Mary St Shiraz Gin

Shiraz brings ripe red fruit to Mary St Shiraz Gin, set on the range's juniper-ledJuniper-forwardA classic profile where juniper clearly dominates, with resinous, piney notes.Glossary base. It is bottled at 40% ABV by Otter Craft Distilling in Sydney. The name of the range recalls the distillery's original site on Mary Street, in St Peters.

Spicy · Fruity · Earthy

The tasting notes describe jammy red fruits, warm spice and earthy botanicals over citrus and juniper on the nose.

On the palate, the richness and natural sweetness of the Shiraz are balanced by juniper, a raspberry-like fruit and spice. Citrus and juniper keep the opening from feeling heavy, and the warm spice and earthiness develop behind the fruit. The finish is fruity and gently warm. The wine fruit gives the gin a deep colour and a rounder texture than a dry ginDry ginGin with no perceptible sweetness: in the European Union, the word "dry" allows at most 0.1 g of sugar per litre.GlossarySee Dry gin gins, while the juniper keeps it recognisably a gin. Shiraz gives a ripe, dark fruit with a peppery edge.

Otter Craft recommends drinking it neat over ice, with soda or lemonade, or in cocktails. Soda keeps the berry and botanical notes clear, lemonade makes the drink softer and sweeter, and a spritz lifts the ripe fruit with bubbles without hiding the spice. It also suits a NegroniNegroniAn Italian cocktail of equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and red bitter (Campari), served over ice with orange peel. Born in Florence in 1919.Glossary, where the red fruit softens the bitterness, and is worth tasting neat first to follow how the fruit evolves. A small glass also suits cheese or dark chocolate.

For a long drink, fill a wine glass with ice, add 5 cl of gin and 8 cl of chilled soda water, and stir gently. Add a thin orange slice, three Shiraz grapes and a small rosemary sprig. The orange echoes the citrus on the nose, the grapes signal the Shiraz character and the rosemary adds an herbal lift.