MACq 01’s new Tasmanian gins have some very interesting stories to tell

Tasmanian gin

Hobart is a city of stories, so it makes sense that you’ll find different storytelling techniques in the Tassie capital.

I realised that at Dark Mofo one year, running around the epic Winter Feast and asking a tonne of questions to all the local artisans. Everyone here has a fascinating history and knows exactly how to tell it in a way that’s both engaging and memorable. It speaks to just how strong Hobart’s identity is, with locals growing up surrounded by tales of convicts doing wild things, and ambitious characters looking to take on the world and produce so full-flavoured and bountiful that there’s little surprise when someone claims the country’s southernmost capital as its best.

It makes sense that Hobart has a storytelling hotel.

Not in the sense that it’s a historic hotel perfectly channelling its history to offer guests a strong sense of place (that’s more applicable to the neighbouring Henry Jones Art Hotel). This one takes a different approach to storytelling.

MACq 01 has been serving as one of the best luxury hotels in Australia for quite a few years now. It is.

The building’s outsized swagger is peppered with fascinating design features and a penchant for digging deep into Hobart’s history, constantly finding ways to pull guests close to the city and wrap them in both the good, the bad, and the horribly ugly.

Even the lobby bathroom has a sign pointing towards that specific space’s history. It deepens the experience of Hobart as a whole, which is why MACq 01 enjoys the reputation it does.

Most notable is the way the rooms are styled. Each is individually designed and assigned to a figure from Tasmania’s colourful  (and often) tragic history. Any astute Hollywood director or screenwriter would stay here and walk away with at least a dozen new ideas for films. They’d be hits too. In fact, one of the rooms takes after Saroo Brierley, the young boy whose story formed the backbone of Nicole Kidman hit Lion.

A new way to tell stories

In a nod to MACq 01 as a constant source of inspiration for visitors, the 114-room hotel has worked with McHenry Distillery to create a collection of Gin Tales.

That is, a series of five newly released gins, each serving as an extension of the hotel’s storytelling experience.

Launched just last month, Gin Tales is an ongoing offering at the hotel to further its love of immersive storytelling, with each premium crafted gin informed by overarching character traits shared by those from Tasmania’s history.

The characters chosen to base these gins on are all either pioneers, creative innovators, or just slightly mad travellers who have made their mark on the world in their own unique way.

Take Jørgen Jørgensen for example. The Danish adventurer was part of the HMS Lady Nelson crew that “founded” Tasmania, only to con his way into becoming the ruling King of Iceland in 1809. That’s a position he held for a very short time, with the dubious nomad eventually sent back to Tasmania…as a convict.

His traits are distilled into the Colouful & Quirky gin, which rests on its bill of lime and strawberries for a deceptively sweet front palate that gives way to undertones of wax flower and juniper. The slightly golden colour of the gin makes the bottle shine in a way you wouldn’t expect from a bottle of gin. But presenting something unexpected is the point.

Both hotel guests and just about anyone can book into a $35 tasting of the gins, guided by one of the hotel’s storytellers who tells of these wild tales and explains why each trait was chosen and how it was translated into gin.

“Gin Tales is our way of bringing Tasmania’s history and character to the glass, inviting guests to experience the stories that shape our identity in a relaxed, entertaining way,” explained MACq 01’s Head of Brand & Marketing, Danika Porter.

“We make memories through many senses, and our new gin range and experience allows guests to connect deeply with the unique history of our state, as well as hopefully discover a favourite new tipple.”

Given gin is the spirit most open to experimentation, being able to taste unique combinations of Tasmania’s storied produce is a great addition to the city’s already robust hospitality offering. I would imagine this would go down particularly well during Dark Mofo, when eccentric art performances and Tasmania’s stories converge.

The gins were crafted at McHenry Distillery in the Tasman Peninsula with heavy involvement from the hotel’s brand ambassadors, storytellers and mixologists. Each ingredient was chosen to reflect the state’s rugged, untamped landscape while also nodding to the strong sense of identity that comes with its geography.

Given the family-run distillery has springs running through its property, with access to soft spring water, the gins are invariably excellent. Though some are better than others, I find.

Take the Grounded, Yet Exceptional release with its notes of honey, orange and aniseed, perfectly playing off the more earthy addition of myrtle with a back palate full of ginger and rosemary. The barrel-aged gin is one of the most remarkably unique I’ve tasted in a good few years, and the easy highlight of the one-hour tasting sessions.

The remaining gins are so vastly different. You’ve got the Curious & Creative, light on the palate with a bright blend of lemon verbena and strawberry gum with fennel seed, mountain pepper and aniseed myrtle. The clean taste would work well with a G&T. More full-bodied is the Hearty & Resilient, which takes ingredients picked from harsh environments like sloe berries, seaweed, pigface and lemon myrtle. Rounding it out is the Fighting Believer, with cardamom, moutain pepper and ginger undercut by orange and wild Damson plum.

I’ve never even seen some of these botanicals used in gin before, let alone as part of some fascinating combinations. But then again, I rarely know what to expect every time I go down to Hobart. The tiny city is so unfairly skilled at crafting surprises (maybe David Walsh is to thank) that it’s really one of the only places in the world that could host a festival like Dark Mofo.

I look forward to the next surprise.

Gin Tales Details

MACq 01’s Gin Tales tasting is priced at $35 per person and is guided for one hour by one of the hotel’s storytellers. You’ll get five 15mL pours from the exclusive gin collection, which is only available at the hotel. Tastings take place at 5 pm every day from Monday to Saturday. You don’t have to be a hotel guest to book.

Bookings can be made online or by e-mailing hello@macq01.com.au

 

Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.