Archie Rose Abuzz about Gin release

Archie Rose Distilling Co. has released its latest addition to the Harvest Series Gin collection, the Raw Honey Gin Harvest 2022, a limited edition that spotlights the use of raw honey harvested from eight bee hives located at their distillery in Botany, Sydney.

This distillery is committed to working with local producers who share their sustainability values, emphasizing the importance of responsible growth, harvesting, and processing techniques.

\Previous releases in the Harvest Series have featured distinctive ingredients such as poorman's orange, native sunrise lime, and lemon-scented gum.

This release signals the first time a Harvest Gin features an ingredient cultivated on-site at the Archie Rose Distillery. Collaborating with The Urban Beehive, responsible for maintaining the eight-distillery hives and caring for the nearly 640,000 resident bees, this limited release embodies the essence of Sydney's biodiversity, as the flavour profile of the honey changes with each season, reflecting the diverse array of flowers the bees interact with. In 2022, this included water gum, paperbark, clover, and red bottlebrush.

The Urban Beehive, founded by beekeepers Vicky Brown and Doug Purdie, is a leading beekeeping shop and urban honey supplier in Sydney. Their dedication to preserving pollinating bees is rooted in the understanding that the health and survival of the city depend on these important creatures.

Crafted with a selection of carefully chosen botanicals, Raw Honey Gin Harvest 2022 offers a balanced and laid-back gin experience. Its flavour profile includes juniper, coriander seed, Roman chamomile, orris root, and reclaimed orange peels, evoking the sensation of freshly poured honey, lime, and fennel blossoms, followed by notes of golden wattle, green pine needles, and honeysuckle. The palate is mouth-filling and luscious, with hints of honey, glacé pineapple, and soft green herbs, concluding with floral honey, orange sherbert, eucalypt, and a touch of spearmint.

Master Distiller Dave Withers shares the inspiration behind this unique gin.

“Raw Honey Gin Harvest 2022 is a celebration of our love affair with honey. In 2016, The Urban Beehive introduced us to the diversity of flavour that honey can give you. And we fell in love. I recall being given a range of honey, each with completely different colours and aromatic profiles. This was not the generic stuff from the supermarket shelf; there was an authenticity and complexity to this material,” Withers said

The release not only celebrates the flavour diversity of honey but also highlights the importance of the distillery's own bee hives. As a love letter to these hardworking bees, Raw Honey Gin Harvest 2022 embodies the essence of the distillery's dedication to sustainability.

Raw Honey Gin Harvest 2022 is designed to be enjoyed during the transition from spring to summer. When served with Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic and a cucumber garnish, it promises a delightful and consciously-crafted drink experience. The limited release of 7,900 bottles is available at the Archie Rose Bar & Cellar Door, their website, and select retail stores from October 25, 2023, with an RRP of $89.00 and an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40%.