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Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin is pretty spectacular. The native botanicals, particularly the green ants, deliver a zesty, limey hit that layers with pepper and the base gin spirit. It's easy drinking in a G&T and carries a story worth knowing. At $99, it sits at the premium end, but the quality and the cultural weight behind it make it worth the spend.
- Native green ants deliver a distinctive, zesty lime hit that's immediately recognisable
- The nose is spectacular. Fruity and aromatic from the moment you crack the bottle.
- Easy, refreshing drinking in a G&T even with a basic tonic
- Sustainably wild-harvested with genuine Indigenous cultural provenance
- Green ants sink to the bottom during pouring; you'll only encounter them in the very last of the bottle
- At $99 RRP, it's priced as a premium spirit for everyday drinking
Most of my reviews here at BTTR involve tech. But a few years back, I ran a booze blog called The Distinguished Gentlefolks’ Drinking Club, where I got to test out some fantastic Australian beer and spirits.
When I received the press release about the launch of Green Ant Gin and the offer to review it, I jumped at the chance. I’m not a massive gin drinker, but I’ve enjoyed enough G&Ts in my life to be able to tell a good one from a great one.
Despite the name, I was still surprised to see actual green ants in the bottle. Part of me expected it was a flavouring added, like the other botanicals, rather than actual ants.
But you can see them in there, settled at the bottom. It is one of the more arresting product presentations I've come across, and it immediately sets up a question the rest of the bottle has to answer: is this a gimmick, or does it actually taste like something?
It tastes like something.
What makes the Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin stand out?
Seven Seasons was founded by Daniel Motlop, a Larrakia man who also played 130 games in the AFL with North Melbourne and Port Adelaide.
The brand isn't just Indigenous-founded. It is built around 60,000 years of Larrakia cultural knowledge about Country, specifically the Northern Territory's ecosystem and the seasonal rhythms that govern what can be harvested, and when.
The Larrakia people don't follow a production schedule. They follow a seasonal calendar. The green ants are harvested during Windy Season, when nests are freshly formed and the ants are at their most flavourful.
The harvesting method is a closely guarded secret, but the principle is sustainable: nests are carefully chilled at a specific temperature, so worker ants can be gently separated without disturbing queen ants or breeding cycles. The colony survives, and the harvest continues season after season.
The green ants aren't the only botanicals doing the work here. Boobialla brings coastal floral notes with a hint of sweetness. Strawberry gum adds warm spice on the nose. Lemon myrtle deepens the citrus base, and pepper berry builds complexity and heat.
Over three tonnes of these native ingredients are wild-harvested each year, with local Aboriginal harvesters employed directly, ensuring money flows back into communities rather than disappearing into a supply chain.
That backstory matters when you're weighing up whether to spend $99 on a bottle of gin. Having ants in the gin isn’t a novelty. It’s the natural result of an extraordinary depth of cultural and ecological knowledge.
Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin 700ml specs
| Price | $99 RRP |
| Volume | 700ml |
| ABV | 42% |
| Botanicals | Green Ants, Boobialla, Strawberry Gum, Lemon Myrtle, Pepper Berry |
| Origin | Northern Territory, Australia |
| Available at | Dan Murphy's, BWS, seven-seasons.com.au |
Appearance
The bottle is clean and clear, a minimalist label letting the contents do the talking. And the contents are talking: the green ants are plainly visible at the bottom, which makes for quite a first impression.
The gin itself is clear, though not pristinely so like a Bombay Sapphire. On close inspection, there are tiny specks floating through the liquid. Given there are ants floating around inside the alcohol, I expect that’s why.
The bottle is simple and elegant, with a green label and gold text. It conveys the heritage of the ant harvesting much more compactly than I did.
On the nose, it smells unreal. It’s very citrusy, maybe more lemon than lime on first sniff. Compared to the aroma of a Bombay Sapphire, it’s less intense on the gin scent too, which promise to make it an easier drink.
Taste
The first taste of the Green Ant Gin, taken neat, was really fruity, citrusy, like limey, and then there was a pretty strong hit of pepper before the gin just burnt everything going down.
But it's really nice. There is definitely the gin flavour, but the native botanicals are really quite delicious there. The lime and pepper absolutely ring true across that.
The bottle says the addition of the native green ants gives this gin "zesty lime flavours." Bang on. So it was the ants I was tasting in that very first sip.
It’s not some gimmick, there really is a whole heap of flavour packed up in those little green-backed insects.
The G&T was where it really sang. I used Schweppes tonic, as it was what I had around. I feel like a premium gin like this probably needs a premium tonic to accompany it, so I intend on picking up some nicer tonic to experiment further.
But even with the cheap, everyday option, the result was delicious. The tonic water with that natural lime flavour was just so easy to drink. The citrus flavour stays with you, even after you finish your drink.
I didn’t get past the classic G&T with my tasting, but if I were to make a cocktail using this gin, I’d probably lean towards something citrusy to take advantage of the gin’s natural flavours.
The one final note on taste that I expect most people want to ask: Did I try the ants themselves? Unfortunately, the answer is not yet.
The ants settle to the bottom of the bottle, and no matter how hard I swirled or moved the bottle to get the ants to the surface, I couldn’t pour one out. Which means that the last few drinks will be ant-heavy. When I get to that point, I might come back to update this review.
Verdict
Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin is pretty spectacular. For someone who isn't a massive gin drinker, it won me over fast. The nose is great, the flavour profile is distinctive without being strange, and it translates beautifully into a G&T. The native botanicals do exactly what the bottle promises.
At $99, it's definitely a premium purchase. But this isn't just another bottle of gin. It's an Australian-made spirit that supports Indigenous flavours, Indigenous harvesters, and a cultural practice that has been running for tens of thousands of years. That makes the premium worth it.
If you're a gin drinker looking for something different, or you want to put something on the table that starts a conversation, Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin is the one to reach for.
Buy the Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin if:
- You're a gin drinker who wants something distinctly Australian. The native botanical profile is unlike anything in a European-style gin, and the story behind it is better, too.
- You're shopping for a gift. The bottle presentation is striking, and it makes an interesting gift for anyone curious about food, drink, and Australian history.
- You want to support Indigenous Australian producers. Seven Seasons puts money directly back into communities and keeps traditional harvesting knowledge alive.
Skip the Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin if:
- You're after a budget everyday, pour. At $99, it's a bottle for sipping and sharing, not a workhorse mixer you're going through quickly.
- You were hoping to encounter the ants mid-bottle. They sink to the bottom during pouring; you'll need to wait until the very last of the bottle to get to them.
Where to buy
Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin is available nationally from Dan Murphy's and BWS, both for $99 RRP. The full Seven Seasons range, including Bush Apple Gin and Bush Honey & Wattleseed Coffee Liqueur, is available direct from seven-seasons.com.au.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do the green ants actually taste like in the gin?
The green ants are responsible for the zesty lime hit that defines this spirit. The Larrakia people have used green ants as a flavour ingredient for generations. The citrusy, limey character comes through clearly, both neat and in a G&T.
Will I actually encounter any ants when I'm drinking?
The green ants sink to the bottom while you're pouring, so they'll stay in the bottle rather than making it into your glass. You'll get to them in the very last of the bottle, in the final dregs. It's quite something to look forward to.
Is Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin good in a G&T?
Yes, very. The natural lime flavour from the green ants works beautifully with tonic water. Even with a basic tonic like Schweppes, it's delicious and easy drinking. A premium tonic would likely let the botanical complexity come through even more clearly.
Who founded Seven Seasons?
Seven Seasons was founded by Daniel Motlop, a Larrakia man and former AFL player who played 130 games with North Melbourne and Port Adelaide. The brand is built on Larrakia cultural knowledge of the Northern Territory's seasons and native ingredients, with all botanicals sustainably wild-harvested from Country.
Where is Seven Seasons gin made?
Seven Seasons harvests all its botanicals sustainably from Country under the guidance of Traditional Owners in the Northern Territory. The distillery itself is in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia.
Does Seven Seasons make other products?
Yes. The full range includes Bush Apple Gin and a Bush Honey & Wattleseed Coffee Liqueur. The Green Ant Gin is the hero product and the most widely distributed, available nationally through Dan Murphy's and BWS.
