Overview
What a time to be alive for gin lovers. Last month, we introduced you to a rainforest-infused gin from Byron Bay. Now, we're heading south, to Tasmania, where brand new distillery Southern Wild has just opened.
Its first offering is a trio of gins known as Dasher + Fisher, named for two rivers that travel from Tassie's snowy mountains to its northwest coast. Each spirit represents a section of the rivers' journey, the first being 'Mountain', the second, 'Meadow' and the third, 'Coast'.
What all three have in common is a trio of uniquely Tasmanian botanicals: pepperberry, lavender and wakame seaweed. Distiller George Burgess, who's been perfecting his recipes for a decade, then blends these base botanicals with additional native ingredients, sourced from local growers, to give each gin its distinctive profile.
"My goal, right from the get-go, was to try and create a gin that would allow me a multi-layered experience," says Burgess. "It took a lot of experiments and a lot of work to try and get that layering to the point where it was achieving what I set out to do."
'Mountain' is a dry-style drop, which puts the pepperberry up front, surrounded by another ten botanicals, including eucalypt, rosemary and sage. 'Meadow', a modern gin, emphasises the lavender, which is combined with 14 other botanicals, including freshly-picked oranges. Meanwhile, 'Ocean' is all about powering up the wakame seaweed, made more complex thanks to 11 other botanicals.
You can buy Dasher + Fisher online, via Southern Wild's website. To visit in person, get yourself to Devonport, on Tassie's north coast. The distillery is open Monday to Wednesday between 10am and 5pm, and Thursday to Sunday from 10am till late. There are live music events and, if you're keen to take a tour with George, it's a good idea to book in advance.
Images: Jason Loucas.