The gin coming from Stone Pine Distillery, in Bathurst NSW has always been on our top favourites list. But now there’s something ever better coming from this little Aussie distillery that’s really changed things up: the orange blossom gin.
A little while ago, we were on a road trip through regional New South Wales when we visited Ian Glen, who owns and runs Stone Pine Distillery.
Ian’s produced some amazing spirits – his black spiced rum Dead Man’s Drop being one of my personal favourites. Stone Pine’s gin is also especially good, but what Ian let us taste this time was a real sensation.
Sat at his cellar door bar, we got our first taste of his limited release seasonal orange blossom gin.
It’s got all those lovely citrus notes from the native finger limes Ian uses, but on top of it all there’s a sweet, flowery flavour.
The orange blossoms Ian uses to give that extra perfumey lick into the gin are from local trees near his property. He only makes a few hundred bottles of this stuff because harvesting the flowers is apparently very arduous.
I do like the mental picture of Ian leaping around an orange orchard with flower blossoms in his hair though. I wonder if he’d approve of that…
Anyway, we’ve decided to put this very aromatic iteration of Stone Pine gin to the best test we know: a straight up gin martini.
Orange Blossom Martini cocktail recipe
Here’s what you need
Makes 1 martini
? 3x Stone Pine Seasonal Orange Blossom Gin
? A touch of Noilly Pratt dry vermouth
? Ice
? Orange peel garnish
Here’s what you do
1. Add the ice to a cocktail shaker and add the vermouth*.
*How ‘dry’ you like your martini, depends on how much vermouth you use. Vermouth tends to remove that burning sensation from neat alcohol.
2. We like very dry martinis, so I shake the vermouth so it coats the ice then strain the shaker of excess liquid.
3. Pour in the gin and stir (don’t shake) to combine the ice, vermouth and gin.
4. Use a potato peeler to carve a thin sliver of orange peel and reshape with a sharp knife.
5. Garnish a chilled martini glass then strain the gin in.
This is the absolute pinnacle of what you want for a summer martini. Those flowery flavours make you feel like you’re drinking in a country garden. I’ve got a feeling this is going to make a superb gin and tonic too.
You can buy this gin online from Nip of Courage or from good independent liquor stores. Be quick though or you’ll have to wait till next orange blossom season… possibly Ian’s least favourite time of year!
How would you drink this orange blossom gin? What clever cocktail would you love to see this in? Tell us in the comments!
Sonia from Sonia Styling
Oh yes. Yes, this will do just nicely in this current Adelaide heat wave, thank you! Fab recipe and photos guys. Love it! x
Mr Romance
Thanks Sonia! It’s a delicious gin – you’d love it. Surprisingly refreshing in spite of its flowery flavours.
Jxx