Here’s what Aussie distilleries have in store for World Gin Day
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29.05.2019

Here’s what Aussie distilleries have in store for World Gin Day

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Animus Distillery

Animus Distillery was founded in 2015, by four friends with a shared passion for producing world-class spirits. Initially starting with round-the-clock research and development in our Fitzroy North garage, we quickly outgrew this space and expanded to a larger rural property, before establishing our distillery in Kyneton, employing a team of dedicated, local professionals.

We use the highest grade of 100% Australian grain spirit, triple filtered using our custom gravity-fed carbon filter system, to provide the purest base for capturing the soul of our botanicals. We grow many of the botanicals on our property, and use a vapour-pressed production approach for our distillation.

Our gins are produced in small batches to extract the freshest, richest flavours from our balance of Australian native and international ingredients and are released over-proofed at 50% alcohol, to best express the richness, intensity and complexity of our ingredients.

Sustainability is a core aspect of our business. Our extracted botanicals are reutilised to create fertiliser for growing our next generation of botanicals, and sustainable practices are foremost in everything we do, including our packaging, which we encourage you to recycle. 

Visit us at our premium cocktail lounge in Kyneton; relax on our Chesterfield lounges, enjoy a gin flight, cocktail or G&T served with biodegradable wheat stem straws (we say ‘no’ to plastic straws), while enjoying a tasting plate of local produce.

Animus Distillery is located at 1/89a Piper Street, Kyneton and is available in all good bars and retailers around Australia. Explore the distillery and order their gins online at animusdistillery.com.

Tiny Bear Distillery

Tiny Bear is an intimate family owned distillery located in Melbourne’s east. Established in 2017, the distillery started when one of the creators was asked: “If you could do anything, and money wasn’t an issue, what would you do?”. To which they replied, “Open a distillery”. To this day, Tiny Bear continues to stay true to its humble origins.

The full-bodied flavours of the gin stem from a wine made with kale, sugar, water and yeast. Run through a six-plated Australian-built copper column, the wine is turned into vodka before becoming one their three core range gins.

The core range includes The Doctor – a herbaceous gin, with strong notes from fresh basil, Vietnamese mint, sage and dill. They also have The Gypsy – a spice-driven gin flavoured by four different peppers with a pungent juniper base. Then there’s The Sailor, which has the highest alcohol percentage of the three at 58% and draws its inspiration from the Royal British Navy, who enjoy their alcohol extra strong.

Tiny Bear also offers two-hour gin masterclasses called Gin 101, where even a gin tasting novice can learn the ways of the gin masters. During the sessions, participants will be involved in every step of the gin making process, through fermentation, distillation, vapour infusing, finishing with bottling and labelling. Plus, you’ll get to take home a bottle of gin made on the day.

Tiny Bear Distillery is located at 7/10 Henderson Road, Knoxfield and is available in bars and retailers around Australia. Sign up for a Gin 101 session and order gins online at tinybear.com.au.   

Katuk

Behind a bright green door on Chapel Street in the heart of South Yarra lies Katuk, an effortlessly trendy bar – and a bar that loves gin just like the rest of us. 

More than just a buzzing watering hole, Katuk also run events out of their venue spaces as well as a series of masterclasses for those interested in learning more about cocktails, whisky and gin.

Each masterclass includes canapés and gives each participant the opportunity to jump behind the bar and shake up their own cocktails.

With World Gin Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to get involved in their gin masterclass. With this you’ll get a gin and tonic to sip on, a selection of varied gins to sample, you’ll learn how to make a Tom Collins and a Southside, along with learning everything there is to know about gin.

If all you want to do is find a good place to enjoy some gin, Katuk are also running specials for World Gin Day to help us celebrate without breaking the bank. There’s 25% off gin cocktails, and 25% off pours of Beefeater Gin, Plymouth Sloe Gin, and Monkey 47.

On top of all this, their functions spaces, The Front Lounge and Cubby House & Courtyard, cater perfectly for all types of events, including birthdays, engagements, weddings, graduations and all other private functions. 

Find Katuk at 517a Chapel Street, South Yarra. Explore what the bar has going on, book into a masterclass or submit any function enquiries via katuk.com.au.

Never Never Distilling Co.

Never Never Distilling Co. is the encapsulation of three Adelaide boys coming together to form one of the most innovative gin companies in the world.

With a passion for flavour and creativity that does not sleep, George Georgiadis, Sean Baxter and Tim Boast have started a juniper revolution, winning countless awards for their bold gin style.

Their contemporary take on traditional flavours has gained fans from all over the world and has seen them win World’s Best Classic Gin at the World Gin Awards in London in February, followed with a double gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco Spirit Awards for their Triple Juniper Gin a month later.

Their motto of ‘fearless spirit’ is inspired by the Australian spirit of adventure and motivates them daily to face their challenges head on.

In an industry flooded with unique botanicals and localised character, Never Never wants to strip it back and focus on making some of the boldest, juniper-forward gins in the world, separating themselves from the competition, standing alone and strong.

They have purposely aimed at creating their spirits to be as exciting as they are different, while still keeping them as affordable as possible, making them accessible to everyone.

So this World Gin Day, satisfy your thirst for adventure (and good gin) with the ever-fearless Never Never Distilling Co.

Find Never Never Distilling Co. at all good cellars around Victoria. Explore the distillery and order their gins online at neverneverdistilling.com.au.

Four Pillars

The very best gin doesn’t just make itself; distillers make it and Four Pillars is one of the best in Australia.

The three bald boys behind the Healesville-based Four Pillars distillery have devised all kinds of modern concoctions of the liquor. From Rare Dry Gin to Barrel Aged Gin to Navy Strength Gin and Orange Marmalade, everything Four Pillars do elevates the craft of distilling in Australia. Yet nothing quite sums them up like their Bloody Shiraz Gin.

This twisted take on gin eventuated when Four Pillars co-founder Cameron Mackenzie took Yarra Valley shiraz grapes and steeped them in their Rare Dry Gin and voila the Bloody Shiraz Gin was born.

Sweet, spicy, and bloody gorgeous, this gin is a vintage product because the grapes are unique to each harvest. Now five vintages in and the Bloody Shiraz Gin has earned itself a cult following. Each release embodies the beauty of the shiraz grapes and with all the spring rain and summer heat, there are plenty of plum and blackberry flavours on the palate.

Recommended neat or over ice with a slice of citrus, have a Four Pillars in a long drink (bitter lemon or lemon tonic is the best) or in one of the many bloody delicious gin cocktails on the Four Pillars website.

Four Pillars Gin is located at 2a Lilydale Road, Healesville and is available in all good bars and retailers around Australia. Explore the distillery and order their gins online at fourpillarsgin.com.au.

Bass & Flinders Distillery

Are you spending the Queen’s Birthday long weekend down on the Mornington Peninsula? Well you’ve got to hit up Bass & Flinders Distillery in Dromana.

Bass & Flinders are celebrating World Gin Day with a whole heap of festivities – which will be in full swing across the long weekend from 11am – 5pm. Fresh paella is being served up by Spanish Caravan – which can be enjoyed while listening to some groovy live tunes – and they will be pouring their infamous mulled gin to sip on.

The distillery has seven different gin expressions to sample – including their much-anticipated Winter Gin release. Go and enjoy some of Australia’s most unique botanicals and flavours including their lux Truffle Gin or the Angry Ant Gin made with native ant pheromones.

Bass & Flinders Distillery produces a range of handcrafted single vineyard gins, brandy and liqueurs, and if you’re after something a little different they also offer gin masterclasses, which give you the opportunity to create your own bespoke gin. At the end of the two hours you’ll take home a vast knowledge of gin and a 500ml bottle of your very own bespoke gin blend to share with your friends (if they’re nice). On top that, Bass & Flinders will keep your recipe on file so you can order it again and again and again.

Whatever your preference, they have seven different gins worth sinking your tonic into – so don’t be shy.

Bass & Flinders Distillery is located at 40 Collins Road, Dromana. Explore the distillery and order their gins online at bassandflindersdistillery.com. Their World Gin Day festivities kick off from 11am on Saturday June 8 and their cellar door is open Friday – Monday 11am – 5pm.

Black Cat Gin

Black Cat Gin distillery, located in the Barossa Valley, packs a wonderful blend of rich, crafted ingredients into their enchanting gins. Small in stature, Black Cat are meticulous in their approach and their gins are renowned for their abundant flavour.

Black Cat Gin stand at the commercial coalface of the wine/spirit industries with a team made up of one part viticulturalist and one part distiller. Re-harvesting waste from the wine industry, their gins incorporate a blend of 100% grape spirit and an infusion of unique botanicals to ensure every blend is a true classic.

Inspired by the Gadsby era of the 1920s, these classic handcrafted gins are sure to excite your inner flapper. The black cat emblem is the perfect exemplar of that – slick, classy and charming.

The four Black Cat Gin blends are available online in three packs – the ideal way to try a selection of blends or stock up on favourites. Choose from the Aubrey – a charming and elegant blend of sloe berries, citrus and cinnamon; the Botonic – a vibrant and perfumed bouquet with an intricate blend of classic botanicals. Then there’s the Tango which is a zesty resolution, alive with citrus notes and the Monstera offers a bold nose of black liquorice with hints of juniper, tipping its hat to the legendary Ouzo.

Black Cat’s packages start at one three-pack of 350ml gins for $100 and inclusions can be interchanged depending on the gin of choice. Explore the distillery and order their gins online at blackcatgin.com.au.

Hophaus

Celebrating World Gin Day in style is easy if you know where to look and you need not look any further than Southbank’s cosmopolitan take on a European Bier Hall, Hophaus. This bar and bistro is a charming space with an edge of freshness. Usually Hophaus is central on beer with their 30-tap bar, but on Saturday June 8 it will be pulling out all the stops for World Gin Day.

Step into the Gin Wonderland at Hophaus and visit their dream town. With help from some ambassadors and favourite gin makers such as Four Pillars, Martin Miller’s, The Botanist, Archie Rose and Adelaide Hills Distillery, their Gin Wonderland has gin market stalls with tastings from the ambassadors.

There are also mini gin masterclasses, waiters roaming around with winter canapes to nibble on, a $12 gin cocktail special or two, and a DJ playing from their Alpine Lodge booth.

With a usual menu that reflects German and European style favourites – which you can tell from their huge open rotisserie-fired kitchen – a lot of what they offer up is food to keep your belly happy and soul warm.

20 bucks will get you the full three hours of this fest, with all the complimentary tastings, classes, and munchies – there’s also a chance to win an awesome gin hamper and a masterclass with the Four Pillars Distillery in Healesville.

Gin Wonderland takes over Hophaus on Saturday June 8 from 2pm. Head to hophaus.com.au for more on info on what’s going down.

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