GRACE GIN by ginsociety

THE GRACE GIN EDITION

EVIA, GREECE

HOME TO AVANTES DISTILLERY, EVIA IS THE SECOND-LARGEST GREEK ISLAND, WHERE THE AEGEAN SEA MEETS AN IDYLLIC LANDSCAPE THAT’S COVERED WITH PINE TREES AND HERBS.

FOUNDER’S

WELCOME

Happy New Year! Here’s to starting 2021 as we mean to go on – with plenty of delicious gins! This issue, we meet the three women who are intent on putting Greek gin on the map. As the founder of Grace Gin, Lila Dimopoulou talks about how she worked with second-generation distillers – and sisters – Katerina and Hara Katsou to make a spirit that’s bursting with botanicals sourced from land and sea. Inspired by the Graces of ancient Greek literature, we hope you agree that the liquid they’ve created is truly legendary. Inspired by some of the lesser-known ingredients that went into creating Grace

THE MAKERS OF GRACE GIN SAY IT’S DOWN TO THEIR PROCESS OF LIGHT FILTRATION THAT MAKES IT SMOOTH EVEN AT 45.7%.

Gin, we couldn’t resist exploring some of the food traditions and iconic dishes that make the Greek diet so delicious – before turning our focus closer to home and the Australian restaurants where you can feast on souvlakis slathered with tzatziki and bursting with chargrilled lamb. If that’s got your mouth watering, it’s time to head to the kitchen to whip up the fresh syrups that feature in this month’s cocktails. Created by Iosif Mavridis, the head bartender at Thessaloniki’s The Blue Cup, they promise to transport you to a sun-kissed terrace overlooking the sparkling Mediterranean. And talking of travels, award-winning journalist and creator of the Drinks Adventures podcast James Atkinson shares his globetrotting gin journeys in this issue’s Ginsider. 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

Con 4

THE THREE GRACES Grace Gin

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

14 THE GINSIDER

18 FLAVOURS OF GREECE

Exploring iconic Greek food & traditions

GRACE GIN

ntents 26 IN THE MIX with Iosif Mavridis

with James Atkinson

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T he T hree G races It’s a country traditionally associated with homegrown spirits such as ouzo and tsipouro, but these three women are on a mission to put Greece on the gin map. 4

Lila Dimopoulou and her partner, Scotsman John Cowden, had been importing premium drinks from the UK for a few years when they decided they wanted a spirit to call their own – one that celebrated Greek botanicals and offered an alternative to the international brands that dominated back bars around the country. Then they met sisters Katerina and Hara Katsou – second-generation distillers at Avantes in Chalkida – and the rest, as they say, is history. Or perhaps that should be mythology, because Grace Gin is named after the Graces of ancient Greek literature. The daughters of Zeus, these three legendary

women brought their own distinct characteristics to the human realm – from the joyfulness of Euphrosyne and the beauty of Thalia to Aglaia’s elegance – just as Lila, Katerina and Hara have combined forces to bring people a premium gin that exudes all these attributes.

Antonio Canova’s statue The Three Graces. The mythological Graces presided over banquets and gatherings to delight the guests of the gods. They inspired historical artists including Botticelli and Raphael.

Lila Dimopoulou and her partner, Scotsman John Cowden.

B otanicals sourced from sea to mountain

With the Graces often depicted in classical art holding sprigs of myrtle, it felt natural to include this leaf that’s traditionally used to flavour drinks and desserts. The same goes for the orange blossom that grows on the trees surrounding the distillery, which sits on the island of Evia. However, deciding on the rest of the botanicals from a list of 50 was a more challenging prospect. After months of experimentation, the women settled on a recipe featuring 13 botanicals, including cardamom, coriander, cassia, angelica and orris roots, lemon and orange peels, and pink pepper. “We had decided that if we were going to create a Greek gin then it had to be fantastic or we would not do it at all,” says Lila. “And while some of the botanicals are quite common and can be found everywhere, others are very unique.” Schinus, for example, is an evergreen tree that grows in the mountains and is similar in its pine-cedar character to mastic, which is used to flavour another popular Greek liqueur called mastika. From the county’s rugged interior to its sparkling shores, the most unique ingredient in Grace Gin has to be kritamos, an edible wild plant often referred to as sea fennel or rock samphire that grows

along the rocky Mediterranean coastline. It’s been harvested for thousands of years – even getting a name-check in a manuscript by ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. Today, you are more likely to find it popping up in a salad as opposed to your medicine cabinet, although it is packed with health-boosting vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. “During the distillation process, we discovered kritamos added a very distinctive element,” Lila remembers. “However, this botanical turned out to be a blessing and a curse – we love the saltiness of the sea that it brings to the product and it matches perfectly with the juniper, but it’s not very cooperative! It only grows for a few weeks each year so it’s difficult in terms of planning for production.” John concedes that picking the botanical might not have been the most “supremely well-thought-out moment”, but compromising on flavour and aroma was simply something the Grace Gin team were not prepared to do. “We’re managing so far,” says Lila. “Although 2019 was the first year when we felt the demand was outstripping the supply. So when the pandemic came, it actually felt like someone was telling us to slow down.”

The botanicals used in Grace Gin.

juniper

lemon peel

angelica

myrtle

schinos

orange blossom

orange peel

cardamom coriander

orris root

kritamos

pink peppercorn

D istilling O n I sland T ime Thankfully, the women are content with making a genuinely delicious and authentically Greek gin, and there are no grand plans to scale up in order to produce industrial quantities. Having time on their side therefore allows them to bring a whole range of labour-intensive techniques to the distillation process. Or, as John jokingly puts it, “to do everything in a difficult way”. “We don’t take shortcuts and we don’t take the easy route,” says Lila. “For each distillation, we make three different liquids, each with a different percentage of botanicals, which are then blended together.

winning

bottle As the country that founded the Olympic Games, it seems fitting that Grace Gin has been picking up medals and trophies at competitions around the world:

We use vapour infusion for some of the botanicals, which is a technique that’s used in the perfume industry, and we let the gin rest in the tank for a minimum of 30 days. “There have been times when we’ve almost run out of product, but our distillers would never bottle anything that’s been in the tank for less time. Our gin is 100% distilled so there’s no alcohol added and, although it’s 45.7% ABV, it’s quite smooth because of all the geeky things we do, such as light filtration.” The Avantes Distillery is found in the heart of Evia, the second largest island of Greece.

Gold medal, Europe Wine & Spirits Trophy 2020 Silver medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020 Master Award in Ultra-Premium Gin category, Luxury Spirits Masters 2019 Distilled Gin category winner, Gin Guide Awards 2018 Gold medal in Packaging & Design category, International Competition IWSC 2018 Silver medal in Gin & Tonic category, International Competition IWSC 2018 Silver medal in London Dry category, International Competition IWSC 2018

S tanding

to the gin giants

While Greece is home to more than 300 distilleries, only a handful make gin and instead stick to spirits such as ouzo and tsipouro, which have long been associated with summertime sipping across the country. As a result, Grace Gin’s competition doesn’t necessarily come from Greek gins but from international big-hitters. Although even these gin giants don’t appear to pose a problem. “When we launched in 2017, the market was excited. But at this stage, we had nothing to show people. The bottle was just an image on the screen and all the product was sitting in the tank,” says Lila. “We were bold and brave and stupid enough to hold a blind tasting for bartenders and asked them to score the spirit in terms of smell, flavour profile and aftertaste. We were up against world-famous international gin brands. Hara was extremely confident about the product, but we decided that, if people didn’t vote for it, then we’d make it again.”

The feedback, however, was a resounding success. Of the 30 teams judging the gin, 28 ranked it number one, and it came second for the other two teams. “It was a lovely experience and a big boost for us,” says Lila. “We knew we had a very good product in our hands, but it’s a different story when it’s confirmed by the professionals.” International recognition has followed hot on the heels of this initial success, with Grace Gin being awarded a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2020 and most recently a gold medal at the Europe Wine & Spirits Trophy. Setting out with the intention of showing the world what Greece has to offer, the team have certainly done that thanks to John and Lila, who take care of sales and marketing, and Hara and Katerina who are responsible for product development and distillation. And with March 25th 2021 marking the 200th anniversary of Greek independence, we urge you to join them in raising a glass of Grace Gin to a bright future.

THE GINSIDER This issue, the Gin Society talks to James Atkinson, award-winning journalist and creator of the insightful Drinks Adventures podcast.

In your 10 years as a drinks journalist, how have you seen the industry – specifically the gin industry – shift and evolve? The number of new distilleries there are and the number of new products – just the breadth of what’s out there – is incredible. Nowadays, across all drink categories, and none more so

arguably than gin, we’re seeing the splintering of gin into lots of different categories. Like pink gins and contemporary Aussie gins made with native botanicals. There are now all these subsets that exist within that one category. I think it can be quite confusing for people and it’s something

JAMES’S DESERT ISLAND GINS

SIPSMITH LONDON DRY GIN “A classic, reliable, everyday dry gin.” A much-lauded classic London Dry gin that’s bold, complex and is as perfect on the rocks as it is in a G&T or cocktail. https://sipsmith.com

FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN “A nice after-dinner digestif.” An experimental gin that married Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin with Yarra Valley Shiraz grapes and became a big hit. www.fourpillarsgin.com

UNDERGROUND SPIRITS GIN “A really good Australian interpretation of a dry gin.” Hailing from Canberra, this Australian contemporary dry gin is deliciously soft, floral and herbaceous. www.undergroundspirits.com.au

Say hello to your new free wine service. Text us a pic of a wine you are loving – at a restaurant or a mate’s – and we will find it, and deliver it to your door. For free! 16

the industry – and distillers – could work on. To make it easier for people to find a gin that’s going to best suit their flavour preferences and work with the drinks they’re using them in.

and where gin comes from is really diverse, and that’s quite unique in the world of spirits.

Tell us a little about the Drinks Adventures podcast.

I tend to stick with the classics. I enjoy a good G&T, a Martini and a Negroni. They are probably my most frequently consumed.

After some seven or eight years of writing about drinks, I noticed that most of the industry media were all very focused on one category – wine. For many people who are really ensconced in the wine industry, it’s almost like they don’t know there are other categories. Rather than focusing on one category of drinks, I became more and more interested in trying a broad array of things, like whiskies, gins and sakes. I found I had preconceived notions about some beverages. For example, I would have said, ‘I never drink cider.’ Then I discovered that cider can be amazing, like French ciders and, more recently, Australian ciders that are more like fine wines. From that, I thought there was a place for a podcast exploring the whole world of drinks with an open mind. I wanted to look at them equally and challenge listeners to perhaps reconsider some of the drinks they might normally not go to. That was how it all started. What do you like most about gin as a spirit? Probably its versatility and the freedom that it gives to distillers to create something new. As long as they start with juniper, there is an incredible amount of freedom in working with botanicals – especially in Australia. There is also such a diversity of flavour profiles. To put it really simply, whisky is made from grain, rum is made from sugarcane,

How do you like to drink gin?

What’s the most enjoyable gin experience or adventure you have ever had? A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to go to Japan with Suntory. I toured Japan and visited a couple of their distilleries. Part of that included learning about how Roku Gin was made. There is something very mystical and clever about the way that the Japanese go about crafting their spirits. You are on a desert island. Which three gins do you bring with you and why? Sipsmith London Dry Gin. It’s a real favourite of mine. I think that if I’m going to be on a desert island, I’ll want a classic, reliable, everyday dry gin that makes a brilliant G&T. Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, because it’s my partner’s favourite. We’d need a nice after-dinner digestif to have and I do enjoy a Bloody Shiraz on the rocks. Another one I’ve enjoyed in recent years is Underground Spirits Gin from Canberra. It’s a really good Australian interpretation of a dry gin using native botanicals that are delicately and beautifully balanced. It’s another favourite of mine. You’re a gin-based cocktail. What are you and why? A Martini. It’s direct, concise and gets the job done.

Flavours of Greece We explore the food traditions and iconic dishes that make the Greek diet so delicious, as well as where to find marvellous mezze a little closer to home. Olive trees surrounding the Acropolis in Athens.

A vineyard on the Greek island of Crete.

With 4,000 years’ worth of culinary traditions to draw on, it’s no wonder Greece is renowned as one of the world’s great gourmet destinations. After all, legend has it that the first olive tree was planted in the Acropolis by the goddess Athena as a gift to the good people

of Athens. The world’s first cookbook was also written here in 320 BC, a kind of lyrical recipe called Hedypatheia (which roughly translates as ‘Life of Luxury’) by ancient Greek poet Archestratus. Since then, decades of invaders and immigrants

has resulted in a host of international influences, from loukaniko (pork sausages) that were introduced by the Romans to baked lamband-eggplant moussaka, tangy tzatziki dip and keftedes meatballs, which came to Greece from the country’s Arab, Ottoman and Persian neighbours.

The sun sets over a seaside restaurant in Greece.

Images Credit: DiscoverGreece.com

Island taverna cuisine.

A Culinary Landscape A journey through the pine forests of the Peloponnese reveals a mountainous landscape that’s dotted with olive, lemon and orange groves, as well as vineyards filled with rows of some of the country’s most beloved

indigenous grape varieties – like the pink-skinned moschofilero that’s best grown at high altitude. Goats and sheep thrive on this rugged terrain, and their milk is used to produce a flavourful variety of cheeses – from salty feta to fresh anthotyros and gruyere-

style graviera. While exploring the mainland, you’re never more than 50km from the coast and island tavernas make full use of fish and seafood caught in the sparkling Aegean Sea – we’re thinking grilled octopus, marinated anchovies and salted cod.

Image Credit: DiscoverGreece.com

Loukoumades.

designation of origin (PDO) by the European Union because they are unique to a specific region and are made by artisans according to local traditions. Koulouri from Thessaloniki.

A sense of place Just as botanicals sourced from the sea and the mountains give Grace Gin its distinctive flavour, more than 100 ingredients that are grown or produced in Greece have been awarded protected

Baklava

For example, Thessaloniki’s koulouri – the freshly baked bread rings that are sprinkled with sesame seeds and served each morning from yellow street carts alongside a cup of black coffee. Then there’s the vanilla honey that’s collected from hives on Mount Mainalo and ends up in sweet treats such as fried doughnut loukoumades and between delicate layers of filo pastry to make baklava.

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish of flaky filo pastry parcels filled with spinach and feta cheese.

Meze usually comprises a mix of hot, cold, savoury and sometimes spicy sharing plates.

spicy, these small plates can be served on their own or with other mezethes to make a more substantial meal in their own right. And just like Spanish tapas, these dishes are designed to be shared and are best enjoyed with a local drink – whether that’s wine, ouzo or maybe a Grace Gin and tonic.

Taramosalata dip.

Dishes to dine on For starters, Greek meals always open with a meze – hot, cold, savoury and sometimes

No spread would be complete without a taramosalata dip, saganaki cheese that’s fried in a skillet or a triangle of spanakopita – flaky filo pastry parcels filled with crumbly feta cheese and spinach.

The chic interior of The Apollo.

Eat Greek in Australia Australia is proudly home to one of the largest Greek communities in the world, as well as plenty of great restaurants serving a range of traditional dishes and contemporary twists on classic meze. Here’s where to eat Greek...

The Apollo

44 Macleay St, Sydney NSW 2011 Forget ‘taverna chic’, this concrete-meets-marble restaurant is a stylish addition to the modern Greek dining scene. Dishes like snapper and sardines are cooked over wood and charcoal for a smoky, shared feast.

Meze at The Apollo

Bahari’s Chargrilled Octopus.

Bahari

179 Swan St, Melbourne VIC 3121 There’s even more dreamy decor at chef Philip Vakos’s Richmond restaurant. A fusion menu – the team call it ‘Gringlish’ – has resulted in dishes that run from a tomato, olive and cucumber-packed Greek salad made with Aussie feta to slow-roasted lamb shoulder and a baklava ice cream sandwich.

The upstairs dining room at Bahari.

A bartender shakes a cocktail at Bahari’s bar.

A deconstructed souva from Stalactites.

Stalactites

177-183 Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000 Instagram the famous stalactite ceiling before getting stuck in at this Melbourne institution that’s been run by the same Greek family since 1978. Served in charred pita bread and slathered in house-made tzatziki, it’s hard to see past their range of signature souvlakis.

Staazi & Co.

224 Grenfell St, Adelaide SA 5000 Named the fifth-best vegan food truck in the world by Lonely Planet, the team have since opened a brick-and-mortar premises in Adelaide’s East End. Its casual atmosphere and inventive menu sees people regularly queuing up to order plant-based ‘lamb’ and ‘chicken’ yiros, all made by founder – and passionate animal lover – Anastasia Lavrentiadis.

Staazi & Co.’s plant-based “lamb” souvlaki.

Hellenika’s Gavros (cured white anchovies) and Taramosalata.

Photographer: David Chatfield

Hellenika

48 James St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

Hellenika’s dining room overlooking James Street.

Photographer: David Chatfield

Serving home-style Greek food in the gorgeous surrounds of The Calile Hotel, small plates like pickled octopus salad and piperies (stuffed roasted red peppers) give way to hearty spanakopita and traditional Greek pasta dishes such as hilopites and kritharaki.

In the Mix

I O S I F MAV R I D I S

WITH IOSIF MAVRIDIS Keeping things simple – while adding his trademark scientific twist – these two cocktails from Iosif of The Blue Cup in Thessaloniki are a fresh, fragrant complement to Grace Gin’s Greek botanicals 26

H THE BLUE CU P

aving started out working in beach bars when he was 18, today Iosif Mavridis is making waves in Greece’s second largest city – Thessaloniki – most recently as head bartender at The Blue Cup. Serving coffee by day and

cocktails at night, Iosif and his small team run the firstfloor speakeasy bar, where drinks feature ingredients that have been dreamt up in the on-site laboratory.

“We have a centrifuge and a sous vide machine, in which we prepare many of our syrups,” says Iosif. “Our cocktails don’t tend to feature many ingredients, but we use a lot of different technologies. We are always thinking outside of the box. For example, we serve one cocktail that changes colour as it gets warmer. I can’t tell you how we achieve that, because it’s a secret!”

We are so proud that we have a spirit like Grace Gin in Greece – it really captures the aromas and tastes of the land and sea”

As a passionate innovator, Iosif says he spends his time reading recipe books and constantly experimenting with new flavours and fresh local ing redients. “When I taste food, I’m always thinking: ‘How can I bring these flavours into a drink?’” It might come as no surprise, therefore, to

Psilon Grace True to Iosif’s philosophy, this cocktail features just four ingredients but manages to pack plenty of flavour thanks to a lemon syrup that should be prepared in advance. The garnish – kritamos – is more commonly found as sea fennel or rock samphire in Australia. If you can’t find any, a slice of pickled cucumber is a good alternative. 50mL Grace Gin 20mL Lillet Blanc 15mL lemon syrup (see recipe below) dry tonic water kritamos, to garnish

Method: Over ice, combine the Grace Gin, Lillet Blanc and lemon cordial in a highball glass. Then top up with dry tonic water.

For the lemon syrup, combine 100g lemon peel and 350g caster sugar in a bowl. Cover and put in the fridge to chill for 6 hours. Remove from the fridge pour over 200mL hot water and stir until the sugar melts. Filter the cordial through a fine strainer and add 25g citric acid. Stir well to combine.

find that his proudest creation is a twist on a gimlet that’s made using Grace Gin and a syrup of porcini mushrooms, green apples and lemon peel. 28 But it’s not all science equipment and long

hours spent in the laboratory, because Iosif gets just as much of a buzz from serving the locals at this popular bar in the city’s lively Ladadika neighbourhood. “I love the atmosphere of this place, and seeing people smile when they are served their drink.”

Grace Freshness Based on a gimlet, this gin creation is as fresh as a cool sea breeze on a hot summer’s day. An extra Greek twist comes in the form of the black olive garnish. 50mL Grace Gin 40mL fresh syrup (see recipe below) black olive, to garnish

Method: Pour the Grace Gin and fresh syrup into an icefilled cocktail shaker, shake to combine before fine-straining over a cold coupette glass.

For the fresh syrup, combine 400mL water and 600g caster sugar in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the water’s almost boiling. When the syrup is ready, pour into a blender with 2 cucumbers (sliced), 5g fresh dill and 10g lemon zest. Blend for 8-10 minutes at high speed. Then strain the liquid through a fine sieve, add 25g citric acid and stir well. Allow the syrup to cool before using.

And there’s a lot to smile about, thanks to Grace Gin. “It’s something special, and a very valuable tool for bartenders. I recommend trying it neat at first, and then making a gin and tonic. It’s also perfect for a dry Martini – a complex dry Martini.”

To take your Grace Gin journey to the next level, try these two creations – specially devised by Iosif and modified for the home bartender. Just in case your kitchen doesn’t come with a centrifuge! 29

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