It seems like every other day we’re hearing about the winners of spirits awards.
And often, when we hear about the results, we’re also seeing the Never Never Distilling Co. prominently placed on the list, adding to their ever growing and ever impressive reel of accolades. The titles they’ve won span across the globe, from smaller awards right through to the big guns.
For Co-founder and Brand Director Sean Baxter, each title in their slew of awards makes them proud, but it’s the recognition at the “Golden Globes and the Oscars” of gin that really gets them excited.
He’s referring to the World Gin Awards, where Never Never Juniper Freak has won back to back Best Australian Navy Strength Gin two years running, not to mention World’s Best Classic Gin in 2019. Then there’s the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where Never Never Triple Juniper Export Strength just won Best Regular Gin in Show. To round out the pool room, Never Never Head Distiller, Tim Boast, was named Distiller of the Year at the International Spirits Business Awards last year. Quite the bevy.
These are all amazing accomplishments for the small McLaren Vale distillery. So what’s the secret?
Asking Baxter this, he points to their point of difference of being a champion of juniper and how that makes the brand stand out in a congested gin market.
“We are all about more flavour. Every step in our production is about wringing every ounce of flavour out of the botanicals we use with juniper proudly at the forefront.”
“Some people think that, ‘all gin has juniper, how are you any different?’ By putting more in, we get more out, it’s pretty simple really,” Baxter explained.
Using a small still to concentrate and enhance flavour, Never Never uses just nine botanicals, but in large volumes. Juniper and other traditional botanicals take centre stage, rather than a focus on unique artisanal botanicals, to create gins that are rich and intensely indulgent.
“When you’re using those kinds of intense root and juniper flavours, it pumps up that base spirit with heavy concentrations of rich botanical flavour. Some other companies might filter or stretch this concentration with neutral spirit to create something that’s a bit lighter in character,” Baxter said.
“It’s so concentrated it clouds on dilution, a sign of how much character we leave in.
“We keep it concentrated, primarily with the focus of making some of the most flavoursome gin and tonics and gin cocktails in the world, which we think we achieve.”
That’s a claim they deserve to make, considering how their products consistently shine on the world stage. While lots of products can say they are the ‘best’ at something, Never Never have the accumulated results to show for it.
Even throughout the challenges of the current climate, Never Never have been quietly and confidently kicking goals. One of those is the recent release of the 2019 Juniper Freak Gin ‘vintage.’
“Each year we take the first harvest of Juniper and we airfreight it over from the Republic of North Macedonia and then we distill it straight away. This bright concentrate becomes the body and soul of our Juniper Freak release,” Baxter said.
The characterisation of the 2019 Juniper Freak vintage comes from the juniper berries, which were brighter and more fragrant this season, creating green eucalyptus notes within the intense flavour profile.
The 2019 Juniper Freak goes great in a gin and tonic, creating a distinctive palate that pairs well with salty oily snacks. It creates the perfect home aperitivo moment, easy to put together in isolation and insanely satisfying. There’s a recipe here to try for yourself.
Get your hands on the 2019 Juniper Freak here.