Attention gin lovers! This one’s for you.
On Tuesday, the Kings Cross Distillery announced the launch of their boujee new Aussie made gin, and their brand new ultra chic bar in the heart of Sydney’s Kings Cross.
Their new bar, located on Macleay Street in Potts Point, is due to open their doors in time for Spring 2020. So, only a few more months until some much needed life is brought back into the once bright lights of Kings Cross. This new cocktail haven is just what we need after the shitshow that the first half of 2020 has been.
The hospitality industry has faced some major challenges over the last few months, between lockout laws and COVID-19 lockdowns. But with bars like this opening and nightlife slowly returning, there’s still hope that the industry can recover.
And while you wait for this chic new bar, you can buy their fancy Aussie flagship gin right now!
It’s Gin O’clock
The KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin was inspired by a 1930s recipe that Distiller and spirit architect, Odelia Potts, has adapted, so you just know that it’s extra boujee.
And for all of you gin aficionados, Kings Cross Distillery’s gin is made by the single shot method and vapour distillation using ‘Miss Pottsy’, the 200 litre Still.
The KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin gin recipe is a mix of classic ‘London Dry’ gin botanicals like juniper, coriander seed and cardamom pods, with the addition of fresh Sydney organic lemons, as well as a local mix of Australian native myrtles. The resulting gin is sweet, floral and very curvy. The gin also boasts notes of juniper, preserved lemon, grapefruit, bakers’ spices with exotic woods.
The folks over at Kings Cross Distillery reckon that their gin is best served with Indian tonic water and a slice of rinsed preserved lemon peel. The venue also boasts a brand new signature cocktail, the Aalto Martini, featuring 60ml of the KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin, dry vermouth rinse, and a slice of preserved lemon peel.
Boujee Venue With A Cheeky History
When your plans for the evening fall through there’s only one question to ask. To gin or not to gin?
— Miss P (@misspreturns) July 9, 2020
The Kings Cross Distillery pot-still, “Miss Pottsy”, features prominently in the heart of the new vibrant venue on Macleay Street. The venue was once a 1960s speakeasy and illegal gambling den. Upstairs there was the usual, shadowy, pleasures of a by-gone era befitting of the postcode 2011.
Later in the 1970s, the venue became an adult book store, which had secret businesses operating behind the hidden doors of steel. It was known as the Private Book Shop and later Ecstasy Adult Bookstore.
The venue still pays homage to its cheeky and colourful history. The former vault now houses the bar’s most prized possessions – their bottles of gin. As well as a wall of pinup photography to remind them of the former bookstores that had been there. But for curious guests wanting to know more about its past secrets, you’ll just have to visit to find out.
Once COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted, the Kings Cross Distillery will be able to accommodate up to 120 guests. It’ll offer mezze and tapas style dishes, like baked kibbeh, vine wrapped sardines, and harissa carrots. The bar will of course serve its own premium gin, vodka and whisky, as well as an array of Australian and international spirits.
There’s one very special feature of this bar that makes it stand out from the others: personalised spirit lockers. Guests can keep their own bottles and consume them in any gin concoction of their choice, from the classic G+T, to one of the number of fancy cocktails on their menu.
Get Ready, Sydney, Gin Is Coming
Distiller and spirit architect at KXD, Odelia Potts commented: “We are so thrilled to finally be able to open the venue completely and share our gin creations with the world, following a challenging time for the hospitality industry in Australia. The colourful and rich history of Sydney’s Kings Cross and its Sydney surrounds, are the inspiration behind our vapour infused gins. We can’t wait to welcome customers to join us in our journey of discovery, as we make history too.”
KXG Australian Classic Dry Gin and the spirit lockers can be purchased online now for $115 for a 700ml bottle. Event enquiries can be made from Spring 2020 via bookings@kingscrossdistill
I dunno about you, but I know exactly where I’ll be heading to kick off Spring!
