New South Wales gin is a thing of beauty – or so they keep telling me. It’s kind of hard to taste it underneath all the other things  I keep mixing it with. Which is part of the reason why I decided to join the NSW virtual gin tasting masterclass this week.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a complete heathen. But I have been know to sip the odd London Dry and tonic from a can. Especially lately, since we’ve all been stuck inside. Mainly because I can’t bear to make a cocktail for myself.

I prefer my spirits served by cute bartenders with handlebar moustaches, named Liam, or Harley, or Walt. You know the kind… they wear suspenders and wry smiles, and they judge you based on which rosé you order by the glass. Ok –– off topic. Circling back.

For those of you who actually have been living under a rock,  Aussie gin is having a major moment. You’ve probably heard your friends rave about Archie Rose or lust after the latest colour changing gin from Husk.

You’ve likely heard stories of boutique gin tastings on the juniper berry vine. But if you’re anything like me and you haven’t actually done one yet – you probably just don’t get what’s so special about local gins, and it’s highly likely that when you look at them, all you see is eye-watering prices and fancy hand-drawn labels.

Well, my redemption (and yours) has come in the form of a virtual gin tasting masterclass, run by Destination NSW with the purpose of educating foodies like you and me on the wonders of New South Wales gin, as well as helping to support local distillers.

The class that I virtually attended was headed up by food and drinks writer Amy Cooper, and the founder of Sydney’s award-winning Bulletin Place cocktail bar, Elliot Pascoe. Naturally, given my love of boutique Sydney cocktail bars, I adored them both immediately. Not only was their chemistry was captivating, but their enthusiasm for local gin was absolutely contagious.

They eased me – the G&T swilling bougie – in, by allowing us to make an Army and Navy cocktail first. Of course, being completely spoiled by years of handlebar moustache-wearing bartenders, I’d become a complete une cocktail les incompetants, and had a) forgotten how to use a cocktail shaker, and b) neglected to bring a juicer. So, I ended up with lemon juice everywhere and it took me five times longer than anyone else to make the cocktail.

I was beginning to think that refining my palate was a loss (and may have been contemplating sneaking out of class to grab some tonic water) when things started to look up.

Elliot and Amy suggested we taste the gin neat. I’d been lucky enough to receive the Archie Rose 2019 Harvest Poorman’s Orange Gin to taste. Naturally, I knew that was cool, but had a limited understanding of exactly how cool.

However, all that changed faster than you can say quaran-tinnie, when my tastebuds got a drop of the good stuff, sans mixers.

And it got even better when Elliot suggested adding 15ml of water to our tasting glasses of gin. I’m certain that anyone witnessing the moment would have seen lightening bolts, and heard the accompanying hallelujah chorus as this self-confessed gin-fidel finally saw the light. And savoured the botanicals.

I am reformed. Quite honestly, I cannot possibly imagine drinking gin and tonic again. No matter how cute the bartender who hands it to me is. And don’t even talk to me about G&T in a can.

If anyone wants me, I’ll be wearing my favourite pair of fancy pants, polishing my clever clogs, sitting on the highest horse I can find and silently judging the unwashed, uneducated masses; while sipping my way through New South Wales’ best gin distilleries. And I highly recommend you join me… It’s nice up here.

Archie Rose Distilling Co, Sydney
Headlands Distilling Co, Wollongong
Stone Pine Distillery, Bathurst
Husk Distillers, Tweed
Distillery Botanica, Central Coast
Wild Brumby Distillery, Jindabyne
The Aisling Distillery, Griffith