THE COOL CLUB
We’re feeling festive as November draws to a close and this months Drink of the Month is the perfect addition to the celebration, we promise it doesn’t disappoint! Australia and Christmas might not resonate as your typical cold UK celebration however we couldn’t resist working with the Australian creators of a Christmas Pudding Gin and here they tell us all about how they got started in this gin fanatic world. Introducing to you, Four Pillars Gin…
Tell us Four Pillars, what’s the story?
Four Pillars. We make gin, in a modern Australian way. Our core purpose is to elevate the craft of distilling gin in Australia. We started out in December 2013. It all began when two wine industry veterans got talking about their next adventure. The original plan was to make tonic, but that idea lasted about 72 hours – until they saw a giant alcohol machine and decided, ‘who wants to make a soft drink?!’
We are so excited about your Christmas Pudding Gin, what was your inspiration?
The inspiration was my late mother, Wilma. Every year on the Saturday before Melbourne Cup she would make our Christmas Puddings using a recipe from the 1968 Woman’s Weekly. My brothers and I would be dragged into the kitchen to help chop and mix fruit. I decided to torture my three daughters by doing the same thing! When I was buying the ingredients it occurred to me that a lot of them could be distilled and would work with the piney/Christmas tree notes of juniper. So we made the puddings and distilled them with a base gin recipe. To add some richness and a little sweetness we aged it in 100 year old Rutherglen Muscat barrels.
Describe the flavour profile?
The gin smells like gin and tastes like Christmas. Aromatics of classic juniper and a hint of cinnamon, backed up with a rich, luscious palate with a hint of sweetness from the Muscat and richness from the extended barrel ageing.
What is the recommended serve?
At this time of year we recommend serving a ‘Christmas Martinez’ cocktail, served over a giant Super Cube. Get the recipe here…it’s of course the Drink of the Month festive edition.
When did you launch into the UK?
We launched in January 2017 with our sales partner and distributor Love Drinks, we flirted previously with our friends at Liberty wines who did a great job of initially introducing us.
What advice would you share with someone serving your Christmas Pudding Gin this Christmas?
Firstly, I would start drinking it well before you start the annual argument with your in-laws. Secondly, I quite like a good splash of it over ice with half a teaspoon of cream. Might not be to everyone’s liking but I think it’s great.
Lastly, what is Four Pillars favourite thing about Christmas?
Family, friends and warm weather.
We have loved getting to know Four Pillars and sampling their Christmas Pudding Gin. You can buy it from the below online retailers. Don’t miss out on a great gift for family and friends, order in time for the festivities….
