The local distilleries creating this on-trend spirit
The Northern Rivers’ craft gins are something to celebrate
ONCE considered a bit daggy and old-fashioned, gin is cool again. Consumption has surged in Australia in recent years, as has the number of craft gin distilleries creating it.
Known for its love of all things local, handmade and homegrown, it’s little surprise the Northern Rivers has become a hotspot for local craft gin production, with four gin-producing distilleries cropping up in the region in the past six or so years, including Husk, Cape Byron Distillery, and more recently, Lord Byron Distillery and Tintenbar Distillery.
Here’s an introduction to each and the gins they produce:
THE COLOUR CHANGING GIN
Ink Gin shot to international attention when actress Margot Robbie posted a photo of herself sipping on a glass of Ink and tonic shortly after her Byron Bay wedding.
Produced by Husk Distillery at Tumbulgum, Ink Gin is famous for its ability to change colour before your eyes (it’s blue, but changes to pink when you add something acidic like lime tonic, lime or lemon). This effect is created by infusing the gin with petals of the Butterfly Pea flower, which is highly sensitive to PH.
In addition to the Butterfly Pea flower, Ink Gin is flavoured with botanicals including the traditional juniper berry, as well locally grown lemon myrtle leaf, coriander seed, Tasmanian pepper berry and sundried sweet orange peel.
“It’s very accessible,” says head distiller Paul Messenger’s daughter Harriet, who works as Husk’s sales and marketing manager.
“When people say I don’t like gin I tell them - try this. It’s citrusy and floral with a hint of spice - it doesn’t taste like any other gin.”
It took head distiller Paul Messenger three years of experimentation to perfect Ink Gin but, since its launch to market in 2015, the family has been working non-stop to keep up with demand.
“For the past few years we’ve been producing out of our farm shed and have been restricted in how much we can make,” says Harriet.
“We actually ran out the last two Christmases.”
The good news is, Husk’s new purpose built distillery - due to be complete this year - will be able to produce a much greater volume of their famous blue gin and, with a cellar door, bar and tasting room, you’ll even be able to visit. www.inkgin.com
THE RAINFOREST GIN
One of the best things about so many of Australia’s craft gins is that they have put the spotlight on Australian native ingredients, and the multiple-award winning Brookie’s Gin, produced at the
Cape Byron Distillery in the Byron Bay hinterland, does just that.
Brookie’s Dry Gin is infused with local native botanicals like aniseed and cinnamon myrtle, finger limes, lilly pily and riberry, native raspberries and native ginger. Brookie’s Slow
Gin is made with the Davidson plum - a rainforest fruit native to the Northern Rivers, which are steeped in Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin for several months.
Both gins were awarded gold medals at this year’s prestigious San Francisco World Spirit Competition.
Located on the Brook family farm (home of Brookfarm macadamia products), the distillery is surrounded by macadamia orchards and regenerated rainforest, which is where many of the ingredients are sourced, and tours of the distillery are available to the public. www.capebyrondistillery.com
THE ORGANIC GIN
You may not have heard of Tintenbar Distillery, as its founders have kept it a fairly low profile operation thus far.
Based on a working organic farm in the hills behind Ballina, it’s a small batch distillery that creates two certified organic gins - Tuckombil Dry and Flinders Island.
The use of local ingredients here goes right down to the grains, which are grown on farm or sourced from local organic producers, as are the botanicals.
Their signature gin, Tuckombil Dry is flavoured with juniper, ginger and citrus, while Flinders Island Gin is infused with mountain pepperberry, coastal daisybush and native juniper.
Only available at local liquor stores or online, this gin is a bit harder to find, but worth seeking out. Continued next page.