ELEPHANT GIN

Elephant Gin was inspired by a trip that couple Robin and Tessa Gerlach took to Africa.

Driven by a desire to protect the African wildlife they experienced on their travels, 15% of all proceeds from full-size bottles sold are donated to elephant preservation non-profits Space for Elephants and Big Life Foundation. Developed in 2013, Elephant London Dry Gin is a small-batch gin handcrafted in Germany. Made with apples and 14 botanicals, including African ingredients like the superfruit baobab, the buchu plant and African wormwood, the end result is a complex but smooth London Dry Gin that blends floral, fruity and spicy flavours.

HILLS & HARBOUR GIN

Hills & Harbour is the creation of Scottish distillery Crafty. A balanced and vibrant gin, Crafty Distillery make their own wheat-base spirit from local grain, which is then distilled with 11 botanicals, including locally sourced noble fir needles and bladderwrack seaweed. A versatile juniper-led gin, it has hints of forest fir, tropical fruit, citrus spice and tangy sherbet. Crafty’s suggested simple serve is 50mL of Hills & Harbour Gin over lots of ice, a premium tonic and a slice of mango for garnish.

SAKURAO ORIGINAL GIN

Established in 2018, Sakurao Distillery is part of Chugoku Jozo, a 100-year-old Japanese alcohol company, which is located in the town of Sakurao in Hiroshima. Sakurao Original Gin is made with 14 botanicals, five which are imported and nine of which are locally sourced from Hiroshima. Those that are local include lemon, navel orange, yuzu (a type of citrus), green tea, ginger, shiso, sweet summer orange, bitter orange and Japanese cypress. Sakurao Original Gin is a unique citrus-led gin with strong juniper flavours.

ARCTIC BLUE NAVY STRENGTH GIN

Arctic Blue’s Navy Strength Gin won a swag of awards at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition, including Double Gold, Best in Show Unaged White Spirit and Best in Class Gin. This Finnish gin has a 58.5% alcohol beverage content (ABV), so is one for those who like their gin strong. With notes of juniper, wild berry and cardamom, Arctic Blue Navy Strength Gin is made by Nordic Premium Beverages, Finland’s oldest winery (established in 1989), which moved into producing gins in 2016.

KANGAROO ISLAND SPIRITS (KIS) O'GIN

Jon and Sarah Lark established Kangaroo Island Spirits (KIS) in 2002, inspired by a visit to Sipsmith Distillery in London and Bill Lark’s – Jon’s brother – distillery in Tasmania. Their O’Gin is a dry and lively spirit made in the London Dry style with juniper, coriander, angelica root and a subtle infusion of coastal daisies from Kangaroo Island. It’s a versatile spirit that can be enjoyed neat, in a G&T or in cocktails like Negronis.

To better understand how these double gold winners are judged and awarded, check out our post on understanding gin awards.