Introducing: Ink Sloe & Berry Gin

This month marks four years since we brought you Ink Gin. To celebrate our fourth birthday, we thought we’d do something a bit special. Introducing our new baby, Ink Sloe & Berry Gin.

Distiller Quentin has been quietly tinkering away at this recipe for almost a year and has finally deemed the new deep red-pink juice ready to be squared up into our iconic gin bottles. Sloe & Berry is our take on the classic English recipe, with an Australian bush tucker twist.

Starting with our gin base, it’s distilled with some of Ink Gin’s star players - juniper berry, coriander, angelica and liquorice root. The oft-mislabelled sloe ‘berry’, which is actually a fruit, mingles with Davidson plum, both fruits giving the gin a tart flavour base. This tartness is balanced by an explosion of berries (a mix of sweet & juicy blueberries, blackberries and raspberries), cherries and jaboticaba, otherwise known as the Brazilian grape tree. Jaboticaba was introduced to us by our local flower vendor who has a very fruitful tree in her garden. They are delicious, with a sweet juicy flesh and a tough skin with a high tannin content.

And it wouldn’t be Ink Gin if it didn’t star a vibrant floral infusion. The final ingredient is native Australian rosella flowers. The rosella flower, a hibiscus found in the tropical northern parts of Australia, is vibrant in colour and has a crisp, tart flavour. The perfect companion to balance the sweeter botanical counterparts in Sloe & Berry.

Sitting at the traditional Sloe Gin strength of 26% alcohol, Ink Sloe & Berry is a lower-alcohol option for those who want to drink less and enjoy more, and is perfect for sipping on the rocks.

RELEASE DATE: 24th JULY

PILOT BATCH #1: ~1700 BOTTLES

To celebrate the release of Ink Sloe & Berry Gin, we’re turning the distillery red for the week of 24-29 July. We’ll be mixing up both Ink and Sloe gin cocktails in a pop-up gin bar out on the lawn at Husk farm. This first small batch release is limited so gin enthusiasts will want to get in quick. Bottles are available at our online cellar door and at the distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose: Subtle notes of red fruits and rosella flower.

Palate: Vibrant red berries followed by soft prunes and cherry notes then goes on to reveal a tart ending with pomegranate hints.

Finish: The finish lets some dry gin notes through with juniper hints.