Australia, it’s time to get truly spiritual!
Nothing beats a home-made cocktail after a hard day’s work, but first, you have to find a good spirit to mix. And, thankfully, Australia delivers well on that front!
Whether it’s a sultry whisky or a lip-smacking gin, a good spirit does the trick. So we’ve sourced 10 of Australia’s best new spirits that you need to try this year.
This includes the best rum in the world for 2020, which will only cost you $42!
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Substation No. 41 Rum
UK’s London Spirits Competition is an internationally recognised event for the industry, and they’ve awarded Substation No. 41 Rum from Queensland as the world’s greatest rum for 2020. And guess what? It only costs $42 at Dan Murphy’s! No. 41 is a dark rum, featuring vanilla and toffee-like notes, as well as a fruitcake concoction to follow. A pirate’s delight if you ask us.
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Husk Distillers Ink Gin
This quirky gin ($83) is casked and bottled in far-north New South Wales and will grab your attention with its very distinct colour. It contains a curated infusion of fruits and herbs, along with a scintillating sprinkle of spices for a cheeky kick. The naturally-created hue emerges at the end of the process, where freshly plucked petals of butterfly pea flower are left to marinate in the final blend for 24 hours.
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Lark Distilling Co. Symphony No1 Malt Whisky
Tasmania’s Lark Distilling Co. has unveiled its first-ever blended malt whisky, Symphony No1 ($139), and it will surely put some hair on your chest. On the nose, Symphony No1 is punchy and fruity, leading to a palate of peach and apricot, as well as the unmistakable flavour of sweet Tasmanian apples dipped in toffee.
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Manly Spirits Australian Dry Gin
One of the greatest things to come out of the Northern Beaches of Sydney is this Australian Dry Gin by Manly Spirits ($88). It evokes an Australian expression with a diverse range of botanicals to enliven the taste buds. Batches are finalised by the expert noses of on-site distillers, ensuring each bottle is precisely perfect.
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23rd Street Australian Vodka
This South Australian beauty, 23rd Street Australian Vodka ($54.95), is distilled five times, purely to enrich the insatiable flavours. It’s bright on the nose and mouth, with a touch of sweetness. Made using Australian sugarcane molasses which are blended with rainwater and then finally fermented in small batches. The result is a silky smooth vodka that livens the soul.
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Melbourne Moonshine Apple Pie Shine
Fancy a taste of rich apple pie without the added calories? Well, Melbourne Moonshine has you covered with their Apple Pie Shine ($59.99)! Two distinctly Victorian apples are pressed and juiced then blended with triple distilled moonshine. Then, Melbourne Moonshine tops it off with cloves and cinnamon sticks for that perfect apple pie aroma.
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Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin
Your next Negroni could be a little more flavoursome with this spectacular substitute. The Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin ($89) takes an adventurous turn from the original Four Pillars Gin recipe, bringing orange zest and bold spices to the forefront. You could even have it with a lick of soda if you hate following the rules.
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Hellyers Road 15-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky
On the north shore of Tasmania sits a distillery that makes truly spectacular whisky. And their 15-year-old Single Malt Whisky ($159.99) is a testament to that. On the nose, expect notes of vanilla and citrus, enveloped by a softness that can only come from a long and deep resting in a cask. Drink neat for a luscious relaxation.
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Native Spirits
Available on shelves from June this year, Native Spirits is one of Australia’s newest range of curated gin collections that celebrates some of our country’s native botanicals. Made up of five distinct variations – Sydney Dry Gin, Margaret River Dry Gin, Melbourne Classic Gin, Adelaide Dry Gin and Brisbane Dry Gin ($50 each) – this collaboration of tippled delights was brought together by some of Australia’s most famed distillers including Archie Rose (New South Wales) and 23rd Street Distillery (South Australia) to name a few. To entice gin drinkers even more, each gin within the range is only available in its state of origin.
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Scapegrace Black Gin
Scapegrace Black Gin ($79.99) uses natural infusions to achieve its deep black colour, which strikingly changes to shades of red and purple when mixed with tonic. The natural botanicals include aronia berry, saffron, pineapple, butterfly pea and surprisingly sweet potato. Each of the extracts is distilled at precise temperatures in a defined sequence in order to create the unique colour spectrum of black. And yes, we know it’s New Zealand made, but we couldn’t help but add it to this list!
