You’ve heard of The Farmer Wants A Wife, but what about Wagin’s giant ram Bart’s quest to find a girlfriend?
That’s the tale being told through a limited-edition gin produced by Busselton-based Beyond Distilling to honour Bart’s 40th birthday.
Rams Jam, a 40 per cent alcohol spirit with a dark green label, will be available to buy at this year’s Wagin Woolorama.
Beyond Distilling assistant distiller Dylan Pascoe said he firmly believed the best gins “told a really good story”.
When tasked with creating a Wagin-themed gin, he and Beyond’s head distiller Greg Garnish decided it was time Bart coupled up.
And so the tale of a 40-year-old ram looking for love was born.
“Bart had been sitting lonely for 40 years, after all. It was probably time he found himself a partner,” Mr Pascoe laughed.
“We thought the idea of finding a wife for Bart was a good story. Bart has embraced modern romance.”
The gin’s label was created by Margaret River’s Misty Shipway and features a well-dressed, horned ram in a maroon blazer with a dark blue tie and a white pocket square.
Rams Jam itself features grains and botanicals from the Wheatbelt, which Mr Pascoe said “captured the essence of the landscape” and gave it a savoury, earthy taste.
He said the palate was roughly based on a London dry with an addition of orange to give it a “beautiful smell”.
It features Maximus barley from Wagin farmer Clayton South, which was malted at Mallokup Malt at Capel and triple-distilled at Beyond Distilling using a chardonnay yeast strain.
The key botanical ingredient is melaleuca, with splashes of wild honeydew myrtle.
Mr Garnish, a regular Wagin Woolorama attendee, is well known for his love of regional WA.
In 2021, he created a range of gins to honour WA towns with “gin” in their names — including Wagin, Narrogin, Corrigin, Dangin, Muntagin, Badgingarra and Gingin — while working at a different distiller.
Mr Pascoe said it was easy to describe Bart and what kind of suitor he would be.
“A sheep of refined taste, a good roll in the wildflower, and the occasional banter with his friends,” he said.
“Though his hooves are rough from years of adventuring, he is ready to give it to the right ewe.”
And if Bart were to take an ad out in the local paper looking for love, it would say: “Loyal, loving Merino seeking a ewe with a love for the land.”
Rams Jam was released on February 1 at both the Beyond Distilling cellar door in Busselton and online, with a social media campaign focused on Bart’s quest to find love.
It will be available to buy in the Home and Lifestyle Pavilion for $80. Each bottle comes with a commemorative sheep tag.
https://thewest.com.au/countryman/news/wagin-woolorama-giant-ram-barts-quest-to-find-love–c-17674394
