Page 25 - Food & Drink Magazine April 2020

Hills Cider Company to expand the product range and increase production capabilities.
In collaboration with Mismatch Brewing Company and Vinteloper, the four have created Lot.100, an 84-hectare property in the Adelaide Hills bringing visitors to the region.
It was supported through a large grant from the South Australian government.
ONES TO WATCH
The Brogan’s Way Distillery head distiller Brogan Carr is one of Australia’s youngest and most qualified distillers. She completed a masters in brewery and distillation at Heriot Watt University, Scotland, focusing on Australian native botanicals for her thesis. The research she undertook included creating the three gins in the Brogan’s Way range.
Carr says: “Australian native botanicals are an interesting and complex combination of flavours, which is evident from their chemical composition. My studies focused on
the chemical and sensory analysis of some of the more popular Australian natives.
“What the data highlighted was Australian botanicals have unique combinations of flavour active compounds working together to create very intense flavour profiles specific to the country. It gives Australian distillers an edge when it comes to designing new products using combinations of traditional and Australian native botanicals.”
Never Never Distilling burst onto the gin scene in 2017 to, in their words, create a juniper revolution. While other Australian gin brands were bursting with unusual native botanicals, Never Never’s owners Sean Baxter, Tim Boast and George Georgiadis forged a different path. While they do include Tasmanian pepperberry and Australian coriander, for them, it is all about the juniper.
“People thought we were crazy,”salesandmarketing
director Baxter says. “Who would launch a classic gin when pink and fruit gins are taking over the shelves?”
They need not have worried. Their Southern Strength gin won World’s Best Classic Gin in the World Gin awards in 2019. Distiller Boast picked up the Best Distiller gong from Drinks International Magazine the same year.
They begin the new decade at a beautiful new distillery and bar overlooking McLaren Vale with Chalk Hill Wines.
THE ROAD AHEAD
In Australia, gin is second only to ‘Contemporary Beer’ in actual dollar growth, growing from 22 per cent in 2017-2018 to 33 per cent in 2019, with
1.4 million units sold across retail liquor.
Roy Morgan released data in March that shows that while alcohol consumption is on the decline in Australia, spirits are bucking the trend, with gin experiencing the largest growth over the past 12 months.
It rose from 7.4 per cent to nine per cent of Australians consuming gin in an average four-week period. Other spirits to increase included bourbon, which was up to 7.5 per cent, vodka rose to 6.4 per cent, and dark rum grew to 4.2 per cent.
Boutique gin distilleries continue to open with consumers keen to learn more about the production and provenance of their favourite tipple.
The industry is vibrant and internationally competitive – it isaveryexcitingtime. ✷
“ Gin distillers are adept at experimenting with different botanicals to create a unique flavour profile. What sets Australian gins apart are the native botanicals our distillers use, like boobialla (native juniper), kakadu plum, lilly pilly, sea lettuce and even green ants.”
ABOVE: The founders of Four Pillars, Cam Mackenzie, Stu Gregor and Matt Jones. BELOW LEFT: Some of Australia’s leading gins.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | April 2020 | Food&Drink business | 25