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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