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Red carpet, press interviews, welcome drinks, canapés, an espresso martini tower - here’s exactly how we mixed elegance with art. The Arrival We rolled out the red carpet, brought in a photographer, and nominated the most extroverted friend we know to run press interviews. Every guest was asked a couple of questions, snapped for photos, then welcomed with an Ink Elderflower Fizz at the door. It’s a classic for a reason - fresh, floral, and an instant crowd-pleaser. Ink Elderflower Fizz 45ml Ink Gin 15ml elderflower liqueur 15ml fresh lemon juice Top with soda Ice Fresh grapefruit & lemon myrtle (optional) Once inside, guests were handed their first round of canapés, simple to make, but effortlessly luxe. Cucumber Bites with Dill Cream & Smoked Salmon Makes ~30 bites | Prep: 10 mins You’ll need 3 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into rounds 250g cream cheese ½ cup sour cream (or thick Greek yoghurt) 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tsp zest Salt & cracked black pepper 200g smoked salmon, torn into small folds How toMix cream cheese, sour cream, dill, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper until smooth.Spoon or pipe onto cucumber slices, top with smoked salmon, finish with cracked pepper and extra dill. ServeChilled. Best assembled within 2–3 hours for maximum crunch and freshness. As more canapés made their way around, the space came alive — film stills lined the walls, QR codes linked to the soundtrack, drinks were flowing, and the room slowly filled with that pre-screening buzz. Lights Down, Martinis Up Once night fell, it was time. Just before the film played, two “bartenders” got shaking for our Jaffa Espresso Martini Tower - a proper moment. The Jaffa Espresso Martini (1 serve) 45ml Ink Bitter Orange Gin 60ml cold brew coffee 15ml Mr Black 10ml sugar syrup Garnish: freshly grated orange zest (and chocolate, if you’re feeling extra) For the full breakdown, head to our blog Jaffa Espresso Martini Tower. Espressos in hand, the film rolled. After the credits, we lingered, chatting, buzzing, soaking it all in, before heading out to keep the night going.

Sip slowly or shake things up this Valentine’s Day Ink Gin Sloe & Berry is one of those rare drinks that’s just as lovely sipped slowly as it is mixed into something sparkling. Bright tart sloes balanced by soft, ripe berry sweetness make it a beautiful after-dinner pour over ice - an easy, dessert-style tipple that feels indulgent without being heavy. For Valentine’s Day (or Galentine's Day!), that same lush fruit character becomes the perfect base for two simple, romantic cocktails. One light and refreshing, the other silky and citrus-driven - depending on your mood, your company, or your menu. Ink Sloe Fizz Bright, lively and effortlessly pretty in the glass. 60ml Ink Sloe & Berry Gin30ml fresh lemon juice15ml simple syrupSoda water Build over ice in a wine glass, top with a splash of soda, and garnish with a strawberry or lemon slice. Ink Sloe & Berry Sour Velvety, balanced and just a touch more decadent. 45ml Ink Sloe & Berry Gin 25ml fresh lemon juice 20ml simple syrup 1 egg white (for foam!) Dry shake all ingredients (without ice), then shake again with ice. This makes it extra fluffy. Double strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe class. Impress the girls this Galantine's and finish with a dusting of rosella sugar. We created the lips pictured above by printing and cutting out a stencil on normal printer paper, and it worked perfectly.  Whether you’re keeping things low-key or going all out, these serves bring colour, flavour and a little magic to the glass.

If there’s one meal worth doing properly, it’s Christmas lunch in our subtropical Australian summer. We have a very big family, so Christmas is never exactly relaxing. But it is always fun, full of beach time at Kingscliff, cricket in the paddocks at Husk Farm, and of course plenty of delicious drinks & food. Everyone always pitches in to help, and the priority is always to make sure no one stuck in the kitchen for too long.  We had a mini Christmas lunch on the farm with some friends and family a few weeks ago, so we thought we'd share some recipes, tips & tricks on how we make everything go smoothly. Rule 1: Keep Drinks Simple & Central A self-serve Ink G&T Station is the easiest way to keep everyone happy without overthinking it. Set it up right near the lunch table so guests can help themselves and stay part of the atmosphere. Download our printable G&T station menus here. Rule 2: Do a few dishes well Christmas food doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be generous. 2 proteins and 3 sides/salads will normally do the trick. Plus prawns, because of course we need prawns.  The host normally looks after the proteins and we commission some guests to look after a salad each.  We always have a free range Northern Rivers ham as the centrepiece, glazed with our Husk Bam Bam Rum. These are so easy to make, and will feed lots of people.  Rule 3: Finish with Something Fun Christmas desserts are made for rum, and our sister brand Husk Rum delivers. Whether it's Paul's famous rum soaked flaming Christmas pud or rum spike tiramisu, Husk Bam Bam is the perfect spirit to spice up your Christmas desserts.   Rum balls are a classic, but this year we turned them into a Husk Bam Bam Rum Ball Christmas Tree. It looked amazing! We made it the day before, and everyone just helped themselves on the day. Full recipe is below...  Husk Bam Bam Rum Ball Christmas Tree 🍫🎄 Ingredients 250g biscuits (Marie or Milk Coffee) 1 cup desiccated coconut ¼ cup cocoa powder 1 tin condensed milk (395g) 80ml Husk Bam Bam Optional: nuts, choc chips, orange zest Method Crush biscuits Mix with coconut, cocoa and condensed milk Add Bam Bam and combine Chill for 20–30 minutes Roll into balls and coat in extra coconut Chill for 1 hour Use toothpicks to spike strawberries and rum balls into a foam cone Prep a day ahead and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. At the end of the day, the best Christmas lunches are the ones that feel relaxed, with full tables, full glasses, and plenty of time together. However you’re doing Christmas this year, we hope it’s filled with great food, good company, and plenty of Ink Gin. From our family to yours, cheers!    

We’re calling it: champagne towers are out, espresso martini towers are in. And while we’ll always have love for champagne, there’s something about 8pm that calls for something a little deeper, richer, and more energising. After trialling this ourselves at a recent event, we can confidently confirm, this one’s a show-stopper. You’re probably wondering: how does the foam work when you’re pouring from the top?Good question. There are actually two ways to do it, which means you get the best of both worlds. The Jaffa Espresso Martini (1 serve) 45ml Ink Bitter Orange Gin 60ml cold brew coffee 15ml Mr Black 10ml sugar syrup Shaken very very hard on ice and double strained.  Garnish: freshly grated orange zest (and chocolate, if you’re feeling extra).  Building the Espresso Martini Tower Here’s how we did it. We worked in two-espresso batches, with two people shaking at once, because espresso martini foam only holds for around 5 minutes at its peak. Our tower was 4 tiers (30 coupes total), so we poured all the liquid into the glasses first, then stacked the tower once they were filled. At first, it’s stunning. Rich crema, glossy foam, the whole moment. And while the foam does naturally settle over time, that’s where the final move comes in. In true champagne-tower style, we shake one last espresso extra hard for maximum foam and pour it right at the top, letting it cascade down through the tower. It’s beautiful, dramatic, and feels genuinely unique. And honestly? We don’t know about you, but we’d take an espresso martini over champagne any day. For more, head to @ink_gin on Instagram.   

If you’ve got friends or family popping over this summer, a little G&T station is the easiest help-yourself moment. It looks beautiful, feels effortless, and honestly takes no time to set up. What we used: 1 x Tablecloth 1 x bag of ice, an esky & an ice scoop  1 x Ink Gin 700ml 1 x Tonic bottle 1 x Soda bottle 6 x Stemless glasses A handful of dehydrated citrus A handful of cranberries A handful of rosemary 3 x pretty bowls to display the garnish  How we put it together: Start with a small table and lay down your favourite tablecloth.Tip your bag of ice into a little esky and slide it underneath the table. We all know how fast ice melts in the Australian summer. The tablecloth can hide the esky - just tell guests where it is.  If you like, gently pour your tonic and soda into prettier bottles (ours were literally $1 from Kmart) and place them at the back of the table clearly labelled. Line up your glasses on one side, pop your garnishes into the three silver dessert bowls, and then the hero of the whole thing, your Ink Gin, goes right in the centre. Cute, simple, summery perfection. 🍋✨   PRINTABLE MENUS We've put together an easy printable menu for your station. You can view and edit the menu at this link. 

There are two types of Christmas mornings: the chaotic, wrapping paper everywhere kind, and the slow, morning sun drenched “let’s make something cute and delicious” kind. This one’s for the second crew! We’re talking homemade blueberry bagels fresh from the oven and a fresh Ink Sloe Sunset in hand. Trust us, this combo couldn't work better.  Screenshot this for later 🌲✨ Ink Sloe Sunset Your new favourite “breakfast cocktail.” It's like a Mimosa - light, fresh, and a little bit boujeeee. You’ll need: Ice to the top  Orange juice  A dash of soda  60ml Ink Sloe & Berry Gin A slice of orange to garnish  Build in the glass, starting with LOTS of ice. Half fill the glass with orange juice, add a big dash of soda water, and then very slowly pour the gin over the top of the mix, so that it gently floats on top of the ice.  Homemade Blueberry Bagels These look impressive but they’re honestly surprisingly simple - and the warm blueberry aroma is chef’s kiss on Christmas morning. Ingredients: 450g bread flour 2tsp instant yeast  50g sugar 1½ tsp salt 240ml warm water 200g blueberries 1 tbsp honey (for boiling)  Method: Mix flour, yeast, sugar + salt in a bowl. Add warm water + blueberries and bring it together into a dough. Knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth. Let it rise for 1 hour. Shape into 8 cute little bagels. Boil each side for 1–2 minutes in honey water (this is what makes them chewy). Bake at 220°C for 20–25 minutes until golden. Serve warm, Sloe Sunset in hand, and you're ready for some present opening!!

An easy, beautiful and lower-alcohol gin cocktail made with fridge ingredients - fresh orange juice, soda and Ink Sloe & Berry Gin.

Buttery scones, making fresh strawberry jam, and shaking up a bonus cocktail - the Ink Strawberry Jamz made with Ink Sloe & Berry Gin.

  If you’re looking for a cocktail that’s equal parts zesty and chic, the Marmalade Martini is your go-to! It’s fresh, slightly tangy, and has that subtle sweetness that only marmalade can bring. Perfect for impressing at brunch or lunch, or for a high tea!  Edwina (part of the founding family of Ink Gin) is an incredible baker. She pulled together a high tea which included this delicious martini perfect for brunch. Here's the full recipe, and it's super easy...  Ingredients 15ml or a generous teaspoon of orange marmalade 30ml lemon juice 60ml Ink Gin Method Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir down gently until everything is chilled and beautifully blended. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with edible flowers or a twist of orange rind for that final touch. Serving Tip This cocktail looks gorgeous served up in a crystal martini glass, and a pop of orange rind or flower garnish makes it a total showstopper. Watch the reel on our IG @ink _gin and check out @edwinajane__ for more at home recipes.