Tasmania has fast become the place to make gin, with one East Coast distillery drawing on historical origins to set itself apart from the mix.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cranbrook-based The Splendid Gin was started by two couples just over a year ago, but has fast won fans in Tasmania and on the mainland.
The couples both live in properties once inhabited by writer and illustrator Louisa Ann Meredith and used this connection as a foundation for their spirit, brand director Michael Travalia said.
“We use East Coast botanicals from the old English gardens Louisa Ann Meredith had and spring water from Spring Vale Estate. It’s a nice synergy,” Mr Travalia said.
“We’ve conducted quite an exploration of Louisa Ann Meredith’s heritage and her own exploration of the botanicals so we were very specific about the high quality gin we wanted to create,” he said.
Winemaker Natalie Fryar, of Pipers Brook and Jansz fame, created the base gin.
From this base, which is distilled four times, The Splendid Gin and Summer Cup are created.
“We’re lighter than a lot of the gins so it’s something you can drink on ice or mix. We created The Splendid Gin to put a high quality product on the table,” he said.
“There’s a lot of gins on the market, but our difference gives us an edge.”
Gin drinkers and reviewers alike have given the spirit a seal of approval in its first year, with The Splendid Gin winning silver medals at the International Wine and Spirit and San Francisco World Spirits competitions.
For Summer Cup they took the lighter notes of the base gin and added a hint of summer.
“Summer Cup has been going crazy. We created a Pimms-style gin and sold our first batch in four days,” Mr Travalia said.
“We’ve been getting an amazing response from Summer Cup. We want to be seen as innovative in this space.
“It’s a very refreshing drink that can be drunk straight up or mixed. Bars like it too,” he said.
With this idea in mind, the couples behind The Splendid Gin intend to produce a new product each year.
“We’ve got a lot of exciting things in the pipeline,” Mr Travalia said.
The Splendid Gin will be at Festivale in Launceston this month, after successful tastings at Bicheno Food and Wine Festival and Gin-uary.
Johanna Baker-Dowdell
Johanna has more than 22 years experience as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and online publications.
Johanna has more than 22 years experience as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and online publications.
