The new Ink Sloe & Berry Gin is Husk Distillers’ take on the classic English ‘sloe gin’ (a rich red liqueur traditionally made by macerating gin with sloe berries), giving it a distinctly Australian twist by infusing an array of native fruits, florals and bush botanicals. While the now-famous Ink Gin captures the purple-blue hues of the butterfly pea flower, the Ink Sloe & Berry Gin uses the rich-red rosella flower – a species of hibiscus found in Australia’s northern tropics, which we’re told has a crisp and slightly tart flavour that pairs well against the sloe berries.
Husk’s head distiller Quentin Brival has revealed that the Ink Sloe & Berry Gin starts off with a fairly simple recipe of juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root and liquorice. The gin is then infused with the sloe berries, native Davidson plums, and a mix of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries, which gives it a pleasing mid-palate softness with a balance between sweet and tart. The Husk team are celebrating the launch their latest sip with a pop-up gin garden on the lawn of the lush new Tumbulgum distillery from July 24–29. You can sample a snifter and purchase bottles on site, via the website or at selected stockists.