After more than 18 months of research, COMO The Treasury has launched its first spirit, Horizon Gin, and four individual Cape Arid tea blends.

The new products will take centre stage at the hotel’s elegant Cape Arid Afternoon Tea Experience. The rooms take their name from the Cape Arid watercolour and ink paintings on its walls by Alex and Philippa Nikulinsky.

The introduction of the new Horizon Gin and the tea blends coincide with the fourth iteration of the hotel’s Afternoon Teas called the Cape Arid Rooms Seal Creek Edition Afternoon Tea. Seal Creek in the Cape Arid National Park is known for its stunningly beautiful beaches, clear blue seas and rocky headlands. 

“It’s the evolution of a uniquely WA experience,” says Executive General Manager of Perth’s State Buildings, Byron Wright, “giving our guests an experience of WA’s iconic Cape Arid region through art, food and drink in a beautiful place like COMO The Treasury’s Cape Arid Rooms.” 

David Price, Esperance Distillery Co Head Distiller, explains: “My son and I embarked on an expedition to Cape Arid to forage wild botanicals in consultation with the traditional owners. Our mission was to create a spirit that unlocks the flavour of the region. The goal was to select botanicals with flavours that embody the wild untouched spirit of Cape Arid and create a gin bouquet that reflected the botanicals depicted within Alex and Philippa Nikulinsky’s artwork. The result is a beautifully complex and hand-crafted gin with a tea tree and floral boronia crescendo followed with minty lemon overtones. It is Cape Arid in a bottle!” 

A series of striking watercolour interpretations of the gin’s key botanicals by Aboriginal-led Perth-based studio Nani were the inspiration of the label design. 

The four distinctly different tea blends – named Hill Springs, Thomas River, Tagon Bay and Seal Creek after iconic parts of Cape Arid National Park – were developed by master blender David Levi of Perth’s Teassential. They represent Cape Arid locations that inspired the Nikulinsky’s and their flavours range from sencha, river mint, finger lime and globe amaranth to quandong, strawberry gum and hibiscus. 

Prices start from $78 per person. 

For bookings please visit www.capearidrooms.com.au

 

About the gin 

Horizon Gin - $90.00

It began with father and son: David Price and James McCarthy-Price. An avid gardener, a wild windsurfer, a deep passion for local greenery, and the creation of Australia’s smallest gin distillery. Bottling the spirit of a remote coastal region became an impassioned endeavour that led to the beginnings of the Esperance Distillery Co, and there a deeply personal partnership with the team at the Cape Arid Rooms began. 

About the teas 

Hill Springs Edition - $25.00

White peony, strawberry gum, gulbarn, eucalypt, lemon myrtle (85º/4 mins)

Hill Springs shades of green vegetation inspire this blend of four distinctly unique, yet complementary combinations of the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family. 

Thomas River Edition- $25.00

Sencha, river mint, finger lime, globe amaranth (75º/4 mins)

The invigoration of a Thomas River sea breeze inspires this blend of Australian grown Sencha, native mint and zesty finger lime. A cooling, seasonally driven sip. 

Tagon Bay Edition - $25.00

Quandong, strawberry gum, hibiscus (100º/4 mins)

The colours of Tagon Bay, a beautifully blushed brew produced by the bold and tart combinations of quandong and hibiscus, balanced by the freshness of strawberry gum. 

Seal Creek Edition - $25.00

Black tea, wattle seeds, pepper berry, apple, davidson plum, cocoa husk, marigold, blue cornflower (85º/4 mins)

Inspired by the layered texture of golden banksia growing from the blackened ground. Australian black tea and wattle seed layered with apple and cocoa husk form a warm, toasty sweetness. The perfect drink on a cold evening 

All are available to purchase via shop.statebuildings.com or within the Cape Arid Rooms