Inverroche Distillery and Travis Kuhn are stirring it up with this limited gin

Gin has been drink of choice for many people in recent years for a night out or at home. Distilled, hand-crafted gins in particular are hot property these days.

What started as a small family business, Inverroche Distillery has rapidly grown into a world-class artisanal gin brand.

With just a couple years of producing the finest local gin, it has created an award-winning bartending competition, which sees the annual champion graduate develop and create their own gin under the guidance of Michael Scott, MD of Inverroche Distillery.

The annual bartending competition is awarded through a creative competition and an expression of their passion for the craft of bartending.

Champion Bartender was awarded to well-known industry legend Travis Kuhn who has created the hand-crafted limited-edition and first of its kind Inverroche Pioneers Collection gin.

Kuhn says the biggest outcome for him is creating a legacy and these competitions get his competitive edge going.

Travis Kuhn’s own distilled Inverroche Pioneers Collection N0 1. Photo: Supplied

“In this case, the prize to produce your own gin variant was a compelling factor in my decision to compete in the Pioneers competition as I am trying to build a legacy of my own with every step in my career and very few bartenders get this opportunity. Competitions such as these have indeed taken on a different shape now that I am further down the road in my bartending career.

“They are no longer the ultimate proving ground for me to be known as a champion bartender, but at the same time, I still understand that the image of a bartender is still very much boosted by the fact that he can win competitions In the midst of his genuine piers. Competitions not only provide the platform to prove your skills, they also provide the avenue to tell your story to the masses through media.”

Kuhn was happy with the freedom he was given to make his own gin, the Inverroche Pioneers Collection No 1 (PC1).

“Under this freedom, I could express myself in any manner I saw fit, knowing that I am not making a gin that everyone will enjoy, only that I am making a gin that I enjoy.” He says, however, the PC1 is a refreshing London Dry gin, a great addition to jazz up cocktail offerings and gin and tonic experiences.

Inverroche Pioneers Collection N0.1. Photo: Supplied

“In previous years gins were always categorized by three or four major categories and gins were made in the styles of tradition. These days, the juniper-forward spirit has been pulled from one pillar to another post. In most recent years I have seen a full spectrum of novelty gins, everything from glitter gins to black gins havehit the market all trying to satisfy the consumer’s desire to be different.”

The PC1 has bold flavour combinations and brave botanical selection while still remaining true to a traditional gin style, the London Dry style, Kuhn adds. His favourite flavours include vanilla, butter, clove, lime zest, caramel, aniseed, almond, oak smoke, coffee and mustard seed.

If you looking for a show stopper gin cocktail then Kuhn has one – The Last Word.

“It is a classic gin cocktail which will work brilliantly with PC1 specifically. Its spicy notes upfront will complement the herbs of its defining liqueur, green chartreuse, while the floral notes at the back will accentuate the subtlety of the Maraschino liqueur.”

The Last Word Cocktail recipe:

40ml Inverroche Pioneers Collection No.1

10ml Green Chartreuse

15ml Fresh Lime Juice

5ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

How to: Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish: Amarena Cherry on a sword

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