Page 51 - Tropic Magazine Issue 35

TROPIC • DRINKS

Let’s be-gin

CRAFT GIN
With the basics. Wolf Lane Distillery’s
Darren Barber explains the difference between
four leading types of gin and their best-suited
styles of drinking.

Navy Strength Gin
Harking back to the Royal English Navy, sailors would mix their
spirit (normally rum but sometimes gin) with gunpowder and
put a match to it to test its strength. If it had been watered down
it would fail to ignite, but if it lit the drink was declared good
London Dry Gin enough. With modern testing we have found that it needs to be
To start, a gin must contain juniper as the dominant flavour, 57% ABV to ignite. Navy Strength has an intense flavour profile
and with a lot less water dilution, the botanicals really shine
but beyond that the possibilities are endless. London Dry gin through. Navy Strength gin makes a great G&T or gimlet, and
is by far the most common style. It’s made with pure grain we love our Wolf Lane Navy Strength Gin in a dirty martini.
spirit, all natural botanicals and has no more than 0.01g of
sugar per litre of alcohol. London Dry doesn’t have to come
from London as it’s a style rather than an origin, and it needs to Contemporary Gin
have a minimum strength of 37.5% ABV. A London Dry usually Contemporary gin is a twist on the classic London Dry, giving
has strong juniper flavours and is jam packed with fresh citrus way to floral and citrus influences while still retaining the
notes, making it perfect for a gin and tonic or your next martini. juniper flavour. It’s become a favourite among Australian
We suggest adding a lemon twist to really make the citrus distillers, including Wolf Lane, as it allows for more creativity.
element shine through. Many are infusing adventurous elements like green ants, butter
and smoked botanicals as well as tropical fruits like mango and
finger limes. The diversity of contemporary gin has also opened
the door to a new range of drinkers who previously didn’t enjoy
gin. Contemporary styles are suited to most cocktails, and we
recommend trying it in a grapefruit spritz.

Sloe Gin
Technically speaking, most sloe gins are liqueurs. Traditionally a gin base
is infused with sloe berries and sugar, which makes for a deliciously rich,
sweet and slightly tart drink that’s ruby red in colour with a lot less alcohol
content. Many Australian distillers are using native plums and other fruit,
like wine grapes, to create their own interpretations. For example, we use
Davidson plums to make our version of sloe gin, while other distilleries are
using Kakadu plums. Sloe gin can be drunk neat or as part of a cocktail.
A few to try are a Davidson plum sour, negroni or a sloe gin fizz.

MORE: wolflanedistillery.com.au

51 • tropicnow.com.au