JUNO GIN by ginsociety

THE JUNO EDITION

TARANAKI, NEW ZEALAND JUNO GIN IS MADE WITH WATER SOURCED FROM NEARBY MT. TARANAKI.

FOUNDER’S

WELCOME Fresh from our jaunt to London (home of our last gin, Jensen’s), for this issue we’re heading across the Pacific to New Zealand. Our featured tipple, Juno, hails from beautiful Taranaki in New Plymouth on the west coast of the North Island. You’ll be hard pressed to meet a more hardworking and passionate pair of gin makers than husband-and-wife team Jo and Dave James of BeGin Distilling Co. Read our maker profile to learn how they came to create the juniper-led gin named after the ancient Roman goddess of love and marriage. Dave and Jo are also keen contributors and advocates of New Zealand’s steadily

OUR JUNE MEMBER GIN IS JUNO. A SUSTAINABLE GIN FROM NEW ZEALAND, BY-PRODUCTS FROM THE DISTILLING PROCESS ARE REUSED – THE WATER TO MAKE BEER AND THE JUNIPER BERRIES TO MAKE CHOCOLATES.

growing craft gin industry. They spoke to us about one of their recent research projects: the development of a flavour wheel and terminology (created in conjunction with Massey University) to help consumers better articulate the flavours of New Zealand artisan gins. We also caught up with hospitality consultant Mikey Ball of Ballin’ Drinks and Creative about the use of New Zealand ingredients behind the bar; talked with Caroline Childerley – aka The Gin Queen – for this month’s Ginsider; and sat down with three industry experts to learn how to make a first-class G&T. And of course we’ve included lots of delicious cocktail recipes you can try at home, including one by this issue’s expert mixologist, Jess Old of ITCH Wine Bar in New Plymouth. Jess gave Juno Gin a highflying five stars. We hope you enjoy it too! We’d love to know what you think. Drop us a line on hello@ginsociety.com. Till next time,

Andrew Burge Founder, Gin Society

VISIT US AT WWW.GINSOCIETY.COM

J U N O

G I N

A LABOUR OF LOVE 2

JO AND DAVE JAMES, THE MAKERS OF JUNO GIN

Juno is the ancient Roman goddess of love and marriage. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the fitting name of Gin Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s featured tipple this month, which was created by husband and wife team Jo and Dave James.

H O M E C O M I N G B R I N G S N E W B E G I N N I N G S

“We were both born and bred in New Plymouth on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. We lived here until our late teens,” explains Dave. He and Jo moved back to the area in 2015. The decades between their departure and return were spent raising their two daughters, travelling and working, both in New Zealand and overseas, including a 17-year stint in Australia. The move home spurred the couple to step away from their previous careers – Jo from public health and Dave from sustainability in the food industry – and seek a new adventure. Led by Dave’s passion for engineering and Jo’s love of gin, they decided to establish a distillery. While they had already done so much together over their 35-years of marriage, they were conscious that being business partners was a

new challenge entirely. “We had never spent that amount of time working on something together,” notes Jo. “If we had some core values, we thought they would help make the decisions for us.” They sat down and put together what was most important to them in establishing BeGin Distillery. “Our three core values are: make it fun, make it together – this means both as a couple and with our community – and make it right. That’s around the three Ps of people, planet and profit.” Jo also undertook research – reading articles and watching TED Talks – on business couples that were married and their recipes for success. “They said it was important to accept each other’s strengths, knowledge and expertise, and to allow the other person to have their wins, as well as make their own mistakes.”

MT TARANAKI

AFTER DECADES LIVING ABROAD, DAVID AND JO RETURNED TO NEW ZEALAND AND CHOOSE TARANAKI AS THE HOME FOR THEIR NEW GIN

DAVE JOKES THAT THEIR STILL, LILA, IS NAMED AFTER A CHARACTER FROM FUTURAMA

C R E A T I N G J U N O G I N After packing up their lives in Melbourne, Jo and Dave returned to New Plymouth, found a building in Taranaki and set about turning it into a distillery. “We bought a small twolitre alembic still [named Wee Willy] and started to practise on that,” says Dave. “We did about 50 distillations, playing with flavours and combinations and learning how distillation works.”

They built out the flavour profile with orange, black peppercorns, Angelica root, kaffir lime leaves, green cardamom, Manuka and cassia bark, and water from nearby Mount Taranaki.

JO MEASURES THE NEW ZEALAND-GROWN CORIANDER SEEDS CREDITED WITH BRINGING A ZESTY LEMONY FRESHNESS TO JUNO GIN

A 10-litre copper still, which they named Jenny, followed. A local engineering fabrication company, Rivet, adapted the still to include an external botanics basket. Jo and Dave began working with Jenny to develop their recipe. “We started thinking – what are the key things we must have in our gin? The three that leapt to mind were juniper, of course, coriander seed – because we found a New Zealand-grown coriander seed brings a zesty lemony freshness to the gin – and orris root,” says Jo.

Their gin was, at that stage, still unnamed. “The name Juno was a four-o-clock-inthe-morning moment,” says Jo. “It’s a play on the word juniper, which of course is at the heart of the gin, and Juno is also the Roman goddess of domestic harmony and marriage. We thought what better deity to oversee this project?”

With a name in place and the recipe near complete, they were ready to upgrade to their new still – a 400-litre copper beauty called Lila, custom-made by Rivet. “When you look at her you can see she looks a little like the lass from Futurama. She has the single eye and the ponytail,” Dave jokes on how the name came about. Jenny is now BeGin’s “workhorse”, where they do test batches and refine flavours, and Lila is their main still. She produces 250 bottles a batch of Juno’s 700mL Extra Fine Gin bottles, and 1,000 of Juno 200mL seasonal gins. Juno’s seasonal gins, Jo says, are made with “what’s growing and abundant” at the time of production. Their Limited Edition Seasonal Summer 2019 Gin was recently awarded a Gold at the inaugural New Zealand Spirits Awards in the Gin category, while

their Juno Styx BarrelAged Gin received Silver.

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y IS A KEY FOCUS Implementing sustainable practices across the business is a top priority. Jo and Dave worked with rivet to apply waste reduction and minimisation into Lila’s design. At the end of each distillation, the water is separated from the juniper berries. Both are reused.

“The juniper berries go to Gavin Giles, a local, classically trained chocolatier, and he makes truffles with them,” says Dave. The still water is used to make beer – the result of a summer project undertaken by Massey University chemical and bioprocess engineering student Tash Snowball-Kui for BeGin Distilling and the Three Sisters Brewery in Taranaki. Jo says, “She was able to take a concept to full commercial product in six weeks.” “We obviously make more still water than beer, but now we have a route to market for all of our waste from the still,” adds Dave. Many

high-quality,

locally

sourced botanicals are used to make Juno. Jo and Dave are also working with national research bodies, such as Massey University, and horticulturalists to try to grow ingredients that currently can only be purchased from overseas. The hope is that botanicals, such as juniper and orris root, can be successfully grown and harvested in New Zealand in the future. “We currently have two trial patches of Angelica root growing here in Taranaki,” notes Jo.

A L L I N T H E D E TA I L S A high level of consideration and time has gone into creating every element of the business, which officially launched with Juno Extra

Fine Gin in July 2017. Even the smallest of details, such as the labels on the Juno bottles, are significant. “From dark to light, from profane to sacred, from earthly to spiritual – it plays on the fact it’s a spirit,” says Jo of the Juno label. The goddess Juno, a juniper tree and Mount Taranaki are some of the references illustrated within the coppercoloured letters of Juno. The label was hand-drawn by Craig Jones, the creative director at Strategy Collective (a New Plymouth-based business services agency that worked with BeGin Distilling). “If you look really closely, we carved our initials into a love

THE GREAT NEW ZEALAND JUNIPER HUNT W W W.JU NOGIN. CO . NZ/J U NIPER -H U N T

The essential ingredient of all gins, juniper, is typically sourced by most Australian and New Zealand artisan distilleries from the Northern Hemisphere. It’s what spurred BeGin Distilling – in collaboration with Reefton Distilling Co. and Massey University – to create the Great New Zealand Juniper Hunt. Together, they’ve put a callout to New Zealanders to help them find local juniper trees and shrubs.

“We know they are popular here as an ornamental plant, so we know that they grow well,” says Jo of the juniperus communis (common juniper) in New Zealand.

They’re asking people to keep an eye out for juniper in parks, backyards and gardens across New Zealand, and to contact them or share their finds on social media (#nzjuniperhunt) if they think they’ve found a juniper shrub or tree. Massey University will then test samples of the juniper and extract DNA, with the end goal being to establish a commercial juniper industry in New Zealand. If this becomes a reality, artisan distilleries across New Zealand (and likely many other countries across the Southern Hemisphere) will enjoy direct access to delicious, locally grown juniper berries to make their gins.

JO AND DAVE ARE TRIALLING GROWING THEIR OWN BOTANICALS, INCLUDING ANGELICA ROOT.

LOVE A G&T? FOLLOW THE LEAD OF JUNO CO-FOUNDER JO AND TRY JUNO EXTRA FINE GIN WITH FEVER-TREE MEDITERRANEAN TONIC WITH A SLICE OF FRESH LIME.

P A S S I O N AT E A B O U T THEIR CRAFT Making gin is a labour of love for Dave and Jo, with the pair often on the road promoting Juno Gin at festivals, expos and industry events. “I am having so much fun,” says Jo. “It’s part of my job to go home at night and try new cocktails.”

heart on the tree in the ‘o’ of Juno,” Dave says. The judges at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition liked the label too. They awarded Juno Extra Fine Gin the Double Gold in the Packaging category, as well as Silver in the Best Gin category.

Describing Juno Extra Fine Gin as “juniper-led, aromatic, with a beautiful citrus sparkle to it and some peppery heat at the finish”, Jo says it’s a versatile London-style dry gin that drinks well in a martini (or dirty martini), on the rocks (how Dave, a whisky lover, enjoys it with a dash of water) and in a G&T. “I am a gin and tonic girl,” says Jo. “I like Juno with Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic. That’s my go-to and I love it with a slice of fresh lime. It keeps it singing.”

THE GINSIDER

FREAK LAST WORD COCKTAIL

Caroline Childerley – aka The Gin Queen – is a true gin lover and connoisseur. Passionate about gin and those who make it, she runs the reputed The Gin Queen blog, is an educator, event coordinator, industry ambassador, collaborator and influencer, and a partner and organiser of gin festival Junipalooza. For this issue’s Ginsider, Caroline spoke to us about her – and our – tipple of choice.

How did you come to establish The Gin Queen blog in 2013? I’d been in Australia for about two years and was on a mission to discover Australian gin when a friend suggested I write about it. You run a range of gin-centric events, including Gin Queen on Tour and a gin school – tell us more about them. Getting to meet fellow gin lovers is always fun. The tours are a great way for me to get people out to meet the distillers and, of course, people are relieved that I take care of the transport. No one wants to be the designated driver on a distillery tour, do they? It’s a way of bringing extra business to the

C A R O LIN E C H ILDER LEY

“

I LOVE WINNING PEOPLE OVER WHO SAY THEY DON’T LIKE GIN

FREAK LAST WORD RECIPE

A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL RECIPE FROM ONE OF CAROLINE’S DESERT ISLAND GINS, NEVER NEVER DISTILLING CO’S JUNIPER FREAK GIN. 20mL Never Never Juniper Freak Gin 20mL Green Chartreuse 20mL Maraschino Liqueur 20mL fresh lime juice Add all ingredients into a cocktail tin, add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

distilleries too. I’m planning other sets of tours as we speak. The gin-school workshops I run at [Melbourne bar] Gin Palace are intimate – with around 16 people – and a way of really talking indepth about the gins I’m showcasing. What do you love most when educating people about gin? I’m always delighted when someone brings a friend who declares they don’t like gin and then winning them over! I very much enjoy showing people gins they may not have come across and finding them a new favourite.

You’re an active participant in the gin industry, including as a partner and organiser of the fabulous Junipalooza Melbourne. What’s in store for this year? Junipalooza is Australia’s most popular gin event. I own it in with my business partners Gin Foundry, who launched in London six years ago.

Our whole ethos is about meeting the makers. We don’t sell stands to gin brands that can’t guarantee their distiller or brand owner will be available across the whole weekend. We are very strict about that! We want guests to really make a connection with the people making their favourite gin. We were very excited to have Desmond Payne

CAROLINE’S DESERT ISLAND GINS NEVER NEVER DISTILLING JUNIPER FREAK GIN “To make my martinis.” Adelaide-based Never Never Distilling Co. pride themselves on making juniper-forward gins, and this couldn’t be more evident than in their Juniper Freak Gin. Made with juniper from North Macedonia, Never Never describes it as a “seriously big gin” – and that it is, with an ABV of 58%. Aromatic and intense, this spirit is for those who love juniper. The 2018 batch was awarded ‘Australia’s Best Navy Gin’ at the World Gin Awards 2019.

MANLY SPIRITS AUSTRALIAN DRY GIN “For that ocean vibe.” This Australian dry gin is made in Manly on Sydney’s beautiful northern beaches. Crafted by the Manly Spirits Co., it is distilled using a blend of traditional, Australiannative and sustainably foraged marine botanicals, including

sea lettuce, aniseed myrtle, finger lime, mountain pepper leaf and orange peel. A bold and well-rounded spirit that its makers describe as a “London Dry style with an Australian coastal twist”, it has a bright, fresh citrus nose, with gentle peppery notes on the palate.

FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN “To keep me warm at night.” The much-loved Four Pillars distillery in Victoria’s Yarra Valley took another element for which the region is famous – wine – and used it to make this unique gin. The Bloody Shiraz Gin is made annually, the first batch of which was produced in 2015. The process sees Yarra Valley Shiraz grapes steeped in Rare Dry Gin. Eight weeks later, the fruit is pressed and then blended with more gin. The end result is a spirit that varies in colour from deep red to purple, with grape aromas and berry and pepper flavours. An unfiltered gin with a higher ABV (the 2018 batch was 37.8%), it’s a special gin that works a treat in cocktails.

CAROLINE’S CURRENT FAVOURITE GIN

ISLE OF HARRIS GIN This distillery takes its name from the Isle of Harris, a small island off the far northwest coast of Scotland, where it is located. Often called the ‘social distillery’, it was opened in October 2015 by Anderson ‘Burr’ Bakewell to help create long-term employment for residents of the island’s harbour village of Tarbert. (They now employ a team of over 30 people). Isle of Harris gin was the distillery’s first spirit. Juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, cubebs, bitter orange peel, liquorice and cassia bark feature in this smooth and complex spirit, alongside locally harvested sugar kelp, which provides its dry coastal notes.

MBE, Master Distiller of Beefeater Gin, join us last year. People loved meeting the man behind such an iconic brand. This year is going to be an epic one for us. After three successful years at the Meat Market [in Melbourne], we are moving to a much bigger venue – Central Pier in Docklands. This means we can welcome even more gin lovers. There are lots of new distillers joining us, predominantly from Australia, but there will be a few internationals like Hernö from Sweden. Tickets went on sale in February and we have already sold 70% of tickets with five months to go! What do you love about gin as a spirit? First, I love the taste of juniper. Second, I love that so many cocktails have it as an ingredient. What was your introduction to gin? Strong G&Ts with my former mother-in-law.

Do you have a preferred way to drink gin? So many different ways! It depends on my mood and the time of day. Any current favourite gins? I’ve recently discovered Isle of Harris Gin – delicious! Best gin experience you’ve ever had? Again, so many to choose from. Either Hernö taking me to Sweden to judge their international cocktail competition, or doing a collaboration with Four Pillars for The Gin Queen’s fifth anniversary. What does your personal gin collection look like? I think I’m currently sitting at around 200 bottles. I’m fortunate that distillers send me lots to try.

Junipalooza Melbourne Image credit: Gin Queen/Gin Foundry

If you were stuck on a desert island, which three gins would you bring with you and why? Never Never Distilling Juniper Freak Gin to make my martinis, Manly Gin for that ocean vibe, and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz to keep me warm at night. If you could travel to any city or country in the world to sample their gin, where would it be? Not a particular country, but Scandinavia appeals. You’ve been writing about gin and been involved in the industry for over five years, so how do you think it’s changed? The sheer volume of gins available! When I started there were only around five Aussie gins. Now there are about 96 distilleries here making gin! Anything you’d like to add? Support Australian distillers wherever possible!

Organised by The Gin Queen and Gin Foundry, Junipalooza Melbourne returns for its fourth instalment on the weekend of October 26 and 27. Held for the first time at Central Pier in Docklands, attendees will be able to talk directly to the makers of more than 40 gins, as well as sample and purchase them. Junipalooza Melbourne is a sister event to others held in London and Germany.

WA NT TO LE ARN MORE ABOUT GIN? The Gin Queen runs a range of gin-centric events, including tours, workshops, gin schools and dinners. To find out what’s coming up and if there’s availability, visit https://theginqueen.com/ events-page

CAROLINE’S GIN LIST The Gin Queen: https://theginqueen.com Never Never Juniper Freak Gin: https://neverneverdistilling.com. au/product/juniper-freak-gin-500ml Isle of Harris Gin: www.harrisdistillery.com/harris-gin Manly Spirits Australian Dry Gin: https://manlyspirits.com.au/gin Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin: www.fourpillarsgin.com.au/ buying/bloody-shiraz-gin Junipalooza Melbourne: www.junipalooza.com/melbourne

MUST-TRY NEW ZEALAND GINS

Image credit: Boysenberry Blush Gin

The Gin List New Zealand is home to a host of top-notch craft gin makers. Here’s our pick of five you just have to try. BOYSENBERRY BLUSH GIN

http://blushgin.co.nz

Blush Gin is the creation of Elliot McClymont and Chris Thomas. Fresh Nelson boysenberries are the star of this soft, smooth gin, and its founders say it’s versatile enough to enjoy over ice with a mixer like Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water, as it is added over a serve of boysenberry ripple ice cream. Juniper, liquorice root, coriander, cassia bark, Angelica root, lemon and orange peel, tangerine, orris root and cardamom are the other botanicals used in this triple-distilled, handcrafted and batch-infused gin – said to be the first boysenberry gin in the world.

https://1919distilling.com

1919 Distilling is named in honour of the year that over half of New Zealanders stood up for their rights and voted down prohibition. An artisan gin with batch sizes ranging from six to 200 bottles, the Original Gin is made with Otago cherries, Manuka honey, organic lemons and oranges, and a range of botanicals including juniper, orris root and cinnamon. On the palate, this gin has juniper-forward notes moving to warm underlying tones of Manuka honey and cherries with a hint of citrus. This classic gin pairs perfectly with East Imperial Burma Tonic and a fresh slice of lemon.

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1919 DISTILLING O R I G I N A L G I N

THE DOYENNE

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The Doyenne is the delightful sophomore gin of Wellington-based distillery (the city’s first) Bureaucrats Gin. A juniper-led spirit that’s been paired with the Southeast Asian-inspired botanicals of coriander, lime, lemongrass and coconut, it was released in January 2019 and is the distillery’s second gin. Created and refined over several months until the perfect recipe was concocted, The Doyenne is a bold, balanced and original gin that drinks well on the rocks with fresh lime, in a G&T, or with a touch of Rose’s Lime Juice. http://bureaucratsgin.co.nz

DANCING SANDS DRY GIN

https://dancingsands.com

Dancing Sands Distillery takes its name from the Te Waikoropupu Springs (The Place of the Dancing Sands) in the New Zealand town of Golden Bay. The unique dry gin is made with water drawn from the aquifer that feeds the springs, doubledistilled and vapour-infused with eight native botanicals – New Zealand Manuka leaves, juniper, almond, Angelica root, cardamom, coriander, liquorice root and peppercorns. Interestingly, the gin contains no citrus, which is a rarity among dry gins. A complex and well-balanced spirit.

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LITTLE BIDDY WEST COAST www.reeftondistillingco.com BOTANICAL DRY GIN

Reefton Distilling Co. takes its name from the one-time goldmining town it’s based in on New Zealand’s West Coast. This great little distillery makes a range of gin, whisky, vodka and seasonal fruit liqueurs, including their self-described ‘gin with attitude’ Little Biddy West Coast Botanical Dry Gin. Named after “a pipe-smoking, gin-toting, fourfoot-tall goldminer” local legend called Little Biddy, it’s a versatile and robust spirit with a palette of spiced citrus and warm resin. It was recently awarded a Silver Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

CRAFTING A LANGUAGE FOR NEW ZEALAND ARTISAN GIN 22

A research project initiated by Jo and Dave James of BeGin Distilling and undertaken by New Zealand’s Massey University is set to help consumers better articulate the flavours and sensations of New Zealand artisan gins.

“We have seen some great flavour wheels and terminology come out of the UK, but we realised that these typically reference Northern Hemisphere flavours and flavour understanding,” explains Jo. Jo and Dave hoped to create something similar that reflected the local market: “We wanted something that spoke to New Zealanders and the kinds of flavours we would encounter here.” BeGin approached Massey University, which

conducted the study involving gin consumers in seven focus groups. Participants sniffed and tasted a range of gins and described the sensory characteristics they perceived. The trial sample consisted of 22 New Zealand artisan gins (including BeGin’s Juno range and other gins provided by local distilleries), as well as Bombay Sapphire and Gordon’s London Dry Gin for comparison. A list of the most common

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terms cited by participants was compiled and formed the basis of the New Zealand Gin Flavour Wheel. Plans to further develop the research are also underway.

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“Having a tasting panel composed of New Zealanders who were tasting New Zealand gins helped build a lexicon that we can use to describe the rich array of flavours that our New Zealand gin distillers are producing,” says Jo. Jo and Dave have shared the findings with Distilled Spirits Aotearoa, an industry body they helped establish with other local distilleries. They hope the research will – in addition to allowing consumers to better understand and describe gin – serve as a promotional and educational tool for distillers and the broader spirits community, including end users such as those serving New Zealand artisan gins.

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WITH WORDS, WE CAN START TO BUILD UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHY ARTISAN GINS DIFFER FROM THE MAINSTREAM, AND HOW THEY DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER,” says Jo.

IN THE MIX W I T H

E R T E L

Courtney Ertel

C O U R T N E Y

MAKE THESE TASTY CUSTOM COCKTAILS CREATED BY JUNO MIXOLOGIST, ADVISOR AND COLLABORATOR COURTNEY ERTEL. A keen surfer, yoga lover, mother and expert mixologist, Courtney Ertel is a beverage specialist whose career has seen her work in venues across Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne and New Plymouth. “Currently, I spend my time mixing at private events, catering cocktails to high-end clients – which I love – and I am also establishing the first rooftop bar in New Plymouth.” Courtney was first introduced to Juno Gin in 2017 while managing Social Kitchen, a bistro in New Plymouth. “Jo and Dave [of Juno Gin] invited local hospitality talent to present tasting notes on their gin. We bonded over a cloudy gin, which excited my tastebuds, and I left the Juno team with my contact details on my tasting notes.” 28

SUMMER FLING INGREDIENTS

60mL Juno Extra Fine Gin 30mL lime juice 45mL ginger beer 15mL pineapple juice 3 dashes of Angostura bitters Fresh mint sprigs Orange slice Lime slice

METHOD

Pour the Juno Gin, lime juice and pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and dump into a tall glass. Top up the glass with ice and ginger beer. Add a dash of Angostura bitters to the top and stir for five seconds. Garnish with mint sprigs, lime and orange slices. 29

CUCUMBER COOLER INGREDIENTS

60mL Juno Extra Fine Gin 15mL lime juice 1 tsp honey 4 cucumber slices 1 rosemary sprig Fresh rosemary sprigs and cucumber peel for garnish.

METHOD

Place ice in a martini glass and set aside for later. Muddle cucumber and rosemary in your cocktail shaker. Add ice, Juno Extra Fine Gin, honey and lime juice. Stir vigorously until the cocktail shaker is coated in a cold film. Empty ice from the martini glass and, using a Hawthorne (cocktail) strainer, strain all the ingredients into your martini glass. Garnish with cucumber peel and rosemary sprig. 30

Courtney collaborated with them soon after on cocktail recipes and photo shoots for Juno Extra Fine Gin. Describing it as a “beautiful, well-refined gin” that pairs well with soda or tonic, she thinks it’s a spirit that will appeal to both new and traditional gin drinkers. Courtney herself enjoys Juno Extra Fine Gin with “ice, stirred down, and a flamed orange peel to accentuate the citrus-oil profile”. Want to make cocktails at home?

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“Spend time on the temperature of your drink – like ice,” she suggests. “Entice the flavours you enjoy with citrus or herbs, and garnish with your personality, like flowers. Remember to invest in your mixers as much as you invest in your spirits. There’s nothing worse than having a tonic that ruins your gin experience.”

For the Love Lo MIKEY BALL IS THE FOUNDER OF BALLIN’ DRINKS AND CREATIVE.

After a decade spent working overseas in Dubai, Canada and the UK (including at award-winning cocktail bars like London’s Milk and Honey and the now-shuttered Dandelyan), he returned to New Zealand and set up Ballin’.

Based in Auckland, Mikey works with hospitality businesses across New Zealand to bring a fresh perspective to the way they work. This includes a keen focus on the use of local ingredients, sustainable practices and unconventional methods. He spoke to us about the use of New Zealand ingredients, being behind the bar and making drinks.

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The benefits of local

Mikey says people should strive to know where their produce and ingredients come from. For him, locality is about asking yourself the what, where, when and how behind the ingredients you use. “The short and simple of it is, buying local not only tells you where it’s come from, it gives you more control over quality. This ensures less double-handling and middlemen – which potentially leads to extra packaging and travel costs. Lastly, you are connecting with the community and building business in your neighbourhood.”

Making more with less On an industry level, Mikey notes that while local produce and ingredients may not always be the cheapest, they are often better quality. “We [at Ballin’] try and focus on the potential of that product’s

second use or third use. This makes the initial cost a little less daunting, as you know you can prepare two or even three items from the same product.” He cites the use of lemon in bars as an example. “Classically, we juice them fresh or cut them for garnish. We can take the lemon shells after juicing and produce a number of things, from citrus stocks that can cut down your citrus use in drink, to citrus acid packs and cordials. You could also take your leftover cut garnish lemons and add them to sugar to extract the oils, leaving you a delicious fresh citrus honey or syrup.”

New Zealand gin Mikey has enjoyed seeing the rise of native botanicals being used in New Zealand craft gins and believes it’s a great way to showcase local flavours. “We have a very unique climate, which gives a pretty different flavour profile to the classic gin botanicals – especially in the citrus department. There is word

GIN, IN GENERAL, IS A GREAT CARRIER OF FLAVOUR AND HELPS BUILD A SOLID BACKBONE TO A DRINK... Mikey Ball of Ballin’

of some juniper projects going on as well, which will be interesting to see what our terroir brings to the table.” Though he adds: “There are some great products out there shaping this market. I just hope it doesn’t get saturated on a local scale as we are so small.”

IN NEW ZEALAND, THERE’S A WHOLE HEAP OF NATIVE PLANTS AND PRODUCE THAT YOU CAN PLAY WITH 36

Introducing local elements to gin drinks

...OFTEN, THE ADDITION OF EXTRA BOTANICALS IS BENEFICIAL, BUT BE CAREFUL – FOR ME, LESS IS MORE

http://ballindrinks.com

“I use a lot of native herbs and root vegetables,” says Mikey on using local ingredients, such as garnishes, in ginbased drinks. “Lately I have been playing with nettles, gorse, sorrel and hops quite a lot. The likes of purple kumara, horopito [New Zealand pepper tree] and kawakawa [also a pepper tree] are all relatively easy to find or get your hands on – whether you pick them yourself or buy them in tea format, which is becoming more popular.” Mikey notes that the treatment of the ingredients will differ and is very much on a case-by-case basis, depending on its properties and its use. For example, many green leafy ingredients benefit from being dried out and then rehydrated, either in water as a tea or in a spirit as an infusion. While for ingredients like gorse flowers

and kumara, often dabbling in some fermentation is a good option. “Gin, in general, is a great carrier of flavour and helps build a solid backbone to a drink,” Mikey says. “Often, the addition of extra botanicals is beneficial, but be careful – for me, less is more.” He adds that while “there’s a whole heap of native plants and produce that you can play with” it’s essential to do your research. “Always read up about the ingredients you intend to use. Also how they should or have been treated before.” How can you better understand the flavours that make up a craft gin? “Read the labels,” Mikey says. “Understand the botanicals, but most of all, taste it by itself first before you throw it into a highball with tonic or in your favourite drink.”

THE REVIEW: JUNO GIN Each month, a Gin Society expert reviews our featured spirit of the month and concocts a special recipe for our members. This issue, the talented Jess Old, manager of ITCH Wine Bar in New Plymouth, creates a beautiful cocktail with Juno Extra Fine Gin. 38

GIN REVIEW

55 JESS’S TASTING NOTES

Juno Extra Fine Gin certainly lives up to its name. Using fresh mountain water from Mount Taranaki, which towers over the distillery, you can feel its artisan quality when you take your first sip. Smooth, light and pure in texture means I’m instantly going back for a second. Juniper is first and forefront on both the nose and at first taste, however this blends almost instantly into clear citrus notes of fresh lemon peel. With a spice kick from the coriander and pepper lingering on the middle of the palate, the blend of flavours is robust, complex and delicate – which is no small feat! I appreciate the lingering quality of the other base botanicals, with Manuka and cardamom both deserving a special mention as they come through beautifully at the front of the palate. What I love about Juno is that the big and botanical structure of the gin can hold its own flavour with tonic and in cocktails, however it is equally drinkable as a sipping gin on the rocks. The balance of delicate, local botanicals with a heavy citrus and juniper character is unique and completely delicious. It is thoughtfully made, with taste and texture complementing each other perfectly.

GIN SOCIETY EXPERT

NAME: JESS OLD WORKS AT: ITCH WINE BAR, NEW PLYMOUTH, NEW ZEALAND

Jess manages ITCH Wine Bar in beautiful Taranaki after living and breathing hospitality in Wellington for the past six years. A spirits and wine expert, her philosophy around mixology is based on showcasing fine spirits in simple and delicious ways. Jess is all about great banter, offering an experience, and remembering who you are and what you drink every time!

FLAVOUR PROFILE Profiled by Jess Old exclusively for Gin Society.

JUNIPER

CITRUS

FLORAL

HEAT

HERBAL

SPICE

Graded out of 100

COCKTAIL RECIPE:

MOUNT JUNO MARTINI This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident expert Jess Old of ITCH Wine Bar, in New Plymouth, NZ, shares her favourite cocktail recipe to make with Juno Gin.

30ML JUNO EXTRA FINE GIN 30ML RINQUINQUIN 30ML OSCAR 697 BIANCO VERMOUTH D E H Y D R AT E D L I M E W H E E L A N D R O S E B U D T O G A R N I S H Chill serving glass with ice. Pour Rinquinquin, Juno Extra Fine Gin and Oscar 697 into mixing glass and stir. Single-strain into a chilled glass (dump the ice). Garnish with dehydrated lime wheel and rosebud.

Hint: You can swap out Rinquinquin for any type of peach liquor, and the Oscar 697 Bianco Vermouth for an alternative aromatic, bianco vermouth of your choosing.

MASTERING THE ART OF THE G&T

When it comes to making a first-class G&T, your choice of mixer is as important as the gin. Here, three industry experts share how they approach pairing tonics, gin and garnishes for the most delicious take on this classic cocktail. 42

Mark Harris

Before I started making Sin Gin I despaired at the standard of G&T I was being served. It just may have been a glass of tonic with a twist of lemon – no flavour. My main focus when I was developing my recipes was that the flavour should shine through. Every Sin Gin has loads of flavour, which is well complemented by a dry, low sugar (no artificial sweeteners either) tonic.

MARK HARRIS, HEAD DISTILLER AT PERTHBASED DISTILLERY SIN GIN How do you choose what kind of tonic and garnish pairs best with a craft gin? Tonic: I start with the tonic. You have just paid good money for a bottle of premium, handcrafted, made-with-love gin. The worst thing you can do is bury it with a sticky sweet mass-produced tonic. Growing up alongside our local gin industry is a local tonic industry – check them out and support Australian products.

We have been using CAPI Dry Tonic since we started with all our gins. It is low in sugar and has a clean dry flavour, which complements our gins. Garnish: Gone are the days when every gin was automatically garnished with a slice of lemon. Citrus does work very well with citrus-led gins. Dried slices of citrus are being used in place of fresh for a more subtle, and visually more interesting, drink. “I’ve been experimenting with different dry garnishes – I garnish our Australian Dry Gin with star anise and juniper berries. I’ve also experimented with cinnamon quills, whole lemon myrtle leaves and dried pomegranate seeds.”

How can gin lovers put this into practice at home? Two of my other favourite ways of serving G&T is with a couple of teaspoons of fresh pomegranate seeds. It gives the drink a nice pink blush and it’s a good one for citrus gins. Serve with freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, dilute with soda to taste, no garnish or tonic required. Another low-sugar option, especially with citrus gins, is to use a combination of tonic and soda, sometimes called a Gin and Sonic. In the end, with both tonic and garnish it comes down to personal preference, so have fun experimenting. Just one tip on garnish, cucumber only works with Hendrick’s! Any tips on how to make the perfect G&T? How do you enjoy yours? I visited Bilbao in the Basque Country on the north coast of Spain and was amazed at how the Gin Tonica had been elevated to an art form. Large balloon glasses are the norm. Each drink is lovingly prepared using combinations of fresh and dry garnishes. Large refreshing drinks for a 44 hot climate, much like here.

At home, use your red wine glasses. My perfect G&T starts with a large wine glass with dry garnish in the bottom. Add 60mL of Sin Gin – any one of them, they are all great! Let it rest for a minute, then add ice and top up with 250mL of CAPI Dry Tonic. Anything you’d like to add? In the colder months, good gins can be enjoyed neat. I use a small schnapps glass and just sip it. Very warming on a cold evening.

that style of gin isn’t generally very floral. Some Australian gins have quite significant citrus in the botanical makeup, so I wouldn’t want to enhance the citrus within the tonic. I would try to dumb that flavour down so it’s more balanced. How can gin lovers put this into practice at home? The beauty of craft gins and tonics is that you can get

w w w.t h e m u r ra yh o t e l . co m / singindistillery

MIKEY ENRIGHT, DIRECTOR OF THE BARRELHOUSE GROUP (THE BARBER SHOP AND THE DUKE OF CLARENCE IN SYDNEY) How do you choose what kind of tonic and garnish pairs best with a craft gin? I try to match what style of gin versus style of tonic – but overall, I want it to be flavour matching/enhancing and sometimes challenging. So a London Dry Gin goes well with a dry tonic with citrus. Makes sense. However, it would also go well with a floral tonic, such as Artisan Violet Blossom Tonic, because

Mikey Enright

When using dry garnish, let the gin come in contact with the garnish for a minute or so to release the flavours before adding ice and tonic. Another advantage of dry garnish is that you can keep a supply in your pantry and don’t have to play ‘hunt the lemon’.

creative and add your own touches with garnishes and even flavour enhancers, such as bitters. Try adding juniper berries, fresh herbs, edible flowers, seasonal fruits and native botanicals picked in parks (obviously, only those that are edible). The world is your oyster, or do I mean your garnish? Any tips on how to make the perfect G&T? How do you enjoy yours? A ratio of 1:3 gin to tonic is the correct balance for the perfect G&T. Serve in a

highball or goblet-style glass with quality ice cubes (28mL would be ideal) to the top rim of the glass. This will keep the drink cold and add the perfect dilution required.

Well, first of all, pairing gin and tonics is fun, so just go for it. Experiment and you may find that unusual pairings blossom. Citrus-led gins go well with herbal tonics. Earthy gins go well with aromatic tonics. However, there are no rules when it comes to creating combinations.

Most G&Ts go really well with citrus, such as lemon, lime cut as a wheel/wedge or a simple slice. The G&T needs to be balanced, cold and with enough effervescence. It should be a refreshing drink. Anything you’d like to add?

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How do you enjoy yours? Leon Dalloway

In the UK, the humble G&T has become the cocktail to make at home. The market has dictated that the consumer wants to experiment. We’re seeing more and more craft gins and tonics being created in all its many forms. It’s never been a better time to be a gin lover in our lifetime.

Any tips on how to make the perfect G&T? There are rules when it comes to creating the G&T:

LEON DALLOWAY, GIN BOSS AND FOUNDER/MD OF THE GIN JOURNEY How do you choose what kind of tonic and garnish pairs best with a craft gin?

2. Garnish is key: Make sure it’s fresh and matches. Herbs are great. Slap them between your hands and place next to your (compostable) straw. Use citrus zest and spread aromas over the top of the drink. Your garnish should create aroma, which gets your mouth excited to drink. 3. Glassware: Go tall highball or wide-stemmed copa [balloon-shaped] glass, or use your best burgundy glasses if you like. They deserve some love. 4. Favourite gin and favourite tonic: Get your ratio right and go, go, go.

1. Ice above everything: Always fill your glass with quality ice. The less ice, the quicker it dilutes. The more and better the ice, the longer it will last, ensuring your drink stays cooler for longer. Play with better ice moulds and creating your own quality ice.

Here are a few of my favourite gin, tonic and garnish pairings: • Four Pillars Rare Dry and East Imperial Royal Botanic Tonic with orange zest. • St George Terroir and FeverTree Mediterranean Tonic with rosemary and lemon. • Manly Spirits Australian Dry and Fever-Tree Indian Tonic with grapefruit zest and mint. • Martin Miller’s and FeverTree Indian Tonic with strawberry and black pepper. • Sipsmith V.J.O.P. and FeverTree Aromatic Tonic with lemon zest and bay leaf. www.ginjourney.com

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The Gin Society team

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 Advertising: sales@ginsociety.com Events: events@ginsociety.com Partnerships: partnerships@ginsociety.com

Founders: Andrew Burge and Craig Hodges Director: Jagdev Singh General manager: Edwina Lawry Creative director: Annah Lansdown Editors: Lisa Cugnetto and Helen Alexander Sub-editor: Simon Jones

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