Gin seems to be undergoing a resurgence evidenced by the number of gin bars opening around town promoting particularly locally made gins and a wide selection of new fashionable mixers.
So not surprising I had the pleasure in being involved in the selection of a suitable site for a gin distillery. After a number of sites were rejected a site in Thebarton was selected in an Industry Zone.
Given the proposed volume of spirits being produced the use was not considered an activity of “Environmental Significance” with reference to the Development Regulation 1993. Therefore referral to the Department of Environment was not deemed necessary. In fact the neutral spirits will be brought to the site from the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Then on site the spirit will be redistilled with flavouring agents.
At Thebarton the spirits will be blended with various aromatics in a copper still to create alternative
flavours and blends. The spirit is heated and vaporised in a copper still with a coil or similar devise condensing the vapour. Then the gin will be bottled and package on site for trucking to distributors.
Otherwise mail orders will be dispatched as they are received.
To blend and flavour the spirit the liquid is heated in a copper still heated by natural gas. In flavouring the neutral spirit with aromatics the liquid is heated and then the still is cooled with a water coil or something similar. We commonly think of gin as flavoured with juniper berries but many other flavours can be used like licorice roots, bitter almonds, caraway, coriander, cardamom, anise, fennel seeds, lemon and orange peel. But each gin producer develops their own formulas using some or all of the foregoing.
So I think the current trend in gin production, gin bars and younger people, in particular, drinking gin is going to last for a long time yet.