Hickson Rd Distillery has collaborated with celebrated chef Sean Connolly to hold a series of Distillers’ Table dinners.

The dinners are being held among the craft distillery’s atmospheric copper stills and oak barrels. Hosted by distillery owner Mikey Enright and distiller Tim Stones, they provide a rare opportunity and unforgettable experience for just 20 foodies and gin lovers each night.

Enright and his bar team have built a range of new cocktails around the distillery’s new Seven Spice Gin, with Connolly creating a menu to match the drinks.

Seven Spice Gin is a ‘culinary spirit’, designed to enhance the meal occasion and provide an alternative to beer and wine. A complex, savoury and mildly peppery gin, it has been crafted specifically for pairing with food, especially grilled meats and seafood.

The gin features a delicate blend of seven local ingredients: native lemongrass, mountain pepper leaf, aniseed myrtle, finger lime, wattleseed, bush tomato and lemon myrtle, carefully balanced with traditional juniper.

Highlights of the delicious Distiller’s Table dinners include Dry-Aged Duck paired with a Seven Spice Carrotini (Seven Spice Gin, Aquavit, roasted carrot, Lillet Blanc, orange bitters), Scallops & Native Citrus Butter matched to the Seven Spice Myrtle Mayhem (Seven Spice Gin, fino sherry, lemon myrtle with HRd, Seven Spice salt rim) , and Basque Cheesecake with Quince & Wattleseed with a Magnificent Seven (Seven Spice Gin, Pommeau de Normandie, ginger, lemon curd, tonka bean & wattleseed).

“I loved the challenge of creating a botanical-based menu,” Connolly said.

“Each dish heroes one botanical with the others supporting. Sitting at the bar learning about gins with Mikey and his expert team was a spiritual experience – pun intended. As we tasted Seven Spice Gin the culinary magic just happened naturally – I hope you agree.”

“I’ve always wanted to bring my love of cooking into the distillery,” Stones added. “Seven Spice Gin reaps the rewards and celebrates the challenges of working with Australian native botanicals, so vastly different to anything that grows elsewhere. The distillery dinners will be a unique opportunity to get closer to the gin and its creation.”

Drinks Digest sampled the sublime food pairing menu this week and it’s a knock-out. While three of the remaining dinners have sold out, there are still seats available for June 15 and 29.

Book tickets here for $195pp including all food and drinks. 

Hickson House Cocktail Hour will also run from Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 6pm, offering two-for-one specials on a range of Seven Spice cocktails.

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