Lilly pilly's are a very common plant in Australia due to their beautiful pink-tipped foliage, delicate flowers and edible berries.  If you have a Lilly Pilly tree nearby, it's a great time to collect these beautiful jewels that are currently in abundance.

The berry has a semi-sour, cranberry flavour with a hint of clove, making it a wonderful cocktail additive that is packed with flavour and nutrients.   

With a blooming hedge at Belinda's home in Bondi, our founder has delved into making a Lilly pilly infused gin with a stunning pink hue that makes for a special weekend drink.

We share the recipe below:

Method

Gather Lilly pillys (you can collect from street trees or purchase frozen from T&F All States) and make sure to rinse thoroughly to remove any insects or debris.

Pop the washed Lilly pilly's in a sealed container in the freezer - this helps to macerate the fruit which is key to adding flavour during the infusion.

Once frozen, add whole berries to a glass container and cover with a gin of your choice.  

Infuse the berries for about a month making sure you upend the bottle every now and then - you will know when it's ready as the fruit will be colourless and the gin will be a beautiful shade of pink. 

Strain the fruit from the gin, and serve with your mixer of choice.