One of Never Never‘s most sought-after releases is back, with the distillery reuniting with World’s Best Bar winner Bar Leone to bring back Coffee & Cacao Gin.
The cult collaboration first launched in 2023 and quickly sold out in Australia. Now, following Bar Leone’s rise to global fame and the opening of its new Shanghai venue, Never Never has revived the coffee and chocolate-forward gin for a limited return.
“We sent a pallet of our original Coffee and Cacao Gin to Hong Kong, and then it promptly sold out here in Australia,” says Never Never co-founder Sean Baxter.
Baxter says the Shanghai opening gave the team a reason to revisit the release.
“Lorenzo couldn’t ship the original 500ml bottle from Hong Kong to China without going through the process of importation and paying duty taxes so we decided to re-release the product, again just for his new bar in Shanghai.
“When Hong Kong runs out, no doubt we will send it there as well, but for now the new release will only be available in Bar Leone Shanghai and through our distillery door and website.”
The re-release uses the same recipe as the original, built around roasted coffee bean, cacao nib, cacao butter, coconut cream and bergamot peel.
Built for Negronis
Coffee & Cacao Gin was the first gin Never Never Distilling Co. created specifically for Negronis.
The South Australian distillery has since gone on to create its bottled Panettone Negroni, which was named World’s Best Contemporary Cocktail at the World Gin Awards in London.
The gin was designed to work alongside the dark, earthy flavours of Italian sweet vermouth, creating rich coffee and chocolate-forward Negronis.
“If we’re making a gin aligned to the very best that Italy and now the world has to offer it better make a damn good Negroni,” Baxter says. “We wanted to build a gin whose purpose was to create delicious coffee and chocolate forward Negronis and work with the dark, earthy flavours found in Italian sweet vermouth.”
Cacao butter is washed into the gin to create a richer, more decadent mouthfeel, allowing notes of coffee and chocolate to linger before giving way to darker spices and soft vanilla. Distilled coconut cream is also added to further amplify texture and palate weight.
“Coffee and Cacao tastes like standing at a bar in Rome ordering an espresso and a sfogliatelle before midday,” Baxter says. “It’s an exciting combination of roasted coffee aromatics and earthy cacao character, built for exceptional classic cocktails.”
The production technique draws on methods commonly used behind the bar, where washing spirits with fats has become increasingly popular, but remains relatively uncommon in commercial gin production.
“Washing spirit with fats is definitely something very prevalent within the bar community, however, it’s still largely something that doesn’t occur as a production technique within gin,” Baxter says.
The flavour profile was inspired by Italian café culture and designed to capture the experience of drinking espresso and eating pastries in Rome before midday.
The collaboration also reflects Never Never’s long-standing focus on innovation, whether through ingredient selection, production techniques or exploring new approaches to gin.
From Hong Kong to Shanghai
The original Coffee & Cacao Gin was shipped to Bar Leone in Hong Kong before quickly selling out in Australia.
The opening of Bar Leone’s new Shanghai venue created an opportunity for Never Never to revisit the release, with the new batch initially produced for the Chinese market.
Bar Leone was named World’s Best Bar at The World’s 50 Best Bars Awards last year and has since expanded with its new Shanghai outpost.
Lorenzo Antinori, founder of Bar Leone, says the gin captures flavours that feel distinctly Italian.
“I love the nod to Italy – these flavours are truly representative of both food and drinks tradition, this gin excites me because it carries a big body with lots of layers of flavours: toasted ones, umami but also citrusy and floral,” Antinori says.
The collaboration also celebrates a shared appreciation for bold flavours, hospitality and Italian drinking culture.
“When it comes to gin, Never Never makes some of the best in class,” Antinori says. “I’ve developed a friendship with the team, because we all share similar visions; quality over quantity, creative but still approachable.”
“Bar Leone is a venue that is all about Italian fun, football and flavour, we wanted this gin to be a reflection of that attitude,” Baxter says.
“Above or else we wanted to ensure our gin represented that same spirit that champions Roman caffé culture, its people and the passion that beats through the streets of Trastevere.”
The bottle design pays tribute to both Bar Leone and AS Roma, drawing on the venue’s visual identity and the football club’s iconic orange and maroon colours through a bright checkerboard label.
“The colours chosen for the gin bottle have a very strong nostalgic feel,” Antinori says. “They make me feel at home and work so well with our brand and universe.”
Coffee & Cacao Gin was released during Bar Leone’s visit to Adelaide for Bartenders Weekender on 14 June, coinciding with the start of Never Never’s 10th anniversary celebrations at Latteria.
“There will be a series of events this year that celebrate our 10th year in the industry. This will be a very special way to kick off those celebrations,” Baxter says.
“Latteria is the perfect place to host such a special event. They will be the only bar in the country that will be serving Bar Leone classic cocktails featuring our Coffee and Cacao Gin.”
While the launch event at Latteria is sold out, customers can still order cocktails featuring the gin at the venue for a limited time through its cocktail specials menu.
Latteria is also the only bar in Australia currently serving Bar Leone classic cocktails featuring Coffee & Cacao Gin.
Bottles of Coffee & Cacao Gin are available through the Never Never website, while the gin is also being poured at Bar Leone Shanghai.
Source: HHPR
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