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Australian Distilling: Inspired by famous cities

The founder, Michael Hickinbotham, is one of the second generation of the family of distillers who helped shape Australia’s wine and spirits industry. Together with Dr. Graham Jones as Master Distiller he has created unique recipes for gin, inspired by the time he spent living and working in Australia.

The spirits have strong botanic signatures with regional and seasonal ingredients. All the way to the bottle, everything is especially designed with a particular city in mind, and each gin is distilled there in order to capture the city’s ‘spirit’.

The label on Adelaide Gin reflects the copper on which the foundations of the city stand. In the aroma, flowery notes of rose and lavender join forces with spices such as cardamom, juniper, coriander and nutmeg. Sydney Gin stands for the flora of this sunny region and its lively city vibe. The aroma carriers are lemon myrtle, lime peel and orange. The city’s stylish Art Deco architecture is captured in the bottle design, with images of Sydney Harbour Bridge and a hint of the elegance of the 1920s. Perth Gin was launched four days before the first Australian Gin Day (23rd November 2019). Distilled in beautiful Margaret River, warming boronia is paired with lemon myrtle. The golden label is a nod to the gold rush and sunshine, blue skies and the ocean. Brisbane Gin was introduced at the same time, with the freshness of kaffir limes and finger limes as well as ginger. Pink, chestnut brown and gold represent the youth of the ‘River City’, the celebration of nature, sunshine and good company.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Adelaide Gin, Melbourne Gin, Sydney Gin and Perth Gin, and silver for Brisbane Gin.

Tradition Mexico – Tequila without compromises

The friends behind Padre azul, the new tequila in the premium segment, stand united on one matter: their passion for Mexico. “We appreciate high quality tequila, and with Padre azul we are bringing an exclusive product to Europe. We searched for the perfect distillery for a long time. At Tres Mujeres in Jalisco in the highlands of Mexico we found what we were looking for.” 100% Mexico – 100% handcraft – 100% agave.

These requirements and quality criteria apply to the whole production process, which is why each bottle also wears the sought-after quality seal from the Mexican authorities, “Consejo Regulador del Tequila” (CRT). There were no compromises when it came to the design of the bottles: they are made by hand and adorned with a 270g skull which represents the skull culture of Mexico.

Padre azul is available in three grades of maturity, depending on the length of storage. The Añejo usually spends eighteen months in French oak barrels to achieve a mature, full-bodied taste. The Reposado needs at least eight months in barrels for its subtle vanilla tone. The Blanco is a clear tequila which is bottled straight after distillation – it is soft and mild in taste. None of the three need salt or lemon – you can enjoy them neat. True to the motto: no compromises.

At the World Spirits Award, the trio was very successful: there was double gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul anejo, gold for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul reposado, and silver for Super Premium Tequila Padre azul blanco.

Family of Hounds – Sought and found

Andrea Frigerio and his English wife, Lina, live in Monaco with their two dogs, Spot and Magda, two wonderful additions to the family. Since they started taking the two for walks in town, they have made many new friends. Andrea and Lina used to be red wine drinkers, who spent their holidays in the wine hills of Italy and France. It was only in 2013, while visiting a country estate in England, that they discovered their love for a good G & T. This developed into a passion, and their discussions soon revolved around what it would be like to create their own gin.

They tasted intensively, discarded aromas they didn’t like, and extracted the aromas they did. Together with the master distiller in an old distillery in Piedmont, they created their recipe for the gin: juniper, lemon and orange peel, pink grapefruit, lavender, thyme, cardamom, ginger and coriander. The first three ingredients come from Italy, the rest from Asia. “The juniper is really loud, like a brightly lit disco floor, and the other botanicals dance around it. Together, they are like a lively, attention-seeking dog that can’t sit still.”

In the future, they are looking to establish a small family of spirits, from gin to vodka and from grappa to vermouth – unmistakable in taste, but accessible to everyone. The core of the philosophy is going out with good friends, enjoying a good meal and even better spirits. The first step has already been taken …

At the World Spirits Award, there was double gold for Family of Hounds Gin.