A fascination with the notion of the unattainable ideal drink led to a series of trials and experiments, a journey into the alchemy of batch distillation. The result is the Melbourne Gin Company, the latest creation by winemaker Andrew Marks of Wanderer Wines and Gembrook Hill Vineyard.

Each botanical is distilled separately and then blended to Melbourne Gin Company's recipe, essentially a winemaker's approach. They use a copper pot bain-marie alembic still, traditionally used for making perfume, to preserve the delicate nature of the botanicals.

You will no doubt reconise the juniper berries and coriander seeds associated with London Dry Gin. These classic foundations are blended with local botanicals of macadamia, sandalwood, honey lemon myrtle, rosemary, grapefruit and organic naval orange; as well as exotics of the angelica root, orris root and cassia bark.

The final component is the water - rainwater from Gembrook in the Yarra Ranges, 60km from melbourne, with a purity that allows the botanicals to shine through.