Tipple loves Australian made spirits and we are especially fond of this little Melbourne distillery, Artemis Gin. Made by an award winning bartender and a scientist, Artemis Distilled Australian Gin is made right here in Melbourne. That’s why we sat down with head distiller Sebastian Reaburn to learn a little more about this versatile spirit.

Tell us about your name Artemis?
We chose Artemis as the name for our gin for two reasons. One of the botanicals in our gin is Artemesia Absinthium also known as wormwood. Wormwood has been used as a medicinal plant for a millennia and is also the chief botanical in vermouth, which as we all know goes very well with gin to make a Martini or a Negroni!

We also love the Greek goddess Artemis who was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, sister to Apollo the God of War. Artemis wanted to be a hunter but Zeus forbade her from doing so. However she defied him and became an expert hunter, living in the company of a hundred-strong band of women. She is the protector of nature, of wild things and of the land. She represents purity and strength. Artemis was uncompromising, walked her own path and achieved mastery in her life and that’s why we like her.

How long did it take to create Artemis? How did you know you had the right recipe?
It took about 6 months from concept to gin production. We spent a lot of time thinking and planning. We knew how we wanted the gin to taste. We wanted big flavours with juniper and citrus up front and darker flavours running through these to balance as a whole. We also wanted to have a distinctly Australian gin and wanted to include Australian botanicals. So we brought Seb’s palate and understanding of flavours together with Derv’s scientific rigour and found our final recipe much quicker than we were expecting. We knew we had the right gin the moment we tasted it. The gin had huge flavour and was very different, but the most important thing for both of us was that the flavours were balanced and complimentary. One flavour didn’t jump out and overwhelm the gin. I know it sounds like a cliché but we actually looked at each other, grinned and said “we’ve got it!”

We hear that you’re sharing all your recipes. What’s the reason behind this?
We love making gin and we want others who love gin to give it a go. A few years ago we could never have dreamed of doing this. We want people to understand that hand making a beautiful spirit isn’t really that hard. It just takes time, work and patience and we want other people to have the opportunity that we have had.

What’s one of the botanicals in Artemis that we might be surprised about?
Aside from wormwood which is the second most bitter herb in the world, we have no traditional citrus in Artemis gin. We experimented with lemon, orange, mandarin and bergamot in our early recipes but they overwhelmed the rest of the botanicals in the gin. Bergamot was particularly gruesome in our recipe! Instead we get all of our citrus flavours from a juniper sourced from Macedonia, coriander from India, Australian native finger-lime and lemon scented gum leaves.

Any local or international distillers that inspire you?
When we were making our gin we did a big tasting of nearly 20 Australian gins we had on hand. The quality was astounding! We knew we were going to have to make a fantastic gin to feel worthy of sitting with these gins. Within Australia we are huge Four Pillars fans, and not just because their gin is beautiful, nor is it just because of their delicious Negroni marmalade. Four Pillars have been amazingly supportive of us since we started. Cam even helped us to commission the still we use at Craft and Co and gave us advice on how to get the best out of it. We strongly believe that a company is more than its product and should support its community and Four Pillars do that brilliantly.

Internationally, we have to say Dodds Gin. We were very fortunate to be part of a collaborative distillation with Darren Rook and the Craft & Co. Darren is a lovely innovative, thoughtful man who makes gin on a Carl Still but uses it in a very different way to us. It was fantastic to make a gin with another distiller, to compare notes and to bottle this very limited edition gin.

What’s the perfect gin cocktail for someone to make at home?
The Negroni and the Martini are two of the greatest cocktails to mix up at home. A Negroni needs only good gin, good fresh vermouth, and Campari in equal measures, all poured over ice and garnished with an orange peel.  You can stir one with a teaspoon if needed! A quick tip to make your Negroni at home even tastier, keep all three ingredients chilled in the fridge, that way you get less dilution from the ice, and more intense flavour.

With a Martini, you’re stepping the game up a little. The Martini is one of those strange, elemental creations that is more than the sum of its parts. A Martini is just gin, vermouth, and a little water from the ice. But the difference is all in how it is made! Take a large mixing glass, cocktail shaker or jug. Add loads of good clean ice – if it has been kept open in the freezer, maybe give it a quick rinse under the tap to take any freezer flavours off it, then pop it back into the freezer in an air tight container to freeze any excess water.  Then add plenty of high quality Artemis Gin, of course. Then for me, a splash of a good soft vermouth, like Mancino Ambrato, Dolin Blanc, Lillet Blanc or the new Quinquina from Maidenii. We like 6 parts gin to 1 part vermouth.  Then stir the gin, ice and vermouth together, gently, and as you stir, you need to smell for the moment the aromas are released. The alcohol in gin will preserve the delicious aroma and flavour, and you want to stir your Martini until the moment that they are released.  Then strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with a twist of lemon peel and two fat green olives. Delicious! Another top home mixing tip for your Martini is, keep the gin in the freezer, and the vermouth in the fridge.  The icy gin will need a little longer stirring to get the dilution right, but it is much easier to find the perfect point.

Other than gin, what other products would you recommend for a simple home bar set up?
Lots of good dry tonic, sweet and dry vermouth kept in the fridge, fresh fruit for garnishes, an orange liqueur for classic cocktails like a Corpse Reviver No. 2, Martinez, or a White Lady.  While we love the cocktails of the 1920s, which feature gin heavily, it’s great to have a whisky, maybe Starward, and a brandy like the delicious St Agnes XO, for pre-prohibition cocktails and for sipping once your arms are tired from shaking drinks.  We also recommend investing in a cocktail shaker set that is beautiful and functional. A great cocktail shaker is both design and function, they look amazing in the lounge or kitchen, and encourage cocktails!

Artemis Gin is delivered by Tipple within 60 minutes – try it for yourself.