By: Vivienne Pearson
Thanks to some much-needed sun, Sunday was already a delightful day to hang out at the Hotel Brunswick. It was made even better with the discovery that it was International Gin and Tonic Day! Who knew?
Brookie’s Gin, the new project of Brookfarm, knew and was on hand with a pop-up bar serving G&Ts, complete with finger lime and aniseed myrtle. Brookie’s Byron Dry Gin, launched in December, is distilled at the Cape Byron Distillery, located on the Brookfarm property in McLeods Shoot. Of the 26 botanicals used in the gin, 18 are native to the northern rivers; half of them are grown on the Brookfarm farm and in their regenerated rainforest.
Eddie Brook is the one of the distillers, along with Jim McEwan, a ‘Hall of Fame’ distiller.
They decided to use the ‘Babylon bag’ system – where botanicals are suspended in muslin bags at points in the distilling process (named after the Hanging Gardens of Babylon) rather than immersed, giving more nuanced flavours.
At Hotel Brunswick, Brookie’s teamed up with Capi, Australian-made mixers, to use their subtle tonic that suits the gin well.
Brookie’s (after the nickname of family patriarch, Martin Brook) is a dry gin; a perfect accompaniment to the rare and much-needed dry day that Sunday provided in this beautiful part of the world.
Don’t be sad if you missed International Gin and Tonic Day – it seems there is not one but two such days each year (why stop at one?!) so pop 19 October in your calendar.
Brookie’s Gin: Available from independent local retailers. Further pop-ups will happen at the Byron Bay Fine Food & Beverage Festival (3–7 June) and Sample Food Festival (2 Sept). You can visit the distillery as part of the Harvest Festival (5 May). Facebook: @Brookie’s-Gin
Brookie’s Gin popping up to say Happy Gin Day at the Hotel Brunswick – Brenden Yeo, Eddie Brook and James Ellis (Capi)
