Australia’s appetite for gin isn’t abating, and distillers are meeting demand by producing unique flavours using indigenous ingredients. Australia has always been admired as a wine supplier, but Australian beverages have begun to gain international acclaim — with Australian gin leading the charge. It is certainly a revolution, and Australia is rapidly establishing itself as one of the world’s top gin exporting regions, often to the astonishment of many. These are important “rules” to bear in mind when you dive into gin, courtesy of Australian gin specialists.
Gin & Tonic
Since the 1700s, when colonial masters in India developed it, the fabled mix of gin and tonic drink has delighted consumers. Due to the serious health hazard posed by malaria in this region, doctors frequently administered quinine — a liquid that works as an antimalarial. However, because quinine had a sharp, disagreeable taste, it was sometimes mixed with sugar, lime, gin, and water to enhance its flavour. Thus, tonic water (a concoction of quinine, water and sugar), coupled with delectable gin was developed.
Gin and Cucumber
Gin and cucumbers are one of the most famous cocktail pairings of all time. However, how does it function so well? While pairing floral alcohol with a watery vegetable may seem counter-intuitive, the result is a delectable pairing. Cucumber is unmatched in its ability to enhance the botanical flavours of pepper, juniper, or citrus when combined with gin.
Fruit cups
A fruit cup is generally a gin-based fruit mixture meant to be transformed into a lengthy drink by adding a mixer such as ginger ale or lemonade.
Gin Martini
A martini is a traditional drink prepared with vermouth, gin and a lemon or olive garnish. There are other variants on the form — a typical dry martini utilizes dry white vermouth for far less sweetness, whereas a perfect martini combines equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. Lastly, a dirty martini incorporates a dash of olive brine for a more salty, savoury flavour.
Straight Gin
Of course, you may always sip your gin straight. Some may even argue that this is the optimal way to consume gin. Pour the gin over a few cubes of ice and garnish with a lime wedge, if desired. Naturally, to appreciate a spirit neat, it must be of high quality – there is nothing worse than cheap, unpleasant gin.
Negroni
If you’re searching for the ideal pre-dinner drink, the Negroni is it. This famous cocktail combines sweet vermouth, gin and Campari, all of which are aperitifs in their own right and combine to create the ideal appetite stimulant.
This favourite is an interesting experience due to Campari’s bitter characteristics. Once you get a liking for it, you’ll discover that few other beverages work as well with meals. Additionally, it is fairly flexible in terms of cuisines with which it may be matched, albeit Italian cuisine is its greatest partner.
Floradora
The Floradora is a somewhat more esoteric cocktail than the others. It is featured for two main reasons: it demonstrates the beauty of raspberry and gin, and it is a hit with everyone who drinks it. The other point was established years earlier when the technique went viral following its presentation on a technology webinar. This traditional little drink was introduced to a new audience, and reviews poured in about how wonderful it is in its minimalism. The drink is made with gin, raspberry, lime, and ginger ale, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re losing out on a cocktail scene hidden treasure.
Now that you know what goes best with your gin, what will you take with your gin?
