over to Netherlands to the home of Bobby’s and sample some quality ‘Jenever’ gins. G&T, Martini, Negroni what’s your go-to cocktail?

at home experimenting with different syrups. I recently made a cardamon syrup for a Spiced Gin Sour – delicious!! If I’m having a girls’ night in, they love it when I make Clover Clubs. When I’m in a bar I like to order a Martini – a sophisticated cocktail that always tastes better made by the pros!

Everything! I love being part of a club with people who share my passion. The gin boom has meant there is a lot of choice right now, so having experts source my gin has really taken some of that pressure off. As a creative, hearing the stories behind the craft is special to me. I’m a big believer in supporting small businesses too, so I like hearing about lesser-known gins. So much is digital these days, so I love that the gin and magazine is something I can keep, collect and cherish. My friends love my gin shelfie too. Lastly, I love to sit down on a Friday night, after my delivery arrives, pour myself a gin and read the Gin Journal – bliss!

–

I love a Gin Sour. They look luxurious and are fun to make

Gin Sour Cocktail

My go-to garnish at the moment is fresh rosemary. It’s always in the garden ready to go. I love a smoked rosemary G&T in the cooler months. Setting the rosemary sprig on fire makes for a comforting and warmer tipple – you get a whiff of the smoked rosemary with each sip. I love to sprinkle Olsson’s Rare Dry Gin Salt (a collaboration with Four Pillars) which takes away some of the bitterness of the tonic in my G&Ts. A fresh wedge of orange and cloves is a great combination too.

Joadja Barrel Aged Gin, for the love of local. Handcrafted in an old abandoned mining town of Joadja, where I live in the Southern Highlands of NSW, the gin is matured in exTempranillo barrels sourced from La Rioja, Spain. Not too woody – a spicy London Dry style – it’s perfect over ice as a digestif. Olsson’s x Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin Salt https://www.olssons.com.au/

Do you have a go-to garnish or mixer

TORI’S GINS

A few of her favourite gins of all time.

AUDEMUS UMAMI GIN FRANCE An intriguing Gin designed for cocktail enthusiasts. Named after the fifth “basic taste”, which is described as savoury. Umami Gin is produced with a caper distillate made from Sicilian capers, Parmesan and 2 other savoury ingredients, combined with a neutral grain spirit. Available at mindspirits.com.au

JOADJA’S BARREL AGED GIN AUSTRALIA Handcrafted in the Southern Highlands of NSW in the abandoned mining town of Joadja. Each botanical is distilled separately to produce 6 infusions that are then carefully blended together and matured in exTempranillo barrels sourced from La Rioja, Spain to create a truly unique gin. Available at joadjadistillery.com.au

BOBBY’S SCHIEDAM DRY GIN THE NETHERLANDS Traditional Indonesian botanicals and spices – lemongrass, cloves, coriander, cubeb pepper and cinnamon – give Bobby’s a unique flavour profile, while juniper, fennel seeds and rose hips make it a perfectly balanced Schiedam Dry Gin. Available at ginsociety.com

Sydney is home to a host of top-notch craft gin makers. Here’s our pick of 5 you just have to try.

THE GIN LIST

GOLD 2017 San Francisco World Liquor Awards BRONZE 2018 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards BRONZE 2018 San Francisco World Liquor Awards

AUSTRALIAN CLASSIC DRY

SYDNEY DRY GIN

POOR TOMS DISTILLERY The original. Poor Tom’s Sydney Dry Gin is unlike any other. You’ll notice a classic juniper backbone complimented by fresh green apple, native strawberry gum leaf, and chamomile. An easy drinking gin - delicate, fresh, and floral. For more delicious results, serve with a strawberry. ABV 41.3% https://poortoms.com/

KINGS CROSS DISTILLERY The late 1930s celebrated Sydney’s high life and the sophisticated golden era of Kings Cross. To commemorate this era, the gin is based on a classic London Dry gin recipe dating back to 1937. The smooth native botanical notes of Australian myrtles complement the fresh, local lemon peel and cassia angelica root enhances the flavour that will ‘tickle your fancy’. ABV 42% https://poortoms.com/

TOP 5 SYDNEY GINS

ORIGINAL DRY GIN BONDI LIQUOR CO. (OPPOSITE, BELOW)

The first ever commercial produced spirit in iconic Bondi - the true “Bondi Original”. Classic G&T style gin juniper forward with subtle notes of Citrus and Spice. ABV 40% https://bondiliquor.com.au/

SIGNATURE GIN

BANKS & SOLANDER An award-winning Contemporary Gin. Pot distilled using a combination of traditional and Australian botanicals including Tasmanian pepperberry, lemon myrtle, strawberry gum, and roasted wattleseed. ABV 48% www.banksandsolander.com

AUSTRALIAN DRY GIN

MANLY SPIRITS This Australian Dry Gin has a delectable blend of 10 carefully considered and sustainably foraged marine, Australian native and traditional botanicals distilled into a pure Australian wheat spirit. The bright, fresh flavours of the citrus, marine and juniper give way to the gentle peppery notes on the palate to deliver a complex lingering finish. ABV 43% https://manlyspirits.com.au/ BEST AUSTRALIAN ‘London Dry Style’, World Gin Awards 2020, 2019

GOLD 2021 European Spirits Challenge SILVER 2021 London Spirits Competition

BEST AUSTRALIAN ‘London Dry Style’, World Gin Awards 2020, 2019

GIN LIBRARY READ ALL ABOUT GIN

What’s in The Gin Society Library?

GIN VENTURES:

A GIN DISTILLER’S GUIDE TO STARTING YOUR CRAFT SPIRITS BUSINESS

by Marcel Thompson (Amazon $30.79) Are you thinking about setting up your own gin distillery? Gin is experiencing a global boom, and this resurgence has brought about a new generation of gin makers who are eager to start their own craft spirits businesses. Gin Ventures will take you step by step through the journey of setting up your business, from planning your distillery to choosing your team and marketing your product, the issues distilleries have to face, how to enjoy gin and more!

GIN:

HOW TO DRINK IT

by David Broom (Amazon $30.79) Award-winning spirits writer Dave Broom has tested thousands of gins from all over the world to choose the 125 selected to appear in this book. As well as the gin selection, he has also tasted and scored each one four ways - in a G&T, a Negroni, a Martini and with lemonade (a gin that’s perfect for a Martini may be exactly the opposite in a G&T). So not only do you get to drink the world’s best gins, you get to drink them in the best possible way.

THE CURIOUS BARTENDER’S GIN PAL ACE

by Tristan Stephenson (Booktopia $30.75) An innovative, captivating tour of the finest gins and distilleries the world has to offer, brought to you by bestselling author and gin connoisseur Tristan Stephenson. In this book, you’ll be at the cutting-edge of the most exciting developments, uncovering the alchemy of the gin production process and the science of flavour before taking a tour through the most exciting distilleries and gins the world has to offer. Finally, put Tristan’s mixology skills into practice with a dozen spectacular cocktails including a Purl, a Rickey, and a Fruit Cup.

THE GINOLOGIST COOK 15 0 D E L I C I O U S R E C I P E S W I T H G I N

by Pieter Carter, Shane Heldsinger, Charlotte Letlape, Kundi Thai, Phillip Tlhako (Booktopia $46.75) Written, simmered, grilled, sliced and baked by a talented team of young experts in their field from the Rainbow Nation that is South Africa. This book gives tonic water a run for its money. The recipes (including cocktails) make use of the unique craft gins produced by Ginologist Gin.

Grab your G&T and have a listen to this great PODCAST T O P 10 A U S T R A L I A N G I N S O F 2 0 21 WITH THE GIN QUEEN

by James Atkinson (https://drinksadventures.com.au/) ‘The Gin Queen’ Caroline Ashford returns to the Drinks Adventures podcast to share with you her Top 10 Australian Gins of the year.

NO SE

-forward foll owed Juniper et by s herb like citrus and herbals notes PA L AT E

COCKTAIL RECIPE: GIBSON MARTINI

This month’s resident expert, Mikey Enright of Hickson House created a variation on the signature cocktail to complement the adventurous flavours of this delicious gin.

45ML HICKSON ROAD LONDON GIN 10ML FINO SHERRY 5ML ONION BRINE 1 0 D R O P S P I C K L E D O N I O N D I S T I L L AT E 10 DROPS SMOKED SEA SALT SOLUTION

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with cubed ice, stir smoothly for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with 3 skewered smoked onions.

ex , compl d n a d n u o R h us wit juicy citr niseed herbal a

Vibrant palate co ating v iscosity. Bright, citrus y, savou ry and moreis h

FI NI SH

FLAVOUR PROFILE

JUNIPER

CITRUS

FLORAL

HEAT

HERBAL

SPICE

Six wines, every month, handpicked just for you.

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