Australians love gin, and we make some of the best gin in the world, too – with local distilleries like Archie Rose, Ginworth and Four Pillars ranking as some of the most acclaimed and awarded in the world. But in a surprising turn of events, an Australian brewery’s gin and tonic has just been rated as the best in the world…
Australia is currently having a love affair with gin. After years of being written off as ‘liquid depression’ by much of the population, gin has dramatically risen in popularity Down Under – and the quality and quantity of Australian gin distillers have also skyrocketed.
The way we all drink gin is changing, too: the growing popularity of barrel-aged gins and interesting infusions like Four Pillars’ famous Shiraz gin means that more Aussies are looking to sip gin like whisky.
But the humble gin and tonic remains our favourite way to consume the spirit, whether that’s at a bar or as a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail. RTDs used to be a bit of a dirty word Down Under, but just as the gin scene has matured, the quality of RTDs in this country, gin or otherwise, has risen dramatically.
This leads us to the point of this story. Sydney craft brewery Young Henrys, beloved across The Harbour City for its delicious beers and innovative spirit, has just bagged two massive awards for its canned Gin & Tonic at the prestigious London Spirits Competition.
Not only did the Newtown-based company’s G&T take home a gold medal at the competition, but it was also voted Best Spirit by Quality and RTD of the Year. Not bad for a brewery’s side hustle.
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“It’s a testament to our Head Distiller, Carla Daunton, as well as her full crew of loyal distillers for their commitment to making such a damn tasty concoction… One that stood tall when up against over 2000 different spirit brands, and especially in the most heavily contested category of gin, which had 695 submissions alone,” Young Henrys has said in a statement.
I’ve had a few of Young Henrys’ canned G&Ts in my time, and I can tell you, they’re worth the hype. Crafted from Young Henrys’ Noble Cut Gin (itself highly awarded) it’s got a subtle hit of pink grapefruit and thyme plus big Aussie flavours thanks to Tasmanian-grown hops, pepperberries and lemon myrtle. Australian native botanicals, with their complex, herbaceous flavours, are uniquely suited to gin.
These tinnies are also good for the planet. Young Henrys has partnered with an NGO called 1% For The Planet so that 1% of all revenue from their G&T sales go to environmental protection efforts. Helps make the G&T go down smoother, too.
The best bit? They’re only $25 for a four-pack. Find out more about these tasty G&Ts and grab some for yourself here.