How to Make Australian Native Gin at Home

Australian gin has exploded onto the world stage, with craft distilleries like Four Pillars and Archie Rose winning international awards for their innovative use of native Botanicals. What makes Australian gin unique is our access to indigenous ingredients that create flavour profiles found nowhere else on Earth—lemon myrtle with its intense citral content, Tasmanian pepperberry's warming spice, and the citrus caviar burst of finger limes.

At Distillery King, we've helped hundreds of home distillers create their own signature Australian gins using these native botanicals. This guide will show you exactly how to do it, from selecting botanicals to distilling your final product.

Table of Contents

• What Makes Australian Gin Special?
• Essential Australian Native Botanicals
• Equipment You'll Need
• The Distillery King Australian Native Gin Recipe
• Infusion Techniques: Steeping vs Vapour
• Tips for Perfect Australian Gin
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes Australian Gin Special?

While gin must contain juniper as its dominant botanical to be legally classified as gin anywhere in the world, Australian distillers have embraced our unique native flora to create gins that taste distinctly of this land.

Commercial Australian gins typically feature:

• Bright, intense citrus: From lemon myrtle, finger lime, and native citrus varieties
• Complex spice notes: From Tasmanian pepperberry and native pepper
• Subtle bush aromatics: From eucalyptus species, anise myrtle, and tea tree
• Earthy depth: From wattleseed, sandalwood, and native roots

The best part? You can achieve these same flavour profiles at home with the right botanicals and technique.

Essential Australian Native Botanicals

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora)

The queen of Australian botanicals. Lemon myrtle contains the highest citral content of any known plant—higher even than lemongrass. It provides bright, clean citrus notes with a subtle creamy, almost sherbet-like finish.

• Flavour profile: Intense lemon, lime, lemongrass with creamy undertones
• Usage rate: 2-5g per litre of base spirit
• Best method: Light steeping or vapour infusion (over-extraction turns bitter)
• Available: Dried lemon myrtle leaves

Tasmanian Pepperberry (Tasmannia lanceolata)

Australia's answer to black pepper. Offers warming spice similar to black pepper but with unique fruity, herbal undertones. The leaves provide milder flavour than the berries.

• Flavour profile: Warm pepper, slight fruitiness, lingering heat
• Usage rate: 1-3g per litre (berries) or 2-4g per litre (leaves)
• Best method: Short steep or vapour infusion (powerful, use sparingly)
• Available: Tasmanian pepperberry

Finger Lime (Citrus australasica)

Citrus caviar. When distilled, provides a bright, zesty lime peel quality. As a fresh garnish, the pearls burst with flavour in the finished cocktail. Works excellently both fresh and dried.

• Flavour profile: Bright lime zest, grapefruit notes, slight herbal edge
• Usage rate: 2-4g dried per litre, or zest of 2-3 fresh per litre
• Best method: Vapour infusion for distilling; fresh as garnish
• Available: Dried finger lime

Wattleseed (Acacia species)

Adds unexpected depth. Wattleseed brings nutty, coffee, and chocolate notes to gin. Often used in contemporary Australian gins seeking complexity and a longer finish.

• Flavour profile: Roasted nuts, coffee, chocolate, slight hazelnut
• Usage rate: 2-4g per litre
• Best method: Lightly crush before steeping for better extraction
• Available: Roasted wattleseed

Anise Myrtle (Syzygium anisatum)

Natural anise without the liquorice heaviness. Creates beautiful aromatics in the nose of finished gin. More refined than star anise with a cleaner finish.

• Flavour profile: Clean anise, slight mint, subtle sweetness
• Usage rate: 1-2g per litre (potent—use sparingly)
• Best method: Vapour infusion or very light steep

Other Native Botanicals to Explore

• Strawberry Gum: Bubble gum, strawberry notes (use very sparingly)
• Riberry: Tart berry, clove, cinnamon character
• Cinnamon Myrtle: Gentle cinnamon, more refined than cassia
• Mountain Pepper Leaf: Milder than berries, herbal pepper notes
• Lemon-Scented Tea Tree: Citronella, slight medicinal eucalyptus

Equipment You'll Need

For Vapour Infusion (Recommended Method)

• Air Still Pro (pot still mode) OR T500 Pro
• Botanical basket
• Muslin bags for loose Botanicals
• Neutral spirit base (40-60% ABV)
• Distilled water for dilution
• Collection jars
• Alcometer for measuring ABV

For Compound/Bathtub Gin (No Still Required)

• Quality vodka (37.5%+ ABV)
• Large glass jar with lid
• Fine mesh strainer and muslin cloth
• Botanicals
• Patience (24-48 hours steeping)

The Distillery King Australian Native Gin Recipe

This recipe creates a contemporary Australian gin that showcases native Botanicals while maintaining the juniper backbone required for true gin.

Base Botanicals (per 2L of neutral spirit at 50-60% ABV)

Australian Native Additions

Method: Vapour Infusion (Recommended)

1. Prepare your base spirit: Start with 2L of neutral spirit at 50-60% ABV. If using your own distilled neutral, dilute from higher strength. If using vodka, ensure it's at least 40%.
2. Prepare your Botanicals: Lightly crush juniper berries and coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle—you want them cracked, not powdered. This releases oils for better extraction.
3. Load the botanical basket: Place base Botanicals (juniper, coriander, orange peel, angelica) directly in your botanical basket.
4. Bag the native Botanicals: Place the Australian natives in a separate muslin bag. This allows easier adjustment if flavours become too intense and prevents small particles from escaping.
5. Set up your still: Pour the neutral spirit into your still boiler. Position the botanical basket in the column where vapour will pass through.
6. Distil slowly: Run your still in pot still mode at a slow, steady pace. Rushing creates harsh flavours. Aim for a thin stream or fast drip, not a flow.
7. Collect in cuts:
   • Discard first 20-30ml (foreshots)
   • Taste frequently as you collect
   • Hearts typically run from 50ml to about 70% of total output
   • Stop when floral notes fade and you taste "cardboard" or oily notes
8. Rest your gin: Dilute to 40-45% ABV with distilled water. Let it rest for at least 1 week—ideally 2-4 weeks—before drinking. This allows the flavours to marry and harsh edges to smooth out.

Method: Compound Gin (No Still Required)

If you don't have a still, you can make "bathtub gin" by steeping Botanicals in vodka:

1. Combine all Botanicals with 1L of quality vodka in a large glass jar
2. Seal and store in a cool, dark place
3. Steep base Botanicals for 24 hours, shaking occasionally
4. Add native Botanicals and steep for another 12-24 hours
5. Taste frequently—over-steeping creates bitter flavours
6. Strain through fine mesh, then through coffee filter for clarity
7. Rest for 1 week before drinking

Note: Compound gin will have a yellowish tint and slightly different character than distilled gin. This is normal and doesn't affect safety or taste quality.

Infusion Techniques: Steeping vs Vapour

Steeping (Maceration)

Botanicals are soaked directly in the spirit before distillation.

• Pros: Stronger flavour extraction, simpler setup
• Cons: Can extract bitter compounds, darker colour, requires careful timing
• Best for: Robust Botanicals like juniper, coriander, citrus peel

Vapour Infusion

Botanicals sit in a basket above the spirit; vapour passes through during distillation.

• Pros: Cleaner, more delicate flavours; clearer spirit; less risk of over-extraction
• Cons: Requires botanical basket; subtler results
• Best for: Delicate Botanicals like lemon myrtle, flower petals, fresh herbs

Combined Approach (Recommended)

Steep robust base Botanicals overnight in the spirit, then distil with delicate native Botanicals in the vapour basket. This gives you the best of both worlds.

Tips for Perfect Australian Gin

• Balance is Everything — Juniper must remain the dominant note for legal gin classification, but more importantly, it provides the backbone that holds other flavours together. Resist the urge to overload on natives—they should complement, not overwhelm.
• Less is More with Natives — Australian native Botanicals are potent. Lemon myrtle and pepperberry in particular can quickly dominate a gin. Start with less than you think you need—you can always add more next batch.
• Keep Notes — Document everything: exact weights, steep times, distillation speed, cut points. When you nail your perfect recipe, you'll want to replicate it exactly.
• Rest Your Gin — Fresh gin can taste harsh and disjointed. After 2-4 weeks resting, flavours marry and mellow. The difference is remarkable—patience pays off.
• Water Quality Matters — Always dilute with distilled water or reverse osmosis water. Tap water minerals can cause cloudiness and affect flavour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy Australian native Botanicals?

Distillery King stocks a full range of gin Botanicals including Australian natives, ready for home distilling. All our Botanicals are food-grade and specifically selected for spirit production. Browse native gin Botanicals here.

Can I use fresh native Botanicals instead of dried?

Yes, but adjust quantities—fresh Botanicals contain water, so use approximately 2-3x the amount listed for dried. Fresh Botanicals work best in vapour infusion to avoid water dilution in your spirit.

How do I get the citrus caviar effect in my finished gin?

The "citrus caviar" effect is a garnish feature, not something you can distil into the spirit. Distil with dried finger lime for flavour, then garnish the finished G&T with fresh finger lime pearls for the visual and textural burst.

My gin tastes too much like one botanical—what went wrong?

Usually over-extraction of that botanical. Next batch, reduce the amount or extraction time. Some Botanicals (especially lemon myrtle and pepperberry) are very potent and need a light touch.

Can I make Australian native gin without a still?

Yes! Use the compound gin method above with quality vodka. It won't be as refined as distilled gin, but it's a great way to experiment with flavour combinations before investing in distillation equipment.

What tonic water pairs best with Australian native gin?

Australian native gins generally pair well with lighter, less bitter tonics that don't compete with the botanical complexity. Fever-Tree Mediterranean or a native Australian tonic like StrangeLove work beautifully. For lemon myrtle-forward gins, try a yuzu or citrus tonic.

Ready to Create Your Signature Australian Gin?

Browse our complete range of gin Botanicals, including Australian natives, or check out our Complete Distilling Starter Kits with everything you need to begin your gin journey.

Have questions? Our team of distilling enthusiasts is here to help, contact us anytime.

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