A collaboration between Eddie Brook and former Bruichladdich master distiller, Jim McEwan, Brookie’s Gin is distilled at Cape Byron Distillery in New South Wales, Australia.
Utilising ingredients from the lush sub-tropical rainforest that surrounds the distillery, Brookie’s has a prominent focus on sustainability, giving back to the community and regeneration – with the Brook family owners having personally invested great time and effort into regenerating the rainforest over the past 30 years. Of the 26 botanicals used in Brookie’s Dry Gin, 18 are native to the Byron Bay region, including the likes of Byron Sunrise finger limes, aniseed myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, macadamia, native river mint and native raspberry.
Recently launched in the UK, Brookie’s produces a flagship Dry Gin as well as Byron Slow Gin. A play on the traditional English sloe gin style, this ‘Slow’ gin swaps sloe berries for Davidson plums, unique to the rainforest. Produced with the one-shot method of distillation, with a botanical basket to vapour infuse the gin with native ginger, traditional botanicals are also used alongside the local ingredients, including juniper, coriander, cassia, angelica and orris root.
Produced with Brookie’s Dry Gin, the Byron Slow Gin production steeps tart Davidson plums in the liquid, macerated for six months from when the plums are picked and the skins are torn. Once matured, Mount Warning spring water is blended with the gin, balanced with some sugar, and bottled at 26 per cent ABV. The spirit’s deep colour is entirely natural, imparted from the plums.
Brookie’s Slow Gin opens with notes of plum and lime on the nose, joined by some feint juniper and coriander. Liquorice and aniseed are present on the palate, backed with some savours of ginger, watermelon and some jammy plum and raspberry notes that lend a very slight port sweetness before concluding with a smooth, complex finish.
Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin and Brookie’s Slow Gin are exclusively distributed through the UK by S.E.A. Spirits and are available to buy from Harrods, Hedonism, Flavourly, Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange for £39.95 and £34.95 RRP respectively, 70cl.