PINK PEPPER GIN by ginsociety

THE PINK PEPPER GIN EDITION

COGNAC, FRANCE

PICTURESQUE VIEW OF STREETS AND OLD HOUSES OF COGNAC TOWN, WHERE MIKO BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A COGNAC DISTILLER AND WHERE PINK PEPPER GIN IS NOW MADE.

FOUNDER’S

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest edition of the Gin Journal. We could not be more excited to share this eye-catching bottle with you, which hails all the way from France’s renowned Cognac-producing region. Just as we’re not your average gin-appreciation society, Pink Pepper is not your average gin. Turning away from the usual gin botanicals, distiller Miko Abouaf takes us on a journey of discovery as he describes what led him to settle on the non-traditional botanicals of honey, vanilla and tonka in order to create a drop that’s aromatic, intense and deliciously sippable. Co-founder Ian Spink also shares stories of the pair’s quest to source the very best ingredients – from vanilla pods located

PINK PEPPER GIN DOESN’T USE A COPPER STILL BUT A VACUUM STILL MADE OF GLASS. THIS PROCESS MAXIMISES THE FRESHNESS OF THE BOTANICALS AND MAINTAINS BEAUTIFUL FLAVOURS.

on a tiny equatorial island, to honey drawn from hives just a few miles away. Talking of (queen) bees, our Ginsider and one of Australia’s favourite radio personalities Tim Blackwell tells us how Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II inspired his passion for mixing up a ginheavy G&T. Read our interview to discover the bottles he turns to when he wants to whip up a Tom Collins for guests, as well as the extra-special offerings he saves for sipping and savouring. Finally, when it comes to making the most of your Pink Pepper Gin, Miko and Ian suggest you try it straight. Then be sure to check out their Negroni recipe, which really allows the pink peppercorns, cardamom and juniper elements to shine – turn to page 10 to craft yours. As always, you can drop us a line at hello@ ginsociety.com – we look forward to hearing from you. Cheers!

Andrew Burge Founder, Gin Society

VISIT US AT WWW.GINSOCIETY.COM

18 4 THE GREAT EXPERIMENT Meet the makers of Pink Pepper Gin

FIG GIN

Free gift inside your Gin Society box

Con 20 ICE ICE BABY

Chill your gin cocktails right with our free gift inside your Gin Society Box

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 Editors: Lisa Cugnetto and Helen Alexander Sub-editor: Simon Jones

22 THE GINSIDER

with Nova’s Tim Blackwell

PINK PEPPER GIN

ntents 26 THE BEE’S KNEES

Pay homage to honey with this delicious historical cocktail

30 THE REVIEW with Mikael Gillard

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Experim The Great

Turning away from traditional gin botanicals, distiller Miko Abouaf tells us about how his adventures with honey, vanilla and tonka led to the creation of Pink Pepper Gin.

ment

Turning away from traditional gin botanicals, distiller Miko Abouaf tells us about how his adventures with honey, vanilla and tonka led to the creation of Pink Pepper Gin. 5

Miko’s living room laboratory

From cognac to gin

After several years working as a cognac distiller, Miko decided to see if he could make a honey gin. He’d already explored various botanicals and production methods, taking inspiration from Ian Hart of Sacred Spirit’s scientific approach to vacuum distillation, and building his own library of distillates. “Of course, the core botanical has to be juniper, but once you have that you’re free to do whatever you want, which is what makes gin so sensational,” Miko says. “Rather than creating a classic London Dry style or including the botanicals usually found in gin, I wanted to achieve a different expression. And so, when searching for ingredients, I embraced an empirical process of trial and error.”

That might sound a bit too scientific for some but, sitting in his living room laboratory, next to a couple of 30-litre

vacuum stills, it’s clear that Miko’s experimentation has paid off. “My initial plan was not to necessarily have my own brand; I was primarily interested in creating a spirit and being behind the scenes. But when I saw the flexibility offered by vacuum distillation, I thought it was fantastic. I had absolutely no idea about it to begin with. I went on eBay and bought myself a rotary evaporator and it was only when it arrived that I realised you needed a vacuum pump and a cooling system!” Having embarked on this learning process, he went on to co-found Audemus Spirits in 2013 with neighbour Ian Spink. “I was running a soup business at the time,” recalls Ian, “Miko came by with the first batch of Pink Pepper. I hadn’t had gin since I was young and got very drunk, but I was completely blown away.”

FEATURE ARTICLE PINK PEPPER GIN

The making of a honey gin Living in the heart of the Cognac-producing region in western France, Miko recalls how he’d come across a local spring honey that was “very floral, very creamy and just delicious”. At the time, he never imagined it would turn into a commercial product, and instead spent an exploratory six months working towards a recipe he

was happy with. And yes, alongside honey, the spirit contains a fragrant punch of pink pepper. “I was testing out different botanicals and different recipes, but it was when I added pink pepper that there was a real eureka moment – that’s how the name came about.”

THE TWO MEN WERE NEIGHBOURS WHEN MIKO BROUGHT IAN THE FIRST TASTE OF PINK PEPPER GIN. “I WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY,” SAYS IAN.

Miko at work in his living room laboratory

Pink peppercorns

Local spring honey

MIKO DESCRIBES THE HONEY USED IN PINK PEPPER GIN AS “VERY FLORAL, VERY CREAMY AND JUST DELICIOUS”

The idea was to make something aromatic and intense, and in describing this botanically rich gin, Miko compares it to perfume. “In the top notes you’ve got the juniper, cardamom and pink peppercorn, which give it this real bright and heavy punch. In the core you’ve got cinnamon and two secret ingredients that I’m not allowed to disclose because we like to keep an air of mystery! Then, at the base, there’s distilled honey, which was the original aim, as well as tonka bean and vanilla infusions. Because these last two elements are not actually distilled, they give it a very rich fattiness and sweetness that lies

FEATURE ARTICLE PINK PEPPER GIN

THE PINK PEPPERCORN GIVES THE GIN A REAL BRIGHT AND HEAVY PUNCH

A tonka bean

Establishing these kinds of close relationships is also something Miko and Ian have been able to achieve in sourcing their vanilla. When a series of extreme weather events caused the price of Madagascan vanilla to shoot up (while the quality plummeted) they came up with a solution thanks to friends living in São Tomé, a little island 140 miles off the coast of Gabon.

at the bottom. This balance is really key to making it into something sippable.” While the honey hails from a few miles away – Miko recently checked up on the bees and he’s pleased to report they’re doing well – some of the other non-traditional ingredients are from farther afield. However, the same desire to support local makers and farmers shines through. “In the beginning, I was literally just looking for flavours. However, now we’re slowly but surely working to get much closer to the producers of the botanicals we use. In fact, we just started working with a juniper grower who’s based in Italy, which is just really lovely.”

“It’s directly on the equator, which is the perfect climate for growing vanilla,” says Miko. “So we’ve set up a little cooperative of vanilla growers, which means we now get our vanilla directly from the producers.” This community spirit continues in Cognac, with Ian describing how increasingly large orders of vanilla meant it was impossible for him and Miko to process the pods by themselves. The solution? A vanilla party, of course. “Everyone brings a chopping board and gets stuck in. Each vanilla pod has to be cut open along the middle, before the seeds are scraped out and macerated in alcohol. We rely on a charming group of retirees who love, love, love participating!”

THE NEGRONI 50 mL Pink Pepper Gin 20mL Campari 20mL Lillet Blanc Stir it for a few seconds in a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with rosemary or orange.

A PERFECT GIN & TONIC 50 mL Pink Pepper Gin 100-125mL Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic Pour ingredients in an icefilled highball glass and garnish with lemon peel or a cracked bay leaf

Winning hearts and minds So how does a modern spirits brand fit in among centuries-old Cognac houses? Better than you might imagine, according to Miko. “The region is made up of people from all over the world. Cognac houses are traditionally from Scandinavia, the Netherlands and the UK, and so it’s actually quite an international and open mindset here. And while Maison Ferrand has been producing Citadelle Gin here for quite a while, we’ve built up a following. We’ve even had the maître de chai (master tasters) from Hennessy, Martell,

Courvoisier and a lot of the other big Cognac houses come to visit us.” All of this goodwill comes with a lot of gratitude, and one way Miko and Ian have been saying thank you is through the names they give each batch of Pink Pepper Gin. There’s Brew de la Barde (batch 7) that’s dedicated to the family who put a roof over Miko’s head as he started out on his gin adventure, while batch 16 acknowledges the

Every botanical is distilled individually, with its own specific method. The maceration time, botanical ratio, ABV, distillation time, pressure and temperature will all depend on the botanical’s character. To learn more, access a video via the QR code for a playful introduction to the ingredients and distillation process that goes into making Pink Pepper Gin.

Ian enjoying Miko’s favourite tipple, a Pink Pepper Gin Negroni

Distillation Video “I LOVE IT IN A NEGRONI; IAN LOVES IT IN A MARTINI. - Miko tireless dedication of the local bottling company. And then there’s Vera’s Chocolate Cake (batch 17) in recognition of Ian’s grandmother’s formidable baking talents. “We felt it was a nice way to mark each batch,” says Ian. “And we each have at least two bottles of every batch on our shelves. So I have one that I’ll open, and one that I’ll never open.”

FEATURE ARTICLE PINK PEPPER GIN

“WHEN YOU ADD TONIC AND ICE, IT REALLY BRINGS OUT THE BRIGHT, FLORAL SIDE OF THE HONEY AND THE PINK PEPPER.

Miko checking the nose of Pink Pepper Gin in his home lab

A unique approach

– which is made with distilled capers, infused parmesan and distilled bergamot, and recently launched in Australia.

This differentiation extends beyond the name. As Ian points out, all the ingredients that Miko distils and blends are natural, and everything is done by hand. As a result, there will always be a slight variation between each batch.

“I really wanted to take the idea of savouriness and put it into a spirit,” says Miko, who continues to explore different flavours, different expressions of juniper and different ideas of what gin can be.

“It’s hardly detectable, but someone with a refined palate would be able to say: ‘Okay, there’s a sense of lavender in that one because the honey bees were feeding on lavender at that time.’”

The pair urge gin-lovers to take an equally experimental approach to enjoying their bottle of Pink Pepper.

Miko describes each batch as the result of “months of accumulation”. The process he has settled on means every botanical is distilled separately, resulting in highly concentrated distillates that are then blended together and mixed with a French wheat base spirit. That’s before it’s filtered and bottled, meaning it can take around three to five months to produce just one batch of gin. But of course, all good things come to those who wait. For the rest of the world, that’s likely to be Miko’s latest spirit – Umami Gin

“When you’ve got it to the nose, you’ve got a real peppery punch. But then, when you taste it, the sweeter, warmer notes come through – for this reason I suggest first sipping it at room temperature,” says Miko. “When you add tonic and ice, it really brings out the bright, floral side of the honey and the pink pepper. We’re often asked what the perfect serve is and we say: ‘Try them all!’ I love it in a Negroni; Ian loves it in a Martini. But that’s the beauty of it. Everything we do is born out of experimentation and intended for people to experiment with.” https://audemus-spirits.com/

Crafted with only the best naturally sourced ingredients from around the world

FREE GIFT inside this month’s delivery!

FIG GIN

Gin made at the Glen Ewin Estate Adelaide Hills Glen Ewin Estate in the Adelaide Hills has been a home and working farm for generations. Inspired by the tones, textures and flavours of the landscape, we select the finest hand-picked figs from our orchard and extract every nuance of flavour for our products. This is where all our ideas emerge and develop.

“

Willa Wauchope the owner of the farm owns 12000 fig trees:

For the fig gin, we are the source, the point of purity. The figs are poached gently to extract the sweet fig aroma, essence, and earthiness. The gin botanicals and spirit show early on the nose with all the fig showing on the palate. Enjoy on the rocks with a squeeze of lime for a flavour explosion and a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, follow with a little tonic, (Mediterranean FeverTree recommended) or soda to create the perfect G&T.

Tasting notes Bright gold. Opens with a bouquet of fresh figs and traditional botanicals. Brief air contact accents hints of lavender, lemon verbena and earthy juniper while the fruit retreats. Pure and creamy with semi-sweet fig flavours dominating, finishing with delicate peel / herbal freshness. Skilfully balanced. Try it with a wedge of lime. 29% Alc./Vol.

When designing our Fig Gin it was important to ensure that the fig was the driver and the juniper the carrier and together merge

to form a complex yet versatile spirit. Aspects of the Fig Gin are brought forward as complimentary additions to a drink are added, ice, lime, tonic and

many others all bring out the complex hidden flavours within gin. We are lucky as distillers and creators, to see support of gin by so many.”

ICE ICE BABY To create the perfect gin and tonic no detail can be overlooked; from your favourite gin, a perfectly matched premium tonic, the ideal garnish… to selecting the

perfect gin glass for your drink, each element of the process is as important as the next. The ice you use is not exempt from this, yet for many, it has become an afterthought.

NOT ALL ICE IS CREATED EQUAL. In terms of keeping your drink colder for longer without totally watering it down you’ve got to go BIG. The benefit of a large format ice cube in a cocktail is surface area, One big ice cube has less total surface area than a scoopful of smaller ones, meaning that less ice is directly in contact with your drink. Individual large format ice cubes will also melt at a slower rate, introducing less immediate water content into a cocktail. The result is a more robust and flavourful drink that stays colder for a longer period of time. Gin Society Large Cube Silicone Ice Cube Tray

Big cubes are the gold standard, prized for their efficacy and style: One oversized block plopped into your gin and tonic not only looks the goods, it cools your G&T effectively. It’s for this reason we have created our own Gin Society flexible silicone large size ice cube trays that you will find included as our exclusive members only gift.

FREE GIFT inside this month’s delivery! 21

THE GINSIDER In this issue, Gin Society gets the lowdown on all things gin with one of Australia’s favourite radio personalities, Tim Blackwell. Most readers will know him as one of the hosts on Nova’s 96.9 popular national drive show, Kate, Tim & Joel.

What was your first proper introduction to gin? I hate to name drop, but it was the Queen! I read her daily food-and-drink routine a few years back and I saw she has a G&T every morning at 11am – 70% gin, 30% tonic. It is a gin and tonic after

all. I can’t say I get the 11am start over the line though… What do you like about gin as a spirit? It’s totally refreshing at any time of the day or night and, if you don’t think it is, you’re not making it right!

TIM’S DESERT ISLAND GINS

GORDON’S GIN “In case there are any drop-ins. Always give guests the cheap stuff.” A well-known gin and an everyday staple in many a home gin collection. www.gordonsgin.com

TANQUERAY GIN “For the cocktails.” This London Dry gin with its signature green bottle is a popular pick for G&Ts and cocktails. www.tanqueray.com

ARCHIE ROSE SIGNATURE DRY GIN “For the G&Ts.” This multi-award-winning, complex dry gin is the creation of lauded Sydney distillery Archie Rose and made with 14 botanicals, including blood lime, Dorrigo pepper leaf, lemon myrtle and river mint.

https://archierose.com.au

Perfect for pairing 24

We make premium Australian Tonic & Soda So you can truly experience your favourite spirits

What are your current favourites? How much room do you have? I’ve loved Juno recently. I also keep going back to RIVO, which I tried last year, and Garden Grown was a total standout. Do you have a particular way you like to drink gin? Most nights out I like to start with a Tom Collins or a straight-up Tanqueray martini with a twist. Some things are classic for a reason. But at home, it’s all about the tonic. I’m not that fussy, but a Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic with a lemon wedge is hard to beat. I’m not that into shoving too many ‘extras’ in the glass. Leave the basil leaves and rosemary sprigs for the garden. If you could hang out and interview anyone over gin cocktails at your favourite bar, who would it be and where? I have a lot of mates in the bar world in Australia, so picking one will do me no favours! But if I had to choose anyone, anywhere, it would be recently departed food and booze hero Anthony Bourdain at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. He would insist on beer first – but they make a mean Tom Collins – and we’d talk for hours. If you were stuck on a desert island, what three gins would you

bring with you and why? Gordon’s, in case there are any dropins (always give guests the cheap stuff ), Tanqueray for the cocktails and Archie Rose for the G&Ts. What’s a really enjoyable gin experience that you’ve had? Getting my first package in the mail from the Gin Society was pretty hard to beat! What’s in your gin collection? I’ve got the usual suspects for cocktail making. Then my fail-safes: Archie Rose, Four Pillars, Tanqueray No. Ten, The Melbourne Gin Company, Le Tribute, Hartshorn Sheep Whey from Tassie (to keep my Dad happy) and about 10 bottles with one or two sips left in them because I like how they look! My mother gave me a bottle of Kikka Gin from Japan designed to be sipped. The Japanese have a way of taking everything and perfecting it. If you were a gin-based cocktail, what would you be and why? Lots of ice and lemon-based that never keeps you waiting! What do you like most about the Gin Society? I get gin in the mail. Sounds pretty perfect to me! I just need to sign up to a Tonic Society and I’ll be set for life.

THE

bee’s knees The Bee’s Knees is a Prohibition-era cocktail featuring gin, lemon juice and honey. The unique name is a convention of the time: The phrase “bee’s knees” was popular slang used to call something excellent or outstanding.

The drink is credited to Frank Meier , an Austrian-born bartender who plied his trade at the Hôtel Ritz Paris during the

early 1900s. It’s a simple extension of the classic Gin Sour (gin, lemon, sugar) that features honey instead of sugar. Make the Bee’s Knees whenever you want to enjoy an easy, refreshing cocktail. Given that it’s only three ingredients, the Bee’s Knees is a great option for parties and other occasions that call for serving a crowd.

COCKTAIL CORNER THE BEES KNEES

frank meier Though

Meier’s barrelated contributions are more than notable, his escapades during World War II are truly fascinating. He continued to run his bar even after the Germans occupied Paris and the hotel became

popular with many Nazis and their sympathisers. During this time Meier helped both the French resistance and British spies, and assisted some of the Jewish residents of the hotel in obtaining fake documents.

COCKTAIL RECIPE Make a 1:1 honey syrup, mixing a tablespoon of honey with 1 tablespoon of very hot water, stirring them together, and letting it cool. 60mL gin, preferably Pink Pepper gin 30mL freshly squeezed lemon juice 15mL honey syrup Add the gin, lemon juice and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker. Fill two-thirds with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lemon twist.

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NO SE

ink peppercor n! Fres h p , with an elegan a l l i n a V t das h of Juniper.

THE REVIEW

Each issue, a Gin Society expert reviews our featured gin. To talk about Audemus Pink Pepper Gin, here’s Mikael Gillard, the founder of Mind Spirits & Co. JUNIPER

CITRUS

FLORAL

HEAT

HERBAL

SPICE

PA L AT E

y with Very cream f honey t en so fres h note ns very of bea es. and tonka astri p h c n e used in Fr

FI NI SH

Semi -dry, lo vely texture , n wo der ful s pices at t he back palate. Very long finis h. Nice af tertaste of vanilla and black cardam om.

MIKAEL’S TASTING NOTES Audemus Spirits is a fantastic story between Mikael France and Gillard Australia. Miko Abouaf, the Founder is Australian from Sydney and moved to France to realise a dream “to open a distillery” and create “contemporary spirits built on traditions of the past”. The Distillery is located in the heart of Cognac in France (one hour north of Bordeaux), City producing the most famous Brandy in the world! In this distillery, no copper still but a vacuum still made of glass. Miko Abouaf focuses on low pressure distillation. This process maximises the

freshness of the botanicals and maintains beautiful flavours. This process is very often used in the perfume industry in France. Each botanical is distilled at a specific temperature, sometimes using a different method to optimise each flavour on the palate.

“THIS IS ART IN A BOTTLE“ Pink Pepper’s botanical: juniper, black cardamom, pink peppercorns, cinnamon, honey, vanilla and tonka beans. Coriander. Vanilla and tonka beans are infused, bringing added viscosity.

GIN SOCIETY GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS Perfect for the gin lover in your life, a subscription to the Gin Society is a passport to the incredible world of craft gins. Available for 2, 4 or 6 box gift memberships. visit www.ginsociety.com