Cauldron Mountain Gin

On Tamborine Mountain in Queensland, Cauldron Distillery made Mountain Gin the first gin of its Signature Range. It is bottled at 40% ABV in a 700 ml bottle, and its recipe stays short: juniper, quandong and lemon myrtle. The name points to the distillery's setting, 525 metres above sea level, a figure the producer also uses for its 525 collection.

Citrus · Floral · Fruity

Juniper gives the familiar resinousResinousAn aroma reminiscent of pine or fir resin. It is juniper's signature, due to compounds such as pinene.Glossary core, while lemon myrtleLemon myrtleThe leaf of an Australian tree with an intense lemon scent, purer than zest and without acidity.Glossary brings a clear citrus note with a leafy, herbal edge. Quandong, a native Australian fruit, supplies the fruit element of the recipe, with a tart, slightly earthy quality that keeps the citrus from turning sharp. Cauldron describes delicate citrus, subtle floral notes and an exotic fruit character, and the three botanicals account for them neatly: lemon myrtle for the citrus, quandong for the fruit, juniper holding both together. The floral impression comes on the nose and fades into a clean, gently dry finish.

With only three botanicals, each one stays easy to pick out, which makes Mountain Gin a good introduction to the distillery's style. Cauldron suggests it neat, with a mixer or in a cocktail, and 40% leaves room for all three. Neat, the lemon myrtle is most vivid; with tonic, the quandong's fruit becomes rounder and the juniper firmer. In a cocktail, the short recipe works well with simple partners, such as lemon juice, sugar and soda in a Collins, where the lemon myrtle carries straight through.

For a gin and tonic, fill a balloon glassCopa glassA large stemmed balloon glass, popularised by the Spanish gin and tonic: it stays cold for longer and gathers the aromas above the drink.Glossary with clear iceClear iceIce without air bubbles, made by slow, directional freezing. Denser, it melts more slowly and dilutes less.Glossary, pour 4 cl of gin and add 10 cl of chilled Double Dutch Indian Tonic WaterIndian tonicThe classic tonic: sparkling water, bitter quinine and sugar. The name recalls colonial India, where quinine warded off malaria.Glossary, then stir once. A slice of quandong and a lemon myrtle leaf echo the two native botanicals directly. A restrained tonic keeps the lemon myrtle fresh at the front of the drink.