We’ve talked about Drumshanbo before but this time we are bringing you the latest Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Infused with Sardinian citrus for the last days of summer. Infused with twelve botanicals like the twelve months of the year, the Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin is a well balanced gin unlike any other. Distilled at the edge of a lake in a shed in a small Irish town called Drumshanbo, the ordinary is made extraordinary.
Wandering through gnarled groves of cork oaks, PJ came upon the rustic Sardinian country village of Sinisicola, where he was introduced to the ‘Sa Pompìa’ aka citrus monstruosa or China Citron. Endemic to Sardinia, the Italian island located in the Mediterranean Sea, this citrus fruit is stated to be one of the rarest fruits in the world. The Sardinian citrus is the size of a grapefruit and collected in the Autumn months. With an irregular shape and a rough peel, the Sardinian citrus monstruosa is as rare as running into a vintage Bulgari Diagono from the 1990s.
The Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin Sardinian Citrus is infused with traditional and non-traditional botanicals including meadowsweet from Drumshanbo, juniper berries from Macedonia, Angelica root from Germany, caraway seed and cardamom from India, gunpowder tea, star anise from China, oriental grapefruit from Indonesia, coriander seed from Rumania, orris root from Morocco, Kaffir Lime from Cambodia and of course Sardinian citrus from Sardinia, Italy.
With a 'jackalope' as its icon, nothing could be more fitting. The 'jackalope' is a creature of such mystery and wonder, the mythological progeny of a jackrabbit —not a real rabbit— and an American antelope —not a real antelope. The legend says that the 'jackalope' was conceived in a lightning storm and that it appears in Drumshanbo, Ireland at will, just as in a dream to then be gone in a flurry of feet and antlers. This little wonder is the perfect symbol of all that is remarkable about Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin.
With prominent notes of citrus —more so than on the regular Drumshanbo gin— and gunpowder tea —a green tea that has been slowly dried with its delicate leaves then carefully rolled into shiny pellets—, the flavor of this gin is extremely refreshing and very crisp.
Following the citrusy notes of this gin, one can taste a little bit of the cardamom that PJ Rigney discovered while picking up a bowl of shahi tukra in India. Then a very delicate hint of coriander seed can be perceived. PJ was fascinated by coriander while passing through Bucharest and enjoying pork and lamb mititei served by a street vendor. On his journey east, PJ found himself wandering the mountainous regions of Morocco. In the loose soil of these slopes, he uncovered the purple hues of the bearded iris. But it was not the flower itself that intrigued the curious mind, it was the oils from the root within the earth, that PJ knew would be a must-have for his secret tabernacle.
But perhaps the most unique ingredient of this gin other than the Sardinian citrus monstruosa is the meadowsweet from Drumshanbo. As wild and unspoiled as rural Drumshanbo itself, this small, delicate flower was one of the very first botanicals added to this gin. Covering the fields around Lough Allen like a layer of gossamer snow, the aptly named meadowsweet, may have been the very thing that awakened PJ's love of all things botanical and ignited his quest through Europe and Asia.
While Drumshanbo recommends garnishing its gin and tonic with a thick slice of grapefruit, we decided to stick to the tradition and garnish with a fresh slice of lime. An incredible gin with very strong citrus notes that will leave you reminiscing the summer months but preparing for the autumn to come when the Sardinian citrus is collected. And with a Bulgari Diagono on your wrist, a sip of this unique gin, will take you straight to Italy and the blue Mediterranean waters surrounding Sardinia.
For more info on Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin click here. For more info on Bulgari click here.
