When is gin not just a drink? When it embodies the spirit of family, joy and connection.
Founders of the recently opened Caboolture gin distillery Temple of Juniper, Erin and Charles King, said the heart of their brand is a love for family, tradition, and the art of gathering together.
“Charles and I visited the Stanthorpe area as we had dreamt of owning a winery, but we quickly learned it would likely cost millions,” Erin said. “Around the same time, my Dad was making gin from leftover wine grapes in a small still – that inspired us to start.
“It has taken about four years, as we wanted Temple of Juniper to be visitable, not just a factory. We found the premises in Caboolture to be perfect for us. It’s a great location and has a mezzanine floor we have fitted out as a beautiful tasting area.
“The name Temple of Juniper is a play on words and a nod to family culture. Gin is not gin without juniper. And in Lebanon, there is a Temple of Jupiter, and Charles has Lebanese heritage.”
Honouring Family Through Every Bottle
Family is very important to the Kings and touches every aspect of the business. On each bottle is a small AZ logo representing the initials of their daughters, Amal and Zahra. Amal is seven years old, while Zahra will always be three months old.
“Zahra was born very early and only had a short time with us,” Erin said. “She is part of our family and we will never forget her.
“Also, our large production still is named Mary after Charles’ mother.”
Temple of Juniper currently offers two gins – Mediterranean Summer Gin, described as having fresh aromatic notes, including lemon myrtle, cinnamon, and grapefruit; and Middle Eastern Spiced Gin with notes of crushed cinnamon, allspice, mountain pepperberry and anise.
Charles and Erin are working on another flavour of gin to be released before Christmas and are also experimenting with whisky.
Tasting times are held at the venue on 4/23 Evans Drive, Caboolture, on Fridays between 12pm and 6pm and Saturdays between 10am and 4pm.
For more information, go to templeofjuniper.com.au
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