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The Patron Saint of Gin

May 3, 2020 By EatWellTravelOften Leave a Comment

A few years ago my friend Belinda travelled solo across Australia in her V8 Holden Commodore, with a mission of visiting as many craft gin distilleries as possible (a girl after my own heart).

Travelling more than 12000km (including the Nullarbor) she introduced herself to dozens of regional craft gin-makers, from Applewood Distillery in the Adelaide Hills to as far afield as Busselton. She spent her days talking gin and learning about the industry.

Her gin adventure turned out to be life changing, because when she got back to the Gold Coast she realised her true passion was the wonderful world of craft distilleries.

She’s become a huge advocate for Australian-made spirits, telling me only 1% of all alcohol in Australia is actually made in Australia.

“We need as many people as possible speaking about Aussie spirits, the quality here is high and we have so many unique botanicals on our doorstep. Each craft gin is a regional Australian experience and a reflection of its locale.”

Belinda has built up a following on Instagram with stunning photos of her gin cocktails: patronsaintofgin

While chatting with fellow gin-stagramer Hee Chung  (onedrinkaday) at a Brisbane gin festival, they came up with the wicked idea of making their own gin and bringing it to market.

“The research part was great fun, we tested lots of different combinations using loads of different botanicals. We wanted our first gin to be easy on the palate and a tipple that most people would enjoy even if they weren’t necessarily gin drinkers.”

They arrived at a light, sweet and simple blend of six botanicals; juniper, orris root, angelica root, orange peel, chamomile flowers and whole vanilla bean, made on an alcohol base made from molasses to give it a relaxed and soothing note.

After a 2-hour brainstorm they settled on a name for their gin – and the beautiful Amulet was born.

Such an elegant bottle, and how gorgeous is that little juniper berry decoration!

“We partnered with Lord Byron Distillery in Byron Bay to make, bottle and sell Amulet, and we’ve just sold the last of our 285 bottles. We’ve had some great feedback, ‘very smashable’ someone said.”

“Bringing our gin to life was a brilliant experience. It was easy enough to make and bottle our gin, the hard part was convincing people to buy it. We soon realised that despite having a collective following of nearly 200,000 on Instagram, Amulet was by no means an overnight sell-out.”  

“The support from many of our online friends was overwhelming though, and our favourite experience has been the Amulet cocktails and reviews appearing online. Such a thrill to see!”

“Sales is a tough game for craft distillers, who mainly rely on cellar door sales. Most people just go to their local bottle shop, Dan Murphy’s or First Choice. So getting our gin into the hands and homes of gin drinkers was a rewarding feeling.”

While coronavirus lockdown means she can’t travel right now, Belinda is still managing to get her hands on Australia’s top craft gins through her subscription with Gin Lane.

“The crew at Gin Lane carefully curate new craft gins from around Australia, and a new bottle arrives on my doorstep every month. I add it to my ‘Gin Wing’, my collection of around 200 gins.”

Of course I had to ask Belinda to share one of her favourite gin cocktails with me!

Belinda’s favourite gin cocktail:

Gin Old Fashioned

  • 60ml gin (preferably barrel aged but not necessary)
  • 10-15ml authentic maple syrup (if you find a barrel aged one even better!)
  • 1-2 dashes Orange bitters
  • Orange zest

Place ice into a tumbler. Stir gin and maple syrup over ice in a mixing jug until chilled. Strain into glass, add bitters and stir lightly. Express oils from orange peel over the glass and use as garnish.

And away you go, sip sip ahhh

Hi, I’m Shannon, a travel and food blogger living on the Gold Coast in Australia. My hobbies are cafes, gin and baked goods. Sign up for my newsletter and follow me on Instagram @_eatwelltraveloften_ for more of the good stuff.

LISTEN TO MY GIN CHAT WITH BELINDA ON THE BREAD AND BUTTER PODCAST

Filed Under: All, Foodie Adventures Tagged With: Amulet gin, Australian gin, craft gin, gin old fashioned, Lord Byron distillery

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Are you a food tourist? Then you’re in the right place…welcome to my blog

I'm Shannon, a not-so-flightless Kiwi, living in Australia. I'm busy makin memories... and doing my bit for regional food tourism. Last year I converted a Toyota Estima for a taste of vanlife (I call her Geisha). I share my adventures and the special moments I capture with my camera. And I host most excellent gatherings for fabulous ladies who like to wine and dine. Make yourself comfortable and have a read... Eat Well Travel Often my friend Read more

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What better send off for @goldcoastfoodandwinetour What better send off for @goldcoastfoodandwinetours than high tea like no other!
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I recently had a chance to learn the ‘secrets of I recently had a chance to learn the ‘secrets of sourdough’ at a masterclass in Currumbin.

Italian baker and pizza master @chef_roberto_giammellucca runs workshops after hours at @aperitivo.cafe.

This particular workshop was extra special as Roberto was celebrating his 100th student at The Sourdough Science Academy. 

A class of 12 people gathered around a big square table. We learned how to make and look after #sourdough starter, and Roberto shared his personal sourdough recipe and #bakingtips.

Aprons on, we all enjoyed getting our hands into the flour. There’s something so calming and earthy about kneading dough. And the smell when you pull your fresh baked loaf out of the oven is so divine.

There’s simply nothing better than a slice of sourdough warm from the oven, slathered with butter.

If you want to learn the nitty gritty of sourdough making, give one of Roberto’s workshops a try. He also runs sough dough pizza-making classes. Check out @the_sourdough_science

Shoutout to chef Roberto and @goldcoastfoodandwines for inviting me to get my hands in the dough!

#sourdoughworkshop #bakeyourownsourdough #sourdough
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Charming villages and towns, stunning coastline and more than 200 wineries - this is a place you MUST visit.

When I was there, I discovered the Cape to Cape Track… a 123km walk along the coast between Cape Naturaliste lighthouse in the north and Cape Leeuwin lighthouse to the south.

I met an American girl while I was there, and she decided to hike Cape to Cape. She put in some big miles to finish it in around 4 days. She showed me some of her photos, the scenery looked amazing and I imagined myself hiking along the trail someday...

Guess what. It’s happening!

I’ve booked an 8-day guided tour with @capetocapeexplorertours. The walk is fully supported, so at the end of each day we get picked up and taken back to our accommodation for a hot shower. Only a day pack is needed while hiking.

We’ll be walking between 14-20 km each day, which sounds like a lot to me right now, but great motivation to get fitter. (If the walking gets too much there are shorter hike options each day, or you can take a ‘day off’.)

The tour includes wineries and local restaurants (of course). We will learn about the history of the area and the unique flora and fauna… it will be wildflower season!!

I have visions of walking with an amazing bunch of women, making new friends and drinking lots of red wine. Are you with me?

There are different accommodation options available, I’ve booked the glamping option in a bell tent.

Dates: 1-8 October (Queensland’s long weekend).

To reserve your place you need to pay a $600 deposit, the rest is due a month before the hike.

Places are filling up fast so don’t leave it too long to book ladies! Tours are a maximum of 15 people. If you book, please mention you are with ‘Shannon’s group’.

Margaret River is about 3 hours drive south of Perth. The tour includes Perth pickup and drop off.

➡️ Link to tour in profile!

Excited!
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