“Gin and tonic is the world’s best mixed drink and anyone who challenges that idea I will take down in a play fight.” So says Harriet Leigh, of Archie Rose distillery and bar in Sydney. “Gin is a thrilling spirit, able to pick up so much detail from its ingredients, and Australian gin is on the rise,” she adds. Right now, Australian gin couldn’t be in a more exciting place, with the spirit’s kaleidoscopic nature never so apparent. “Australian gin seems to really have blown up,” says Mikey Nicolian, manager of Continental Deli Bar and Bistro in Sydney, famous, among other things, for its canned, pre-mixed gin Mar-tinny. “While it can be hit and miss, it is amazing seeing the rapid increase in quality and diversity,” adds Nicolian. Nicolian is increasingly impressed with more refined Australian gins. “A few of the earlier gins were pretty rugged, or too overt in ‘Aussie bush flavours’, but I think people are finding their mojo with more refreshing, understated styles,” he says. “Aussie gin is interesting because we can combine the best of, say, Asia and the Middle East, and then give it an Aussie twist through local botanicals,” says Stuart Gregor, of Four Pillars Gin in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. “In 2016 alone, we distilled more than a dozen unique Australian botanicals and used them in our gins.” Distillers are taking to Australian native ingredients, particularly botanicals. Juniper berries, the base for most gins in the world, of course play a role, but myriad local fruits, flowers, herbs, roots and leaves are being included in our home-grown gins. “When we first started, there was only a handful of Australian gins,” says Poor Toms Gin proprietor Griff Blumer, who sees huge potential in the inclusion of Australian produce. “We’re excited by the infinite array of flavours. Australian ingredients can be used to great effect in gin.” One could even say that Australian gin drinkers, and the best Australian gin distillers, should be in high spirits.

This is a refined, elegant gin, with subtle character of honey, elderflower and rose in its make-up. A little bird told me it’s beautiful served straight up with a slice of pear. I tried it, and nibbled on the pear as it soaked up the gin. Bliss. archierose.com.au

One of the early new-era Australian gin distillers. This gin has juniper as a base, with coriander, wattle seeds, lemon myrtle and lemon peel as dominant ingredients. It’s a bold, big-flavoured gin, ideal for negroni cocktails. thewestwindsgin.com

Handcrafted on a gardenlike estate north of Sydney, this small-batch distillation uses freshly picked flowers of the Murraya plant. The resulting gin is delicate and pure, tinged with floral and orange citrus characters. Utterly superb. distillerybotanicagin.com

Fresh orange blossom makes up the dominant character in this fantastic Tassie gin. Drinkers get loads of summer-garden fragrances, and it shows off a citrus zing. Best served with a splash of tonic and some native finger lime. mchenrydistillery.com.au

The crew from Continental use their canning machine to serve up single-dose cocktails. The gin in their Mar-tinny (martini) isn’t always Australian, but it’s a glorious Australian invention – dry gin martini in a can. What’s not to like?

Australian soft drink company Capi produces its amazing range using high-quality ingredients and no preservatives. This tonic is super dry, wonderfully refreshing and bitter in that ultra-pleasing way. Aussie gin with Aussie tonic? It’s a no-brainer.