First Impressions
78 degrees is the angle at which ethanol evaporates — the fundamental scientific principle that makes distillation possible. Adelaide Hills Distillery, established in Hay Valley in the Adelaide Hills wine region, named their gin after this angle. Launched in 2015, 78 Degrees Classic is made from a grape spirit base — a natural choice in wine country — with 12 botanicals vapour-infused through the still rather than steeped in the spirit. The vapour infusion method extracts volatile aromatics without the heavier compounds that maceration can introduce.
Tasting
The nose is liquorice root and anise with piney juniper, light coriander, orris root and lime juice with a peppery tingle — pungently aromatic, the grape base adding silky qualities. On the palate, viscous and silky: citrus sorbet, juniper and dried herbal notes seamlessly integrated, creamy and spicy. Sweet citrus expands into floral and bramble accents. The grape spirit provides a mouthfeel that grain cannot match — rounder, fuller, more textured. The finish is creamy with star anise and clove warmth, cinnamon emerging, juniper persisting.
The Bottom Line
78 Degrees earns a 7 — Gold at the World Gin Awards validates the approach. The grape spirit base in Adelaide Hills wine country is a natural fit, and vapour infusion produces a purity of flavour that heavier methods miss. The name is a gentle reminder that gin is, at its core, applied chemistry — and when the chemistry is right, the result is art. Best with a premium tonic and a slice of grapefruit.
