Rutherglen Signature Dry Gin combines Muscat grapes with Australian botanicals in a recipe closely tied to north-eastern Victoria. Morris of Rutherglen has been associated with the region since 1859, primarily through wine. Bottled at 42.3% ABV, this twelve-botanical gin places classic juniper beside macadamia, roasted wattleseed, local honey and ripe grape.

Juniper provides the dry, resinous frame. Wattleseed contributes a roasted aroma that can recall coffee, cocoa and warm cereal, while macadamia brings a soft nutty breadth. Local honey rounds the texture rather than turning the gin overtly sweet. Muscat grapes add bright fruit and a lightly floral quality familiar from Rutherglen's vineyards. Together, these ingredients create a bridge between the region's wine culture and the drier architecture of gin.

The nose begins with fresh juniper and bright fruit before the warmer ingredients emerge. Muscat gives the palate lift, then wattleseed and macadamia develop a toasted, gently creamy middle. Honey smooths the transitions, while the finish returns to dry pine and restrained spice. The contrast is subtle but distinctive: vineyard fruit supplies brightness and local Australian botanicals create depth, all within a composed dry-gin structure.

Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water keeps that structure visible. Pour 5 cl over large clear ice, add 10 cl of tonic, then finish with a fine orange peel and two fresh Muscat grapes on a small pick. Orange amplifies the gin's bright fruit, while the grapes recall the vineyards woven into its character. Avoid crushing them; their role is aromatic and visual, not to sweeten the drink.