Forty Spotted Tasmanian Gin

In 1992, Lark Distillery became the first Australian distillery to produce single malt spirit in 154 years. Whilst waiting for it to age, Bill Lark’s wife, Lyn, suggested making gin. Lyn was looking to create something she could enjoy and began to experiment with botanicals. They were given native Tasmanian pepperberries, which became a staple of, not only Forty Spotted Gin but a vast majority of Tasmanian gins thanks to its sensational botanical, rich character, and nose qualities. Originally sold as the Godfather Gin, the method and botanicals have stayed the same, but the name has changed. The brand name comes from the Forty Spotted Pardalote, native to Tasmania and one of Australia’s rarest birds. Forty Spotted Rare Tasmanian Gin was first released in 2015, crafted to highlight the highly aromatic native Tasmanian pepperberry. Now known as Forty Spotted Classic Gin, the recipe has remained unchanged, continuing to highlight Tasmanian pepperberries. It is clean, fresh, and delightfully complex, designed to excite the curious drinker.

Tasmania is where much of the inspiration for Forty Spotted is derived. The bottle is drawn from the rule of our planet: in nature, there are no straight lines. The untamed flow and beauty of the southern ocean currents are honoured in the bottle design. The upright bottle pays homage to the origins of the brand’s heritage, which remains at the bottom of the world, facing south. Forty Spotted range has quickly evolved but Tasmania has always been at the heart of the inspiration for new flavours. Forty Spotted Citrus & Pepperberry showcases Australian citrus and native Tasmanian Pepperberry, whilst Forty Spotted Pinot Noir highlights Tasmania’s finest full-bodied Pinot grapes.

Inspiration comes first, before sourcing the botanicals, many native Tasmanian. Blending the botanicals can take up to a few months, working down from up to 300 botanicals to about 9-12. The botanicals then are put through a 900L copper pot still with neutral cane spirit and water, with some of the more delicate botanicals put in the vapour-infused basket. Neutral cane spirit as is the most neutral spirit, and it is Australian-grown. The distilled gin is then broken down using fresh Tasmanian water, with a rest period for a minimum of one month before bottling.