Deep in the heart of Western Australia’s wine country you’ll find Margaret River Distilling Co, one of the distilleries I profiled in my previous blog. It’s not the sort of place you expect to find a distillery, nestled between vineyards and surrounded by karri trees, but we made sure to stop by on our way through the town.
Unfortunately as we were just driving through we didn’t have time to stop and take on the full Giniversity experience, but the distillery staff were on hand to walk us through the different gins they produce. My wife Kirstin was on tasting duty but I was still able to give each of the variations a sniff, from their regular range of the London Dry, Botanical, and Barrel-Aged gins, to the limited edition for the Gourmet Escape Festival and their Christmas gin too. While they all smelt delicious, there’s only so much I could take home as a souvenir!
I opted for a bottle of the Giniversity Botanical Gin as it felt like something truly unique to that area and that particular holiday. The botanicals that give it its name include juniper, sandalwood, boronia, lemon myrtle, and eucalypt. I love their commitment to using native Australian ingredients and being really proud of their heritage, while also having a passion for experimentation.
You get refreshing tropical citrus notes on the nose, and it’s super smooth to taste from a slight creaminess. It’s the ultimate summer gin!
The suggested garnishes are “any fresh fragrant seasonal fruit like bittersweet grapefruit, sweet strawberries, fresh orange, juicy peach” but having tried orange I actually found it a little dominating in a G&T. I’d definitely be keen to try with strawberries though once they’re more in season.
Next time you’re in Western Australia, make sure you stop by!
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