Distillery Botanica’s distillery-door – a must-visit on the Central Coast

WORDS: Jessica Stebnicki PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

Home to new Pearl Crush Gin, award-winning Moore’s Gin, liqueurs, Terrigal Rum, vodka and more.

Distillery Botanica: 25 Portsmouth Rd, Erina NSW 2250. www.distillerybotanica.com.

Located just one hour north of Sydney in Erina on the NSW Central Coast, globally-award winning Distillery Botanica has opened a new has opened a new, 144 square metre cellar door, plus expansive botanicals garden, and launched a range of experiences for visitors – including tastings, gin-distilling workshops, cocktail-making, and distillery and garden tours.

And, Distillery Botanica has also launched a unique, must-try new gin – Moore’s Pearl Crush. Created as a celebration of the New South Wales Central Coast, Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin is made with crushed Akoya pearls from Broken Bay Pearl Farm paired with citrus from East Coast Beverages’ Kulnura orchards, finished with pink roses and pink flowered rosemary from Distillery Botanica’s own gardens in Erina.

Distillery Botanica’s distillery-door

Walking through the iron gates from the entry, meander through beautifully tended gardens to arrive at the new cellar door. Entering, you see an impressive 2400 litre copper still, which rises some 4 metres high and takes up about a 3-metre corner of floor – specifically created to distil all Moore’s gins.

There is a dedicated tastings area (minimal fee of $5 to taste the whole range of gins, liqueurs, vodka, Terrigal rum, plus Mr Black, or complimentary to taste just a few), and sixteen individual two-litre copper stills invite visitors to participate in gin-distilling workshops. Long windows look out onto the herb and citrus botanicals garden.

The botanicals garden spans around 760 metres squared and was inspired by the walled citrus gardens of Spain and Persia. An incredible fountain – the exact replica of a martini glass – sits at the top, spilling out into a water rill.  Visitors can explore the many botanicals, enjoying the aromas and sampling different herbs.

There’s an on-site cocktail bar and café too – Bar Botanica, serving brunch, lunch and afternoon delights.

New Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin – available for tastings and purchase at Distillery Botanica

Distillery Botanica’s multi-award-winning distiller Phillip Moore has created a new, unique premium gin inspired by the Central Coast -Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin – for a flawless maritime martini or an effervescent gin and tonic.

Blended with distilled Akoya saltwater pearls cultivated in the pristine waters of the Central Coast at Broken Bay Pearl Farm just north of Sydney, Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin creates a cocktail even Cleopatra – famed for concocting a pearl cocktail in 41 BC – would revere.

Crafted as a versatile gin, ideal for cocktail making, Moore’s Pearl Crush is infused with pink grapefruit, Valencia orange and blood orange grown in Kulnura and pink botanicals from Distillery Botanica’s expansive three-acres of tranquil gardens in Erina, to create a delicate, dry ocean-inspired gin that is softer in style and which dances across the palate with hints of lightly salted rose, citrus and seaweed notes.

“Our new Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin brings together premium products from the Central Coast. At its heart is the Akoya pearl, which is distilled and then the completely clear pearl distillate is added to take this gin to a new level of flavour and luxury. Regionally grown sun-ripened citrus and an injection of botanicals inject florals to balance and finish the taste experience,” said Philip Moore.

Excitement for this new gin has taken hold in the Central Coast, with the local producers involved delighted to see their products featured in this new offering.

Broken Bay Pearl Farm owner James Brown said: “Broken Bay Akoya Pearls are a premium Australian-grown pearl cultivated using sustainable and ethical practices. We are thrilled to partner with Distillery Botanica to have our pearls featured in a product that is so unique to our region.”

Managing Director of family-owned and operated East Coast Beverages, Sam Lentini, said: “The Central Coast has an excellent climate to produce top-quality citrus fruit, and our citrus – which includes oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes – are among the best in Australia. Working with Distillery Botanica, we provide plump and juicy sun-ripened citrus for distillation and inclusion in Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin – and it has been incredibly fun to be part of the process to create this new beverage.”

Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin is the epitome of luxurious tranquillity, and Philip Moore has provided three cocktail recipes showcasing this unique taste of the Central Coast product:

Gin Mint Smash

60ml Gin

30ml fresh Lime juice

8 x Mint leaves lightly squeezed between fingers

1 x Maldon salt flake

10ml Sugar syrup (2:1 sugar:water)

Garnish: 5cm long Orange zest strips

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously 30 times. Double strain into small martini glass. To garnish, twist orange zest into a pigtail.

 

Pink Jungle Bird Gin

45ml Gin

25ml fresh Lime juice

10ml Campari

40ml Pineapple juice

15ml Sugar syrup (2:1 sugar:water)

Garnish: pineapple or orange wedge.

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake 40 times to get a pure white foam on top of the finished drink. Double strain into a large martini glass and garnish.

 

Gin-Soaked Senorita Margarita

50ml Gin

10ml Orange liqueur (Cointreau)

30ml Lime Juice

15ml Agave syrup

1 x Maldon salt flake

Garnish: Orange wheel

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake 30 times. Without straining pour the whole lot ice and all into a rocks/old fashioned glass and garnish.

Distillery Botanica first opened its doors in 2007 as the sixteenth commercial small scale gin producer in Australia. Created by distiller Philip Moore, Distillery Botanica produces a range of gins and liqueurs including the acclaimed Moore’s Dry Gin – the first Australian gin to ever win Gold at the prestigious London International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 2017, Moore’s Blood Orange Gin, Moore’s Distiller’s Cut Juniper Gin, amongst other gin variants, as well as two-time IWSC gold medal winning Lemon Myrtle Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, Vodka, and Terrigal Rum. New to the range is Moore’s Pearl Crush Gin.