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New Florescence gin – bloomin’ delicious


Words by Amanda Kennedy
Images Supplied

What does Melbourne taste like and is that even a wise question to ask? Well, Anther Distillery duo Dervilla McGowan and Sebastian Reaburn teamed up with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to answer such a question. And the answer they came up with is the newly-released Florescence gin.

With a combined more than 45 years in hospitality and multiple distilling awards behind them, Anther Distillery were just the people for the job. Based in the historical Federal Woolen Mills in Geelong, they produce a range of gin including the popular Geelong Dry gin, a seasonal Cherry gin & even a Chocolate gin with toasted cacao nibs (hello Negroni).

By now we pretty much all know that gin is all about botanicals. They are what make it so seductive and compelling. Without them, it’s just hooch. They also allow the spirit to speak of a particular place, utilising flowers, herbs, leaves, roots etc, in other words, botanicals.

Florescence gin is the love-child of Anther and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV), and as such all botanicals were sourced directly from the RBGV Melbourne and Cranbourne sites. With a staggering 10, 000+ plant species to choose from, the question then becomes where does one begin?

Dervilla spent time with head botanist Neville Walsh walking through the gardens and herbarium, as well as examining historical botanical catalogues.

 We enjoyed walking around with the gardens experts to explore and discuss ingredients. Working with Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria meant that we had a whole library of potential ingredients at our fingertips and access to scientists and botanists with an educated hunch about what might work.

They settled on 21 ingredients in total, including some of the usual suspects such as orange and lemon peel, coriander seeds and juniper (without which the spirit is not gin). Other more unique inclusions are the leaves and berries from Tasmania xerophilia (Alpine Pepper) to give a little heat on the back palate, Kunzea parvifola (Violet Kunzea) and Baeckea gunniana – Alpine Baeckea

Proceeds from the sales support the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s landscapes, scientific and horticultural research and public programs. And as if you needed any further recommendation, Tim Entwisle, Director and Chief Executive of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria says, ‘this is a real, one-of-a-kind beverage, the official taste of Melbourne, with the delicate notes and scents reminiscent of the Gardens. I have personally taste-tested and approved of this gin.’

Well, count us in.


THE DETAILS

WHAT: Florescence Gin
WHERE: Online store and other stockists
WHEN: Available now
MORE INFO: anther.com.au

We wish to acknowledge the Wadawurrung people as traditional owners of this land and to pay our respects to their Elders, past and present.