So, hello.
We are Grown Spirits. We have been making gins from interesting gardens for about five years or so. If a garden grows something nice we tend to make some sort of gin from it. Apart from the original garden in Erina, on New South Wales' Central Coast, we have been lucky to make gin from some pretty fancy gardens indeed.
Our first garden and first gin.
We began our journey in 2015 when Grown Founders, Frank Bethel and Will Miles, happened upon a Master Distiller by the name of Phillip Moore, one of Australia’s most awarded and experienced distillers. Quite soon a partnership blossomed and we began making gin from the freshest botanicals picked from the stunning garden just outside the door of the distillery, in Erina.
This gin was all about capturing as purely as possible the essence of the Australian summer garden and on the nose, there are hints of jasmine, sweet honeysuckle and orange blossom. It’s positively balmy. We use the French perfumers' time-honoured technique of enfleurage to extract the delicate scent and flavour from the hero botanicals Murraya and Duchesse de Brabant Rose, without the use of heat. Combined with a traditional distillation of Juniper, Chamomile, Sage, Angelica and Orris Root and this floral gin comes alive.
Then it all got Rather Royal.
Our first collaboration with the famous Botanic Gardens of Australia was back in 2017, with their Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney. Botanicals from their famous landmarks, such as the Palace Rose Garden and Spring Walk, were chosen to create a rare collection of 1,000 handcrafted bottles of a perfectly balanced gin which explores the essence of the iconic Sydney destination.
We worked with the Garden’s Director of Horticulture, Jimmy Turner, to select the best flora for the gin including Pope John Paul roses, mandarin leaf, lemon verbena, horehound, curry leaves, lovage and chamomile. We sold out in just over a month and there has been a clamouring for a re-release which we hope to do in 2021.
Next. The most Australian gin ever made. Probably…
The Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan’s mantra is ‘no plants no future’. Which also means, no gin. So, it’s very important. That’s why profits from the sales of this bottle went directly back to their vital conservation initiatives.
Native botanicals such as Ginger Rhizome, Mount White Lime, Orange Berry, Wombat Berry, Macadamia and a touch of the famous Bunya Pine Nut from the iconic Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan were chosen to create this rare collection of just 1,000 handcrafted bottles. The ginger, lime and juniper, of course, are major contributors to the structure of this gin with the rest playing supporting roles to add to the depth and complexity. The different nuts add a soothing quality and create a delicately soft texture and there's a light vanilla flavour in the finish.
This one sold out quickly, too. But will be back in 2021
Our latest release came out of the Blue.
Well, to be specific. The Blue Mountains. Our third collaboration with the iconic Botanic Gardens, and in our opinion the most important. The scale of the catastrophic damage the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah suffered at the hands of the 2019/20 bushfires needs to be seen to be believed. Thousands of specimens at the Garden were destroyed by bushfires, profits from this gin help support the horticultural and science staff as they rebuild and restore this crucial collection. . We feel humbled and privileged to be able to contribute to the Gardens in our own small, deliciously drinkable way. Profits from the sale of this gin help support the Garden’s horticultural & science staff as they rebuild and restore this crucial botanical collection.
Native to the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales, this gin features Eucalyptus pulverulenta (more commonly known as ‘Baby Blue’) as its hero botanical – some say it’s this silver-leaved mountain gum that’s behind the famous blue haze of the mountains. And like the mountains themselves, it’s a fresh and cooling homage to this iconic Australian landmark. Again, a limited run of just 1000 bottles, available from November 2020.
Thanks heaps for being part of our gin journey.
We look forward to filling your glasses with delicious gins made from the greatest gardens around Australia and beyond. From our original garden in Erina to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney Harbour, we are always on the lookout for a great garden. So, if you know a good one let us know. It could be a secret garden in Sri Lanka or a rooftop garden in New York City. We're not fussy. Well, as long as the botanicals are exceptional, obviously ;)