Banks & Solander Ora Gin

Kombu and sake give Banks & Solander Ora Gin its savoury opening before a mandarin finish comes through. The Sydney distillery made this limited, small-batchSmall batchProduction in small quantities per distillation run, often in a small still. The term has no legal definition.Glossary gin for ŌRA Japanese Restaurant & Bar in Waterloo, at 45% ABV. Ginger and mandarin peel join the juniper, in a recipe built around the restaurant's cuisine rather than a classic citrus-led style.

Citrus · Limited Edition

The nose is aromatic and quietly saline, the kombu and the rice wine giving it a rounded, savoury depth. Ginger adds a fresh, slightly sharp edge, then mandarin peel brightens the palate with a sweet citrus. The tasting notes speak of umami, with associations of miso and soy sauce, and of a delicate, sesame-like richness on the finish. The move from a savoury opening to a clean citrus close gives the gin its distinctive shape. Kombu, the dried kelp used to make dashi, is the key to that umami side. Sake brings a soft, rice-like sweetness that rounds the kombu.

The collaboration explains how precise the recipe is: Ora is meant to sit beside Japanese food, from sashimi to grilled dishes, as much as in a glass on its own. Its savoury character suits a short, spirit-forward cocktail, and a highballHighballA long drink served in a tall, straight glass with plenty of ice: a spirit topped with soda or tonic. The word also names the glass.Glossary with soda and a strip of mandarin peel would show the citrus more gently. It is a limited release, made in small batches.

For a Dry MartiniDry MartiniGin and a little dry vermouth, stirred over ice and served in a well-chilled stemmed glass, with an olive or a twist.Glossary, stir 6 cl of Ora Gin with 1 cl of dry vermouthVermouthAn aromatised, fortified wine flavoured with herbs and barks; its name comes from the German Wermut, wormwood. Dry vermouth goes into a Martini, sweet red into a Negroni.Glossary over ice until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupeCoupeA wide, shallow stemmed glass for cocktails served without ice, stirred or shaken then strained.Glossary. Add a fine lemon twistTwistA strip of peel twisted over the glass to release its oils, then dropped into the drink.Glossary, and serve a green olive on the side. The lemon follows the mandarin without adding sweetness, and the olive matches the savoury side of the gin.