Haigh's Chocolates has partnered with Adelaide Hills Distillery and two other Australian craft distilleries for a special gin and chocolate collaboration, available in stores and online now.

In pre-COVID times, back when communal office snacks were encouraged, many a pack of Haigh’s freckles has got CityMag staff through a tough deadline.

So too has Adelaide Hills Distillery regularly helped us shake off a long working week, with a healthy Friday pour occurring sometime between 4:58pm and 5:00pm.

Now, thankfully, our two favourite moments of escape have combined, as Haigh’s teams up with three Australian distilleries to create a range of spirits-infused chocolates.

Haigh’s has enlisted the help of Adelaide Hills Distillery, Archie Rose Distilling, Co., and Melbourne Gin Company, to produce three chocolates in a range the company is calling The Collaboration.

Adelaide Hills Distillery has contributed a bitter orange ganache; a white chocolate ganache draws flavours from AHD’s Bitter Orange Aperitif and botanicals from its 78° Classic Gin, all coated in milk chocolate.

Archie Rose has created a ganache based off its Signature Dry Gin, with notes of peppermint gum, mountain pepper leaf, and pieces of macadamias and sandalwood nuts, coated in dark chocolate.

Melbourne Gin’s milk chocolate fudge was created using botanicals used in its Melbourne Dry Gin.

Haigh’s Chocolates’ marketing manager, Fiona Krawczyk, says the project exemplifies the commitment to craft that has long been part of the Haigh’s brand.

“Haigh’s Chocolates prides itself on working with Australian producers and suppliers,” she said.

“Each small-batch gin distillery complements our traditional chocolate making process and dedication to producing the highest quality chocolate.

“We were inspired and excited by the opportunity to experiment with new flavours, to bring together the two different but complementary worlds, to see what we could create.”

For Adelaide Hills Distiller Sacha La Forgia, the project demonstrated how similar the crafts of gin and chocolate are.

“The Collaboration with Haigh’s Chocolates is an exciting partnership for us. It’s been great to explore the intrinsically linked craftsmanship of both gin and chocolate – the two worlds are more similar than we first thought,” he says.

The Collaboration launched on Wednesday, 18 August, and is available in Haigh’s Chocolate stores, as well as online. The collaboration box is available for $49.90.