Local Spirit

At the soon-to-reopen Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree Rainforest, guests can try out at least three of the region’s top tipples: 

• Wolf Lane Tropical Gin from their Cairns distillery. 
• Mt Uncle Botanic Australis Navy Strength Gin from the Atherton Tablelands near Mareeba. 
• Devils Thumb Rainforest Gin distilled at the nearby coastal port of Port Douglas. 

A chilled ‘G&T’ is high on the hit-list at Uluru’s luxury basecamp Longitude 131° with top picks including: 

• Willing Distillery Desert Lime Gin from Darwin. 
• Green Ant Gin from the Something Wild distillery, using traditional Indigenous bush tucker green ants hand harvested by the Motlop family of the Larrakia in the Northern Territory. 
• Argyle Pink Native Dry Gin from the Hoochery Distillery across the border in Kununurra in Western Australia. 

Sundowners served at Capella Lodge with views to an oceanic horizon at Lord Howe Island are an ideal occasion to sample the island’s own Lord Howe Island Distilling Co. Wild Lemon and Hibiscus gin. Plans are at hand for the company to offer guests distillery tours and tastings. 

At The Louise in the Barossa Valley, the most recent addition to the Baillie Lodges collection, there’s no shortage of local gin, but the signature House Gin & Tonic is made on Seppeltsfield Road Distillers House Gin. The distillery is located just 300 metres from the lodge and uses locally grown lavender to give the gin a beautiful floral depth. Talented local chefs make tonic syrups from natural, regional ingredients, and Varci Pink Peppercorn Tonic combined with carbonated rainwater and dried lime from the kitchen garden create the ultimate mixer. 

Other top local picks include: 

• The Matriarch produced at The Eatery’s Durand Distillery is in honour of Baillie Lodges’ long-time friend Maggie Beer, where craft gin making experiences are already a big hit with guests. 
• Barossa Shiraz Gin from the Barossa Distilling Co is another favourite. Guests can visit the tasting room and cocktail bar in the old Penfolds Distillery in Nuriootpa. As a bonus, the distillery is located right next to a woodfired pizza bar called Ember, so lunch and drinks are sorted! 

The Louise House Gin & Tonic

30ml Seppeltsfield Road Distillers House Gin 

20ml Varci Pink Peppercorn Tonic 

Soda Water 

Method 

Add gin and tonic mix to glass 

Half fill with ice 

Top with soda water 

Stir gently 

Garnish

Dried lime wheel 

Cheers!