Page 16 - Food&Drink magazine July 2022

COMPANY PROFILE
A cultured spirit
In Rubibi (Broome) on the remote north west coast of Western Australia’s Kimberly region, a distillery, pearl farm, and Indigenous company have come together to create a gin that embodies the flavours and spirit of the region. Pippa Haupt speaks to the team behind The Pearler’s Gin.
NESTLED behind Rubibi’s sprawling white beaches, with uninhibited views of the Indian Ocean, is Moontide Distillery. Founder Andrew Davidson launched the distillery in 2020, after moving to Broome and wanting to create a business that showcased the region.
“Ours is a new story, and we respect and honour the stories told by the peoples that have lived here for many thousands of years. We are always learning from them, and it makes our story stronger,” Davidson says.
Moontide Distillery is a product of the Kimberley, its history, diversity, and remarkable landscape of milky turquoise waters and vivid red Pindan dirt. But Davidson says it was the spirit of the place that he fell in love with and which gave life to his search for a new, creative endeavour.
“Moontide began with a dream, was given life by the spirit of Broome, and made a reality by the inspiration and passion of our hardworking team,” he says.
Moontide’s handcrafted gins and spirits use tropical monsoonal water from the Kimberley and native botanicals that have historical and cultural relevance to the area, capturing the spirit of Broome in every bottle.
The latest release – The Pearler’s Gin – is the result of Moontide working with Pearls of Australia and Indigenous owned business Mayi Harvests. Davidson says it is also the first gin in the world to use pearl oyster as a botanical.
“The name symbolises the aligning of values between Moontide Distillery and Cygnet Bay, paying homage to the region’s rich pearling industry.
“Distilled with juniper berries is Burdekin plum, lemon myrtle, mint, and oyster mantle to produce a dry Australian gin balanced by citrus flavours,” he says.
Pearls of Australia executive manager Jessie Hornblow says the collaborative partnership between its Cygnet Bay pearl
16 | Food&Drink business | July 2022 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au