Small bites: Snowgum Distillery releases out-of-the-box gin flavours

Blue gin that turns pink with tonic water and low-booze rose gin that tastes like ‘adult cordial’ are some of a wacky drink creations being churned out at this Melbourne distillery.

Blue gin that turns pink with tonic water. An aperitif made from wine and gin that drinks like ‘adult cordial’.

The line-up at Snowgum Distillery may sound gimmicky, but co-owner John Conte assures us he’s working with a good product.

“Why try and reinvent the wheel? Let’s make something different and try something unique,” he said.

Conte and his cousin Joe Wilkinson grew up in an Italian family that made its own grappa.

The duo vowed one day they’d make their own — or perhaps something even better.

Snowgum Distillery’s Joe Wilkinson, John Conte and Jurgen Schludi. Picture: Jason Edwards

This became possible when the pair met Jurgen Schludi on an overseas trip 20 years ago.

Schludi would go on to become a Master Distiller; a title only a select group hold.

In 2019, Schludi reconnected with Conte and Wilkinson to launch Snowgum in Coburg.

This year their classic dry and Blue Tongue gins cleaned up at the 2021 International Wine and Spirits Competition, each winning two silver and bronze medals.

The gin can only improve when Schludi starts using juniper berries grown on Conte’s Mount Beauty farm when they are ready for distilling in 18 months time.

Snowgum will also soon launch a vodka.

Snowgum Distillery products are available at select Melbourne bottle shops and online.

Postal Lane Markets is a new summer food and arts market at Melbourne's iconic GPO building. Picture: David Caird

FOOD, ART MARKET CBD BOUND

A weekend food and art market at the landmark GPO building is set to bring life and energy into a tired CBD post-lockdown.

Postal Lane Markets was coined by publicist Kate Muir to get people back into the city spending money and supporting hospitality and retail.

The market will run from Friday to Sunday, with a cap of 36 traders each weekend, along nearby Postal Lane and Melbourne’s GPO.

But don’t expect this to be a bric-a-brac affair.

“There’ll be a licensed bar where you can come down after work, have a glass of wine, maybe get a snack and when you get hungry you can wander off to dinner in the city,” Muir said. “Maybe you’ll leave with some great bread or pavlova.”

Kate Muir is launching a market at Melbourne's iconic GPO building. Picture: David Caird.

Muir hopes the market will help Melburnians reconnect with others after so long apart.

“This isn’t going to be a passive experience. Everyone (customers and stallholders) will be part of the vibrancy,” she said.

Fridays will be dedicated to foodies with a dozen traders selling pre-packaged gourmet goods.

Muir has recently opened trader submissions, with artists, creators and small businesses encouraged to get involved.

“We’ve all been wanting to get some vibrancy back into Melbourne, but I was sitting back and waiting for someone else to do it. Then I thought, why can’t that someone be me?”

Postal Lane Markets will run from November 5 to January 30, 2022 and is currently accepting stallholder submissions via postallanemarkets.com

Mount Ophir Estate 2019 Shiraz. Picture Kristoffer Paulsen

TOP SHELF WINE

A $500 shiraz is Mount Ophir Estate’s first wine release under the helm of Nick Brown and siblings Eliza and Angela Brown.

The 2019 Mount Ophir Estate Shiraz will be available to buy through registration only from Thursday, with only 700 bottles available of the limited-release, top-shelf drop.

Winemaker Nick Brown said he was really proud of what has become a great wine.

“It took a lot of nurturing along the way. It was the style we were aiming for — I’m really

happy with it,” he said.

The wine has been made from low-yielding vines, planted at the Rutherglen site in the mid 1990s.

mountophirestate.com.au/shiraz-waitlist

Gary Mehigan is releasing his first cookbook in seven years.

TOP CHEF’S NEW COOK BOOK

Former MasterChef judge and Melbourne chef Gary Mehigan is releasing his first cookbook in seven years.

Good Food Every Day will share 250 of Mehigan’s favourite home recipes, designed for both the beginner and everyday cook.

Released on October 19 by Penguin Random House Australia.

THAT’S THE SPIRIT

Geelong’s Anther Distillery is adding a new gin to its line-up.

Founders Dervilla McGowan and Sebastian Reaburn will release Geelong Dry Gin on September 23. Saltbush is used as one of the gin’s botanicals.

anther.com.au

That's Amore is taking us ti Italy this weekend.

TASTE OF ITALY

That’s Amore Cheese, Petolina and Vino Bambino are hosting a virtual dinner and winery tour

of Piemonte this Friday, as part of its Italian dinner series

From 6.30pm, guests can enjoy a three-course feed, with cheese and wine, for $140 per

person.

The event is free to attend upon registration, but dinner packs must be ordered before 3pm Tuesday for regional Victoria and Wednesday 3pm for metropolitan Melbourne.