THE MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY EDITION
www.fevertreegandtfestival.com.au
FOUNDER’S
WELCOME This August sees us return to Australian shores with the award-winning Melbourne Gin Company’s (MGC) Single Shot Gin as our featured spirit. In this issue, we pay Andrew Marks, MGC master distiller and winemaker, a visit at his family’s Gembrook Hill vineyard and distillery to learn more about this special gin. We also round up the best day trips out of Melbourne and chat to David Molyneux, bar manager at Fitzroy institution The Everleigh. Perth-based Gin Society member Bronwyn Schrocker gives us a tour of her 90-bottle
OUR AUGUST MEMBER GIN IS THE MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY’S SINGLE SHOT. IT HAS THE UNIQUE HONOUR OF BECOMING THE MOST AWARDED SPIRIT NO ONE HAD EVER TASTED.
gin collection as our Ginsider, while our new addition, The Tipple, keeps you up to date with all the latest gin news. We also look at organic gins and learn what makes them different, and discuss the role of botanicals in the gin-making process with Sebastian Raeburn of Anther Gin and Archie Rose master distiller Dave Withers. I’m really enjoying Single Shot Gin. It’s a juniper-forward, full-flavoured gin made using seven botanicals – juniper, orange peel, angelica root, cardamom, lavender, Tasmanian leatherwood honey and Australian bergamot – in a single distillation. We hope you like it too and encourage you to make some of the custom cocktail recipes featured in this issue. Tell us what you think via hello@ginsociety.com. Enjoy!
Andrew Burge Founder, Gin Society
VISIT US AT WWW.GINSOCIETY.COM
4 THE TIPPLE gin news
6 MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY
a winemaker’s spirit
Co 16 THE GIN LIST
award-winning gins
20 THE GINSIDER
The Gin Society team
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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23 BOTANICALS
crafting the perfect gin
34 ORGANIC GIN on the up and up
28 DAYTRIPPING
40 SERVICE WITH A SINGLE SHOT
from the Yarra Valley to the Great Ocean Road
MGC ISSUE
ontents 46 THE REVIEW
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
Events Hosting an event? Looking for unique gins or an organised tasting? Let’s talk – events@ginsociety.com
Advertising We welcome enquiries about advertising and brand collaborations. Please contact sales – sales@ginsociety.com
Partnerships Launching a new gin? Opening a new venue or distillery? Let us know – partnerships@ginsociety.com
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p p i le T The G I N
N E W S
A round-up of what’s happening in the world of gin.
Global gin consumption growing
Looking for a Father’s Day gift (it’s on September 1!) or just want a book that’s about your favourite spirit? The Big Book of Gin may be for you.
According to recent data from the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR), gin’s popularity continues to grow. The IWSR forecasts that total global gin consumption is expected to rise by 4.4% between 2018 and 2023. They also found that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for gin sales in the ‘ultra-premium’ segment (yes, that’s the real good stuff we like too) rose by a huge 50.1% between 2013 and 2018... It’s clear that our Gin Society members www. theiwsr. are on to a com good thing.
This illustrated hardcover book explores the history of gin (including the first distilleries to open up shop in 1600s Britain), the gin-making process, gin trends and more than 100 ginbased cocktail recipes. The Big Book of Gin is the work of Dan Jones, Londonbased journalist, editor and author of other spirit-related titles, including The Mixer’s Manual and Gin: Shake, Muddle, Stir. It retails at AU$39.99 and is published by Hardie Grant. 4
www.hardiegrant.com/au
Morus LXIV Gin
This year the
Negroni turns
100 The Negroni was born in 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni walked into a bar in Florence and asked the bartender to swap out the soda in his Americano for gin. A century on and the appeal of the Negroni has not only endured but grown. Made over ice with
equal parts Campari, gin and s w e e t vermouth and traditionally garnished with a twist of orange peel, why not make this rubyred classic at home to mark its centenary in 2019?
$6,800 Ever wondered what the world’s most expensive gin is? It’s the uber-luxurious Morus LXIV, which will set you back £4,000 (around AU$6,800) for a 70cL (700mL) bottle and 3cL (30mL) porcelain jar of the gin. A single batch of Morus
Count Camillo Negroni
LXIV takes two years to make. Distilled from the leaves of an ancient mulberry tree and other locally sourced botanicals, this rare gin has a 64% alcohol beverage volume (ABV). Smooth, woody and balanced, its British makers
THE PRICE OF THE
WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE GIN Jam Jar Gin suggest it’s best enjoyed straight with a splash of water in the accompanying porcelain stirrup cup. Only 25 litres have been made available for sale exclusively through luxury British retailer Harvey Nichols. www.morusgin.com
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M E L B O U R N E G I N C O M P A N Y
A WINEMAKER’S SPIRIT
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Making the winding, tree-lined drive from Melbourne’s CBD into the picturesque Yarra Valley, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re entering wine territory rather than the home of the awardwinning Melbourne Gin Company. Because that’s exactly where you are: wine country.
The master behind the Melbourne Gin Company, Andrew Marks, is a winemaker by trade. It’s a special pocket of verdant Victoria that’s home to Andrew’s family winery, Gembrook Hill, but also the birthplace of Melbourne Gin Company’s Single Shot and Dry Gin spirits.
YARRA VALLEY
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ANDREW MARKS, WINEMAKER AND MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY MASTER DISTILLER.
B O R N T O B E A W I N E M A K E R Almost as far back as he can remember, Andrew has found himself entrenched in the winemaking lifestyle. His parents planted their vineyard in rural Gembrook in 1983 and, despite being based in inner-city Hawthorn, Andrew would travel up to Gembrook Hill on weekends to work in the fields and earn his pocket money. But unlike many children who grow up toiling in the family trade, Andrew always felt a strong affinity with winemaking. So much so that, aged just sixteen, he travelled halfway round the world to live on a Bordeaux vineyard for six months. “That exchange trip reinforced the lifestyle of what it would be like being a viticulturist or a vigneron,” Andrew says.
He was hooked, and subsequent years were spent in famous winemaking locations both in Australia and abroad. “After finishing winemaking school at Adelaide University I went through Penfolds’ two-year graduate program, then ended up staying around for another four years. There was a special white wine project on at the time, Yattarna, so I was making the White Grange.” Not one to rest on his laurels, Andrew continued his wine-making odyssey – from Seppeltsfield in the Barossa to the United States, back to Denmark in Western Australia (south of the Margaret River), and then across to Spain’s red wine country to complete a six-month vintage.
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T H E W A N D E R E R His own label, The Wanderer, came soon after – a collection of Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Yarra Valley Syrah that’s still in production, alongside his famous gin. But despite his thirst for knowledge and willingness to travel to far-flung places just to experience something new, Andrew’s wine and gin-making home is at Gembrook. It’s just the way it’s always been. “Gembrook Hill is only a five-hectare vineyard, and we do everything by hand,” he says. “It’s all handmade. It’s very artisanal. And while we’re commercial in the sense that we make wine for sale, we’re also trying to make the best product that we can. When you drink a Gembrook Pinot, there aren’t many other wines in the Yarra Valley that taste like it.”
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His mother, June, who lives on-site at Gembrook Hill, agrees: “When the winemakers around here knock off, this is what they drink. It’s the winemaker’s wine.”
A
D R E A M O F G I N
Many winemakers, even those who’ve experienced the heady highs of world-famous regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy first-hand, would be content with a successful family wine business and their own label. But Andrew isn’t like many others. He’s driven by the challenge. The challenge to conceive of an idea, to do it and – hopefully – to succeed. So when a name for a gin label popped into his head while walking through Collingwood one day, an idea began to take form. “Conceived in Collingwood but made in the Yarra Valley”, as Andrew describes it, Melbourne Gin Company was born in a small flat he shared with his surgeon roommate in the winter of 2009.
“CONCEIVED IN COLLINGWOOD BUT MADE IN THE YARRA VALLEY” IS HOW ANDREW DESCRIBES THE MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY.
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“
I LIKE THE IDEA OF A CHALLENGE - ANDREW MARKS
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THERE WAS NO BOOK ON HOW TO MAKE GIN WHEN ANDREW GOT STARTED, DOING ILLEGAL TRIALS IN HIS COLLINGWOOD APARTMENT.
“It was a pretty audacious idea, but I like the idea of a challenge,” he says. “I had some neutral spirit which we used for fortifying a wine product at Gembrook so I started doing these gin trials in my apartment in Collingwood over winter, which was quite illegal. “I’d got hold of a little Italian still that was meant for making essential oils and I basically embarked on a series of tests. There was no book on how to make gin back in those days, so for me it was a journey into alchemy.” That journey would see Andrew using a trialand-error approach to distil a range of different botanicals one at a time. When he’d mastered the art of distillation, he began to blend the distilled units, leveraging the strength of his winemaker’s palate to slowly concoct the ideal gin. “By the end of that winter I had put together a blend that was tasting like gin and wasn’t bad.”
A number of years later – most of that time spent enduring the arduous process of becoming a licensed producer of distilled alcohol – Melbourne Gin Company was founded in earnest in 2012.
FROM PORTUGAL TO GEMBROOK: AN OLFACTORY DELIGHT Considering the widespread success of Melbourne Gin Company – the Single Shot has the unique honour of becoming the most awarded spirit no one had ever tasted, picking up Double Gold at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a Gin Master title at the 2018 Gin Masters Awards in the UK, and Gold at the 2018 World Gin Masters in Hong Kong before it was even released – what Andrew has achieved in just seven years is beyond astounding. Especially when you consider he’s
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MGC’S HANDMADE PORTUGUESE STILLS WERE ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING PERFUME.
been a winemaker for most of his life, and the Melbourne Gin Company brand was born out of Prohibition-style experiments in his apartment. But, much like the fact that his gin is made in the Yarra Valley yet emblazoned with the ‘Melbourne’ moniker, the Melbourne Gin Company is an expression of Andrew’s global experiences. Of his time spent on French and Spanish vineyards, of his work with two of Australia’s most famous wine labels (in Penfolds and Seppeltsfield) and – perhaps most importantly to the gin itself – of the perfume stills he shipped over from Portugal. “Our handmade, 130-litre stills were designed for making perfume,” Andrew explains. “But there’s actually a lot of crossover with gin-making.” Meeting Lucky Phil and Shiny Buddha – Melbourne Gin Company’s relatively small copper pot stills – could be a surprising experience for anyone who’s never seen an independent distillery. They both sit right next to Louise, Andrew’s newest protégé fresh out of winemaking school at Adelaide University, as she takes care of labelling the Dry Gin and Single Shot bottles. It’s here where the perfume story evolves into one of gin. “In perfume-making as in gin-making, we talk about the high notes and base notes, which is how you break up the perfume flavours, or the aromas,” Andrew says. “And like I said, there was no book on how to distil. “So we tried steeping it for 24 hours, tried steeping it for 12 hours, tried vapour-infusing. We found that the latter made things very perfumed and light, but I wanted more fullness. In the end, I adhered to the original way of doing it, which is by distilling every botanical individually [for the Melbourne Gin Company Dry Gin]. “This allowed us to build a flavour profile quite analytically, and then allowed us to reproduce it quite faithfully.” For the award-winning Single Shot, Andrew wanted something entirely different: a gin made in a single distillation.
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As opposed to his more traditional Dry Gin, the Single Shot’s seven botanicals – juniper, orange peel, angelica root, cardamom, lavender, Tasmanian leatherwood honey and Australian bergamot – are distilled together, rather than separately.
“I had this idea for it and I wanted to use it. I scoured the world and finally found some in South Africa. We ordered it and it arrived vacuum-packed in dried form. It looked amazing so we used it all up. But when I went to reorder it, I couldn’t find it.”
The result, Andrew says, is a gin that tastes unashamedly of juniper. But the process of getting there took a major detour to South Africa – a detour that threatened to derail the Single Shot project before it was even released.
Locating another supplier of bergamot – a small, oil-heavy citrus fruit that Andrew says is a cross between a bitter lemon and an orange – proved much harder than he anticipated.
Looking for a “mysterious botanical that’s used in a lot of perfumes”, Andrew stumbled across orange bergamot and just knew he had to try distilling it for his next gin project.
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BERGAMOT
T H E C A S E O F T H E M I S S I N G O R A N G E B E R G A M O T
“It was a massive disaster. It just tasted so amazing and it was really important to the Single Shot.”
UNLIKE THE DRY GIN, SINGLE SHOT’S SEVEN BOTANICALS ARE DISTILLED TOGETHER, RATHER THAN SEPARATELY.
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Not to be deterred by the threat of an overwhelming obstacle, Andrew spent four months working his connections in the hope that someone, somewhere would be able to produce his secret botanical. “Finally we discovered some growers through my cousin, who works in agriculture up in the King Valley. I got in contact with the growers who have an orchard of both yew shoot and bergamot. “We got the fruit pure and then spent months helping the growers refine the technique for drying the bergamot and then using the different rates to get the same result [as the South African variety].”
IT’S NOT DISNEYLAND Andrew doesn’t claim to produce a gin product on the scale of Bombay
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or Beefeater – nor is he interested in such things. But what he has done is build a classy brand around his small-scale distillery. The labelling, the marketing and, most importantly, the steps he’s taken to conceptualise and refine two phenomenal Australian gins is what sets Melbourne Gin Company apart. “Even though we look top-shelf, and in a bar in Melbourne or New York or London our bottle doesn’t look out of place, down here we’re pretty small scale,” Andrew says. “It’s not Disneyland. We’ve gone down the rabbit hole so it’s a bit more like Wonderland. “In Melbourne we don’t even have salespeople. It’s all word-of-mouth and yet you can find our products widely. The strength of our brand – that’s almost enough said by itself, so it’s pretty exciting.” http://melbournegincompany.com
MUST-TRY AWARDWINNING GINS
Hills & Harbour Gin Image credit: Crafty Distillery
The Gin List The Melbourne Gin Company Single Shot Gin was awarded Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2018. This Gin List rounds up some of the other noteworthy gins that have taken home Double Gold and should be on your to-drink list. HILLS & HARBOUR GIN
Hills & Harbour is the creation of Scottish distillery Crafty. A balanced and vibrant gin, Crafty Distillery makes their own wheat-base spirit from local grain, which is then distilled with 11 botanicals, including locally sourced noble fir needles and bladderwrack seaweed. A versatile juniper-led gin, it has hints of forest fir, tropical fruit, citrus spice and tangy sherbet. Crafty’s suggested simple serve is 50mL of Hills & Harbour Gin over lots of ice, a premium tonic and a slice of mango for garnish. https://craftydistillery.com
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O’ Gi n pi rit s
Jon and Sarah Lark established Kangaroo Island Spirits (KIS) in 2002, inspired by a visit to Sipsmith Distillery in London and Bill Lark’s – Jon’s brother – distillery in Tasmania. Their O’Gin is a dry and lively spirit made in the London Dry style with juniper, coriander, angelica root and a subtle infusion of coastal daisies from Kangaroo Island. It’s a versatile spirit that can be enjoyed neat, in a G&T or in cocktails like Negronis.
KI S
KANGAROO ISLAND SPIRITS (KIS) O’GIN
www.kispirits.com.au/ products/kis-o-gin
o ra al
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Or n
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Established in 2018, Sakurao Distillery is part of Chugoku Jozo, a 100-year-old Japanese alcohol company, which is located in the town of Sakurao in Hiroshima. Sakurao Original Gin is made with 14 botanicals, five of which are imported and nine of which are locally sourced from Hiroshima. Those that are local include lemon, navel orange, yuzu (a type of citrus), green tea, ginger, shiso, sweet summer orange, bitter orange and Japanese cypress. Sakurao Original Gin is a unique citrus-led gin with strong juniper flavours. www.sakuraodistillery.com/en
Sa
SAKURAO ORIGINAL GIN
ELEPHANT GIN
Elephant Gin was inspired by a trip that couple Robin and Tessa Gerlach took to Africa. Driven by a desire to protect the African wildlife they experienced on their travels, 15% of all proceeds from full-size bottles sold are donated to elephant preservation non-profits Space for Elephants and Big Life Foundation. Developed in 2013, Elephant Gin is a small-batch gin handcrafted in Germany. Made with apples and 14 botanicals, including African ingredients like the superfruit baobab, the buchu plant and African wormwood, the end result is a complex but smooth London Dry Gin that blends floral, fruity and spicy flavours.
El ep
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Lo
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Dr
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www.elephant-gin.com
ct Ar ic ue Bl
ARCTIC BLUE NAVY STRENGTH GIN
yS av
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Gi
Arctic Blue’s Navy Strength Gin won a swag of awards at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including Double Gold, Best in Show Unaged White Spirit and Best in Class Gin. This Finnish gin has a 58.5% alcohol beverage content (ABV), so is one for those who like their gin strong. With notes of juniper, wild berry and cardamom, Arctic Blue Navy Strength Gin is made by Nordic Premium Beverages, Finland’s oldest winery (established in 1989), which moved into producing gins in 2016. https://nordicpremiumbeverages.com
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THE GINSIDER
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GIN FIZZ
Self-described “gin obsessive” Bronwyn Schrocker is this issue’s Ginsider. The Perth-based Gin Society member is truly passionate about gin, boasting a personal collection of more than 90 bottles. Bronwyn sat down with us to explain why it’s her spirit of choice.
What was your first proper introduction to gin? I really first found out about gin because every year we do a girls’ trip to Singapore. One night we went to one of the popular bars there – a whisky bar. We all thought, what should we drink? Someone said, “Let’s get a Gin Fizz.” I didn’t know what it was but got one. Every night after that we went to the same bar and kept ordering them, so my love of gin started from that – about five years ago. What does your gin collection look like? What’s in there? I really have something from everywhere – from all around the world. Some of them are from my in-laws-to-be, who are from the UK. So every time I go there,
B R O NWYN SC H R OC KER
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SOMETIMES GARNISHES ARE DEPENDENT ON WHAT I’M WATCHING. FOR GAME OF THRONES, I THREW IN SOME STAR ANISE AND A CINNAMON STICK. FOR ROMANCE MOVIES, I KEEP THE GIN NICE AND LIGHT WITH LEMON OR BERRIES.
GIN FIZZ COCTAIL RECIPE 50mL of a classic London-style dry gin 2 teaspoons of simple syrup 30mL of lemon (or lime) juice 1 egg white Soda water Lemon (or lime) slice for garnish Place the gin, egg white and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled highball glass. Top up with soda water and garnish with a lemon slice.
they always get me three or four bottles of gin. Sometimes I drink them there; sometimes they come home with me in my suitcase. My father-in-law also buys me all things gin – like gininfused chipolata sausages for breakfast and gin lip gloss. My sister also bought me gin Turkish delight from Scotland. My last Gin Society delivery was my 92nd bottle of gin. What do you love about gin as a spirit? It’s so clean and very easy to drink. It’s interesting as well because there are so many ways to drink gin. There are so
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many out there and they’re all so different. It’s also just an interesting thing to collect. Before gin, it was shoes – and I had 97 pairs of those! What draws you to a gin? What do you look for when choosing one?
I do like classic gins. I like French gins because they’re nice and soft and floral. I love Italian ones because they’re easy drinking and perfect for the classic G&T with a bit of lemon. Then you get to your heavier, spicy ones for winter nights.
BRONWYN’S DESERT ISLAND GINS
TANGLIN GIN
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Singapore “It’s mysterious, spicy, oriental and reminds me of the curries in the hawkers’ markets. Plus, it has to be good for you as it contains the immortality herb shi hu, used in traditional Chinese medicine. It reminds me of my love affair with Singapore, if I get homesick.”
ISLE OF HARRIS GIN Scotland “I really enjoy Scottish gins but this is a head above the rest. The sugar kelp is natural and sustainable and is extracted from the deep underwater forests. It is nothing like you’ve tasted before. I think it would be perfect while laying on my deserted island. I only hope they grow grapefruit but, if not, the mango flavours on your palate should suffice.”
HARAHORN GIN Norway “Whenever I go to visit my friends in Norway, I love traipsing through the forest randomly picking wild berries, which are, of course, used in the making of this gin. I also can’t go past a folklore story, like the picture on their bottle.”
Any current favourite gins? At the moment, it’s a Norwegian one – Bareksten. It’s a little bit woody. I just add some beautiful mixed berries to it. The other is a French one called Generous, which comes in a beautiful bottle. It’s nice just with a little bit of lemon. So light, so easy. It’s a happy kind of drink.
for ‘medicinal purposes’. We currently have a French one called Citadelle, which is beautiful.
There are some great gins made locally in the Swan Valley too, at Old Young’s Distillery, The Great Northern Distillery, Swan Valley Gin Co and Sin Gin Distillery.
What’s a really enjoyable gin experience you’ve had? Recently, I went on a bit of a bar hop around Perth for a girlfriend’s birthday and I took her to all the gin places. I haven’t had a lot of Negronis before but I did try this chocolate Negroni, which had a wedge of Lindt orange chocolate and some rosemary in it. I could have sat there all afternoon drinking those.
Do you have a preferred way to drink gin or a go-to garnish and tonic? I always try gins neat first. Then, sometimes I will search online to see what the gin’s signature serve is. Quite often, they’ll give you a few different ways to try it. Then I’ll put something else in it that’s more to my taste. I always keep pink grapefruit, limes and oranges in the fridge. I also love just putting in some peach or some apple – just to try some different things. For me, it’s a mood thing. In winter, while I was watching Game of Thrones, I threw in some star anise and a cinnamon stick. For romance movies, I keep the gin nice and light with lemon or berries. I tend to change my gins to complement the show. Do you have a favourite gin-based cocktail? My classic gin drink would probably be a G&T with a lemon, lime or piece of apple. Tonics are very important to me. I use Artisan, Fever-Tree, StrangeLove and East Imperial tonics. Your family owns a microbrewery in Perth where you currently work. Do you love beer or cider as much as you love gin? Oh god, no! My dad makes over 40 beers and 20-odd ciders, but I don’t really drink beer or cider. There is another girl who works with me at the brewery who loves gin too. We always have a bit of a gin supply out the back
Do you have a favourite place to drink gin? We have a swimming pool at home, so I will spend as much time as I can when it’s hot in my pool chair with a gin. When I go out – unless I’m going somewhere that knows about their gin and what to put with them – I won’t drink gin. I stick to wine.
If you could travel to anywhere in the world to sample gin, where would it be? Scotland. I have quite a few Scottish gins and some of my favourites are from there. One of my friends, who’s from Scotland, actually brought into one of the distilleries up there – it’s called GlenWyvis. Scotland will probably be my next trip. Aside from drinking it, what do you like about gin? Gins totally evoke different feelings, as well as memories. Any gin I can picture very, very clearly in my mind where I was when I had it because it’s something that I love. What do you like most about the Gin Society? I love that it has gins from around the world that you can’t get here or see in bottle shops. I also love that I can chat to fellow gin lovers online and the service is so personalised. Bring on more gins! BRONWYN’S GIN LIST
Tanglin Gin: https://www.tanglin-gin.com Harahorn Gin: https://detnorskebrenneri.no Isle of Harris Gin: https://www.harrisdistillery.com Bareksten Gin: http://barekstenspirits.com Generous Gin: https://www.generousgin.com Citadelle Gin: http://citadellegin.com GlenWyvis Gin: https://glenwyvis.com/gin Old Young’s Distillery: www.oldyoungs.com.au Swan Valley Gin Co: www.swanvalleygincompany.com.au Sin Gin Distillery: www.themurrayhotel.com/singindistillery
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CRAFTING T PERFECT W
BOTANICALS
ARCHIE ROSE SIGNATURE DRY GIN BOTANICALS
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T
BO TAN IC ALS
THE GIN WITH
BOTANICALS
With the appetite for gin growing around the world, craft distillers are using an amazing array of botanicals to create new and unique gins. Gin Society sat down with Sebastian Raeburn, cocreator and co-distiller of Anther Gin, and Dave Withers, master distiller at Archie Rose, to talk about botanicals and what they bring to their gins.
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“For gin, the botanicals are everything! “They are all the flavour and they are an opportunity to tell a story about the place and the way that they grow,” says Sebastian.
ANTHER CO-CREATORS SEBASTIAN REABURN AND DERVILLA MCGOWAN
When creating new recipes for Anther, Sebastian says he and co-founder/distiller Dervilla McGowan always begin with a clear taste they want to create and a concept that connects to that flavour. “Then we build and layer the botanicals looking for complexity. We have distilled and experimented with more than 100 unique botanicals, including loads of native Australian flavours.”
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The gin-making process sees a neutral- based spirit flavoured infused with botanicals, such as seeds, spices, berries, roots, fruits, plants and herbs, as well as the all-important juniper. Sebastian says coriander seed is usually the second-largestvolume botanical after juniper used in gin. He notes there are practical botanicals like orris root and angelica that operate as fixatives and intensifiers of the other flavours. “From there, it is really about the flavour you want to create! “Some of Dervilla’s and my favourite botanicals are honey, the whole myrtle family, cassia and grains of paradise. A key flavour in Anther that has become a signature for us is lemon-scented gum. Liam Spurrell [of Spurrell Foraging] who is a grower and forager often brings us amazing plants we haven’t played with before like mountain marigold or Geraldton wax – both of which are delicious.” Similarly, Archie Rose master distiller Dave lists coriander seeds, angelica root, orris root,
cassia and cardamom among commonly used gin botanicals. He notes that Archie Rose also use many native Australian and local ingredients in their gins. DAVE WITHERS, MASTER DISTILLER AT ARCHIE ROSE
“You’ll find blood lime, Dorrigo pepperleaf, lemon myrtle and river mint in our Signature Dry Gin, and botanicals such as pears from Orange in New South Wales, rose petals, elderflower and distilled honey direct from our local beehives in our Distiller’s Strength Gin.” Last year, Archie Rose
released two specialedition summer gins, Bush and Coast Gins, which were made with sustainably sourced local foraged plants, fruits and herbs. “This process showed us how amazing flavours can come from imperfect-looking materials like underripe pink peppercorn or weeds like farmer’s friend, which has had a lasting effect on how we consider the ingredients we source and consume in the distillery,” Dave says. “Where possible, we strive to work closely with producers and wholesalers who focus on sustainability and understand the impact of their growing, harvesting and processing methods, rather than working with ingredients that are commoditised en masse.”
A SELECTION OF ANTHER BOTANICALS
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Anther Distilled Australian Gin
www.anther.com.au
Made in a London Dry style, this fresh gin is spicy, savoury and juniperforward with a 44% alcohol volume. It’s crafted with traditional and Australian native botanicals, including finger limes and eucalyptus radiata.
There are a variety of methods employed to extract the aromas, oils and flavours from the botanicals. Sometimes, different methods are combined in the crafting of a gin depending on what’s most suited to the botanicals used. “We distil each botanical individually,” Dave explains of the Archie Rose Signature Dry Gin, “treating them with the utmost respect and then we blend them back together after distillation to make sure there’s harmony and consistency.” He says that the handling of each botanical is very important with each chosen method, ensuring it “optimises the condition of extraction and does the best thing for the ingredient”. Anther Gin is made using a different method. “With distillation, we only use the traditional one-shot method,
https://archierose.com.au
with all the botanicals in the pot,” Sebastian says. “But before the still goes on, we experiment with macerating certain ingredients in ethanol before distillation, and also extracting flavours with water, alcohol and even sugar, then using those extractions as botanicals to manage the different flavours within the natural ingredients.” Sebastian says when it comes to crafting gins, he and Dervilla share a “healthy creative tension and a really detailed dataset of distillation notes that we use to develop recipes”. He adds: “With Anther, our other huge strength is Dervilla! She is a doctor of microbiology and has always held us to a high scientific rigour!” From the botanicals used and how they complement each other, to where they’re sourced and the methods used in the gin-making process, it’s evident that much time, care and consideration goes into the flavour profiles of many artisan gins we enjoy.
Archie Rose Signature Dry Gin
A balanced and complex dry gin with a 42% alcohol volume, made with a wheat base spirit and 14 traditional and native botanicals, including blood lime, Dorrigo pepperleaf, lemon myrtle and river mint.
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Day-tripping FROM THE YARRA VALLEY TO THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD
We all know Melbourne is home to cool cocktail lounges and bars bursting with gin from all over the world, but venture a little further afield and you’ll find charming country towns and chic coastal hangouts.
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MELB O U RNE GIN CO M P ANY ’S spirits so special is the water. Distilled in Gembrook, the use of local rainwater allows the flavour of each and every botanical to shine through. To get more of a taste of rural Victoria, we’ve picked some of our favourite places to visit when we feel like escaping the city for the day.
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MORNINGTON PENINSULA
RED HILL Distance from CBD: 76km Good for: Outdoor attractions
An essential stop on any tour of the Mornington Peninsula, Pt. Leo Estate’s 19-acre sculpture park is home to an ever-changing collection of Australian and international installations, all set against the brilliant blue backdrop of Western Port Bay. Having explored the winding trails that connect the alfresco art,
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Puffing Billy
two hours (allow five hours to complete a return trip). Make your onboard experience even more special by ordering afternoon tea, lunch or dinner – a culinary extravaganza that’s served in the comfort of your carriage. Before returning to the city, head north from Belgrave to SkyHigh for sundown. At 630m high, you’ll be able to see across Port Philip Bay and into the CBD’s sparkling skyline.
One of the ingredients that makes the
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GEMBROOK Gaze out across lush rainforest as the historic Puffing Billy steam train travels from Belgrave to Gembrook. Crossing bridges, offering sweeping panoramas of the Dandenong Ranges and passing through Menzies Creek, Emerald and Cockatoo, a one-way 32 journey takes just under
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Ashcombe Maze
Distance from CBD: 66km Good for: Trainspotting
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a celebration of the US south – expect Hopkins River beef brisket, pulled pork, corn on the cob with Creole butter and corned bread slathered in whipped honey butter. MACEDON RANGES
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KYNETON Step back in time with a walk down Piper and Mollison Streets. Built during the Gold Rush era, these handsome 19th-century granite streets are lined with bluestone
buildings that are today home to local designers, delicious eateries and antique shops. Pick up arty gifts and designer clothes at the Stockroom gallery and quirky homewares from yesteryear at Kabinett. Talking of vintage, raise a glass at Source Dining (72 Piper Street, 3444), which was awarded a hat in this year’s Good Food Guide. Their extensive wine list is served alongside a menu that’s packed with local produce like Mount Zero olives and Holy Goat
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Red Gum BBQ
Pt. Leo Estate and sculpture park
Piper Street
Distance from CBD: 90km Good for: Vintage village
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Source Dining
Source Dining
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Animus Distillery
it’s time for more twists and turns at nearby Ashcombe Maze. More than 1,000 cypress trees form a fiendish labyrinth that’s surrounded by lavender fields and an arboretum filled with exotic plants. If you would prefer to navigate your way through a gin and eau de vie tasting, make for Bass & Flinders Distillery (40 Collins Road, 3936) in Dromana before returning to Laura at Pt. Leo Estate (3649 FrankstonFlinders Road, 3916) for fancy fine dining in a room that’s flooded with natural light. Alternatively, stay outdoors and grab a spot at one of Red Gum BBQ’s (87 Arthurs Seat Road, 3937) communal benches. Home to a Texan smoker, the menu is
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Hepburn Springs
cheese. You’ll find a gin cellar door and cocktail lounge at Animus Distillery (89A Piper Street, 3444). Try the Ambrosian bottling, which channels Southeast Asian flavour with botanicals such as galangal, kaffir lime leaf and sesame seeds. If you prefer to stick to water, fill up your bottle at Kyneton Mineral Springs or drive a short distance to Hepburn Springs where the bathhouse and spa boasts blissful steam rooms, creekside pools, relaxation decks and a range of wellness therapies. GREAT OCEAN ROAD
Pholklore (38 The Esplanade, 3228) before heading back to the city. 5
YARRA VALLEY
HEALESVILLE Distance from CBD: 65km Good for: Animal encounters
You might think the Yarra Valley is all about wine, and while the region is home to hundreds of vineyards there’s a lot more to this eye-catching corner of Victoria. Get up close to Australia’s adorable animals at the Healesville Sanctuary. Aiming to protect endangered species and introduce people to native creatures like koalas, wombats and echidnas, the leafy space
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Four Pillars Distillery. Image Credit: Four Pillars/Anson Smart
from Torquay to Aireys Inlet. From the clifftop trail, where you can look out across the famous surf breaks of Bells Beach, to the bowls club at Fishermans Beach, the pace of life is blissfully slow. If you plan on driving the Great Ocean Road and checking out the 12 Apostles, make sure MoVida Lorne is on your eating itinerary – Melbourne’s favourite laneway tapas restaurant and bar is now a permanent fixture at Lorne Hotel. Otherwise, barefoot beers are a must at Torquay’s Blackman’s Brewery (26 Bell Street, 3228) followed by fresh spring rolls and fragrant salads at Vietnamese café
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TORQUAY Kick off your shoes and get sand between your toes as you tackle a section of the 44km 34 Surf Coast Walk that runs
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Twelve Apostles
Distance from CBD: 103km Good for: Strolling by the surf
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Distance from CBD: 129km Good for: Culture vultures
Sitting pretty in the Goldfields, Castlemaine is all about culture with a side of cider. The town’s botanical gardens are looking even more glorious than usual thanks to a recent multimillion-dollar renovation, while inside the art deco Art Gallery and Historical Museum the walls are dotted with works by famous Australian artists. Nearby, Bendigo Art Gallery is a must-visit for its
Shedshaker Brewing
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CASTLEMAINE
Bells Beach
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Shedshaker Brewing
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THE GOLDFIELDS
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Healesville Sanctuary
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Bendigo Art Gallery
is just as appealing to adults as it is kids. One experience that’s definitely for grownups, however, is a visit to Four Pillars Gin (2A Old Lilydale Road, 3777). This stunning distillery is home to their signature Rare Dry Gin, spirits that have been aged in sherry and chardonnay barrels, a range of bottled Negronis, and naughty but nice marmalade spiked with gin and Campari. You might want to book somewhere to stay if you plan to join the Saturday-night cocktail masterclass, or pick up a few bottles to take home before ordering post-tasting tucker at Innocent Bystander (316-334 Maroondah Highway, 3777) where pizzas and sharing plates await hungry day-trippers.
international exhibitions and eye-catching contemporary collection. When you’ve worked up a thirst, make for one of the cellar doors in the Heathcote wine region or grab some beers at Shedshaker Brewing’s tap room (9 Walker Street, 3450). The gourmet highlight of the area, however, has to be family-run cider producer Bress (3894 Harmony Way, 3453) where a friendly flock of chickens welcome guests who’ve come for a three-course lunch featuring ingredients from the 35 surrounding farm.
O N T H E U P A N D U P
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FATTY’S ORGANIC LONDON DRY GIN IS JUNIPER-FORWARD WITH DILL AND CITRUS. IT IS CLEAN, CRISP AND INCREDIBLY REFRESHING,” SAYS PHILIPPA FROM FATTY’S ORGANIC GIN. SHE NOTES THAT IT IS BEST SERVED WITH A LIGHT TONIC AND GARNISHED WITH CUCUMBER AND A SPRIG OF FRESH DILL.
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www.fattysorganicspirits.com
WI T H A G R OW I N G CU L TU R AL AWAR ENE SS O F WHAT WE PUT I NT O OUR BODIES, AS W E LL AS T H E IM P AC T IT HAS O N THE E NV IR ONMENT , MORE AND MORE P E O P LE A R E E X PLOR ING O R G ANIC O P TIO NS, INC L U DI NG GINS. WE SPOKE WI T H TW O C E R T I F I E D OR G ANIC G IN-M AKE R S, F AT TY’S AND ANT I PODES, T O LE ARN M OR E A BO U T THE P R O C E SS AND P O SITIVES OF ORGANIC. Philippa Gee is the founder of UK-based Fatty’s Organic Spirits, which makes gin and a loweralcohol (20%) distilled grapefruit drink.
and farming charity and organic certification body. Australian Certified Organic (ACO) plays a similar role within Australia. For Shane Reid of The Antipodes Gin Co. in Australia, which launched in 2015, creating a business with sustainability at its core was essential.
“Organic, in the widest sense, means protecting people, plants and the planet. Although that’s a great description, for me it means a lot more. It means quality, transparency and accountability,” she says. “For this reason, it was essential for me to be accredited by the Soil Association to be 100% organic.” The Soil Association is the UK’s leading food
EVERYTHING ABOUT FATTY’S IS ORGANIC, EVEN THE BOTTLE IS SPRAYED WITH ORGANIC INK.
“We are wanting to tread lightly on our planet. We love a good gin and saw that no other spirits company was really tackling this, so it was a no-brainer as far as we could see,” he says of the gin company he runs with two friends, Rory Gration and Brad Parsons. “If you want to have a drink, drink the purest, cleanest way and respect your body, we say! We are the only spirits company that can say that every time we sell a bottle it goes towards planting trees, of which we are on track to plant 5,000 this year.”
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Antipodes Gin is made using a neutral spirit they create themselves “from scratch” and is triple distilled with traditional and native botanicals, including lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle and Tasmanian pepperberry. Shane says,
“CREATING A CERTIFIED ORGANIC, CARBON NEUTRAL GIN IMPACTS EVERY ASPECT OF THE GIN-MAKING PROCESS. “Everything is organic and as natural as you would grow in your own veggie patch at home, free of pesticides and chemicals.” Fatty’s – a childhood nickname given to Philippa by her two older brothers – was born from “a love of gin and frustration at the lack of great-tasting organic gins in the market”. Every single element that goes into Fatty’s Organic Gin comes from certified organic farms. Philippa says this means the farms have to be free from using synthetic substances, typically for a minimum of three years, so the soil is totally untampered and remains natural. “With Fatty’s Organic Gin, everything is certified organic, from the grain the alcohol is made from to all the botanicals.
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It is also made in an exclusive copper pot still, so absolutely no cross-contamination with any products that are not organic.” Fatty’s Organic Gin’s bright-green bottles are also cork topped, wax dipped by hand and sprayed with organic ink. “We aim to be as sustainable and ethically friendly as possible,” Philippa says. Both Philippa and Shane note that one of the key challenges of producing certified organic spirits is access to the right organic ingredients, which also tend to cost more. However, they both believe that organic spirits taste better as a result of what goes into them. “There are so many options to choose organic in every aspect of our lives, from meat, fruit and veg to beauty products – the list goes on. Drinking alcohol is something to enjoy in moderation. It’s about drinking less, but also drinking better,” muses Philippa. “Know where your drink has come from. Know it is made with the best-quality ingredients. Look into the brand and understand about the bottling and packaging process and start to make conscious decisions about your purchase. This is becoming second nature for many consumers with almost every other aspect of their lives, and the spirit they choose to drink should be no different.”
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SOME PEOPLE DESCRIBE OUR GIN AS ‘LEMON MYRTLE SHERBET’. IT’S PACKED WITH FLAVOUR FROM THE CITRUS NOTES AND THE STRONG JUNIPER-FORWARD TASTE AND MOUTHFEEL,” SAYS SHANE FROM ANTIPODES GIN. “DRINK IT ON ICE, OR SODA IS FABULOUS SO YOU GET TO EXPERIENCE THE BOTANICALS.” FOR AN ALL-OUT ORGANIC G&T, HE SUGGESTS PAIRING ANTIPODES GIN WITH DAYLESFORD AND HEPBURN MINERAL SPRINGS CO. ORGANIC TONIC. https://antipodesgin.com
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DAVID MOLYNEUX
S E R V I C E W I T H A S I N G L E S H O T Mixing alchemy with high-class service at The Everleigh, David Molyneux is bringing back the old-world charm of cocktails.
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AS A TEENAGER HE EXCELLED AT SPORT, BECOMING A TOP 20-RANKED SQUASH PLAYER AT JUST 17. BUT A SERIOUS KNEE INJURY COMBINED WITH BAD MEDICAL ADVICE SAW THAT DREAM SNATCHED AWAY AT A CRITICAL MOMENT.
FALLING UPWARDS “I kind of fell into it, to be honest,” David says of his decision to uproot his life in Tasmania and start working in hospitality in Victoria. “I got a job working at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze restaurant and tried my hand at a few different things, but I wound up in the bar on one busy night and thought, ‘Ah, this is what I want to do.’” A step up to sky-high Vue de monde was next before David, as he says, “convinced Michael [the owner] to hire me at The Everleigh”. Six years on and he’s still running one of the classiest cocktail bars in Melbourne.
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The Everleigh
DAVID’S JOURNEY TO BECOMING BAR MANAGER AT FITZROY INSTITUTION THE EVERLEIGH DIDN’T EXACTLY FOLLOW A TRADITIONAL PATH – AT LEAST NOT IN THE BEGINNING.
A special Melbourne Gin Company Single Shot cocktail concocted by David Molyneux.
AVIATION #1
David Molyneux
1 1/2oz MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY SINGLE SHOT 3/4oz EVERLEIGH HOUSE AVIATION BATCH (CREME DE VIOLETTE, MARASCHINO LIQUEUR) 3/4oz FRESH LEMON JUICE SHAKEN, SERVE IN A COUPE GARNISH WITH KIRSCH CHERRY
FOR WORK OR PLAY Nestled in a cosy upstairs loft on trendy Gertrude Street, right in the heart of Fitzroy, The Everleigh plays host to casual drinkers, liquor aficionados and those just looking for someone who knows how to make an exceptional cocktail. In all cases, David is their man.
The Everleigh
“Service is always number one at The Everleigh,” he says. “But the atmosphere we provide means we will always be,
first and foremost, a neighbourhood bar. “We’re here every day, 5pm to 1am, for the people in our community. So if you’re walking the dog, you can drop in and have a quick Martini or Manhattan. If it’s a special occasion, you can come in with a group of six and be really well looked after, with some nice champagne and food. It’s just a great time for whatever night of the week or any occasion.”
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WHAT’S IN THE BOTTLE? In terms of personal gin preferences, David is all about the product rather than the way you should be drinking it. “I firmly believe that gin should be able to do two things: that’s make a Martini and make a G&T, or gin and soda. If it can do those two things, it’s good in my books.”
botanicals of each gin. His Aviation #1 (see recipe on p43), for example, was designed to showcase the boldness of the Melbourne Gin Company Single Shot. “With new Western styles like Melbourne Gin Company and many of the Australian or Japanese gins on the market, you’ve got a lot of local ingredients being sourced
and showcased in a really practical way. They make sense. “I’m not a big fan of gins that just have an ingredient for the sake of it, or that doesn’t come through in the end product of the cocktail. But Melbourne Gin Company stands out in a lot of drinks, particularly in shake and citrus cocktails.”
So it’s no surprise that David crafts his cocktails around the unique
The Everleigh
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A special Melbourne Gin Company Single Shot cocktail concocted by David Molyneux.
RICHMOND MARTINI
2oz MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY SINGLE SHOT 3/4oz COCCHI AMERICANO STIRRED AND STRAINED, SERVED IN A MARTINI GLASS GARNISH WITH A LEMON TWIST
PLAYING WITH FLAVOURS With winter well and truly here, David says his customers are asking for cocktails that are warming yet sleek. “At the moment in winter we’re seeing a lot of rich, bitter, Amaro, Manhattanesque drinks,” he says. “And then on the other side of that coin we see a lot of requests for lowerABV cocktails, so for people who may not drink
as much, or they’re driving but they still want a quality drink. “At The Everleigh we do batched Martinis and Manhattans straight from the freezer, but a halfserve. So you can enjoy a perfectly cold Martini in a quick timeframe and still drive home at the end.” For David’s personal tastes, he’s always looking for something new to captivate his senses and, more often
than not, simplicity is key. “I’m a big fan of one of my boss’s drinks right now. It’s an aged rum and cognac Old Fashioned with a little brown sugar and orange bitters, called the Double Agent. It’s delicious and simple, shouting back to our milk-and-honey ethos. “It’s just two ingredients that work really well and don’t need much else to make them amazing. I really like that simplicity.” 45
THE REVIEW Each issue, a Gin Society expert reviews our featured spirit and this month it’s Sam Theodoropoulos, manager of City Wine Shop in Melbourne. HERBAL
HEAT
FLORAL
CITRUS
JUNIPER
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S A M T H E OD OR OPO U L O S HAS B EE N M ANAG E R O F CIT Y WINE SHOP FOR 12 Y E A R S . I N 2016 , HE M O V ED INTO HIS C U R R ENT ROLE AS DRINKS MANAGER A N D W I N E B UYER F O R THE E U R O P E AN, M EL BOURNE SUPPER CLUB, C ITY WINE SHO P AND SIG L O BAR. Single Shot, Andrew chose to pre-blend seven botanicals and distilled them as one. A distiller’s approach.
SAM’S TASTING NOTES
Andrew Marks’ original MGC gin, now known as the ‘Dry’, was his first venture into distillation. Eleven botanicals were distilled individually and then blended. This is what Andrew refers to as a “winemaker’s approach”. With the
The Single Shot, just like its older sibling, presents a strong juniper note. Citrus is also evident together with herbaceous notes of bergamot, cardamom and lavender. This is an aromatic profile that calls out the Mediterranean! For this reason, I love to serve MGC Single Shot in a simple gin and tonic with refreshing Mediterranean flavours.
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COCKTAIL RECIPE: MEDITERRANEAN G&T This month’s resident expert, Sam Theodoropoulos of City Wine Shop in Melbourne, shares his favourite recipe to make with MGC Single Shot Gin.
3 0 m L M G C S I N G L E S H OT G I N 90mL FEVER TREE MEDITERRANEAN TONIC WEDGE OF ORANGE & SPRIG OF THYME TO GARNISH
Pour MGC Single Shot Gin into a tall (but not too narrow) glass Fill the glass with lots of ice Top up with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic (avoid classic Indian tonics) 48 Garnish with a wedge of orange and sprig of thyme
Hint: If you like intense herbaceousness, give the thyme a little smash before garnishing.
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5 0 O N LY S E L T B O T
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Winner of The Contemporary Gin trophy at the 2018 IWSC awards, it’s a dry style with a uniquely Japanese character. And Gin Society has a limited run of 50 bottles, exclusive to members. Don’t miss out on this special member price of $130, including free shipping.
VISIT WWW.GINSOCIETY.COM
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