Lemon myrtle, a rainforest tree native to Queensland, gives this London Dry Gin from AmberChes its Australian signature. The family-run distillery in Baskerville, in the Swan Valley of Western Australia, combines the leaf with traditional gin botanicals and offers the result at 42% ABV, in 700 ml and 500 ml formats. Here it is a leaf, not a fruit, that carries the citrus.

Lemon myrtle leaves are known for an intense lemon scent, often described as more lemony than lemon itself, because they are rich in citral, the same aromatic compound that perfumes lemongrass and lemon peel. In a London Dry recipe that intensity has a clear job: it gives the gin a bright top note while the classic botanicals, led by juniper, keep the base dry. AmberChes describes the result as bright and fresh, with a spicy citrus finish. Lemon myrtle is also widely used in Australian cooking, in teas, desserts and seasonings.

That finish is the key to the gin. The citrus does not fade into sweetness; it turns spicy and lingers, which suits both a simple long drink and cocktails that need a clear lemon line, such as a Tom Collins or a gin sour. The recipe has also convinced judges: it took Silver at the Global Gin Masters in 2022, then Gold at the same competition in 2023.

AmberChes was founded in Western Australia in 2020 by Dean, Heather, Alicia and Lauren, and in 2023 the family moved the distillery to a vineyard site in the Swan Valley with its own cellar door. For a gin and tonic, a light tonic lets the lemon myrtle stay in front. A twist of lemon supports the citrus, and a fresh lemon myrtle leaf, gently bruised before it goes into the drink, releases the same scent that defines the recipe. The same family also makes an Orange Gin from fresh whole oranges.