Gallivanter is the flagship gin from Itinerant Spirits, distilled in small batches at the company's heritage-listed distillery in Ballarat, in Western Victoria. It is built as a full-flavoured, unapologetically juniper-led gin rather than a soft contemporary style.
Bright citrus leads the way, with creamy lemon, mandarin and grapefruit up front. Much of that lift comes from lemon drop wax, a native botanical hand-foraged in the Grampians. Roasted wattleseed, green Szechuan pepper and nutmeg banda sit underneath, adding aromatic warmth, a savoury edge and real depth through the middle.
The finish is dry and peppery, with juniper reasserting itself. It has the intensity to cut through tonic without disappearing, and makes a particularly assertive martini or negroni.