Oh, hi there!
It looks like you have one of our 3pc Aussie Gin Tasting Sets. This set is designed to introduce you to a few versatile and high quality Australian dry gins that you can pull out time after time, mix into different cocktails and impress your visitors.
Note that the contents of this pack change occasionally. As such, you won't have all the gins described on this page (there are more than three here).
Scoundrel Gin
Kilderkin Distillery was founded in 2016 by a beer brewer and a distilling enthusiast and is the first distillery in the former gold-mining town of Ballarat since the 1930’s. Scott, the brewer, also founded Red Duck Brewery, and it’s on this site that Kilderkin Distillery now resides. The distillery makes its spirits with two Knapp-Lewer copper pot stills in the same style as those at other prominent Aussie distilleries such as Archie Rose. In case you’re wondering, the name Kilderkin stems from the same word used to describe a quarter-size barrel.
Scoundrel Gin is a London Dry style gin that's been distilled in the traditional English way, which means plenty of juniper accompanied by a handful of other botanicals. In this case, these include coriander, grains of paradise, cinnamon, green and brown cardamom and fresh citrus. The botanicals are placed in a basket above the still and distilled via vapour infusion only, which results in a lighter gin with a smooth mouthfeel.
Cocktail suggestion: 'Gin Daiquiri'
Pour 60ml Scoundrel Gin, 30ml grapefruit juice, 15ml lime juice, 10ml maraschino liqueur (obviously we would recommend using our very own Naked Maraschino) and 10ml sugar syrup (again in a 1:1 sugar to water ratio) into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake like a madman then double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Brookie's Byron Dry Gin
Cape Byron Distillery was founded by Eddie Brook and former master distiller of Bruichladdich Distillery, Jim McEwan. The distillery resides on the Brook family’s very own 96 acre macadamia farm and native rainforest, which they’ve helped regenerate over many decades of careful conservation work. As a result, the distillery has remarkable access to a whole host of native plants which have taken up residence – these include the Davidson's Plum, riberries, native ginger and aniseed myrtle.
Brookie's Byron Dry Gin is a complex gin that's got a lot going on. Designed to celebrate the diversity of native bushfoods found in the distillery's regenerated forest, it's distilled with 26 botanicals, of which 17 are native to their rainforest. These include sunrise finger limes, cinnamon myrtle, aniseed myrtle, kumquat, blood lime, lilly pilly leaf, native river mint, native raspberry and macadamias which are sourced from the distillery's sister property, Brookfarm, just around the corner.
Cocktail suggestion: 'Cape Byron Collins'
Grab a tall glass and fill it with large ice cubes. Pour in 30ml Brookie's Byron Dry Gin, 15ml freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, 15ml lemon juice, 10ml sugar syrup (1:1 ratio as usual), then top up with soda water. Give it a very gentle stir. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit
Just Juniper Gin
Earp Distilling was founded in 2019 in the old industrial precinct of Newcastle. The brainchild of Michael and Richard Earp, the distillery is the latest addition to the Earp family’s growing business empire, on top of their existing ceramics and tiles factory located about a hundred meters away. The distillery features two large automated stainless steel stills which do all the grunt work in making the distillery’s products, contrasted with a dozen tiny (<10L volume) stills located in their R&D room for rapid product development. This same room houses over a hundred different tinctures made from botanicals sourced from all over the world.
During development of Earp’s core gins, the team spent months progressing through hundreds of recipes, incrementally numbering each attempt as they went. But there was one gin they had in mind for which they didn't need to do too much pondering over complex botanical combinations. Just Juniper Gin is literally a gin made with one botanical - juniper. This is a really interesting mono-botanical showpiece that will demonstrate just how dominant the juniper flavour is in any gin. It also serves as a fantastic blank canvas for experimenting with different tonic waters.
Cocktail suggestion: 'The Gimlet'
Pour 60ml Just Juniper Gin, 25ml fresh lime juice and 25ml sugar syrup (made to a 1:1 sugar to water ratio) in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for at least 15 seconds or until the shaker is very cold to the touch. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon or a segment of the lime you just juiced.
Turbo Gin
When Adam Saunders, a builder who helped construct Boags Brewery, met Adam Pinkard, a paramedic with a dream to make whisky, the vision for Adams Distillery was set. The path to opening certainly wasn’t smooth sailing though. Construction at their first proposed site was halted by council just as the foundations were laid. Appeals failed, dreams were shattered but the guys held on and pushed ahead with an ambitious new build at a different site. A couple of years later, once they'd impressed the industry with the quality of their new-make spirit, they pushed the button on a multi-million dollar expansion featuring a 5,500L spirit still, a 12,500L wash still, grain silos, a grist mill, a new mash tun and new 8,500L fermenters.
Although the distillery was originally built to make whisky, in 2017 the two Adams decided to branch out into gin. This Turbo Gin is a navy strength gin clocking in at 58% ABV featuring a 21 botanical recipe. With strong robust flavours and a subtle spicy lingering finish, it's perfect served in a dry martini with a couple of oily olives or in the negroni recipe below.
Cocktail suggestion: 'Australian Negroni'
Combine 30ml Turbo Gin, 30ml amaro (here's a great one) and 30ml sweet vermouth (this one works well) in an old fashioned glass. Plonk in some ice and garnish with a slice of orange.
Keen to explore more?
Now that you've had a few sneaky gin cocktails and experienced what Aussie gin has to offer, why not branch out and check out our more in-depth and wide ranging 12pc Australian Gin Tasting Flight, featuring twelve different delicious drops?
Or, if you've now decided gin ain't your thing (which is totally fine, by the way), why not check out our other tasting flights which include whisky, rum and liqueurs instead?