November 2024 | Garden Street Collector's Series Edition Two

Garden Street Collector's Series Edition Two

Written by Kat Christoulis

Our Collector’s Series is a celebration of moments, stories, and inspiration from our community, distilled into something truly special. Each year, we embark on a new creative journey, one where your feedback and passion for Australian gin shapes the direction of each release. The goal is simple: to create a gin that’s exclusive, one-of-a-kind, and never to be repeated, but always reflective of the tastes and ideas of our members. We surveyed, developed and iterated on dozens of recipes, and worked with some of the best distillers in the country before finalising what we now proudly present to you, our most discerning members. And, like any other gin we feature here at Garden Street, it had to be of a high enough calibre to pass muster from our tasting panel – who try everything blind. No shortcuts here!

Last year’s inaugural release set the tone; our Australian Native Dry Gin brought together bold flavours of finger lime, macadamia, and pepperberry. The overwhelming response proved what we suspected – that the Garden Street community is not only passionate, but also adventurous when it comes to exploring new and exciting botanicals. This year, we wanted to take things even further – building on what you loved, refining the process, and delivering something that’s as bold, fresh, and vibrant as an Australian summer.

ABOUT THE GIN

For our second instalment, we took everything we learned from our first edition and refined it even further. We started, as we always do, by asking you what you wanted. Through surveys, social media polls, and focus groups, it was clear that you wanted something fresh, vibrant, and unmistakably Australian. Citrus-forward with a contemporary twist, but still firmly rooted in the traditional juniper backbone you love. And, once again, there was overwhelming support to keep the focus on native Australian botanicals – something we are always excited to explore. With that, the brief for Edition Two was born: a gin that captures the brightness and energy of an Australian summer, with a clear nod to our local flora.

At the heart of this gin is our ongoing commitment to showcase Australia’s remarkable botanicals. We have spent months sampling the diverse range of native ingredients at our fingertips, tinkering and tweaking countless iterations until we found the perfect blend. Along the way, we discovered an incredible native botanical that blew our minds and was too good not to share; the vibrant, tangy sunrise lime. A rare hybrid of finger lime and calamondin orange, you’ll find this little gem grown in the sun-drenched regions of northern New South Wales. Once we’d chosen our hero botanical, we sourced the finest ingredients we could find from across the country, starting with native juniper (Boobialla, or Myoporum insulare), which grows wild along Australia’s southern coastline. This adds a distinctly earthy, herbaceous note, grounding and balancing the citrus forward flavours in the gin.

This year we also approached our distillation a little differently by dramatically reducing the temperature of the still to slow the process right down. By doing this, we were able to carefully control the distillation process to bring out the softer, more rounded and delicate flavours. It also allowed us to balance complexity with sophistication, ensuring that each botanical we had selected had the chance to shine – especially when paired with a full-flavoured premium tonic.

With this recipe, we’ve kept things light, bright, and easy-going, much like an Aussie summer. Sunrise lime takes centre stage and delivers a zesty punch, complemented by lemon myrtle, blood lime, and balanced with the warm, nutty undertones of toasted wattleseed and native juniper. The result? A gin that is full of life, flavour, and a brightness that lingers long after the last sip.  We think it’s full of character and makes a cracking G&T.

ABOUT THE CLUB

Over the past year, our gin community has continued to thrive, and we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some of Australia’s most celebrated (and highly awarded!) distilleries making waves on the global stage. The bold simplicity of Saltbeard, the adventurous spirit of Gallivanter, and the refined elegance of Backwoods have all been memorable highlights. We’re immensely proud of the relationships we’ve built with these distilleries and the remarkable gins we’ve been able to share with you, and we hope that you’ve enjoyed them as much as we have.

Behind the scenes, the Garden Street team have been honing our craft to make sure that your experience continues to be bigger and better. Our entire tasting panel just levelled up their qualifications with the WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits, further sharpening their ability to navigate the hundreds of gins (and other spirits) we sample from around the country and select only the best for you to try. A lucky few even spent time working in Tassie alongside some of Australia’s most celebrated distilleries in preparation for this release! The superstars running our warehouse continue to fine-tune and streamline our hand packing processes and everything in-between to bring it all together. Our goal is simple: to ensure that every box you receive is as thoughtfully curated, if not even better than the last.

And with the festive season (very) quickly approaching, we’ve recently unveiled our Christmas gift boxes, all jam-packed with something perfect for every palate. It’s a fantastic way for us to share hidden gems and unique flavours; each designed to add a bit of extra magic to your celebrations. Whether you’re treating yourself (no judgement here) or looking for the perfect gift, we’ve made sure this year’s collection has everything you need to create special moments with the people who matter most.

We’re proud to be a part of such a strong, determined industry and – with your help – our ability to continue working with and supporting the incredible distillers we have in this country. We have all been hit by rising production costs, supply chain issues, and the ongoing challenge of standing out in an ever-crowded market. It’s heartwarming to see the ongoing support of our community, that helps many craft distillers continue to grow and evolve their labour of love. At Garden Street, we continue to work as hard as we can to provide exceptional value and experiences with each release. Together, we’re keeping the spirit (pun intended) alive. 

FURTHER AFIELD

The past year has been our busiest yet, and while gin remains our first true love, a few of us couldn’t resist exploring something a little darker and oakier. For those who know us well, it’s no surprise that Lauren’s heart will always belong to gin, but Josh has always had a soft spot for whisky. Exactly one year ago, our team proudly launched Barrel Lane Whisky Club, a natural extension of our passion for Aussie craft spirits. Through our close partnerships with the country’s finest distilleries, we’ve stumbled upon some incredible whiskies that, frankly, were just too good to keep to ourselves (although Josh did try!).

What sets Barrel Lane apart is the direct collaboration with distilleries to offer exclusive and innovative one-off single malt whiskies. These whiskies are crafted specifically for Barrel Lane members, meaning you won’t find a monthly release anywhere else – and definitely not at your local bottle-o. From the outset, the goal has been to showcase the quality and diversity of  Australian whisky; and to prove that it stands tall among the best in the world. Sharing these unique creations and watching the community grow has made the journey all the more rewarding, and we can’t wait to see where it leads next.

Finally, back to the world of gin, we want to say a massive thank you to all of you — our incredible members. This release is for you, and we couldn’t have created it without your feedback, enthusiasm, and support. Every bottle reflects the passion and sense of community that we’ve built together, and we’re so grateful to be on this journey with you. Whether this gin takes pride of place in your collection, or you devour every drop (or you doubled up to do both!), it was made with you in mind.

As we look ahead, we can’t wait to keep exploring new flavours, championing Australian spirits, and surprising you with some unexpected delights.

For now, we hope you enjoy Edition Two as much as we’ve loved creating it. Here’s to another year of sipping, savouring, and celebrating the best that Australian gin has to offer. Cheers!

TASTING NOTES

Gin type – Contemporary Australian Gin

Appearance – Bright, clear, water-white, colourless

Botanicals – Boobialla, sunrise lime, lemon myrtle, lemon aspen, blood lime, muntrie, toasted wattleseed, Tasmanian pepperberry, juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, liquorice root, cassia bark

Aroma – Clean, medium intensity aroma; bright freshness from lemon aspen and sunrise lime, toasty hints of wattleseed, cassia, earthy boobialla and sherbet notes from muntrie and lemon myrtle=

Palate – Sunrise lime and lemon aspen shine on the front, balanced by oily wattleseed that coats the palate for a full and rounded mouthfeel. A pleasant tingling sensation lingers from the cassia bark and pepperberry, leaving you with a long, warming finish.

FEATURED IN THE GIN CLUB

Garden Street Collector's Series: Native Juniper & Sunrise Lime Gin is featured in November 2024's Gin Subscription box!

Sign up to the club today for a complete curated distillery experience at home while stocks last.

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