Australia’s newest gin, Kings Cross Distillery’s Australian Classic Dry Gin is off to a flying start picking up a silver award at the London Spirits Competition last week.
Distiller and spirit architect, Odelia Potts, has adapted a 1930s recipe for the KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin, which is made by the single shot method and vapour distillation using ‘Miss Pottsy’, a 200-litre still.
The inaugural gin recipe is a mix of classic ‘London Dry’ gin botanicals like juniper, coriander seed and cardamom pods, with the addition of fresh Sydney organic lemons, as well as a local mix of Australian native myrtles. The resulting gin is sweet, floral and very curvy. The KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin also boasts notes of juniper, preserved lemon, grapefruit, bakers’ spices with exotic woods.
While some spirits competitions can see distilling ability and technical expertise receive primary consideration at the expense of drinkability, the goal of the London Spirits Competition is to award and celebrate the spirits that spirits drinkers actually want to buy. The spirits are judged on their quality, their value for money and the bottle/label’s appearance. Overall, KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin scored impressively for its first showing.
Potts was obviously delighted to gain recognition so quickly, saying: “As Australia’s newest gin, we are so honoured to be receiving this level of recognition at an international level. The London Spirits Competition recognises the best gins around the world and we’re thrilled to be awarded a silver medal.”
While the gin is available now, Kings Cross Distillery will also be opening the doors to its new bar in Sydney’s Kings Cross in spring 2020.
The location at Macleay Street, close to the Cross’ dandelion-flower fountain, has had shadowy past befitting its location, including being a 1960s speakeasy, an illegal gambling den and an adult book store, which had secret businesses operating behind the hidden doors of steel.
The new venue still pays homage to the colourful history it has seen, with the former vault now being used for storing the bar’s most prized possessions, their bottles of gin, as well as a cheeky wall of pin up photography which nods to the former bookstores which existed there.
The new venue will accommodate 120 guests, once COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted and will offer an array of mezze and tapas style dishes. The bar will serve its own premium gin, vodka and whisky, as well as an array of Australian and international spirits. One of the special features of this venue is the availability of personalised spirit lockers, where guests can keep their own bottles.
Potts added: “We are so thrilled to finally be able to open the venue completely and share our gin creations with the world, following a challenging time for the hospitality industry in Australia. The colourful and rich history of Sydney’s Kings Cross and its Sydney surrounds, are the inspiration behind our vapour infused gins. We can’t wait to welcome customers to join us in our journey of discovery, as we make history too.”
