Threefold Distilling mixes gin, Shiraz and Mourvèdre
South Australia’s Threefold Distilling has combined the worlds of gin and wine for its latest product: GSM.
Combining ‘the best of both worlds’, the 2021 vintage of GSM is made by mixing Threefold Aromatic Gin with Shiraz grapes from Adelaide Hills, as well as Mourvèdre grapes from McLaren Vale. The Australia-based distilling team picked the grapes by hand, then macerated the grapes in Aromatic Gin to extract their ‘vibrant colours and rich tannins’. The gin-soaked grapes were then foot-stomped to extract the juice, which was used to dilute the gin and add ‘sweetness and intense flavour’. Co-distiller Aidan Shaw said: “We all love wine-based gins. We think it’s a really cool way that we can tie in what we do as distillers to another part of the industry that is so profound here in South Australia. "Most distillers work with straight Shiraz so we wanted to create something unique for our first release, hence the inclusion of Mourvèdre to add another layer of complexity.” The GSM bottling is said to have an ‘underlying profile of citrus and juniper’. Macerating with grape skins is said to have resulted in a ‘viscous mouthfeel’, while the finish is described as having a ‘peppery spice’ on top of sour cherries and blackberries. GSM is recommended to be served with tonic or bitter lemon soda, and is set to be released on 24 May. With a 37.8% ABV, the gin will be available at an RRP of AU$80 (US$62) for a 500ml bottle. Only 500 bottles will be available online.