It is safe to say that the world of gin has changed quite dramatically over the past couple of years. From being known as ‘mothers ruin’ and avoided by many, to being the main spirit lining the shelves in a bar and the main ingredient in many cocktails, it really has taken a turn.
This dramatic change may be down to the incredible range of gins that are now available to us. Of course, we still have the classic big named brands bringing us what some may call ‘normal’ gin but we also now have a huge range of different flavoured gins, leaving us spoilt for choice.
In a now extremely crowded market, producers are always looking for ways to get their gin to stand out from the rest. One surefire way to do so is with ingredients and flavour, we can assure you that some producers have taken this to the next level making gins quite unlike any other. Vemacity have put together a list of some of the most bizarre flavoured gins, see which ones you fancy trying.
Ant Gin
Let’s start with one of the most peculiar flavoured gins we have ever heard of. This is one for gin lovers who don’t mind creepy crawlies. Yes, it is exactly what you think from the name, this gin is infused with 62 ants per bottle.
Ant Gin was developed as the result of a collaboration between Cambridge Distillery and the Nordic Food Lab. “Once braved, never forgotten” - this gin isn’t for everyone but it does make an exceptional gin gift for a rare spirits collector.
Seaweed Gin
We eat seaweed so why shouldn’t we drink it too, right? It still sounds quite strange and it is difficult to imagine what this gin will taste like, but a few different brands, which just proves how its popularity is growing.
Dà Mhìle Seaweed Gin is one of the most famous and is made with a specially selected seaweed from the coast of West Wales and the West coast of Ireland. Bring out your fancy gin glasses, this is definitely one to try.
Tea Gin
Combining gin with another of Britain's favourite drinks, tea gin is something all Brits will like the sound of but, it is still a bit bizarre. One area of the country that is known for their tea is Yorkshire, and Masons have developed a Tea Edition of their well know dry Yorkshire gin.
Adding a subtle finish of Yorkshire Tea makes this a refreshing take on a British classic, tea-infused gin is a trend that’s taken off and if you’re a tea drinker then you have to try it.
Moonshot Gin
This gin is a must for anyone who has ever dreamed of being an astronaut. It is made solely with botanicals that have been sent to space. We don’t mean botanicals that have, in the past, once travelled to space, we mean the actual ingredients that will be in your bottle have been to space.
The ingredients were sent via balloon into the stratosphere at an approximate altitude of 24km where they were exposed to extremely low pressures.
Elephant Gin
The name of this gin is enough to put anyone off, don’t panic, it doesn’t actually contain elephant. It’s produced in Germany in small batches but is inspired by African elephants and what they love to graze on. Baobab is a superfruit that elephants love and this is part of the botanical recipe alongside other African herbs such as lions tail and devils claw.
If you need some convincing to fill your gin Copa balloon glasses with elephant gin then, 15% of profits go towards saving the African elephants so, you’re drinking gin for a good cause.
Brussel Sprout Gin
We shouldn’t mention the ‘C’ word but Christmas is fast approaching so we had to put this one on our list. One of the most controversial vegetables, as a gin, we aren’t too sure about this one.
Pickering’s Distillery launched a sprout-flavoured gin as part of their festive gin bauble collection. Using over 10,000 sprouts they have created the world’s first brussels sprout gin. They claim that it “delivers a pleasantly sweet, slightly nutty gin, perfect for mixing” but we aren’t sure if it’s one we will be trying this year.
Which one will you try?
Bite the bullet and next time you fill your gin bowl glass and sit down to enjoy a refreshing drink, swap your normal gin for a bizarre flavour. Some may sound more appealing than others and we are sure you will instantly know which ones are for you but, take the plunge and give them a go. After all, they were made for a reason, right?