Four Pillars moves into RTDs

Australian producer Four Pillars has unveiled Rare Dry Gin & Tonic, its first ready-to-drink (RTD) product.

To make the RTD, Four Pillars co-founder and distiller Cam Mackenzie created a concentrated version of the brand’s flagship Rare Dry Gin using double the amount of botanicals and additional organic oranges.

He employed this technique to ensure the beverage contains just one standard alcoholic drink per can while delivering the full flavour of a gin and tonic.

He also developed a bespoke tonic for the premixed drink.

“It’s Rare Dry Gin on steroids. We set out to make a gin and tonic, not a tonic and gin, so the ratios were really important,” Mackenzie said.

“We had our hyper-concentrated, flavour-packed Rare Dry Gin and we needed a tonic that complemented but didn’t dominate it. So, we made a tonic inspired by a few of our favourites that did just that.

“Next, we tinkered and toiled and tasted many, many times because we realised that if we were to release a Four Pillars G&T in a can, we wanted it to be the best in the business. So that’s what we hope we’ve made. It is our Rare Dry Gin & Tonic, ready to go and as good as we can make it. Delicious, clean, refreshing and just the right balance of sweet, sour and bitter.”

Sitting at 5.1% ABV, the new G&Ts are priced at AU$27.99 (US$20.26) per four pack of 250ml cans.

They are available from the Four Pillars Healesville Distillery and Four Pillars Surry Hills Laboratory, as well as from retailers including Dan Murphy’s, Vintage Cellars and Ritchie’s.

Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin earned a Master medal in our Gin Masters tasting, held earlier this year.

The producer is currently in the midst of expanding its brand home and production facility in Healesville.