Kangaroo Island Spirits has introduced its festive release, Spiced Pudding Gin. Master Distiller Brett ‘Doogie’ Christophers combined an old family Christmas pudding recipe with his distilling expertise to create the limited-edition gin.
“Drawing from a quarter-century of baking, this gin is a tribute to cherished Christmas traditions. It’s the perfect drink to truly immerse oneself in the festive spirit,” says Christophers.
“We wanted it to scream Christmas. Everyone can relate to these flavours around this time of year. Hopefully, that reminds them of times spent with family and friends over the holiday period which is where the gin is best enjoyed.
“Being a baker for 25 years, our most important products around this time of year were Christmas puddings and fruit mince pies. I thought Christmas pudding was a good flavour that we could carry across into a gin.”
Christophers set out to combine his rich history of baking with festive charm, and the result is a 37.5 per cent ABV sipping gin that evokes flavours of cinnamon, cloves, mixed spiced and dried fruit on the palate. When describing the flavour profile of the gin, he also told The Shout how it was developed.
“The Spiced Pudding Gin boasts a harmonious blend, reminiscent of the classic Christmas desert. It’s a delightful journey of sweet, smooth and spicy notes.
“It was a bit of trial and error. Working with cinnamon and mixed spice is always a bit tricky because they’re so powerful. Working with fruit is always a challenge as well due to their natural sugars. In the end, getting the balance between sweetness and spice while also remaining a gin was what we were striving for.”
More than just a sipping gin, Christophers suggested a few of his favourite ways to serve Spiced Pudding Gin.
“[Spiced Pudding Gin can be served] however you like. We designed it so it was perfectly drinkable neat or on the rocks, and it’s great mixed with ginger ale. It can go in your coffee or with ice cream, or even an Espresso Martini.
“My favourite is a cocktail our cellar door staff created called the Chrisco Bisco, which uses Spiced Pudding Gin along with cream, milk and a house-made Biscoff caramel.”
Spiced Pudding Gin, which is priced at $99 for 700ml, is available now to independent retailers.