Bloody Shiraz Gin

Gin combined with Shiraz grapes? Bloody brilliant. This crazy experiment using our original Rare Dry Gin steeped with local cool climate Shiraz grapes has become a cult-favourite, the perfect balance of sweet fruit and ginny goodness.

Our 2023 Limited Edition Bloody Shiraz Gin has arrived. You can find it here.

700mL

Qty:

What started as an experiment has now earned its own category in the global spirits competitions, and the results are bloody brilliant.

GOLD

Global Gin Masters

2023

GOLD

ADI International Spirits Competition

2023

MASTER

Global Gin Masters

2022

BEST IN CATEGORY

ADI International Spirits Competition

2022

GOLD

ADI International Spirits Competition

2022

GOLD

London IWSC

2020

Four Pillars Distillery is in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley, beautiful cool climate wine country. We’d have to be crazy not to take advantage of it.

So back in 2015 that’s what we did. We were happily making gin out the back of our mate Rob Dolan’s winery, and in late April a tiny parcel of Shiraz came in from one of the region’s best vineyards. Rob wasn’t sure what to do with it, so we took it off his hands – perhaps without his knowledge…

It seemed perfectly obvious to Cam Mackenzie that we should steep these grapes in Rare Dry Gin to see what happened.

The result was alcoholic alchemy… the juice turned a magical purple colour and found a sweetness straight from the ripe grapes.

So now each year we take local Shiraz fruit, steep the whole berries in high-proof gin for eight weeks before pressing. The colour remains a deep, rich, reddish purple. Aromatically it shows fresh pine needles, citrus and spice, and distinct peppery, dense raspberry notes. The palate is lovely and sweet with a long juniper and spice character on the finish.

The marriage of Rare Dry Gin botanicals with the most delicious Shiraz fruit on the planet. No added sugar. None. Ever.

Juniper

location: Macedonia

Without juniper, there is no gin. When distilled, it adds a medicinal flavour with notes of pine needles. Juniper is grown wild, and the berries are harvested by hand on mountain slopes.

Pepperberry

location: Tasmania

We use the leaf of the Tasmanian pepperberry. This local botanical works so well with our Asian spices, adding warmth and length to the palate without adding heat.

Shiraz grapes

location: Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley cool climate Shiraz grapes are up there with the best in the world, bursting with delicate spice and red berry characters that make way for darker fruit notes.

Coriander

location: South Australia

We source coriander seeds locally for their intense aromatics. We use the dry seeds (not fresh leaves) and they produce amazing lemony citrus notes when crushed and distilled.

Green cardamom

location: Guatemala

We use green cardamom, one of the most expensive spices in the world. The flavour is intense, giving sweet perfumed notes and ginger characteristics when distilled.

Cassia

location: Sri Lanka

This spice is made from the bark of East Asian trees related to the ‘true cinnamon’ of Sri Lanka. Cassia adds a distinct richness to our gin, bringing all the other spices together.

Star anise

location: Vietnam

We source ours from Vietnam and the aromatics are insane. When we open a small package of star anise the entire distillery fills with aromas of fresh liquorice, sarsaparilla and pastis.

Lavender

location: Yarra Valley

Lavender is used sparingly to lift the other aromatics, so it isn’t an obvious character in the final gin. Grown locally, though occasionally we have to source from France.

Angelica

location: Netherlands

We use the root of the plant, which has a very earthy, mushroom or woody smell. Angelica adds to the soft texture of the final gin, along with a very, very subtle bitterness.

Lemon myrtle

location: Queensland

Lemon Myrtle is a beautiful alternative to lemon peel when distilling. Its floral character mingles with the other spices without dominating any flavours, textures or aromas.

Orange

location: Australia

In Australia we’re lucky to have oranges all year round, from different growers depending on the season. Fresh biodynamic oranges give warm Mediterranean citrus notes that lift all the spices.

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