Restless is the fifth gin in the brand’s Voyager series and is the first gin to be made with kombucha, according to the company.
Chef Niall Keating, of two-Michelin-starred Whatley Manor in Wiltshire, created the gin using his own blood orange kombucha.
Restless is made by fermenting Sencha Sakura tea, using a kombucha mother and blood orange pulp. The blood orange kombucha is then distilled with the English wheat spirit. Further kombucha is then used as a liquid botanical and combined with 15 hand-selected botanicals, including Asian pears, Japanese salted plums, Chinese black dates, perilla leaves, and Sencha Sakura tea, before being distilled according to the one-shot method.
This distillate is then blended with a more traditional gin made with Macedonian juniper, fresh lime peel and orris root, complemented with kaffir lime leaf, Mexican orange blossom and finally, Citra hops.
The Asian spices used are inspired by Niall’s love of Korean and Japanese cuisine while the hops are a subtle nod to the Californian IPAs from Niall’s time spent in San Francisco.
Restless is described has to have a ‘delicate sweetness, with a tang of blood orange and a touch of vanilla’.The spices add further ‘sweet smoky notes’.
Keating, who was recently crowned Champion of Champions on BBC Two’s Great British Menu said: ‘When I was approached by Salcombe Distilling Co. earlier this year, I felt they were very much the right caliber of distillers to work with on a bespoke gin for Whatley Manor.’
‘I was curious about the production process and how I could introduce some of my more intriguing ingredients to develop a stand-out spirit that would be a reflection of my own culinary journey. I’ve learned so much about the fine detail that goes into the creation and distillation process, and I believe together we have crafted a unique and delicious gin.’
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