Starting with experiments at the kitchen sink, Antony Michalik now has his own distillery in Sydenham. He tells Cityscape how he came up with Recipe #23, and the secret to a perfect martini.

What is special and different about your distillery? We are an urban distillery right on the fringe of the Christchurch CBD. All our products have a unique kiwi twist. You can visit the distillery, meet the distillers and tour the stills, taste all the products and purchase direct from our cellar door. We offer a range of gins. Each is a different style and flavour profile, so there is a gin for everyone.

Why gin? How did you get interested in making it? Gin is a fabulous product that you can put your own spin on using different botanicals, base spirits and distilling methods. As with craft beer or wine, you can create products that are unique and true to your own brand and story.

Where did you get your recipes from? We started with basic information gleaned from the web and books and then experimented in our kitchens at home. Initially we used small jars of gin with our own recipes of botanicals steeped on our kitchen benches. We’d reconvene at my place and distil them all on a homemade stovetop still. The initial results were surprisingly encouraging so we’d make some tweaks and do it all again the next week! That’s how our first product got the name Recipe #23.

Why do you think gin has come back into favour so much? For a similar reason to why it’s so interesting to make. There is infinite variation on a chosen theme, which delivers the craft aspect that people like to discover. People are always looking for something new, and no two gins are the same. From the base spirit, the botanicals and the distillation process to the way it’s served and what it’s mixed with, every gin offers a different experience. It’s a reasonably simple production process, which is perhaps why there are so many distillers out there.

Has it been difficult to win people over to the idea of small-batch artisan gin? New Zealand is definitely following the UK, Europe and Australia in discovering the wonderful new world of gin and the trend is growing fast as people are introduced to it. We started New Zealand’s first gin festival, Gindulgence, in Christchurch in 2018 with 10 gin stands and 750 tickets. It is now held in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland and grown to a two-day event with 18 gin stands and 1200 tickets a day.

What do you see as the interesting trends in gin? The trend towards seeking local or unique botanicals and delivering those in a way that enhances the gin is one that is likely to continue. People are searching for authentic products using natural and local ingredients, and gin can certainly meet that demand. There seems to be a plethora of new flavoured and coloured products, just as there were with flavoured vodkas a few years ago. I hope that people continue to seek out the authentic products infused with real ingredients that complement the base gin, rather than sweet, fruity-flavoured alcohol concoctions.

Are you working with any new botanicals that you want to talk about? We are always looking for unique New Zealand botanicals that we can use.

Do you make spirits other than gin? Are you planning more or will gin stay your main product? We have an ageing stock of single malt whisky, some of which is now over the three-year mark. Look out for the launch of our NZ single malt very soon! Aged rum trials have been successful as well and we intend to pursue that in the medium term.

Do you have any gin and food matches? Or ideal snacks to go with a gin drink? Each gin has a unique flavour profile so like wine, matching often comes down to the individual gin. We did collaborate on an amazing gin and food matching dinner and some of the partnerships were really great. A couple that stood out for me were Curious Dry matched with spicy blackened chicken wings and Negroni Special with venison shank and cacao nib jus. Delicious!

What’s your favourite way to drink gin? For me, I love a well-balanced Negroni but you can’t go past a long, refreshing G&T with a perfectly matched garnish on a summer afternoon.

What’s the secret to a perfect martini? Lots of ice to chill the gin properly, with the perfect dilution and choosing the right vermouth to complement the gin.

Cocktail recipe: Curious 75

One of our favourites is still the first we ever developed for our own gin. It’s the Curious 75, a version of the classic French 75 using Curiosity Gin Recipe #23.

Ingredients

• 30ml Curiosity Recipe #23 Gin
• 15ml sugar syrup
• 15ml lemon juice
• dash orange bitters
• sparkling rosé
• orange peel for garnish

Method

Pour all ingredients except the sparkling rosé into a shaker over ice. Shake together and strain into a chilled coupé glass or champagne flute (150ml). Top up with the rosé.

thespiritsworkshop.co.nz

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Read about the resurgence of gin.