Food, drinks, and now Tasmania has its own fragrance

Tasmania has built a formidable reputation for its food and wine, and now the island state has its own fragrance. 

Wild fragrance GONDWANA by Undersong has just launched in one of Tasmania's most picturesque locations. 

The perfumery is located overlooking the water at Bicheno’s The Gulch, a noted east coast beauty spot, and is open by appointment. 

Undersong founder Hilary Burden, a former ABC journalist and author (right), says GONDWANA Eau de Parfum "evokes a love of land from old time, an era when flowering plants first arrived in the southern hemisphere 100 million years ago".

Tasmania has some of the rarest temperate rainforests in the world with links to the former great southern landmass of Gondwana. 

The limited-release wild fragrance aims to distil the essence of Earth’s temperate rainforests and evoke a love of plants older than human life.

GONDWANA was chosen from six Undersong aromatic mists (all steam-distilled hydrosol blends created by Burden) by Grasse-based master perfumer Marianne Nawrocki, who specialises in natural fragrances. 

Burden worked alongside Nawrocki at the Grasse Institute of Perfumery in France during the summer of 2023. Together they lifted the fragrance’s intensity and longevity.

Returning to Australia, Burden continued to fine-tune her scent with Sydney-based independent perfumer Jocelyn Fullerton. 

GONDWANA Eau de Parfum is described as "a woody-aromatic scent that opens with piquant Tasmanian pepper leaf and Sassafras. 

These native ingredients lend their vibrant energies to White cypress leaf, Cabreuva wood and Tasmanian Celery Top pine, creating a primordial harmony of nature in balance, an odour of temperate rainforests, of leaves, flowers, and heartwood, from sun-drenched forest canopies down to the petrichor-rich earth". 

GONDWANA travel sizes are now available from Undersong Perfumery, Bicheno, and online at www.undersong.com.au. 

Perfect products for pampered pooches

Albi the Staffy cross was a little odoriferous.

Pongy, in fact. Some would say stinky.

He'd worn out his welcome on the bed after a regime that included swimming in seaweed-infested water, rolling in unmentionable piles of smelly stuff and sweating in front of the fire.

So urgent action was needed.

The team from Outback Tails recently launched its Dog Grooming Range and offered to send some to Albi in his role as an influencer.

Now Albi may have been a bit wiffy, but he is very keen on grooming products formulated with natural ingredients and "infused with the essence of the Australian outback".

As a thoroughly modern dog, he enjoys eco-friendly, sustainable and natural pet-care products.

So he jumped into the bath and was given a full scrubbing. The result was a fragrant dog - smelling like a quality gin, my wife said - although probably not for long.

The Outback Tails Grooming Range features: Natural Dog Wash (RRP $34.99); Natural Dog Conditioner (RRP $34.99) and Paw and Skin Repair (RRP $22.99), ideal for when you have been scrambling over rocks by the beach.

These doggie luxuries are infused with botanicals including Finger Lime, Paperbark Oil, Kakadu Plum, Tasmanian Pepperberry and Native Bush Mint, and are promoted as being much better for your hound than harsh chemicals.

Founder and creative director Jessica Knight was inspired by the resilience and spirit of her Golden Retriever, Bonnie, who faced a severe autoimmune disorder. Witnessing Bonnie's need for a toxin-free lifestyle to maintain her health and vitality ignited a journey to craft the perfect grooming solution tailored to her delicate needs.

Albi is a little more robust, but does now smell good. 

You'll find all the details here: https://outbacktails.com/collections/natural-grooming-range And your canine companion will almost certainly be grateful - as are our noses - and reward you with a wagging tail.

 

Uber-cool canned cocktails are world leaders

A small Melbourne company that only launched four years ago has emerged as a global leader in the fast-growing premium cocktail-in-can space.

You'll find Curatif cocktails being served on Qantas flights, and exports are about to begin to both the US and UK following the company's second straight win as top RTD producer at the the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

Curatif's success is built on three core pillars: quality, convenience and sustainability, says brand founder Matt Sanger in an interview with GoTR.

I enjoyed chatting to Matt, who has boundless enthusiasm and a focus on "quality, convenience and sustainability".

Curatif boomed during the Covid era, when drinkers wanted to consume quality beverages at home, rather than in cocktail bars, and has benefitted from what Sanger describes as "the MasterChef effect" - with people looking to enjoy gourmet dishes and premium beverages at home.

"A lot of people stopped drinking vodka and Red Bull and turned instead to Espresso Martinis," Sanger says. "They discovered cocktail bar-quality drinks - using amazing ingredients - can come in a can.

"Mindful consumption is a very big trend around the globe - and many folk are looking to drink less, but higher quality."

I must admit I was a little sceptical about the quality of cocktails in a can, but I am working my way though several in the range and have really enjoyed both the fresh, vibrant and refreshing Curatif Cosmopolitan and the tangy and seriously chilli-flavoured Curatif Spicy Margarita.



It seems that sparkling alcoholic seltzers and cocktails in a can are very much on the upswing: and so easy for social gatherings.

Curatif has aligned with well-known Australian distillers like Archie Rose and Never Never Distilling Co., as well as with premium Australian imported brands like Appleton Estate Rum, and bars like Savile Row, to produce its bespoke cocktails in a can.

Sanger says: “The broader RTD category is an animal that is capable of staggering growth - look at what happened with seltzers. 

"More importantly, RTD is a pillar of the broader alcobev segment…the most incredible cocktails of the world’s best bars are now only as far away as opening the fridge door, and as portable as the cans we send them out in.

“The ready-to-drink category has changed a lot," Sanger adds. “What I’m loving is this movement away from bag-in-a-box flavour components and into both natural and native ingredients.”

The IWSC judges were impressed by Curatif’s Bar Bambi Amaretto Sour, Black Pearl Toreador, Jacoby's Trader Vic's Mai Tai, Never Never Distilling Co Negroni, Plantation Hurricane, Ron Colón Corn & Oil, Rum Old Fashioned and Spicy Margarita.

They were particularly high on the gold-medal-winning Archie Rose Espresso Martini.

“If the IWSC is our industry’s version of the Oscars, then brands like Curatif, Four Pillars and Grainshaker are Australia’s own Hemsworth, Kidman and Jackman," says go-getter Sanger, who is planning an expansion of his Port Melbourne distillery to cope with growing demand.

He points out that cans are more easily recyclable than other containers, and are also lighter in weight. There is a lot of science, too, in making sure the contents of each can has a long lifespan.

"We are committed to being the best corporate citizen we can be," Sanger says. "And by using only the finest spirits and liqueurs from the world, we are ensuring our drinks are made with integrity.

"We are a brand that provides customers with the highest quality ingredients, blended to perfection without preservatives."

Curatif ready-to-serve can cocktails can be purchased at major retailers and independent liquor stores nationally for an RRP of $49.00 for a four pack. Seasonal drinks are on the way, including a Pina Colada for summer.

For full details visit www.curatif.com, where discounts are available to subscribers.