When Arbory Afloat relaunched back in November 2017, it was the young, Brunswick-based distillery Patient Wolf who were tasked with creating a bespoke gin for Melbourne’s longest floating bar and restaurant.
Boasting 360-degree views of the Yarra River and CBD skyline, Arbory Afloat takes its inspiration from Mediterranean beach clubs and has clearly been a hit with Melburnians since it relaunched last year, with the pop-up’s berth having just been extended until the end of April.
Arbory Afloat’s extensive, fruit-driven cocktail list sits alongside a G&T menu boasting eight varieties of gin from Australia and abroad, all paired up with small batch tonics and garnishes; but the real hero is Patient Wolf’s exclusive Arbory Afloat Edition Gin.
The bespoke gin is also inspired by the flavours of the Med and the sundrenched beach clubs of the Amalfi Coast, with a variety of Sfusato d’Amalfi Lemons and fresh thyme vapour infused by the team at Patient Wolf in a custom-built Muller copper still.
“We worked closely with the Arbory team to create and refine this bespoke gin,” said Matt Argus, Patient Wolf co-founder. “We wanted to create something pretty unique, it had to refreshing, summery and inspired by the flavours of the Mediterranean.”
As a result, the bespoke gin works perfectly in a G&T – served with Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic and fresh lemon and thyme – as well as in a White Negroni with Lillet Blanc and Suze.
Patient Wolf is the brainchild of Matt Argus and Dave Irwin, who launched their first gin just over a year ago; since that time, their Premium Dry Gin has been made available at all 70 premium Dan Murphy locations.
