Never Never Re-releases Coffee and Cacao Gin

Two of the Worlds Best in Bar Leone and the highly awarded distillery Never Never have re-released their most celebrated collaboration together, Coffee and Cacao Gin.

Bar Leone won World’s Best Bar at the World’s Top 50 Bar Awards late last year and has recently opened a new representation of their now famous bar in Shanghai. It was this moment that presented an opportunity for Never Never to revisit the classic flavours of their 2023 release.

“We sent a pallet of our original Coffee and Cacao Gin to Hong Kong,” says Never Never Co-Founder Sean Baxter, “and then it promptly sold out here in Australia. Lorenzo couldn’t ship the original 500ml bottle from Hong Kong to China without going through the process of importation and paying duty taxes so we decided to re-release the product, again just for his new bar in Shanghai,” says Sean.

“When Hong Kong runs out, no doubt we will send it there as well,” Sean laughs, “but for now the new release will only be available in Bar Leone Shanghai and through our distillery door and website,” says Sean.

The re-release uses the same ingredients as the original, capturing flavours that include roasted coffee bean, cacao nib, cacao butter, coconut cream and bergamot peel. “Coffee and Cacao tastes like standing at a bar in Rome ordering an espresso and a sfogliatelle before midday,” says Sean, “it’s an exciting combination of roasted coffee aromatics and earthy cacao character, built for exceptional classic cocktails.”

Lorenzo Antinori, founder of Bar Leone agrees, “I love the nod to Italy – these flavours are truly representative of both food and drinks tradition, this gin excites me because it carries a big body with lots of layers of flavours: toasted ones, umami but also citrusy and floral,” he says. Coffee & Cacao Gin was the first gin created by Never Never Distilling Co. that was specifically crafted to make exceptional Negronis. Since then the team have gone on to make their bottled cocktail Panettone Negroni which has won World’s Best Contemporary Cocktail at the World Gin Awards in London.

Never Never know negronis. “If we’re making a gin aligned to the very best that Italy and now the world has to offer it better make a damn good Negroni,” says Sean. “We wanted to build a gin whose purpose was to create delicious coffee and chocolate forward Negronis and work with the dark earthy flavours found in Italian sweet vermouth,” he says.

Cacao butter is ‘washed’ into the gin to give a rich and decadent mouthfeel. The added palate weight allows the earthy tones of coffee and chocolate to linger and extend into darker spices and soft vanilla notes. Distilled coconut cream is also added to amplify the mouthfeel.

“Washing spirit with fats is definitely something very prevalent within the bar community,” says Sean, “however it’s still largely something that doesn’t occur as a production technique within gin,” he says. Innovation is an important part of why Never Never continues to collaborate with the best bartenders and venues in the world. This innovation extends from everything to ingredient selection, production technique or even the spirit category.

“When it comes to gin Never Never make some of the best in class,” says Lorenzo, “I’ve developed a friendship with the team, because we all share similar visions; quality over quantity, creative but still approachable,” he says. Never Never also enjoyed building a gin that captured the heart of Italian enthusiasm for big, bold flavour. “Bar Leone is a venue that is all about Italian fun, football and flavour, we wanted this gin to be a reflection of that attitude,” says Sean.

“Above or else we wanted to ensure our gin represented that same spirit that champions Roman caffé culture, its people and the passion that beats through the streets of Trastevere.” The bright colours of the label and checkerboard design pay homage to not only the iconic colours and design of the venue but also the Roma football team, its famous orange and maroon football strip. “The colours chosen for the gin bottle have a very strong nostalgic feel,” says Lorenzo, “they make me feel at home and work so well with our brand and universe,” he says.

ABOUT COFFEE AND CACAO GIN

SMELL: Freshly ground coffee beans and liberally dusted cocoa powder, mingle with scraped vanilla bean and zested bergamot. Smells like a Roman espresso counter before midday.

TASTE: Decadent and rich, with espresso bean slowly developing into a dominant cacao mid palate. Subtle pepper and citrus pine extend late.

FINISH: Outrageously long and complex, with cacao adding a buttery mouthfeel and heavy palate weight.

NEVER NEVER SIGNATURE SERVE: Leone Negroni

30ml Coffee & Cacao Gin
30ml Campari
30ml Punt E Mes
Orange wedge garnish
Stir over ice and pour over clear ice cube. Garnish with orange wedge

Coffee and Cacao Gin is available now. For more information visit https://neverneverdistilling.com.au