From the moment Sean Baxter arrives with glassware and botanicals for a proper gin education, this episode becomes something special. The co-owner of Never Never Distilling Co doesn’t just pour drinks, he crafts an experience that transforms how we think about gin, taking us from Triple Juniper through the coastal complexity of Oyster Shell to the life-changing intensity of Juniper Freak Navy Strength. Beyond the tasting lies a remarkable South Australian success story. Three acquaintances pooled resources for a broken still from a brewery equipment manufacturer, set up shop in a dusty grinding shed with no running water, and built a brand that caught the attention of global beverage giant Asahi. Their secret wasn’t chasing novelty natives but perfecting the London Dry style with an Australian soul. The musical pilgrimage celebrates The Violets’ upcoming 30th anniversary reunion show at The Gov, featuring their raw 1996 live recording “Somewhere” from the Lion Arts Bar during Adelaide’s vibrant mid-nineties music scene. You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve! The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it. And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concisepage. Running Sheet: Never Never Underestimate Sean Baxter 00:00:00 Intro Introduction 00:02:52 SA Drink Of The Week This week’s SA Drink becomes an extended Never Never Distilling Co masterclass as Sean Baxter guides Steve through three distinct gin expressions, each revealing layers of complexity that challenge preconceptions about the spirit category. Triple Juniper Neat TastingSean begins with Triple Juniper, explaining the three-stage juniper manipulation: steeping for deeper, earthier flavours, pot distillation for additional layers, and vapour basket treatment for the lightest citrus and pine resin notes. “The vapour touches is kind of the first thing you taste,” Sean explains as Steve immediately identifies the citrus peel lifting from the glass.The neat tasting reveals gin’s textural potential. “Some of the flavours you’ll find immediately at the front are root driven,” Sean notes, describing how angelica root, liquorice root, and orris root land along the palate’s sides, while spices create warmth sensations in the middle. Steve’s poetic response captures the experience: “It’s like tire tracks leaving warmth on the road, and little critters looking up after it’s passed.” Triple Juniper With Coastal TonicAdding Strange Love’s coastal tonic with lemon and lemon thyme transforms the experience entirely. The salinity in the tonic connects with multiple citrus compounds, creating what Sean calls “a thing of beauty.” Steve describes the dilution effect as moving from aggressive light show to “Aurora across the horizon,” softer but bigger.The garnish selection proves crucial. Lemon thyme adds familiar yet unexpected notes, while the lemon provides what Steve characterises as an “echo chamber effect.” The finish reveals angelica root’s savoury qualities, part of the celery family and used worldwide in stocks and soups. Oyster Shell Gin ExperienceThe second gin immediately establishes its distinctive character. “Oyster shell gin makes everything taste like seafood for a significant amount of time,” Sean warns, explaining why distillation schedules matter. The neat tasting surprises Steve, who expected fishiness but discovers instead a coastal complexity featuring wakame seaweed and native Australian botanicals.“It’s whacked up a quick sandcastle across my palate,” Steve observes, finding nothing fishy but something entirely different from Triple Juniper. Sean’s botanical selection includes Elysia coastal daisy bush, native rosemary-like Florio, saltbush, and Geraldton Wax from Western Australia, which creates “almost like a lemongrass, lime leaf note.”With coastal tonic, lime, and lime leaf, the gin becomes what Steve describes as “icy poles at swimming carnivals.” The lime performs like a beach rake, cleaning ...
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