High tea time

COMO The Treasury launches its own gin and four original tea blends to celebrate new Cape Arid Rooms’ new Seal Creek afternoon tea.

Photography by COMO The Treasury

25 November 2022

After more than 18 months of research, Perth’s 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 Cape Arid Afternoon Tea Experience.

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.

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 Nikulinskys 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.

Cape Arid Rooms - Philippa Nikulinsky.

Cape Arid Rooms - Afternoon Tea Seal Creek Edition.

Father and son team, David Price and James McCarthy-Price developed Horizon Gin at the Esperance Distillery Co.

Lemon and Poppyseed Tart, a morsel from Cape Arid Rooms.

Gin

Horizon Gin ($90)

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.

Teas

Hill Springs Edition ($25)

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

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

Thomas River Edition ($25)

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.

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

Tagon Bay Edition ($25)

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.

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

Seal Creek Edition ($25)

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.

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

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