Five years in the making, Four Pillars is releasing its first new addition to its core range since Bloody Shiraz Gin in 2015 - Olive Leaf Gin.
Head Distiller Cam Mackenzie believes is the best gin Four Pillars has released since its original Rare Dry Gin. It's an all-natural, savoury gin made with cold-pressed olive oil and olive leaf from three varieties of olive sourced from Four Pillars’ good friends at the world-renowned Cobram Estate. This is combined in the pot with seven other classic and uniquely Australian botanicals.
The genesis of this idea was a gin the team made in 2015 called Cousin Vera's Gin – it was made with Santamania Distillery in Madrid, and was Four Pillars’ first foray into savoury, Mediterranean-inspired gin flavours. It came and went pretty quickly and remains a cult classic in the Four Pillars canon. From that moment on, they knew gin and olives would combine beautifully and a trip to the olive groves of northern Victoria in 2019 confirmed it.
"After visiting Cobram Estate during olive harvest in 2019 we realised olive oil could be a brilliant botanical alongside olive leaf. The aroma, flavour and texture of fresh olive is stunning, and we did a year of trials before finalising the recipe for this gin," said McKenzie.
"The botanicals include a big base of juniper with a savoury overlay of coriander seed, rosemary, olive leaf, extra virgin olive oil, bay leaf, lemon myrtle, macadamia, orris root, and fresh lemon and grapefruit.
"We have used olive leaf and oil from the Picual, Hojiblanca and Coratina varieties, all harvested at Cobram Estate which we know is one of the greatest extra virgin olive oil producers in the world, and fellow Victorians. They also happen to be great mates of ours so the world-class olive part of the recipe was easy.
According to Four Pillars it's perfect for a dirty martini or a Spanish-inspired gintonic.
"My favourite is a Gibson; 60mL gin, 10mL dry vermouth and 10mL dry sherry, stirred down into a super cold glass with a couple of cocktail onions for a garnish." McKenzie said.
"But again, we are not in the business of making rules, just hopefully delicious gins, so simply make a martini or a cocktail as you like It. The Olive Leaf Gin is also bloody delicious in a Spanish-style gintonic, with rosemary and lemon. It makes me want to speak with a lisp and dance a little Flamenco and trust me, you don't want to see me dance...”
Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin has already collected its first gold medal at the 2020 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco.
Olive Leaf Gin will be widely available throughout Australia and several international markets from September 2020.
Australian RRP: $85 per 700mL. 43.8% alcohol by volume.
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