Gin-ger Cheer: In the Spirit of Christmas

Let’s be honest — by the time December rolls around, most parents are running on a cocktail of caffeine, carols, and chaotic school concerts. So when a distillery decides to add gold, frankincense, and myrrh to gin, we call that divine intervention.

Distillery Botanica — the globally award-winning distillery tucked away on the NSW Central Coast — is bringing all the festive spirit (literally) this season, complete with glittering Christmas gin, a berrylicious liqueur, and a workshop that sounds suspiciously like therapy disguised as craft.

The Gin-gerbread House We Actually Want to Build

Forget the Pinterest-perfect gingerbread fails of Christmases past. This year, Distillery Botanica has teamed up with Adri’s Gingerbread — a Central Coast icon — to create the ultimate festive experience: the Gin-gerbread House Decorating Workshop.

Held at the Erina distillery on November 8 (1:30pm–3pm) and December 13 (11:30am–1pm), tickets are $95 per person and include a gingerbread house to build, decorate, and (let’s be real) nibble on — all while sipping a special Christmas gin and ginger beer made with the distillery’s We Three Kings gin. That’s right: a workshop where “drinking while crafting” is not only allowed, it’s encouraged.

A Spirit So Festive It’s Practically Singing Mariah Carey

The We Three Kings Christmas Gin is the kind of bottle that deserves centre stage on your bar cart — shimmering with edible gold and distilled with frankincense, myrrh, and the warm, pudding-y flavours of Christmas. It’s indulgent, aromatic, and, like a good Christmas movie, somehow comforting no matter how many times you revisit it.

At $99 a bottle, it’s only available in limited quantities — and trust us, it will sell out faster than a prime parking spot at Westfield in December.

A Berry Merry Twist on Christmas Cheer
If gin’s not your thing (we’ll try not to judge), Distillery Botanica has something special for your dessert trolley too. This year’s Boysenberry Liqueur ($65) is the summer essential you didn’t know you needed — rich, velvety, and made with handpicked Tasmanian boysenberries. It’s like Christmas pudding in liquid form, but chic.

Serve it over vanilla ice cream, shake it into a Boysenberry Bramble, or sip it slowly while wrapping gifts at midnight. Because nothing says “festive spirit” like a parent quietly celebrating survival with a glass of ruby-red calm.

The Perfect Parent Gift That Isn’t Socks or a Scented Candle

For those who prefer gifting experiences over wrapping paper drama, Distillery Botanica offers a full menu of very adult field trips:

• Distil Your Own Vodka Workshop – $99 per person (1 hour)

• Distil Your Own Gin Workshop – $180 per person (2–2.5 hours)

• Flawless Cocktail Making Class – $95 per person (1.5 hours)

• Garden & Distillery Tour – $45 per person (1.5 hours)

• Guided Tour with Master Distiller Philip Moore – $65 per person (1.5–2 hours, first Sunday each month)

Add a cheese platter for $10, and you’ve just designed the perfect parent date — one that combines gin, greenery, and zero Peppa Pig interruptions.

Why Parents Love It HereSet on the site formerly known as The Fragrant Gardens in Erina, the distillery feels like a hidden world: juniper bushes, lemon myrtle, rosemary, and a martini-glass fountain (yes, a literal martini fountain). It’s where nature meets indulgence, and suddenly the concept of “botanical balance” makes total sense.

When & Where

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am–4pm (closed Monday, Tuesday, and public holidays).
Book your Christmas workshops, buy gin, or gift someone else a reason to unwind at www.distillerybotanica.com.

So this festive season, skip the generic gifts and go for something that truly distils the spirit of Christmas — equal parts joy, laughter, and just enough gin to get through wrapping the kids’ presents.