Old school pubs tend to have a few things in common; generally they include cheap drinks, gruff bartenders and more often than not, a sticky carpet. It’s for this iconic element that The Espy in Melbourne’s St Kilda was rather famed. And while in recent months The Espy has undergone a major revamp, removing said carpet, that doesn’t mean the new owners have forgotten their roots. In celebration of the venue’s re-opening, custodian Andy Mullins has created a gin in collaboration with Four Pillars — the Sticky Carpet Gin.

“Hotel Esplanade and Four Pillars Gin are a match made in heaven (or a rock ‘n roller’s perfect vision of hell!),” explains Mullins. “We’ve known the guys at Four Pillars for many years and they were the first people we told we’d bought The Espy. The idea of collaborating to produce a special gin with Four Pillars was a dream opportunity to meld The Espy’s extraordinary history with a sense of cheeky adventure for a new chapter now to be written. The Espy and Four Pillars’ Sticky Carpet Gin is a respectful nod over the shoulder to all who went before us. And a lit flame to light the path for all who forge ahead!”

As for the gin’s flavour, it’s decidedly ‘pub’ says Cam Mackenzie of Four Pillars. “The botanicals have a deliberate pub feel. Rather than just using our base spirit we have added a few litres of a local roasted dark stout (Watt’s River) to add some malty, toasted character. We then filled the stills with juniper, coriander, honey, roasted barley (another beer-y ingredient), cassia, green pepper, orris root, and Cascade Hops (there it is again). The botanical basket contains fresh lemon peel and ginger. It’s an unusual gin. It’s a gin for beer lovers.

“Here at Four Pillars, we love Melbourne, we love St Kilda and we love The Espy. So, we were thrilled when the legends at Sand Hill Road said they’d like to make a gin with us to celebrate the reopening of this Melbourne icon. The team at Sand Hill Road gave us access to an incredible collection of genuine old band posters that are relics of the Gershwin Room gigs of the past – every one an original. We used these artworks on the underside of the label – another nod to the rich history of this grand old pub.”

Sticky Carpet Gin is available exclusively at The Espy in Melbourne.