Nothing Can stop an Aussie Gin Lover, not even COVID. The pandemic has thrown the world’s gin events into a state of flux, this week Australia’s biggest gin festival Junipalooza was cancelled leaving the gin-loving community disappointed with what has already been a tough year. Australia’s distilling community are left working harder than ever before. And the future is uncertain.
The Gin Birds predicted that 2021 would continue to impact traditional events and in October 2020 joined forces with global brand Fever-Tree to produce a virtual gin festival for January 2021, GinNation.
In 2020 Chamaine Lovett and Suzan Temizer, female founders of The Gin Birds pioneered the Gin and Zoom with numerous online tastings building the bridge between the gin community and the distillers through the restrictions and lockdowns.
The first of its kind, gin loving consumers in their hundreds will be interacting live with 24 distillers on virtual stands, tasting 60 craft gins, and accessing grand live on-stage events by distillers and mixologists, in late January gin enthusiasts will feel the immersive festival experience we will come to know and love.
“We are deeply committed to helping Australian distillers embrace any opportunities to thrive and find their reach while bringing the gin community a truly immersive gin festival experience over two days” Chamaine explained “Together we are moving into new terrain and the response has been phenomenal. We discovered gin enthusiasts in remote and regional areas, those unable to access in-person events were delighted to now have access to a festival experience.” Lovett went on to explain that new and emerging distillers have a platform to find their reach and get their narrative out there amongst the loved and established distillers creating diversity unique to this festival. Its a win win for both our craft distillers and the gin consumer, the distiller is able to reach consumers Australia wide without having to travel, this means gin lovers are supporting the Australian Craft Distilling community to grow. Fever-Tree as event sponsor will open the event with a mixology experience and have included 12 of their paired tonics and gin goodies in each bag. The Gin Birds have spent the festive season handling 36,000 bottles of craft gin samples to ensure gin enthusiasts continue to have an immersive experience even though they cannot travel.
Each ticket comes with a festival box of 60 gins, 12 Fever Tree tonics and goodies and a full two days of entertainment. Limited tickets are available to join distillers such as Prohibition Liquor, Never Never Distilling, Hendricks, Manly Spirits Co, Patient Wolf Distilling, Wolf Lane Distillery, Australian Distilling Co. and 17 more Craft Distillers.
For those of you out there looking for a new cocktail or if you want something to try in the lead up to GinNation these recipes have been recommended
For those Martini lovers. Not technically a martini… but a delicious boozy orange caffeine hit nonetheless!
Ingredients
• 30ml 5 nines Wild Citrus Gin
• 50ml Coffee liqueur
• 30ml Cold brewed espresso (or regular espresso chilled)
• Orange peel or jaffa to garnish
• 15ml Egg White (optional)
Method
Combine all spirits and coffee in a cocktail shaker
Fill the shaker with ice and shake very vigorously until cold
For an extra decadent creamy cocktail, remove the ice (fancy term is “dry shake”) with the egg white vigorously
Double strain into a chilled Martini glass
Garnish with orange peel twirl and/or half jaffa
Traditional Martini
For the ultimate Dry Martini. Use a Dry Gin and have a play around with the ratios. We would recommend 6:1. Don’t forget to chill your glass first.
Ingredients:
• 60ml Patient Wolf Melbourne Dry Gin
• 10ml Dry Vermouth
• Ruby Grapefruit
Method:
• Add all ingredients to mixing glass
• Stir with ice until diluted to taste
• Strain into a “chilled” martini glass
• Garnish with ruby grapefruit