Dillingers Brasserie & Bar

I was first introduced to Strange Nature Gin only a month before this event started and was immediately intrigued. I grew up in Hawkes Bay. My dad was a winemaker, and when I first got into bartending I learned my trade in a gin bar, so a gin that combines aspects from both of these worlds fascinates me. Strange Nature strips gin down to its barest definitions- a spirit, infused with juniper- while adding to it by using a uniquely sourced spirit (distilate from Sauvignon Blanc). The drink itself combines two great loves of mine, and I hope that comes across when the judges get to taste it.

Traditionally gin is sipped with tonic as Juniper and Quinine are flavours that pair nicely together, and the sweetness from tonic also helps mask the strength of the spirit. As gin has evolved, so has tonic. For every gin, there is a tonic that goes well with it. I have chosen the East Imperial Yuzu Tonic Water to go with my drink as it pairs nicely with the more citrus elements that come from Strange Nature, while not drowning them out. I wanted to enhance this further by adding a Sauvignon blanc syrup (a Sav reduction and add sugar) to the drink to bring out more of those bright flavours.