Four Pillars are launching their latest bloody gins with a big bloody festival this winter.
With winter all but officially here, it’s time to embrace life in the longer, cooler evenings with cosy conversations, multiple layers and indulging in a good shot or two of gin… yes gin. While the icy breeze makes many turns to cosy options like red wine and whisky, gin lovers can now have the best of both worlds thanks to Yarra Valley-based distillery Four Pillars and their life-changing Limited Edition Bloody Shiraz Gin, back for 2023, and for the first time, a Bloody Pinot Noir Gin.
To celebrate the new release of the Bloody Shiraz Gin, Bloody Pinot Noir Gin and World Gin Day (10 June), Four Pillars are hosting a calendar full of bloody goodness with the inaugural Bloody Midwinter Gin Fest, a line-up of gin-fuelled events that will run over eight weeks and three states from 1 June to 30 July 2023.
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
View this post on Instagram
The Bloody Midwinter Gin Fest is made up of 15 events over two months in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane featuring World Gin Day weekend celebrations at Four Pillars’ homes in Healesville and Sydney, a Golden Century BBQ takeover at the Sydney Lab combining all things duck and pinot, one-night-only Bloody Midwinter Feasts hosted by Co-founders Cam and Stu, Gin & Film fests and winter-long Bloody Midwinter Pop-Ups at some of your favourite venues.
Victoria, in particular, will be hosting some exciting events as part of the festival, including:
10 – 11 June Healesville Distillery World Gin Day Weekend
The OG, Healesville HQ, will turn into a purple party palace on Saturday and Sunday. Expect entertainment, Bloody Pinot Noir Gin workshops and complimentary Bloody Shiraz and Bloody Pinot Noir Gin tastings over two days.
11 July Melbourne Feast, Yakimono
High energy Japanese diner, Yakimono, hosts Stu and Cam for fiery food and purple gin drinks, a taste of Bloody Pinot Noir Gin and wines from Yarra Valley locals, Payten & Jones.
8, 15 & 22 July Healesville Fireside Festival
Join the Payten & Jones team at the Healesville Distillery and learn how to make delicious hot cocktails. You’ll be guided through the creation of a hot Negroni, hot Gin Toddy and mulled wine, all around a cosy firepit accompanied by delicious, paired snacks.
Other Melbourne gin festivities include winter takeovers in the CBD at Dessous and Goldilocks, plus a Gin & Film Fest themed Slasher Sirens at Thornbury Cinema.
View this post on Instagram
World Gin Day, 10 June, marks the anniversary of the first launch of Bloody Shiraz Gin back in 2015, made by soaking Victorian Shiraz grapes in high-proof Rare Dry Gin to extract amazing colour and flavours that is now a timeless combo that just works. This year’s limited-edition bottle is covered in a bold artwork by the hugely talented Aussie illustrator, Luke Lucas, to celebrate the boldest of gins.
Now eight years later, Four Pillars has experimented with a different grape varietal using the exact same method, creating a sibling that is the Bloody Pinot Noir Gin. Coming from a more precious and precocious grape, Bloody Pinot Noir Gin, is a lighter, paler and more delicate gin with aromas of rose petals, strawberries, cherries and a hint of fresh acidity. A super limited release, because Pinot Noir is just so hard to get your hands on, this one we expected to go quickly.
Details and tickets for all the events in the Bloody Midwinter Gin Festival line-up, can be found here.
