Page 49 - Tropic Magazine Issue 32

TROPIC • CRAFT GIN

What botanicals go into Batch #001?
Neddy: Our first product is a
contemporary London Dry style gin,
featuring undertones of sweetness
and spice. It incorporates organic
Macedonian juniper, mandarins –
all hand peeled and squeezed – and long
pepper, as well as cubeb pepper, lemon
myrtle from our garden, organic vanilla
bean, cardamon, and coriander seed.
These flavours are blended with an ultra-
premium grape base spirit,
made with 100% Australian-grown 3
Barossa Valley grapes. We often use
Tablelands to Tabletop for our fresh the intention of soon relocating overseas,
produce, supporting local where we can. I met Neddy while working at Vivo in
Palm Cove. We fell in love and began a
What came before Distil on the Hill for family together. You can find Distil on the
2 both you and Christian? Neddy: I was raised on the road as my Hill in over twenty bars and
Christian: I was in kitchens from a young parents are musicians and we travelled restaurants around FNQ, or
teenager, starting my first job at 12, around Australia until I was about 12, buy direct online.
working after school and on weekends. when we settled in Kuranda. In my
I instantly loved the kitchen life, the 20s I worked in bars and restaurants
banter, the teamwork, and the daily on the Sunshine Coast, and I had just 1 & 2. Credit: Heather Miller
learning of flavour combinations and moved back to the Far North when I 3. Credit: Lindon Lark
skills. After finishing my apprenticeship met Christian. We soon became parents 4. Credit: Anika Betts
at the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas, of two girls, Grace and Codie, who are
I moved to Sydney to work at one of the now eight and 10. In that time I worked
country’s most prestigious restaurants, for Kangaroo Island Spirits, where my
Tetsuya’s. Working in an environment passion for craft spirits flourished.
focused on flavours and in a team of After years in the making, we’re pretty
talented, dedicated chefs, my passion excited to finally have a micro distillery of
only grew. After returning to Cairns with our own.

Distil on the Hill’s Fillet one side of ocean trout,
gin-cured ocean trout removing any unwanted fats.
Prepare aromats by roasting
coriander seeds and long pepper.
1 side ocean trout Once cooled, crush coriander, pepper
100ml Distil on the Hill Batch #001 and juniper in a mortar and pestle. 4
50gm caster sugar Finally, chop dill and zest mandarin. Serving suggestion: dill blinis, vanilla
50gm pink salt Combine aromats in a bowl with cream fraiche, gin flambé mandarin
30gm juniper berries sugar and salt. segments, thinly sliced radish,
Place trout on a length of beeswax
15gm coriander seeds microgreens and orange oil, paired
wrap and rub aromatic mixture
5gm long pepper thoroughly over the fillet. with a rosemary gimlet.
1 dill stalk Pour gin over seasoned trout and The recipe for Neddy and Christian’s
1 mandarin wrap tightly in the beeswax wrap, go-to rosemary gimlet can be found
carefully avoiding any gin spilling out. on Distil on the Hill’s website.
Place in a fridge overnight.
Wipe botanicals off the trout and MORE: distilonthehill.com
slice thinly.

49 • tropicnow.com.au