Boutique gin distillery North of Eden has won two medals at the 2019 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London, less than a year after starting production.
Based in Bega, NSW, North of Eden won silver for its Classic gin and bronze for its Connoisseur gin, with no flavours or syrups added in either gin to achieve its taste.
The distillery was started by Gavin Hughes and Karen Touchie, a couple who left their busy careers and bought a small farm outside of Bega to start creating premium gins.
“I think most people thought we were mad when we upped sticks and left our careers to start a gin distillery in regional Australia,” Touchie says.
“I’d never lived far from the city and suddenly I’m miles from the nearest town so I quickly had to learn to drive if Gav was away.”
The gins are made in copper alembic stills and include ingredients from the farm's orchards, such as native Australian finger limes and locally foraged kelp.
“The technology we’re actually using to make these gins is over 1000 years old,” Hughes says.
“We do everything by taste and nothing is automated. It’s a very traditional way of making spirits and, in a way, every bottle of our gin is a homage to those ancient alchemists and distillers.”
“We always knew we were making a quality product but getting two awards from such a prestigious international competition so early on in our gin journey is just fantastic. It certainly makes up for all those sleepless nights when we wondered if we’d done the right thing.”
North of Eden gins are available in only 20 bars and outlets along the east cost or online, “but that is sure to change as demand skyrockets following the break-out wins.”
