McQueen and the Violet Fog gin introduced by Sovereign Brands

US spirits company Sovereign Brands has released McQueen and the Violet Fog, a new gin featuring 21 botanicals, of which at least six are said to be found in no other gin.

Handcrafted in the Brazilian municipality of Jundiaí, the gin is limited to 500 litres per batch.

Using a traditional copper pot still, two methods are combined into a single distillation process to achieve the beverage’s flavour profile. 

First, 15 botanicals are macerated in a neutral sugarcane spirit to extract flavour compounds and essential oils. Next, six additional signature botanicals are infused into the gin via vapour infusion through a copper basket. 

Botanicals used in McQueen and the Violet Fog include: Indian basil leaves, Portuguese rosemary, Mediterranean fennel seed, calamansi from the South Pacific, star anise native to Vietnam, and acai grown in Brazil.

The gin’s name is inspired by a poem of the same name, which details an encounter with a mysterious rock band. The poem’s final two stanzas can be seen on the back of the gin’s bottle. 

Packaged in a heavy heavyweight glass bottle with a wide mouth, the gin features embossed details and foil stamping with the ‘crowned eye’ logo in metallic copper, a nod to the traditional pot stills used for the drink’s creation.

Sovereign Brands CEO Brett Berish said: “With McQueen and the Violet Fog, we’re proud to unveil what we see as the next generation of gin.

“Instead of focusing on just one or two flavours, we chose to be ambitious.  McQueen and the Violet Fog reveals something new with every sip: heat, spice, juniper, herbal, citrus and floral notes, all the touchstones of gin, balanced perfectly. We’re proud and excited to share this wonderful gin with the world.”

McQueen and the Violet Fog is now rolling out worldwide in bars, clubs, restaurants and retail.