The gin to have when you’re not having a gin

Posted: 28/02/2020

With mindful March just around the corner, there are those who are trying to be a little healthier and more balanced by reducing their alcohol intake for the month. Then are those who are giving up alcohol all together for a variety of reasons. And then there are those good, responsible humans who regularly nominate themselves as ‘designated drivers’ (you know who you are). But just because you’ve decided it’s time to cut out the alcohol, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a cool, refreshing G&T bursting with your favourite botanicals, garnished with a slice of lime. Now that we have your attention, let’s talk about the hottest, grown-up, non-alcoholic gin alternative on the market – CEDER’S. Yes, it’s so boss, even the name of the alt-gin is all uppercase. Produced in Sweden, CEDER’S is a distilled, non-alcoholic alt-gin created using pristine Swedish water, and rare South African and classic gin botanicals. Two of the three varieties are now available in Australia – CEDER’S Classic and CEDER’S Wild. CEDER’S Crisp is the third variety featured on the website but is not yet available in Australia. Botanicals used to create the alt-gin include juniper, coriander, lavender, geranium, buchu, rooibos, grapefruit, ginger and clove. The result is a beautifully created alt-gin with all the traditional characters of an alcohol-based gin, without the consequences. The ‘classic’ variety is described as floral and balanced while the ‘wild’ is spicy and intriguing. It’s best served in a gorgeous glass with a good quality tonic and a twist of your favourite fruit… Read More

Category: FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, RECIPES

Tags: alcohol, alt gin, gin, gin cocktail recipe, gin cocktails, Health wellbeing, non alcoholic

Bathtub gin is in: Ableforths is going back to its roots

by James Banham

Posted: 21/08/2019

From back when alcohol was illegal and people went about making their own in the bathtubs of their homes and clandestine operations, bathtub gin fast became a thing. It likely wasn’t good back in the day, but Ableforth has taken the concept and turned it around for the modern day market, pumping out their latest bathtub brew from the UK for the enjoyment of Australians. They drew inspiration from distillers of the past and timeless drinks known for robust, fresh and unusual flavours. This inspiration comes to life in the distinctive look and feel of the Ableforth’s bottle and was the starting point for creating their award winning, distinctively delicious tasting spirits. It’s an effort, too. During a week-long operation, copper pot-stilled gin is painstakingly infused with six botanicals: orange peel, cassia, juniper, coriander, cardamom and clove. It’s all to create a gin that is full of vibrant flavours only achieved through this distinct cold-compounding infusion process which gives the new gin its own schtick. Find out more at the Ableforths website.

Category: FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE

Tags: Ableforths bathtub gin, Ableforths gin, Bathrub gin, Best bathtub gin, gin

From Sydney to London: Where to celebrate World Gin Day

by James Banham

Posted: 08/06/2019

Gin is as trendy as anything right now and its popularity definitely isn’t limited to Australia or the UK, but damn when it comes to celebrating it, both countries have it down-packed. Between Sydney and London, there’s enough on to keep your whistle whet, so head along and give any one of their gin concoctions a go. London If you’re not tracking down where’s good to do for a tipple of The Botanist gin, then you’re doing something wrong. Find out about their London-exclusive map to goodness they’ve created, here. They’ll also be mixing up drinks at Belgravia, Opium, The Blind Pig, The Shrub and Shutter, The Little Yellow Door, Le Pont de la Tour and Jin Bo Law Skybar for guests. Bluebird Chelsea are celebrating World Gin Day on the 8th June with a Fever-Tree Perfect Serves Menu. The Chelsea landmark have collaborated with Fever-Tree to create a menu with summery flavours and a quintessentially British garden on the sun-soaked terrace. The menu features an array of G&Ts including Perfectly Pink G&T made with Pink Pepper Ginand Aromatic Tonic garnished with lemon and lavender. Mr Fogg’s is putting on a gin spectacular for all to witness in the Parlour, as they attempt London’s first 4 metre gin pour, from the top windows of Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour on Saturday 8 June. The Little Yellow Door is Notting Hill is throwing the ultimate house party, complete with a chlorophyll-based brunch cocktail. Called ‘The Hangover’, this body purifying breakfast tipple packs one hell of a punch with more health benefits than drinks can shake a stick at…. Read More

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, LONDON, SYDNEY

Tags: Best bars gin, gin, Gin Day, London blog, London food blog, London gin, Sydney blog, sydney food blog, sydney gin, world gin day

Alcohol for breakfast: Archie Rose does a new ArchieMite batch

by James Banham

Updated: 02/05/2019

It’s made from distilled Pepe Saya butter and Sonoma sourdough toast, so it’s basically breakfast; the new batch by Rosebery distillery, Archie Rose, is all kinds of Australian in a bottle. Apparently we’ve got a penchant for umami breakfast spreads – oh, hi Vegemite – so Archie Rose has taken cue and crafted its new – very limited – batch after what we’re into. And apparently, it’s good! “It’s lots of fun,” says Archie Rose master distiller, Dave Withers. “It sits in this weird but interesting place. Trying to describe how it tastes is like trying to describe the colour blue. If you like that savoury flavour of yeast-extract spreads, you’ll really enjoy it.” It uses a combination of individually distilled ingredients including a selection of blended yeast-extract spreads (“mites”) along with 25kg of freshly churned butter and 15kg of toasted sourdough from fellow Sydney producers Pepe Saya and Sonoma Baking Co. so you know it’s at least different. Released on May 8 (maaate), it’ll be a welcome, fun, umami drop to the Archie Rose range, serving up a mitey character at the front followed by a buttery, almost warm, crisp-edged flavour. See more and grab a bottle from the Archie Rose website.

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: archie rose, Archie Rose ArchieMite, archie rose distillery, gin, sydney gin, THE F Archie Rose, THE F gin, Vegemite alcohol

A land of sweeping plains: Larrikin Gin’s new batch, Sunburnt Country

by James Banham

Updated: 17/03/2019

It was Dorothea Mackellar who penned the poem, My Country in 1987, with the famed stanza, “I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains,” but it was Larrikin Gin in 2019, who put a flavour to the sentiment. The new Aussie gin includes ten native Australian botanicals, giving this smooth and strong gin a complex and totally unique Australian flavour you can only find here. They really threw the net far and wide when creating the palette of the new Sunburnt Country gin. On a journey of discovery from the Kakadu Plum of the Northern Territories to Strawberry Gum from the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Larrikin gin really shines a light on Australia as one of not only the oldest original lands on our planet, but one with the most home-grown diversity and an undeniably Aussie spirit. The gin is strong at 50.7%, but keeps a nice smooth finish that can be enjoyed straight with some ice on a hot Australian day, or is refreshingly perfect with tonic water. Other botanicals they’ve used that need to be tried to be believed are the likes of Roast Wattleseed, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon Aspen, Kakadu Plum, Native Blood Lime, Desert Lime, Bush Tomato, Strawberry Gum, Davidson’s Plum and Finger Lime. But, there’s only really one way to find out yourself if it’s for you: Sunburnt Country will be available from March online or at selected on premise outlets for $100.

Category: CITIES, FOOD & DRINK, LIFESTYLE, MELBOURNE

Tags: Australian gins, Best gins, gin, Larrikin Gin, THE F gin, THE F Larrikin Gin, the-f australia

Tag: gin

The gin to have when you’re not having a gin

Bathtub gin is in: Ableforths is going back to its roots

From Sydney to London: Where to celebrate World Gin Day

Alcohol for breakfast: Archie Rose does a new ArchieMite batch

A land of sweeping plains: Larrikin Gin’s new batch, Sunburnt Country