Another year, another limited-edition Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin. If previous sell-out years are anything to go by, the purple reign will continue its rule when the annual spirit goes on sale on 10 June, 2023. And this time, there’s a brand-new (and very limited) Bloody Pinot Noir Gin being released too.
The perennial gin release for the Victorian distillery sees more than 100 tonnes of whole, de-stemmed shiraz grapes steeped in Four Pillars’ Rare Dry Gin for eight weeks, before the fruit is pressed and blended with more gin. The grapes “bleed” into the clear juniper-spirit, infusing it with a distinctive deep-purple hue and a fruity, though un-cloying, sweetness. It’s unfiltered, too – those sediments at the bottom of the bottle are a natural consequence of the grape-steeping process.
The 2023 limited-edition Bloody Shiraz Gin will sport a unique bottle design by artist Luke Lucas.
The Bloody Shiraz gin has a renegade history. The inaugural release in 2015 used some 250 kilograms of shiraz grapes from the vineyard of Rob Dolan, the celebrated winemaker and then-landlord of the Four Pillars distillery. “We stumbled upon – well, we stole – grapes from his winery to make the first batch,” said Mackenzie in 2019.
Four Pillars Gin head distiller Cameron Mackenzie.
(Photo: Supplied)As for the final product, it’s first and foremost a gin. “It has a pine-forest, juniper character, and a Yarra Valley, white-pepper spice from the shiraz,” Mackenzie has said previously. “Yarra and cool-climate shiraz is quite unique – it’s not big and jammy like McLaren Vale or Barossa varieties. It’s medium-bodied, so you tend to get more spice and dark-berry notes.”
Citrus is a friend to the shiraz-gin. Four Pillars recommends serving it simply with lemon tonic, over ice; it can be made into a Spritz with fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling wine too.
But perhaps more excitingly, Four Pillars is releasing its first-ever Bloody Pinot Noir Gin. The new winey gin is a paler, more delicate gin with a hints of rose petals, strawberries and cherries balanced by a touch of acidity. If the Bloody Shiraz is anything to go by, it’ll be bloody delicious.
Both the 2023 Bloody Shiraz Gin and new Bloody Pinot Noir Gin cost $88 and can be purchased from the Four Pillars website, Four Pillars locations and select bottle shops from 10 June.
This is also on top of Four Pillar’s new non-alcoholic range, Bandwagon, which also includes a Bloody product sans alcohol – the Bloody Bandwagon.
And to round out the Bloody band, you can know also purchase cans of pre-made Bloody Shiraz G&Ts.
Naturally then, Four Pillars is celebrating its suite of Bloody sips with a Bloody Midwinter Gin Fest, comprising of 15 events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane over a two-month period. Highlights include World Gin Day weekend celebrations (10-11 June) in Healesville, Victoria and Sydney; a Golden Century BBQ takeover of the Sydney Four Pillars Lab; the Healesville Fireside Festival (8, 15 and 22 July); and a month-long takeover at Stratton in Brisbane (28 June – 30 July).
For more details on the Bloody Midwinter Gin Festival, head here.
The Four Pillars Bloody range
(Photo: Benito Martin)
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