By Andrew Starke
A locally made gin has been launched in several Sydney and Melbourne venues with its producer promising this is but the first of several premium Australian spirits lined up for release over the next 12 months.
The Tradewinds gin is the brainchild of Jeremy Spencer, formerly with Brown Forman, and Jason Chan, owner of Seamstress in Melbourne, who have been experimenting with gin production for the past two years.
Using both local and imported botanicals and Margaret River spring water, the result has been The Tradewinds Gin brands with two expressions available in selected venues.
These include Greenhouse Sydney (and Perth), Cookie, The Royal Saxon, Gerald’s Bar, Transit Lounge, Ezard and The Botanical.
The Tradewinds, with an ABV of 40 percent is described as a classically styled gin and tonic lovers gin with strong citrus notes and a full mouth feel due to its 12 botanicals, which include lime peel, lemon, cinnamon myrtle, coriander and native wattle-seed.
The Cutlass is the former’s big, bespoke brother, boasting an ABV of 50 percent, and using coriander seed, lemon myrtle, lemon and lime and bush tomato delivering a savoury, vegetal gin.
The two are expected to retail for $60 and $80 respectively.
Spencer told TheShout that The Tailormade Spirits Company expects to release several more premium Australian spirits over the remainder of 2011.