Latest news with #LighthouseGin
The Age
23-06-2025
- The Age
I don't like gin and hate tonic, but a new trend is changing my mind
An eighth type is grain distilled with botanicals in addition to the traditional juniper. Craft gin has had a huge renaissance in popularity in recent years. And it's not just found at the bottle shop. There are reportedly 270 or more craft gins being produced around Australia. Just about every hotel or lodge I visit these days has its own signature gin, usually flavoured with plants that are indigenous to the region or found in the kitchen garden. Recently, I sampled Chapter One Gin, produced for Otahuna Lodge near Christchurch, NZ, made with a blend of botanicals, such as myoga ginger, finger limes and honeydew melon, harvested entirely from Otahuna's century-old gardens, using water sourced directly from the Estate. I sipped the Pink Lady Gin, distilled and infused with rose geranium and rose water, for the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which is famous for its pink-painted facade. In Martinborough, I tasted a flight of gins with New Zealand's first female head distiller, Rachel Hall, who makes four gins for Lighthouse Gin, using spring water from the Remutaka ranges, some aged in pinot noir barrels from the vineyard. Lighthouse Gin is owned by American William P Foley, who also owns nearby Wharekauhau Country Estate, where sipping G+Ts while you play a game of croquet is almost compulsory. Distiller Rachel does everything herself, including the packaging of the small batches and gathering the water in her truck. She's happy to show visitors around her domain – the gleaming new distillery and packing room. Rachel says it's the glamour drink du jour because gin is simple and elegant. You just need to add tonic (her favourite is Strangelove's Tonic no.8). Visitors can book gin tastings at The Runholder restaurant and cellar door at the vineyard or order a Gin Tasting Tray at the bar. Down in Hobart at MACq 01 hotel the Gin Tales experience in the well-named Story Bar is highly recommended for gin lovers – and people who love a good yarn. Six days a week at 5pm, up to eight people gather around a high table to taste five gins from the hotel's collaboration with McHenry, the Tasmanian distillery. The hotel has been imagined around the stories of great characters in Tasmanian history, with each of its 114 guestrooms or 'doors' devoted to a historic or contemporary person with a fascinating story. Storytellers take guests on tours of the hotel and relate the stories behind the doors. The extremely engaging master storyteller – Aaron Cuneo – conducts tastings of the McHenry's gins, which are inspired by five personality traits the hotel's cast of characters exhibit – Colourful & Quirky, Curious & Creative, Grounded Yet Exceptional, Hearty & Resilient and Fighting Believer. Those characters include Matthew Brady, the 'gentleman bushranger' and Ma Dwyer, the brothel madam and publican working in Salamanca Place in the 1940s who reportedly kept an underground passage to Parliament House so that politicians could visit her girls undetected. Loading The gins are infused with different blends of local botanicals and fruits such as pigface, lemon myrtle, mountain pepperberry and damson plum – in distillations which are supposed to capture the essence of each personality. Here's my admission – I don't particularly like gin, and I hate tonic, so every time I'm handed a gin cocktail, I sip it under duress. But regaled by Aaron's hilarious storytelling, I start to like gin a lot.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
I don't like gin and hate tonic, but a new trend is changing my mind
An eighth type is grain distilled with botanicals in addition to the traditional juniper. Craft gin has had a huge renaissance in popularity in recent years. And it's not just found at the bottle shop. There are reportedly 270 or more craft gins being produced around Australia. Just about every hotel or lodge I visit these days has its own signature gin, usually flavoured with plants that are indigenous to the region or found in the kitchen garden. Recently, I sampled Chapter One Gin, produced for Otahuna Lodge near Christchurch, NZ, made with a blend of botanicals, such as myoga ginger, finger limes and honeydew melon, harvested entirely from Otahuna's century-old gardens, using water sourced directly from the Estate. I sipped the Pink Lady Gin, distilled and infused with rose geranium and rose water, for the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, which is famous for its pink-painted facade. In Martinborough, I tasted a flight of gins with New Zealand's first female head distiller, Rachel Hall, who makes four gins for Lighthouse Gin, using spring water from the Remutaka ranges, some aged in pinot noir barrels from the vineyard. Lighthouse Gin is owned by American William P Foley, who also owns nearby Wharekauhau Country Estate, where sipping G+Ts while you play a game of croquet is almost compulsory. Distiller Rachel does everything herself, including the packaging of the small batches and gathering the water in her truck. She's happy to show visitors around her domain – the gleaming new distillery and packing room. Rachel says it's the glamour drink du jour because gin is simple and elegant. You just need to add tonic (her favourite is Strangelove's Tonic no.8). Visitors can book gin tastings at The Runholder restaurant and cellar door at the vineyard or order a Gin Tasting Tray at the bar. Down in Hobart at MACq 01 hotel the Gin Tales experience in the well-named Story Bar is highly recommended for gin lovers – and people who love a good yarn. Six days a week at 5pm, up to eight people gather around a high table to taste five gins from the hotel's collaboration with McHenry, the Tasmanian distillery. The hotel has been imagined around the stories of great characters in Tasmanian history, with each of its 114 guestrooms or 'doors' devoted to a historic or contemporary person with a fascinating story. Storytellers take guests on tours of the hotel and relate the stories behind the doors. The extremely engaging master storyteller – Aaron Cuneo – conducts tastings of the McHenry's gins, which are inspired by five personality traits the hotel's cast of characters exhibit – Colourful & Quirky, Curious & Creative, Grounded Yet Exceptional, Hearty & Resilient and Fighting Believer. Those characters include Matthew Brady, the 'gentleman bushranger' and Ma Dwyer, the brothel madam and publican working in Salamanca Place in the 1940s who reportedly kept an underground passage to Parliament House so that politicians could visit her girls undetected. Loading The gins are infused with different blends of local botanicals and fruits such as pigface, lemon myrtle, mountain pepperberry and damson plum – in distillations which are supposed to capture the essence of each personality. Here's my admission – I don't particularly like gin, and I hate tonic, so every time I'm handed a gin cocktail, I sip it under duress. But regaled by Aaron's hilarious storytelling, I start to like gin a lot.
Forbes
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Father's Day Gift Guide 2025: Most Aromatic Gins
The distinctive bottle of Lighthouse Gin reminds one of a lighthouse. Some fathers prefer Martinis to Manhattans, G&Ts to Old Fashioneds so for these dads, a good gin makes a perfect Father's Day present. Here's a round-up of some absolutely aromatic gins to add to your dad's bar cart. Lighthouse Gin, $59.99 This exquisite spirit is handcrafted using a gentle, vapor infusion extraction method. Among its botanicals, it features Yen Ben lemons, resulting in a complex gin that offers bright juniper notes, hints of citrus and coastal botanicals. This dry gin is smooth and pure, perfect for sipping neat, but it also adds an interesting note to classic and modern cocktails. The Tamworth Garden White Mountain Gin is a distinctive gin to gift your dad. Tamworth Distilling Tamworth Garden White Mountain Gin, $45 Recently awarded the title of New Hampshire Spirit of the Year by the New Hampshire Liquor Control Board, this craft spirit is a versatile, everyday sipper that combines traditional gin botanicals with a blend of centennial, citra, and amarillo hops for notes of citrus and pine, resulting in a bright, fresh flavor. Not a typical gin, this spirit pairs well with both simple and complex cocktails, and it's also fun to sip on its on. Tamworth makes two other great gins that you could give your dad. One is the Apiary Gin, which pays homage to the bees and flowers they pollinate, and the other is the Spring Equinox Gin, a special edition gin, which blends together fresh celery, lemon, petitgrain, juniper, black pepper, lavender, and angelica. If your father's a fan of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, you might want to get him a bottle of their new ... More gin. Still G.I.N., $39.99 If your dad's a legend, then Still G.I.N. might be the perfect gift. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg worked together to create their first pure, bottled spirit. Still G.I.N. features notes of tangerine, jasmine and coriander with an exceptionally aromatic and smooth finish. This gin earned gold at this year's Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. Named after the hit 'Still D.R.E.,' this gin makes a perfect gin and juice cocktail. If your dad loves martinis, then Fords Gin might be a great gift to give him. Fords Gin London Dry Gin, $28.99 Distilled in London at Thames Distillers, Fords Gin is crafted with nine botanicals sourced from around the world. This modern take on a classic London dry gin, its traditional base consists of juniper and coriander, balanced by citrus, florals, and finish is crisp, marked by grapefruit rind and soft floral notes—perfect for a refreshing G&T or a classic Martini for dad. If your dad likes Irish spirits, then this gin might be a great gift. Glendalough Distillery Wild Rose Irish Gin, $34.99 Head distiller Ciaran 'Rowdy' Rooney created this fresh, rose-petal gin to honor his late mother, Rose, at his younger brother's wedding. This intensely aromatic gin, made with roses from her garden, is perfect if your dad enjoys modern gin cocktails. Plus, if your dad is a girl dad, well, this is even better. This fresh gin includes yuzu as one of its botanicals. Four Pillars Yuzu Gin, $40.99 This is the latest gin added to the lineup of this Aussie gin company. Made with Australian-grown yuzu, this gin launched after three, limited edition trials. Bright, aromatic and quite dry, this gin is perfect for citrusy gin cocktails, and it also adds an interest twist to a Gin & Tonic. B If your dad enjoys regular Bombay Sapphire, gift him a bottle of Premier Cru. ombay Sapphire Premier Cru, $34.99 This is a small-batch version of Bombay Sapphire, made with hand-picked Murcia lemons, mandarins, and sweet oranges from Spain. Distilled using Bombay's signature vapor infusion process, it offers a bright, elegant citrus profile balanced by the brand's ten signature botanicals. This is a refined spirit that's perfect if your dad enjoys classic gin. This stunning gin was distilled at a wind-powered, zero-waste facility. Holistic Spirits Co. Harmony Gin, $43.20 Harmony Gin is a rose-hued spirit crafted from organic corn and infused with a patent-pending blend of botanicals including elderberry, muscadine grape, artichoke leaf, and green tea. Distilled at a wind-powered, zero-waste facility, it offers a floral-forward profile with subtle notes of rose water, pineapple, and a crisp finish. Free from artificial additives, GMOs, and gluten, Harmony Gin is perfect if your dad is into all things sustainable and good for the environment. This Scottish gin includes some rare and unusual botanicals. Isle of Harris Distillery Gin, $60 This gin is crafted in the remote, Outer Hebrides of Scotland, distilled in the village of Tarbert on the Isle of Harris. Known for its distinctive apothecary-style bottle and maritime influence, this gin captures the essence of island life. Its key botanical is hand-harvested sugar kelp, which gives the gin a subtle coastal character — fresh, slightly briny and complex. Balanced with traditional botanicals like juniper, cassia bark, and coriander seed, the result is a crisp, refreshing gin with a smooth, dry finish. NOLET'S Silver Gin is a modern gin to add to your dad's bar cart. NOLET'S Silver Gin, $49 A modern expression of gin, NOLET'S Silver offers refreshing floral and fruit flavors, with an unusual combination of botanicals with no GMOs. If your dad likes modern gins, this is perfect to gift. This Kentucky gin starts out as a neutral rye spirit. Castle & Key Roots of Ruin Gin, $36.00 This gin speaks to the restoration of Castle & Key's Kentucky property, from its ruinous state. Roots of Ruin is crafted with eight botanicals: juniper, chamomile, ginger, rosemary, licorice root, lemon verbena, coriander, and angelica root. The result is a distinct and complex gin, with bright aromatics. The gin itself begins with Castle & Key's rye whiskey base that's then distilled into vodka, which is then redistilled, its vapor then infused with its botanicals. Indian spices combine with English parsnips in this intriguing gin. James Gin Asian Parsnip, $49.99 This gin combines the 'homely flavor of that most English of root vegetables and the gastric stimulus of spices from India.' The result is a warming gin with lingering, light and sweet notes. It's a delicious gin that's great for sipping, but it also tastes amazing in cocktails, too. James also makes a London Drizzle, a London Dry style that's evocative of the petrichor smell of light rain, and California Dreamgin' that combines patchouli and mushrooms. Crafted in the "nutmeg state," this gin does contain nutmeg as a botanical. Mine Hill Distillery Gin, $45.99 This classic gin takes its inspiration from the fields and forests surrounding the Mine Hill property. Its eight botanicals include black walnut, hawthorn berry and nutmeg, resulting in an aromatic, modern gin that earned double gold from The Fifty Best 2020. Oasium is the latest, limited edition release from Hendrick's. Hendrick's Oasium Gin, $39.99 Oasium is the sixth limited edition from master distiler Lesley Gracie's Cabinet of Curiosities. This expression builds on Hendrick's iconic rose and cucumber infusions with a desert twist. A trip to a desert oasis and its cooling herbs and refreshing fruits inspired Gracie's latest version. If your dad is a Hendrick's fan, then you'll want to gift him with this latest expression. This modern gin is named for the Spanish word for juniper. Hotaling & Co. Junipero Gin, $35 Based in San Francisco, Junipero Gin's original release in 1996 led to the development of American craft gin. Named for the Spanish word for juniper, this original craft gin elevates both juniper and citrus, as it is distilled in a small copper pot. If your father loves American craft gin, then he'll enjoy Junipero. This beautiful gin includes botanicals inspired by a Tuscan garden. Uncle Val's Botanical Gin, $30 This gin pays tribute to August Sebastiani's late great Uncle Val (Zio Valerio) and the herbal concoctions he distilled from his Tuscan garden. Uncle Val's Botanical features cucumber, lavender, sage, juniper and lemon, which were Uncle Val's favorite flavors to cook with. This smooth gin makes a great gift for both fathers and uncles this Father's Day. This Japanese gin includes some exquisite botanicals. Nikka Coffey Gin, $36 Crafted by famed Japanese whisky maker, Coffey gin features 11 botanicals, including four Japanese citrus fruits: yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu and shequasar. Other botanicals include juniper, angelica, coriander and a touch of apples and sansho pepper. This lovely gin features 22 hand-foraged botanicals. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, $36.99 The Botanist's original expression is a gin of layered complexity that explores the botanical heritage of its home, the remote Scottish Island of Islay. Made with 22 hand-foraged wild botanicals, the first Islay dry gin offers a rich yet mellow taste that your dad will love. This Kentucky gin is a balance between a London dry and a modern style gin. West End Gin Original Gin, $49.99 Crafted by Louisville wife and husband Dr. Dawn and Stacey Wade, West End is named for the West Louisville area, known for its rich Black American heritage. This gin boasts 14 botanicals including sweet and bitter orange peel, juniper and cardamom, offering the perfect balance between a classic London Dry style gin and a modern style gin. West End also makes a Rose Ann edition that adds rosebud petals and fenugreek to the original blend of botanicals to create a more floral expression.
