Prohibition Barrel Aged Gin

Custom-coopered casks that held American bourbon and then Barossa Valley Shiraz, re-charred for the purpose, mature Prohibition Barrel AgedBarrel-aged ginGin rested for a while in wooden casks. It picks up a golden colour and notes of vanilla, spice or the wine that filled the cask before.GlossarySee Barrel-aged gin gins Gin. The Adelaide distillery fills them with its Original Gin at 59% ABV, and the eleven botanicals stay the same: juniper, coriander seed, ginger root, wormwood, pink peppercorn, blood orange, ruby grapefruit, lemon myrtle, green tea, vanilla and lavender. The bourbon brings oak and vanilla; the Shiraz gives a blush colour and a gentle wine note.

Woody · Floral · Vanilla

Despite the strength, the distillery describes a soft, silky texture, with a rich, oaked, rye-like depth beneath the wine accent. Vanilla and floral notes, from the vanilla and lavender of the base recipe, stay visible rather than disappearing under the cask. Blood orange and ruby grapefruit give a faint citrus lift, while ginger, pink peppercorn and wormwood add a dry, spicy edge to the finish. The gin remains a full-strength spirit: the wood adds depth and colour, not sweetness. Green tea adds a faint, dry tannic grip that suits the oak.

It works in two ways. A small pour over a single large ice cubeLarge iceOne large block melts far more slowly than several small cubes, so the drink stays cold without watering down.Glossary lets the dilutionDilutionThe water added by melting ice. In the right amount it opens the aromas and softens the alcohol; too much flattens the drink.Glossary open the wood and the fruit gradually, and a short rest in the glass helps. In a mixed drink, it needs less mixer than a standard-strength gin and a dry aromatic tonicAromatic tonicA more bitter tonic, often tinted by Angostura or other bitters. It suits spicy gins.Glossary rather than a sweet one. Its oak and spice also make it a natural base for a MartinezMartinezThe presumed ancestor of the Martini: gin (often Old Tom), sweet vermouth, maraschino and bitters, stirred over ice and served straight up.Glossary or an Old Fashioned-style drink.

For a short tonic serve, pour 3 cl over one large ice cube in a rocks glass, add 8 cl of chilled Thomas Henry Aromatic Tonic Water and stir once. Add an orange twist and a rosemary sprig. The orange links to the citrus of the base recipe, and the rosemary brings a gentle herbal aroma above the oak.