The Gin Diaries

The gin renaissance has hardly diluted, in fact there has been an explosion of deliciously inventive gin’s available across the Luxury Lodges of Australia. Who knew a juniper-based spirit used for medical purposes would end up being so popular across so many palates?

People love the classic G&T, but a supporting cast of citrus and local Australian botanicals have thrust us into new terrain, adding notes of native plants to the requisite juniper and importantly, offering guests a genuine taste of their destination. Pop a bottle (or three) in your luggage for easy, crowd-pleasing cocktails at home that come with a good travel backstory.

Below is a list of lodges offering premium gins graced with a balance of Australian botanicals, choosing the native plants, seeds and flowers that perfectly capture the spirit of the region…

Baillie Lodges has linked up with premium independent distillers and committed to serving local-only gin labels. The company’s signature baillies 9 gin, crafted by the team at KI Spirits using Kangaroo Island’s local juniper, is served as the house gin and supports the hyper-local producers at each of its Australian regional properties, Capella Lodge, Longitude 131º, Silky Oaks Lodge, Southern Ocean Lodge and The Louise.

 

CAPELLA LODGE

With views to an oceanic horizon at Lord Howe Island, sundowners served at Capella Lodge are an ideal occasion to sample the island’s own Lord Howe Island Distilling Co. Wild Lemon and Hibiscus gin. A premium gin bar led by Baillies 9 gin is on offer each evening. Sip on a sloe and watch the sun slip over the horizon from Gowers Terrace.

More on Capella Bar here.

 

EMIRATES ONE&ONLY WOLGAN VALLEY 

Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley has created an invigorating, locally-distilled gin inspired by the rich bounty of the valley. The 1832 Wolgan Gin came about in collaboration with leading gin specialist, Mikey Enright, and the historical Stone Pine Distillery. Infused with hand-picked native lemon-scented tea tree and distilled with pristine valley water, the aromatic spirit has a deep connection to the valley of its origin.

For more on the refreshingly unique taste of Wolgan Valley, visit.

 

LONGITUDE 131º

A chilled NT ‘G&T’ is high on the hit-list at Uluru’s luxury basecamp Longitude 131° with Willing Distillery Desert Lime Gin from Darwin and Green Ant Gin from Something Wild distillery, which uses traditional Indigenous bush tucker green ants hand harvested by the Motlop family of the Larrakia in the Northern Territory. Across the border in Kununurra in Western Australia, the Argile Pink Native Dry Gin from the Hoochery Distillery is a tribute to the Kimberley outback.

For more on the well-stocked watering hole featuring the premium baillies 9 gin, visit.

 

PRETTY BEACH HOUSE

Pretty Beach House have teamed up with Distillery Botanica, a boutique, local distillery tucked away on the beautiful Central Coast in the Sydney Surrounds. Their award-winning Moore’s London Dry Gin adds a perfect twist to classic and contemporary cocktails and is served up as your Welcome drink, with lemon myrtle liqueur, lemon and soda water.

Visit Pretty Beach House for more of the flavours on offer.

SAL SALIS

Kick back and exchange stories around the self-serve bar at Sal Salis, with a strong pour of local WA gins. The range of handcrafted spirits by Old Youngs uses Australian sugarcane, swan valley grapes or wheat, creating award-winning flavours to try.

Another WA local, the West Winds Gin has natural affinity to the ocean, with the Indian Ocean literally on the distillery doorstep in the Margaret River. Proudly sourced local ingredients come directly from growers and Traditional Custodians of the land, choosing to use environmentally sustainable produce where possible including banksia honey, native bush tomatoes, Davidson plums, native thyme, lemon myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, strawberry gum leaves, sloe berries and sea parsley.

More on the drinks offering at Sal Salis here.

 

MT MULLIGAN LODGE

Mt Mulligan Lodge serves up a tropical gin that pays homage to Northern Outback Queensland through its selection of unique local botanicals that support farmers and growers that opt for sustainable and organic farming. Wolf Lane Distillery is a boutique craft distillery infusing flavours such as Davidson plum, or mango and wild berries. Another local unique flavour to try is the Mt Uncle bushfire smoked gin, used in the Smoked Bloody Mary.

Check out the Mt. Mulligan Lodge beverage menu here.

LIZARD ISLAND

Lizard Island have partnered with Wolf Lane Distillery for an award-winning Craft Gin Experience. Step through the heavy wooden doors and discover something very different: Cairns’ very first gin distillery. The Tropical North Queensland gin is quintessentially Cairns in character, infused with tropical fruits, vanilla pods and coffee beans from surrounding plantations and a bounty of exotic native botanicals foraged from the Daintree Rainforest.

For further information, visit Lizard Island.

 

SILKY OAKS LODGE

At Silky Oaks Lodge you can try out at least three of the region’s top tipples. Reflecting the Daintree Rainforest, the Devils Thumb Rainforest Gin showcases locally sourced fruit, herbs and spices distilled with traditional botanicals at the nearby coastal town, Port Douglas.

Try Mt Uncle Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin from the Atherton Tablelands near Mareeba for notes of sweet pine of juniper that meld into the spice of Australian native ginger peperberry and warm creamy undertones of bunya nut. Wolf Lane Tropical Gin from their distillery in Cairns brings together thirteen vapour-infused botanicals that create a taste of the tropics. Some of the usual suspects appear; juniper, angelica, cinnamon, cardamom, but it’s the addition of native lemon myrtle, pepper-berry, macadamia and fresh local ruby grapefruits, mangoes and finger limes that set this gin apart.

For more on the Silky Signature gin drinks at sunset, visit.

 

THE LOUISE

At The Louise  there’s no shortage of local gin, but the signature House Gin & Tonic is made hyper-locally in the Barossa Valley, just 300 metres from the lodge. Seppeltsfield Road Distillers use locally grown lavender to give the gin a beautiful floral depth. Talented local chefs make tonic syrups from natural, regional ingredients, and Varci Pink Peppercorn Tonic combined with carbonated rainwater and dried lime from the kitchen garden create the ultimate mixer.

House Gin & Tonic Recipe:

• 30ml Seppeltsfield Road Distillers House Gin
• 20ml Varci Pink Peppercorn Tonic
• Soda Water
• Method
• Add gin and tonic mix to glass
• Half fill with ice
• Top with soda water
• Stir gently
• Garnish: Dried lime wheel

Another top local pick is the Matriarch produced at The Eatery’s Durand Distillery is in honour of Baillie Lodges’ long-time friend Maggie Beer, where craft gin making experiences are a big hit with guests. The Louise make their classic dry martinis using Barossa Distilling Co Australian Garden Gin that houses 19 native botanicals – think lilli pilly, pink peppercorn, bee pollen, lemon verbena, fresh juniper needles, salt bush, and fresh citrus.

Barossa Shiraz Gin from the Barossa Distilling Co is another homegrown favourite. You can visit the tasting room and cocktail bar in the old Penfolds Distillery in Nuriootpa. As a bonus, the distillery is located right next to a wood-fired pizza bar called Ember, so lunch and drinks are sorted.

For more on the Barossa gin distillery scene, visit.