Celebrate in style with this Aussie-flavoured Blush Gin. Coloured a gorgeous rosy pink and infused with native botanicals such as strawberry gum, finger lime, Kakadu plum and lemon myrtle, it’s a party on the tongue that’s enough to make you … blush (sorry, we couldn’t resist that).
Freshwater Blush is one of the spirits produced by Goodradigbee Distillers, which is doing some very innovative stuff at its distillery in Brookvale, one of Sydney’s northern suburbs and a burgeoning hub for breweries and distilleries.
The distillery’s enterprising founder, John O’Connor, produces various gins, vodka and malt spirits using a methodology that is said to be unique. Instead of drawing on traditional methods where spirits are matured in French or American oak barrels (as in the production of Scotch whisky), O’Connor is ageing his spirits in native hardwood cubes, producing a truly Australian product.
With its considerably higher wood-to-liquid volume, the Goodradigbee process, he says, produces a “sweet, complex, one-of-a-kind taste” in a fraction of the time it takes other distilleries to mature their spirits. According to O’Connor, the hardwood cubes produce more flavour and the colour of a 10-year-old single malt whisky in a matter of months. He’s quick to point out that the product is not a whisky: “What we’ve uncovered is a new category” of single malt spirits, he says.
Goodradigbee Distillery Bar
Here at Food Wine Travel, we haven’t tried the malt spirits but are keen to visit Goodradigbee’s new distillery bar and cellar door to gain a greater insight into the process. Located at 41 Orchard Road, Brookvale, it opened in October and provides one-of-a-kind spirit and cocktail offerings, paired with food created by head chef Rob Phillips.
But, back to the gin.
Starting dry on the palate but finishing long and fruity, Freshwater Blush is a delightful combination of bittersweet native fruits and zesty botanicals, including native juniper, Davidson plum, cinnamon myrtle, muntries, strawberry gum, finger lime, Kakadu plum and lemon myrtle. These indigenous bush ingredients are sourced from 100% Aboriginal-owned social enterprise, Bush to Bowl, Something Wild, Warndu, and Natif.
It’s the perfect way to step up your G&T game as the product is made for a gin and tonic with plenty of ice and a slice of strawberry for garnish. The colour dilutes through the drink, creating a gorgeous, almost pearlescent colour.
Blush also adds a festive pop of colour to cocktails. Use it to make a Tom Collins with a twist: 30mL of gin, 15mL strawberry sugar syrup, poured over ice in a tall glass topped with soda and garnished with strawberry.
Goodradigbee Distillers’ Blush Gin is available from Dan Murphy’s and independent bottle shops or from www.goodradigbee.com The ABV (alcohol by volume) is 43%. RRP is $79.
