Last weekend, a few of the Sydney crew got together to enjoy the only sunny day so far March 2017 (okay, well I exaggerate, there have been three days this month without rain in Sydney, and it has been the wettest March in 33 years!) This Sunday was a balmy 31° C, hence why we were clustered in the shade.
We took this opportunity to enjoy some fine wine and cigars, but we also enjoyed the opportunity to sample some fantastic Four Pillars Gin releases. Four Pillars Gin is an Australian Gin distillery based in Melbourne, as personally I am grateful that @Ken Gargett knows the guys who make these unique gins.
The Bloody Shiraz Gin is much more than a version of the traditional sloe gin, it is a combination of pressed Yarra Valley Shiraz grapes and Rare Dry Gin, that when combined with tonic or soda water and ice, is simply sublime. The same can be said for the Australian Christmas Gin, which tastes much like Christmas Pudding! The third bottle, the Sydney Underground Gin, is a gin unlike any that Four Pillars have made before. It's a bit salty like the Sydney surf, a bit citrusy courtesy of grapefruit, cumquat and lemon, and a bit exotic thanks to olive leaf, nori seaweed and fresh Tassie-grown wasabi.
If you can source a bottle of these craft gins from Four Pillars, do so, they are certainly worth it. However, be aware, many Four Pillars releases sell out quickly. If you've missed out, the good news is that the Bloody Shiraz Gin is coming out again in a new batch in autumn 2017 and the Australian Christmas Gin will be re-released on Derby day, November 4th, 2017.