Olives a new taste in gin for martini lovers

Cobram Estate has collaborated with Four Pillars distillery to create a unique gin flavoured with olive leaves and olive oil.

Head Distiller Cam Mackenzie believes is the best gin Four Pillars has released since its original Rare Dry Gin.

It’s an all-natural, savoury gin made with cold-pressed olive oil and olive leaf from three varieties of olive sourced from Four Pillars’ good friends at the world-renowned Cobram Estate.

This is combined in the pot with seven other classic and uniquely Australian botanicals.

Four pillars olive leaf gin bottle
Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin will be widely available throughout Australia and several international markets from September 2020.

In an interview published in Drinks Trade magazine, Mackenzie said:

“After visiting Cobram Estate during olive harvest in 2019 we realised olive oil could be a brilliant botanical alongside olive leaf. The aroma, flavour and texture of fresh olive is stunning, and we did a year of trials before finalising the recipe for this gin,” said McKenzie.

“The botanicals include a big base of juniper with a savoury overlay of coriander seed, rosemary, olive leaf, extra virgin olive oil, bay leaf, lemon myrtle, macadamia, orris root, and fresh lemon and grapefruit.

“We have used olive leaf and oil from the Picual, Hojiblanca and Coratina varieties, all harvested at Cobram Estate which we know is one of the greatest extra virgin olive oil producers in the world, and fellow Victorians. They also happen to be great mates of ours so the world-class olive part of the recipe was easy.

How to use it

According to Four Pillars, it’s perfect for a dirty martini or a Spanish-inspired gin tonic.

“My favourite is a Gibson; 60mL gin, 10mL dry vermouth and 10mL dry sherry, stirred down into a super cold glass with a couple of cocktail onions for a garnish,” McKenzie said.

“But again, we are not in the business of making rules, just hopefully delicious gins, so simply make a martini or a cocktail as you like It.  The Olive Leaf Gin is also bloody delicious in a Spanish-style gin tonic, with rosemary and lemon. It makes me want to speak with a lisp and dance a little Flamenco and trust me, you don’t want to see me dance…”

It’s already winning awards

Four Pillars Olive Leaf Gin has already collected its first gold medal at the 2020 World Spirits Competition in San Francisco.