From the heart of wine country, Never Never Distilling Co. has released their annual Grenache Gin with an enchanting new bottle design care of Australian artist Kerri Wright.
Inspired by the legend of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, the 2023 ‘Ginache’ is the third annual launch from the distillers after their initial 2020 release, the first Grenache gin to hit the global market.
Wright’s bottle design draws on the stories of Dionysian revelries and features the famous Maenad dancer, who, as the story goes, was a follower of Dionysus and was often said to feature in frenzied dances fuelled by intoxication and the supernatural.
Sean Baxter, Never Never Distilling Co. Co-founder and Brand Director, said he’s certain the Maenad dancer would approve of this year’s Grenache Gin, perhaps enjoying a few measures topped with blood orange soda.
“We love the connection between the product and the Greek God of wine, it’s also a subtle nod to what sounds like an appropriate way to spend a sunny afternoon in the Vale’… responsibly, of course,” he said.
Awarded Australia’s Best Flavoured Gin at the World Gin Awards two times, the gin is infused with locally grown McLaren Vale grapes sourced from the McLaren Vale region, giving it a deep blackberry hue that turns deep cherry red when diluted with tonic or soda.
The nose has plum pudding, vanilla custard and sticky mulberry compote with a hint of soft pine and warm spice. The taste is freshly picked blackberry and buttered crumpets with plush tannins and a silky, ripe body followed by waves of Black Forest Cherry.
Baxter said that as with any product flavoured using natural ingredients, the product will change and develop over time, becoming darker and more intense over time.
“Due to leaving the gin to sit on skin for a little longer during some coolish weeks in late March, we ended up with a fantastic amount of colour and flavour extracted during the steeping process,” he said.
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