Rock Rose Gin
Created at Dunnet Bat Distillery in Scotland, Rock Rose Gin reads more traditional than weird. Five of the ingredients are locally sourced, including Rose root which the Vikings used for extra vitality, and the gin is distilled in traditional copper pots. What makes this gin so unique is the fresh red berry flavor and the ceramic bottles that hold this 57% ABV spirit. Not only do you get a flavorful gin, but after the bottle is empty, you can search the internet for how to upcycle the container into a creative lamp!
Saffron Gin
Made from the most expensive spice in the world, Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin had a weird beginning, or rather weird rebirth. Rediscovered in the distillery’s own recipe vault, this 40% ABV amber spirit is changing the way people drink gins. Limes and lemons don’t work well with the spice profile, so reach for an orange or if you are feeling really daring, a peach. Saffron Gin is the perfect reason to think outside the traditional G&T.
Jinzu Gin
Jinzu Gin is truly a multi-cultural spirit. English bartender Dee Davis uses a Scottish distillery to create her unique Gin and Japanese Sake fusion. The bottle, a work of art on its own, contains a plethora of flavors, including cherry blossoms and yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit. Ever the bartender, Dee suggests garnishing with a slice of green apple instead of the traditional lime wedge to compliment any cocktail made from this sweet gin.
Pinkster
G&T Distilleries set out to create a weird gin using fruit, and after multiple experiments, they decided tart raspberries paired perfectly with the tang of juniper and the bite of tonic. Tinted a pretty pastel pink, this 37.5% ABV spirit has a fresh grapefruit finish highlighted by peppery notes from coriander and by a floral bouquet from five botanicals. Pinkster might be the new gin in town with its 2013 birthday, but it is sure to add a splash of flavor and color to all your cocktail creations!
Dà Mhìle’s Organic Seaweed Farmhouse Botanical Gin
While most gins contain five botanicals, Welsh brand Dà Mhìle’s quadruples the average by adding 20 to their clear 43% ABV spirit. The weird and wonderful flavors of this gin pair perfectly with the tradition mixture of gin and tonic/soda water and a slice of lime, but the addition of seaweed makes this drink anything but ordinary. Pronounce da-vee-lay, Dà Mhìle is Gaelic for 2000, and if their second creation is any indication, this distillery will be around for years to come!
Anty Gin
Forget Organic, this gin isn’t even vegan! And if you live in the United States, good luck getting your hands on one of the only 99 bottle-first batch produced by Cambridge Distillery and Nordic Food Lab. That being said, can you really put a price on drinking the only spirit made with bugs? With its citrus flavor coming from the acid in the ant essence instead of fruit, this might be a traditional tasting gin, but it is by far the weirdest!
