The gin will join the line-up at the Hobart distillery and is expected to be available in selected stores and from the distillery itself in a few months.

Sullivan’s Cove owner and managing director Patrick Maguire said the gin had a distinct flavour that was uniquely Australian, thanks to the use of four distinct botanicals.

“Gins have been made since the 17^th century, they traditionally use juniper and then there’s hundreds of different botanicals you can use,” Mr Maguire said.

“What we are trying to do is tone down the juniper and add four distinct Australian botanicals – lemon myrtle, anise, pepperberry and wattle.”

Mr Maguire said the botanicals would give the gin an “Australian flavour” and that it would equip the distillery with drink options for its customers all year round.

“What we end up with is a rich and creamy spirit...whisky is a winter drink and gin is more of a summer drink,” he said.

Sullivan’s Cove marketing manager Bert Cason said it was the distillery’s worldwide reputation for producing excellent malt spirit led to the decision to create malt-based gin.

“The most common base spirits in Australia’s recent craft gin boom is wheat and cane sugar, however malted barley’s reputation for flavour and complexity is unrivalled,” he said.

The gin will join an increasingly crowded market, but Sullivan’s Cover are confident it will be regard as a gin of high quality.

“We are delighted with our modern-Australian take on a traditional spirit. This is a versatile, rewarding gin well suited to martinis and sipping straight, while providing an excellent backbone for a traditional G&T,” Mr Cason said. “We make some of the world’s best malt spirit right here in the distillery and it’s weight and flavours are perfect for gin.”

The new offering is being created from the same Tasmanian barley and pristine water used to make the Worlds Best Single Malt, the Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask.

Awarded the honour at the 2014 World Whiskies Awards, the French Oak was also named the best Australian single malt at the awards last year, while the American Oak was the highest rated Australian whisky in Jim Murray’s 2015 Whisky Bible.

The Tasmanian distillery is championing this new style of gin with visits to Australian capital cities planned over the next few months to coincide with the release of the gin.

For more information visit http://hobartno4gin.com