If you recently went to a cocktail party or a bar, you must have seen a variety of gin cocktails there. It is because of three major reasons that these gin cocktails are back in popularity; those three factors are their versatility, affordability, and the craft beer and spirits movement.
Gin was already a favourite of many in Australia, but the popularity was going down every year. You can find australian gin in every bar and restaurant in the country, and it will be available at every cocktail party. Australia is famous for its nightlife and drinks, and tourists worldwide visit Australia to enjoy the nightlife, street food and alcohol.
In the recent International Wine & Spirit Competition, Australian made drinks won a total of 9 awards. And this award list had Australian dry gin too—one of the reasons for it became trending again.
After the pandemic and numerous lockdowns, the country is back to its normal state, and tourists are pouring in to embrace the varieties of alcohol available in the cities.
So, how did gin gain popularity again in Australia?
The reasons why gin became so popular are:
Its versatility
There’s an abundance of flavours and mixes of gin in the market, and people are fans of these types. Whether you like to take yours straight or prefer it in a cocktail (Dry Martini), the kind of gin you use can make the drink taste bland and tickle your taste buds.
The distilled gin is found in several parts of Australia, and there are more than 30 different botanicals that can be added to gin. And when you add botanicals to the drink, it becomes something special. The season and the produce in the market can determine the cocktails you drink. Juniper berries are the common botanical item added to the drink, and it has many health benefits.
Affordability
The method of gin manufacturing has changed over the years since it hit the market in the 1600s. Juniper berries, unique botanicals, and neutral spirit are mixed and heated in a pot for around forty-eight hours, and water is added to dilute the mixture for making a tasty gin. Adding water is necessary because pure gin is so strong that it fails the regulations set by governments.
New distilling technologies changed the expense of manufacturing gin and the production time came to just 7 hours from 48. It was a great turn of events, and gin prices were down significantly.
Soon, every production unit was able to make quality Australian gin at an affordable price like Garden Street is offering.
The craft gin movement
In 2009, the gin market saw a tremendous change. Craft distilleries that offered unique blends started to dominate the market. People who loved gin were excited to see these new changes and surprised to see the varieties of gin that this technology can produce.
Before this change took place, gin was known to be a mixture of neutral spirit and juniper berries, but the craft distilleries decided to change this concept. They started to add one more ingredient called botanicals to the gin, such as licorice and orange. The botanicals are distilled to bring new flavours and a change from the traditional drinks.
Soon, they started to make gin with ingredients such as lavender, pepper berry, cardamom, and many other botanicals. This is the moment that made gin a favourite of many. The effects of this craft gin movement can be seen even today.
