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Ready to be the host with the most? Here are six foolproof gin drinks to whip up when you've got guests coming over, from simple serves to group serves.
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We’ve gone and bloody done it again. After a stellar vintage, Bloody Pinot Noir Gin is back. Made by following the exact same process as its Shiraz sibling, this gin is lighter & softer, with a more pronounced gin and red fruit character that dances across the palate. Sip it straight up, then add some ice, soda and a slice of lemon for a perfect bloody drink.
In hindsight, we were lucky it was Shiraz and not Pinot Noir that Cam came across on that fateful day back in 2015 when the idea of Bloody Shiraz Gin was born. Shiraz is a resilient workhorse that could withstand Cam’s initial trials and testing in a way that the precious and precocious Pinot Noir probably couldn’t.
But in 2023, after eight years of making Bloody Shiraz Gin, we felt we’d learnt enough lessons to treat the delicate, ethereal Pinot Noir grape just right. And from there, our second bloody experiment (hopefully) gone right was born: Bloody Pinot Noir Gin. After selling out online during the pre-release, we knew we were onto something special. So here we are, a year later, dropping another bloody limited batch of Bloody Pinot Noir Gin.
This year’s vintage started a bit shaky thanks to some early rain in the season that had us questioning if we’d be able to pull it all off. But lo and behold, the weather gods came through and 2024, in Cam’s own words, is some pretty bloody good Pinot! It also helps that we source our grapes from a couple of vineyards across the Yarra, which creates a more complex gin at the end. The only downside? We couldn’t get enough of them!
After picking, whole bunches of Pinot grapes are soaked in high-proof Rare Dry Gin for around seven weeks, extracting amazing colour and flavour, especially rhubarb characters from the whole bunches. The grapes are then pressed off to make sure every drop of flavour is captured, and more Rare Dry Gin is blended in to finish it off.
This gin is as you might expect – a lighter, paler and more delicate gin than that made with Shiraz.
Aromas of rhubarb, rose petals and strawberries are coupled with a palate that dances a little lighter across the tongue than its Shiraz sibling. There is a hint more fresh acidity, the gin character is a little more pronounced and the taste is a little drier and softer.
Your first taste of Bloody Pinot Noir Gin should be straight up or on the rocks and after that, well it’s up to you.
It was out with the Shiraz grapes and in with Pinot Noir to make our second bloody grape gin.
Without juniper, there is no gin. When distilled, it adds a medicinal flavour with notes of pine needles. Juniper is grown wild, and the berries are harvested by hand on mountain slopes.
We use the leaf of the Tasmanian pepperberry. This local botanical works so well with our Asian spices, adding warmth and length to the palate without adding heat.
We sourced Pinot Noir grapes from two local Yarra Valley growers. We’re in a cool climate wine region so the fruit has elegant red fruit characteristics with some bright acidity.
We source coriander seeds locally for their intense aromatics. We use the dry seeds (not fresh leaves) and they produce amazing lemony citrus notes when crushed and distilled.
We use green cardamom, one of the most expensive spices in the world. The flavour is intense, giving sweet perfumed notes and ginger characteristics when distilled.
This spice is made from the bark of East Asian trees related to the ‘true cinnamon’ of Sri Lanka. Cassia adds a distinct richness to our gin, bringing all the other spices together.
We source ours from Vietnam and the aromatics are insane. When we open a small package of star anise the entire distillery fills with aromas of fresh liquorice, sarsaparilla and pastis.
Lavender is used sparingly to lift the other aromatics, so it isn’t an obvious character in the final gin. Grown locally, though occasionally we have to source from France.
We use the root of the plant, which has a very earthy, mushroom or woody smell. Angelica adds to the soft texture of the final gin, along with a very, very subtle bitterness.
Lemon myrtle is a beautiful alternative to lemon peel when distilling. Its floral character mingles with the other spices without dominating any flavours, textures or aromas.
In Australia we’re lucky to have oranges all year round, from different growers depending on the season. Fresh biodynamic oranges give warm Mediterranean citrus notes that lift all the spices.
Lighter and more delicate than its Shiraz sibling. Enjoy on the rocks or mix it up in a gin drink.
A drink for when you don’t want to get caught in the rain.
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