With every passing day, the Gin scene seems to bound from strength to strength. Once thought of as a passing fade, there are now more distilleries than ever, more creativity in distillation and more variations in flavour now than we ever thought possible. Gin is garnering more shelf space in bottle shops, more newly created cocktails in bars and more wacky infusions, than any other spirit.
Australian distillers particularly have taken on the mantle of experimentation, with native botanicals, wines, foodstuffs and even insects being thrown into the still. It would appear that there is nothing that distillers won’t try to create that next Gin sensation.
But sometimes it’s not just about the ingredients but also the theme behind the Gin that should really be what grabs our attention.
And this is where the South Australian distillery, Applewood, known for their highly experimental small-batch spirits, have excelled. And now Applewood has developed the Gin pun we’ve all been waiting for … yes, you guessed it – The Seven Deadly Gins.
Now far be it for us to comment on the morality of Gin but if you want to speak a little flavoursome sin into your tipple then these Gins are well worth exploring.
Gin Of Pride
The Gin Of Pride is a special bottling of the Gin that Applewood’s are most proud of – their signature Gin. Crafted from sustainably sourced grape spirit, 25 different botanicals with an intense focus on native citrus, a supporting dose of Peppermint Gum Leaf and Saltbush. The Gin reflects a pride in their country, a pride in Juniper (of which there is a generous amount) and a pride in the process of creating this Gin, that they have spent 5 years perfecting.
Gin Of Lust
Now we’re talking … The Gin Of Lust is all about inappropriately desire. And who wouldn’t lust for a Gin that starts with a floral grape spirit into which they add macerated fresh cherries. The resulting crystal clear cherry-rich spirit is then infused with macerated Raspberries to achieve a sticky, thick, semi-sweet (and bright pink) liquid. That is then further infused it with a super-bright Gin we crafted from Lavender, Vanilla, Camomile, Earl Grey, Cinnamon and Star Anise. And as with all of their Limited Edition Gins – a double-dose of Juniper was mandatory.
Gin Of Envy
Is there a sense of jealousy between distillers and brewers? Well, Applewood has taken their envy for the beer based arts and added it to their Gin Of Envy. The ‘Green Monster’ shines through with a Gin that is infused with Wormwood, Strawberry Gum Leaf, Native Australian Thyme, Lemon Myrtle – and a decent citrus-whack from Australian Finger Limes. To that, they add the work of the Little Bang Brewing Company and their cheeky post-maceration of Galaxy Hops and back-added some Malt Spirit to perk things up a bit! Gin & Craft Beer Unite!
Gin Of Sloth
Embracing summer and the ‘no worries mate’ attitude that comes with it, the Gin Of Sloth – a combination of bathtub-style Gin and pure forgetfulness. They started out typically with a basic Gin recipe of Juniper, Adelaide Hills Saffron, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Clove, Chamomile, Wormwood, Licorice Root, Angelica Root and Orange Peel but then, quite literally forgot about it. The intensely bitter result was spicy and aromatic. With further distillation (and further Juniper added and then forgotten about again!) the result created a distinctive aroma, mouthfeel and texture that’s perfect for a lazy afternoon G&T.
Gin Of Wrath
There is nothing that expresses a fury of flavour better than a Chilli-based Gin, so Applewoods pulled out locally grown Bird’s Eye Chillies, then balanced that out with a handful of Chipotle Tipico. But the storm had only begun, as Sriracha and Wasabi root also got in on the action. Yet who would imagine that their Gin Of Wrath could be complete without the play of Fingerlimes and Pepperberries and a handful of Macadamia and Black Cardamom being added to the mix to truly spice things up.
Gin Of Greed
When it comes to avarice, you’d imagine that they would just give you more and that is exactly what Applewood’s have done with their Gin of Greed. They made it rich, really rich … perhaps even stupidly rich. They played around with a double dose of Juniper, some blow-your-head-off Gentian Root, Roasted Wattleseed, Cloves, Earl Grey Tea, a double-dose of fresh Valencia Orange Peel – then they tightened the nuts and bolts on this baby with some Green Cardamom, Pepperberry. To pull it all together they added some Almonds and the allusive Orris Root. But the true hedonism came when they added some barrel-aged brandy-base that had been spiced with Chai herbs and matured for 18 months.
Gin Of Gluttony
Apparently, Bacon makes everything better. And smokey Bacon fat is even better. So with a base of double-dose of Juniper – a bunch of richness from Oak Chips, Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla, Macadamia and a bunch of Fresh Orange Peel, the Gin Of Gluttony began to be formed. With Gentian Root and Cinnamon added to the mix, before a low and slow distillation (to retain the rich character) they melted Bacon fat and mixed vigorously. An overnight stint in the freezer solidified the fat – and a crystal clear liquid was decanted off the top…only this time – with all the aromatic power that smoked bacon can deliver … But where there is Bacon there is Maple Syrup, so that got added to complete what is probably Appleton’s most creative Gin to date.
Any (or all) of The Seven Deadly Gins can be bought through the Applewood Distillery website
