Hippocampus Metropolitan Distillery

AN INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIAN DISTILLERY, HIPPOCAMPUS WAS FOUNDED BY A GROUP OF LIKEMINDED FRIENDS WHO SHARED A PASSION FOR HANDCRAFTED, QUALITY SPIRITS AND A SIMPLE IDEA: TO CRAFT SUPERB AUSTRALIAN SMALL BATCH SPIRITS, THE TRADITIONAL WAY.

RIGHT: Distiller Alex Poulsen in the distillery.

BELOW LEFT: Selection of botanicals used in Hippocampus Gin.

BELOW RIGHT: Hippocampus Gin is wonderfully refreshing in a G&T. SEARCH FOR A STILL The first port of call was to commission the perfect still so they could begin production. The search led them to Germany and the family owned company Carl, who have been custom-making artisan distilleries for 140 years. Carl is specialised in creating copper stills, perfect for small-batch distilleries like Hippocampus due to copper’s ability to remove impurities, whilst retaining both character and flavour and creating a super smooth spirit.

The ability to taste and tinker with the recipe throughout the distillation process is of high importance to Hippocampus and as such, their brief to Carl was to custom-make a traditional copper pot still which would allow distiller Alex Poulsen to experiment with different

ingredients and ultimately a variety of spirit styles. As a result Hippocampus’ 450 litre steam-driven still is fitted with two 10 plate distillation columns which can be reconfigured to provide maximum flexibility.

HIPPOCAMPUS GIN The still’s flexibility came in handy when, following the popularity of Hippocampus hand-crafted vodka (launched in early 2015), Alex began experimenting with botanicals in order to create a traditional dry gin. He had been playing with the recipe in his head for a couple of years, so it didn’t take him long to finesse the spirit into something worth bottling. Before being distilled, the selected botanicals, including citrus peel, coriander and cubeb pepper, are macerated overnight to ensure

the gin is infused with plenty of flavour. Then, utilising the one-shot method, the heads and tails are discarded and only the very best of the unfiltered heart spirit is kept. The remaining spirit is then simply blended with purified water, bottled by hand and left to rest for three weeks before release.

The result is a well-balanced gin with a smooth mouthfeel, clean finish and superb juniper character complemented with subtle flavours from the citrus botanicals. Hippocampus gin was recently awarded a gold medal in the highly prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. An impressive feat for a spirit that was, at the time, only 3 months old.

DISTILLER PROFILE As the distiller at Hippocampus, Alex is responsible for the craftsmanship of both the distillery’s award-winning vodka and gin. His career began at university, where he studied Pharmacology and Biochemistry, before he then moved on to become a craft brewer. It was whilst working in this industry that a chance encounter led him overseas to Norway, where he spent time working in a remote brewery and micro-distillery. His experience there sparked his interest in handcrafting spirits and so upon returning to Perth he pursued this passion and joined Hippocampus as its distiller.

DISTILLERY AND CELLAR DOOR Having recently opened their distillery and cellar door in West Perth to the public, the distillery now welcomes visitors from across the world to taste and experience their hand-crafted spirits. The small space which overlooks their beautiful copper still provides information and tastings of Hippocampus vodka and gin as well as serving classic cocktails, local beers and bar snacks. Proving popular with locals and travellers alike, guests can take up the opportunity to be educated on the handcrafted distillation process, and may even be lucky enough to witness distiller Alex in action. ❧

ABOVE: Hippocampus Gin left to rest after bottling.

LEFT: Hippocampus Distillery and Cellar Door.