Never Never Distilling Co. create Pink Pepper Gin with one of Australia’s most celebrated gin bars • Glam Adelaide

Image credit: Meaghan Coles – Now and Then Photography

Never Never Distilling Co., in collaboration with Hains & Co, one of Australia's premier gin bars and an Adelaide institution, has recently unveiled their latest creation: Pink Pepper Gin.

This unique gin, as co-founder Sean Baxter puts it, is "our pink gin without being a pink gin," emphasizing that it doesn't derive its color from any artificial additives. Instead, it features a delightful blend of botanicals such as pink pepper, pink grapefruit, Sichuan pepper, mandarin, poppy seed, gunpowder tea, and Murray River pink salt, all carefully crafted to deliver the perfect concoction.

Creating Pink Pepper Gin was no easy feat, as it took over 12 months of meticulous trial and error to achieve the desired balance.

"When working with spice, it often takes a lot of trial and error in order to get that balance just right as there is a lot of spice going on in here," Sean says.

The team at Never Never Distilling Co. wanted to craft a gin that would excel not only in highball serves like soda or tonic, but also in classic cocktails like the Negroni.

Head Distiller Tim Boast explains the careful selection process behind the gin's 44% ABV.

"Any higher and the spice notes dominate. Any lower, and the citrus becomes too prominent," says Tim.

With a focus on achieving a harmonious combination of flavours, the team incorporated pink peppercorn and Sichuan pepper to complement the pink grapefruit and mandarin peel. To enhance the gin's complexity, poppyseed was added, contributing a delightful nutty dimension. Additionally, the inclusion of gunpowder tea adds herbaceous undertones, while the Murray River pink salt allows the botanical flavors to linger on the palate.

These intriguing botanical flavors harmonize beautifully with Never Never Distilling Co.'s signature Triple Juniper Process, a technique employed in all their gins. This process maximizes flavor concentration, enabling them to consistently create remarkable gin styles that captivate the senses.

The collaboration with Hains & Co holds significant meaning for Never Never Distilling Co.

"Hains & Co has been a huge part of the reason why Never Never Distilling Co. has become a prominent part of the South Australian gin landscape," Sean says.

Even before they had a distillery door in McLaren Vale, Hains & Co served as their brand home, hosting tastings, master classes, gin launches, and takeovers. The Admiral and owner of Hains & Co, Marcus Motteram, expresses his admiration for Never Never Distilling Co.'s gin, stating, "We love what the boys represent, we love the gin they make, and we are so excited to be able to release our own gin with them."

Inspired by Hains & Co's nautical theme and the spice routes of Asia, Never Never Distilling Co. carefully selected botanicals that would pay homage to these influences.

Marcus approached them with the idea of creating a gin that highlights the captivating flavors of pink pepper, known for its ability to elevate a classic G&T.

"We’ve tried to bottle that specialness in this release and create a gin that the good ship Hains & Co would be excited to transit and pour," Sean explains.

Starting from June 1st, Pink Pepper Gin will be available exclusively at Hains & Co as the "Gin of the Month."

It will also take center stage during the World Gin Day party held at Hains & Co on Saturday, June 10. The bar will undergo a transformation, becoming an exotic gin den complete with curated cocktail menus featuring Pink Pepper Gin, captivating live performances, and tasting experiences led by the gin founders themselves.

Additionally, in collaboration with other small bars in the laneway, Hains will be running a ‘Dark Arts Society’ festival… a little reminiscent of Dark Mofo in Tasmania.

For more information about Never Never Distilling Co. and to purchase the Pink Pepper Gin, head here.