There’s a good chance that you’ve been sitting around on night with your friends and family enjoying a few gin and tonics when the question has hit. You’ve already refreshed yourself on What is Gin? and The Three Ways to Make Gin, but that only answers half of your query. What are you mixing it with? What IS tonic water, anyway?

Put simply, it is carbonated water that has quinine dissolved into it, but there’s a lot more than that. Historically seen as a way to immunise against malaria due to the quinine component, tonic is most often used as a mixer paired with gin (some even thought that the gin was actually the part that helped you!). Whilst traditionally consumed for its bitter flavour, there are a large number of sweet tonics that are being released, typically using citrus as a sweetener.

Quinine is sourced by boiling chopped pieces of bark from the cinchona (pronounced sin-ko-nah) tree. This is the only source of natural quinine and it is crucial not to add too much as it can be toxic in high quantities. The water is brought to a simmer and left for 15-30 minutes until the syrup becomes thinner in consistency.

To infuse more flavours, it is as simple as adding extra ingredients! Whilst typically added at the same time as the cinchona bark, here you can be experimental. You can add it pre boil, whilst boiling, whilst it is simmering or any combination of the three. The flavours will vary depending on what you add and when you add it, becoming less in line with a traditional tonic water when stronger citrus flavours are evident.

It will naturally depend on your taste preferences, but a good tonic needs to be subtle so it doesn’t overpower the flavour of your gin. When we mix drinks with our gin, we recommend a tonic/soda water combo as the mixture to enable the flavours of our gin really shine through. 

So if tonic is full of quinine, why doesn’t it save you from malaria? Firstly, quinine is no longer considered the most effective method of treating malaria so it is no longer the first primary treatment (artesunate has proven more effective and since 2006, has been the recommendation of the World Health Organisation) [2]. If the WHO recommendation was ignored and the use of quinine was still desired, it all comes down to the content required.   

Plasmodium Falciparum is the causative agent of malignant malaria [3]. When fighting “uncomplicated” Plasmodium Falciparum (the simple form that is not resistant to other treatments), Quinine (Rx) (better known as Qulaquin) is used. These are quinine sulphate capsules and a recommended dose of 648mg every 8 hours for 7 days is required [4].

Put more simply, this means that you need 1,944mg of quinine per day. This should be easy, right? It’s just under 2 grams, after all… When we mix our gins with tonic, we use the Capi Native Tonic. This tonic comes in 250ml bottles and the quinine content is 0.05%. In order to get to 2 grams of quinine, you’d need to drink 16 bottles of the tonic water.

When it comes down to it, tonic water in its simplest form is just water that has been flavoured using quinine. Whilst it’s important to get a good quality tonic water, it’s critical to ensure you’re pairing it with a great tasting gin to create the perfect combo.

References

[1] McLagan, J (2016), Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes. https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Bitter.html?id=sX8oAwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

[2] Dondorp, A. M., Fanello, C. I., Hendriksen, I. C., Gomes, E., Seni, A., Chhaganlal, K. D., … & Kivaya, E. (2010). Artesunate versus quinine in the treatment of severe falciparum malaria in African children (AQUAMAT): an open-label, randomised trial. The Lancet, 376(9753), 1647-1657. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61924-1

[3] Rich, S. M., Leendertz, F. H., Xu, G., LeBreton, M., Djoko, C. F., Aminake, M. N., … & Formenty, P. (2009). The origin of malignant malaria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(35), 14902-14907.https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907740106

[4] Medscape, quinine (Rx), https://reference.medscape.com/drug/qualaquin-quinine-342696

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While the exact history of the martini is unknown, the Australian martini traces its lineage all the way back to 2019, with a release of a gin made exclusively from Australian native juniper, Boobialla.

Coupled with a delicious Australian dry vermouth, the Australian martini is a perfect way to appreciate the subtle flavour of native juniper, which is much less intense that the common juniper, typically from Europe.

The first step is to chill the glass! Since the martini is a very strong cocktail, getting it as cold as possible is an important part of the cocktail. If you have access to a freezer, place the glass in the freezer. If not, fill the martini glass with ice while you mix the other ingredients to chill it.

Ingredients:

60 mL Boobialla Australian native gin (2 shots)

15 mL Maidenii Dry Vermouth (1/2 a shot)

Procedure:

Take a large glass ~500 mL

Fill the glass with ice

Pour in the gin and vermouth

Stir gently for 30 seconds

Stirring gets the cocktail really cold, as well as provides necessary dilution.

Take the glass out of the freezer or remove the ice from the glass if you chilled it with ice.

Strain the stirred mixture into martini glass, making sure no ice goes into the glass.

Garnish:

A twisted citrus peel

OR

One or three olives. It must be an odd number of olives! Green olives, not black.

Be it an Australian gin and tonic, a strong martini or simply sipping straight gin on ice, here is a list of some great foods to consider pairing with your gin at your next gathering.

Cheese

The creamy, fattiness of a strongly flavoured cheese is a perfect accompaniment for gin. Cheese has a pallet coating effect, the alcohol will taste even smoother and fuller bodied than normal, especially if sipping straight. Vintage cheddar and camembert are two great options, with goat’s cheese increasing in popularity lately. Australia has loads of great local cheese makers, make sure to give them your support!

Cucumber

Hendrick’s gin has a large cucumber component which has received international recognition. You can piggy back off Hendrick’s cucumber and gin pairing and include cucumber based dishes while drinking gin. Cucumber salads are a great option, as well as cucumber based canapé or appetisers such as small bite sized cucumber sandwiches or cucumber slices topped with feta, sun dried tomatoes and basil.

Quince paste

A great addition to any cheese platter, especially when paired with gin and camembert with crackers.

Illawarra Plum Jam or Paste

Instead of using quince paste, why not try a native jam on your cheese? This one is harder to find though. Headlands Distilling Co., could be releasing seasonal small batches of Illawarra Plum Jam as a side product with our locally foraged Illawarra Plums, stay tuned!

Click here to learn the Illawarra Plum Jam Recipe!

Salmon

There are various ways to cure salmon and lately, some really tasty recipes have emerged online for curing salmon with gin. Smoked salmon also pairs well with gin, with a squeeze of citrus giving an additional flavour boost. You can kill two birds with the one stone here, as many canapé recipes include cucumber and salmon together. See our recipe for Boobialla gin cured salmon here: (Coming soon!).

Berries

If you can find them, native Australian muntries are perfect here! If not, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are a great snack to pair with gin. You can also put them into your gin and tonic directly for a tasty fruit cup.

Cured meats

Salami and chorizo are nice options here. Spicy or mild versions both pair well. Saltiness will enhance the gin’s flavour and the fattiness will provide additional mouthfeel and palate coating.

Macadamia nuts

Why not use a native Australian nut with your food platter? Macadamias are completely native to Australia. Almonds are another good option, though grown in Australia, they are native to Iran and surrounding countries in Asia [1][2]. If you have Bunya pines in your area, roasted Bunya nuts are another great Australian native option to pair with Australian gin.

Coriander

Coriander is one of the major ingredients of many gins. Light, fresh Vietnamese style food, rich in coriander is a great pairing for gin, particularly those with citrus notes. If your gin doesn’t have a citrus note, you can simply add a squeeze of lemon or lime to bridge the gap. Rice paper rolls are a delicious and healthy option.

References

[1] BĀDĀM – Encyclopaedia Iranica”. iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 25 May 2019. The Amygdalus communis (or Prunus amygdalus), though undoubtedly native to the Iranian land-mass, is seldom found in natural stands there today.

[2] Introduction to Fruit Crops (Published Online), Mark Rieger, 2006

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Australia has seen steady growth in the consumption of alcoholic spirits, with sales increasing from 64.4 million litres in 2014 to 66.1 million litres in 2019. The industry is dominated by Diageo Plc who account for over a quarter of sales, followed by Suntory Holdings (10%) and Pernod Ricard (8%)[1] . Whisky remains the largest seller in terms of volume (28 million litres), followed by white spirits (includes both vodka and gin) with 18.1 million litres[2]. Importantly, white spirits have been on an upward trajectory with an average 4.5% cumulative year-on-year volume growth between 2013-18 [3]. This is a remarkable achievement considering that whisky, rum and brandy have all suffered from contraction in volume sales over the same period.

Much of the growth in white spirits comes down to gin. The wide range of products available in the Australian gin segment appeals to a broad range of customers, that span multiple demographics. With the impact of COVID-19 still resonating in our ears, and the growing appetite for homemade cocktails, it is likely that the Australian gin market will continue to grow. Importantly, the frequent release of new products appeals to those that are eager to experiment with new flavour profiles, juniper combinations and botanical aromas. Headlands Distilling Company offers two examples of innovation in the segment with both Boobialla gin (using native Australian juniper) and Daalgaal gin (steeped with Illawarra plums) leveraging these trends. Where Boobialla appeals to consumers wanting to try unique Australian flavours, Daalgaal extends on this trend by coupling unique Australian bushtucker flavours with a visually appealing product that appeals to multiple sensory stimuli.

Interestingly, gin is the most consumed spirit behind whisky, with a recent Roy Morgan survey revealing that 8% of Australians had consumed gin at least once in the previous four weeks[4]. An indicator of the strength of the Australian gin market is demonstrated through consumption patterns among women, who now clearly prefer gin (9.3%) over vodka (6.8%). While these results are promising, we mustn’t forget that the Australian gin market is still dominated by mainstream brands offered by dominant market players such as Diageo and Barcadi (over 4 million litres of gin). Nevertheless, the craft spirits scene in Australia has grown to account for 6% of total spirits volume[5]. With the explosion in craft distilleries, the only way to survive is to differentiate and offer an experience that is unique, yet affords value for money.

References

[1] Alcoholic Drinks: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics

[2] Spirits in Australia Country Report, https://www-portal-euromonitor-com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/portal/analysis/related

[3] Cumulative year-on-year growth compares the volume from the current year to the previous year

[4] Interestingly, gin is the most consumed spirit behind whisky, with a recent Roy Morgan survey revealing that 8% of Australians had consumed gin at least once in the previous four weeks.

[1] Alcoholic Drinks: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics

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Wollongong is the hometown of Headlands Distilling Co.! There are tons of great small bars here to enjoy. Here are a few of them:

Humber

Perfectly situated in the heart of Wollongong’s CBD, with plenty of other bars and restaurants within short walking distance if you are carrying on afterwards. Humber is a 3 level venue and is Wollongong’s only rooftop bar, a perfect place to enjoy an Australian gin, especially during the warmer months. Each level provides a unique experience. The rooftop often has live music, make sure to check it out!

Address: 226 Crown St, Wollongong NSW 2500

Births and Deaths

A huge selection of Australian gin, with seriously creative and passionate staff. Don’t be scared by the name, the bar is in the old Births, Deaths and Marriages building which used to give out registration certificates. These guys even hand forage for some of the cocktail ingredients and garnishes. The bar has an emphasis on sustainability, stocking environmentally friendly spirit brands and finding create ways to cut down on waste.

Address: 2 / 74 Kembla Street, Wollongong NSW 2500

Juniper

Dedicated to gin, Juniper has over 60 types of gin. Each cocktail selection is extremely well done. Lots of thought has gone into pairing each Australian gin with a certain garnish or mixer.

Address: 121 Keira St, Wollongong NSW 2500

Papi dulce bar

Located in the northern suburbs of Wollongong, this is the perfect place for a night out in Thirroul. Surrounded by a selection of epic restaurants, Papi Dulce has a friendly, hip, relaxed atmosphere. It has a range of great burgers and sandwiches and hilarious Instagram/Facebook content.

Address: 2/372 Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Thirroul NSW 2515

Juniper is the main ingredient of all gin. Let’s delve a little deeper into what it actually is!

Juniper or common juniper is a shrub or small tree which is a species of conifer. Conifers are plants which have cones bearing seeds and needle like leaves and are usually evergreen. While there are many types of juniper such as Chinese juniper (juniperus chinensis), Rocky Mountain juniper and Cade juniper (juniperus oxycedrus) [1], the type of juniper used in gin, common juniper, has the scientific name juniperus communis.

Common juniper has the widest range geographically of any woody plant, from really far north to really far south. It has separate male and female plants.

The berries produced by common juniper are the seed cones. We usually think of cones as being conical in shape, but these seed cones are spherical!

A lot of plants will produce and drop their seeds yearly. Not juniper! Juniper seeds/berries ripen over 2 to 3 years [2]. First they will produce a flower and then eventually a berry, this process takes a whole year. In the second year, the berry stays hard and green in colour. The berry usually ripens at the end of the 2nd year or in the third year, when it turns a dark purple, blue, black colour. The plant doesn’t all ripen at once, it will have berries on it at all stages, some flowers, some hard green berries and some ripe.

Juniperus communis does grow in Australia, but it is an introduced species. You can see Tish from Headlands Distilling Co. picking common juniper berries in Australia above. If only she would stop eating them as she picked! Gin in Australia is generally made with juniper from Macedonia, Hungry, Serbia etc.

Australian native juniper

What about Australian native juniper? How is it different?

Australian native juniper is the colloquial name of the Australian native plant called Boobialla, scientific name myoporum insulare. It is a completely separate species from common juniper! The berries of Boobialla ripen every year at roughly the same time, though the season can draw on for a few months, it isn’t anything like common juniper with a 3 year time to ripen. The berries of Boobialla have a mild, juniper like flavour, but it is quite different and much less intense. A subtle, flavour. Similar to common juniper, the berries don’t taste very nice if you pick them before they are ripe. Judging the perfect time to pick takes some experience! Unlike common juniper, Boobialla can often be found growing in sand dunes, not high up on rocky mountains.

References
[1] Types of Juniper Berries https://www.thespruce.com/twelve-species-juniper-trees-and-shrubs-3269665
[2] Juniper ripening cycle https://www.hunker.com/13428363/when-to-pick-juniper-berries
[3] 70 compounds found in juniper oil https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665443/
[4] Alpha pinene http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1006351.html
[5] Myrcene flavour description, Mosciano, Gerard P&F 25, No. 6, 26, (2000)
[6] Sabinene odour description, Mosciano, Gerard P&F 20, No. 6, 49, (1995)
[7] Limonene flavour/taste description http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1013772.html
[8] Beta pinene flavour description, Mosciano, Gerard P&F 25, No. 6, 26, (2000)

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