McQueen and the Violet Fog is distilled and bottled in the hills of Jundiaí, Brazil, thousands of miles away from the UK-centric traditional gin world. It's like nothing you've seen or tasted before, distilled with 21 botanicals handpicked from all over the world.
Among the 21 botanicals are six 'signature' botanicals rarely found in gin:
- Basil leaves: handpicked in India and called 'the king of herbs'. Bold and herbaceous flavour with revitalising mint and a slight peppery aftertaste.
- Rosemary: this sweet, fragrant botanical comes from Portugal. Many believe that rosemary has beneficial medicinal properties.
- Fennel seed: grown in the Mediterranean, fennel seed adds a liquorice and spicy lemon flavour to the gin.
- Calamansi: an exotic citrus fruit from the South Pacific, Calamansi adds a hint of lime.
- Star Anise: native to Vietnam, this star shaped fruit balances the light, earthy botanicals in the gin, and adds notes of liquorice.
- Açai: locally grown in Brazil, it has a sweet blackberry-like taste with a hint of dark chocolate.
Each small batch is distilled in a small batch traditional copper pot still, limiting each batch to less than 500 litres per distillation. Two traditional methods are used to produce McQueen, and combined into a single distillation process:
- Method 1 - Maceration: 15 of the 21 botanicals are blended with a 120-proof neutral spirit in a copper pot still The botanicals steep for 24 hours, allowing the alcohol to extract flavour compounds and essential oils.
- Method 2 - Vapour Infusion: The concentrated vapours pass through a copper basket with the six signature McQueen botanicals. Essential oils from these botanicals marry with the macerated alcohol to produce the ultimate gin: ultra-smooth, complex and well-rounded.
McQueen and the Violet Fog is bottled at 80 proof (40% abv), ideal for sipping over ice or mixing.