78 Degrees has partnered with Loving Earth to create a Chocolate Gin, which has been launched in time for Easter.
Loving Earth is a fair-trade chocolate maker based in Melbourne, and 78 Degrees has taken the waste cacao husks, and steeped them in high-proof gin to extract the chocolate character and colour.
Once optimum extraction is reached, distillates of sweet local orange are added, along with roasted wattle seed. With its rich nutty character, the wattle seed further elevates the husks’ flavour and gives the gin a uniquely Australian style.
Sacha La Forgia, 78 Degrees’ Founder and Head Distiller said: “We have repurposed the waste from the chocolate-making process to create this new and innovative gin.
“We worked with Loving Earth, whose passion for regeneration is aligned with our ‘Crafted for Bette’” philosophy. We take a closed loop approach when making our products so collaborating with Loving Earth and using their cacao husks just made sense.
“We respect the fact they buy cacao beans directly from the Ashaninka community in Peru, and have helped the growers establish their own co-op to ensure fair pricing and guaranteed volume each harvest season.”
Speaking about the gin, he added: “It’s quite different to how you might imagine. It’s delicate, sophisticated and surprisingly light on the palate, with a lingering spiced finish.
“This is our first collaboration with Loving Earth, but we hope that this special limited edition will become an annual release.”
Loving Earth’s co-founder and creative director Martha added: “When it comes to sustainability, 78 Degrees look at things the way we do. We love with the gin Sacha has created using our leftover husks.
“It’s rich and smooth with notes of dark chocolate, roasted nuts, vanilla and jaffa…it’s the perfect complement to our chocolate.”