Gin is the most permissive of the major spirits. As long as juniper is present, nearly any botanical, herb, or aromatic is fair game. This encouraged experimentation across the globe, from fine dining chefs to rural distillers, each interpreting gin through the lens of their local flora or their at times excentric imagination. What once meant citrus and coriander now includes everything from ants and caviar to durian and yerba mate. Here’s a tour of ten gins that challenge conventions and expand the idea of what gin can be. Some are provocative, most genuinely surprise, but all are real:
1. Phở Gin – Peter Cuong Franklin, Vietnam
Chef Peter Cuong Franklin, best known for Anan Saigon, collaborated with Lady Trieu Gin to produce a spirit inspired by pho, Vietnam’s national dish. The gin uses traditional pho aromatics such as star anise, cinnamon, coriander seed, cardamom, lime leaf, and galangal. While no animal products are included, the effect is eerily reminiscent of a pho broth’s spice-laden steam. It’s a culinary translation rather than a gimmick, and the gin is used in cocktails designed to echo Vietnamese flavor profiles. The idea works because the core spices already share common ground with traditional gin botanicals.
Website: https://www.ladytrieugin.com
2. Ant Gin – Cambridge Distillery, UK
Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising gin on the list, Cambridge Distillery’s Ant Gin contains actual red wood ants. These aren’t tossed in for shock value—they’re distilled to extract formic acid, which adds a sharp, citrus-like acidity. The ants function much like a botanical, delivering a dry, tangy finish that balances out other aromatics like lemongrass and juniper. While it’s not something you’ll see in high-volume bars, it has been used in molecular gastronomy settings and curated cocktail lists.
Website: https://www.cambridgedistillery.co.uk
3. Seaweed & Caviar Gin – Portofino Dry Gin, Italy
This limited-edition gin from Italy’s Ligurian coast includes seaweed and sturgeon caviar in its botanical mix. It’s not a seafood-flavored spirit, but it does carry a mineral-rich, saline edge, designed to evoke the maritime environment around Portofino. The caviar is vacuum distilled to prevent oxidation, while the seaweed adds umami without overwhelming the gin’s herbal backbone. It’s a rare example of a gin that leans into luxury ingredients without resorting to excessive flavoring.
Website: https://portofinogin.com
4. Blue Pea Flower & Durian Gin – Singapore Distillery, Singapore
This gin combines two highly distinctive ingredients: butterfly pea flower, which gives the gin a vibrant blue hue that turns purple with acid, and durian, the infamously pungent Southeast Asian fruit. The durian is distilled, not infused, toning down its harshest notes while retaining its funky character. It’s an acquired taste, but one that makes sense in the Southeast Asian context. The color change adds visual drama, while the durian flavor appeals to regional palates more than global ones.
Website: https://singaporedistillery.com
5. Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut – Germany
Each year, Germany’s Monkey 47 releases a limited Distiller’s Cut featuring an unusual or rare botanical added to their already complex 47-botanical base. Highlights include wood ants (2018), purple shamrock (2020), and scarlet monarda (2022). These annual experiments reflect serious botanical research. The wood ant edition mirrors the approach of Cambridge’s Ant Gin, delivering natural acidity via insect-derived formic acid. These bottles are collectible, and the profiles change dramatically each year.
Website: https://www.monkey47.com
6. Peddlers Salted Plum Gin – China
Shanghai-based Peddlers Gin Co. released this limited edition inspired by suanmei (酸梅), or salted preserved plum—a traditional Chinese snack and herbal drink ingredient. The gin includes salted plums, goji berries, orange peel, and Peddlers’ base blend of Chinese botanicals. It’s sweet-sour and herbal, landing somewhere between aperitif and traditional gin. The flavor is culturally specific, and it’s positioned more as a local expression than a crowd-pleasing export.
Website: https://peddlersgin.com
7. Principe de los Apóstoles Mate Gin – Argentina
Crafted by bartender Tato Giovannoni, this Argentine gin puts yerba mate—a bitter herbal tea central to Argentine culture—at its center. Other botanicals include pink grapefruit peel, peppermint, eucalyptus, and juniper. This gin is both a cultural tribute and a clever use of a widely consumed but rarely distilled ingredient. The yerba mate gives it a dry, grassy backbone that distinguishes it from sweeter New World gins. It mixes well with tonic but also stands up in herbal cocktails.
Website: https://www.apostolesgin.com
8. Inverroche Amber Gin – South Africa
South Africa’s Inverroche distillery uses fynbos, a biodiverse group of indigenous plants found only in the Cape Floral Kingdom. The Amber Gin uses dried coastal fynbos botanicals that bring earthy, resinous, and lightly smoky characteristics to the gin. The color comes naturally from the botanicals, not additives. The flavor profile veers closer to spiced tea than citrus-forward gin, and it pairs well with orange peel garnishes or rooibos mixers.
Website: https://www.inverroche.com
9. Procera Gin – Kenya
Procera Gin, distilled in Nairobi, is made with juniperus procera, a species of juniper native to sub-Saharan Africa. The base spirit is also made from local sugarcane, and other botanicals include baobab, Swahili coastal herbs, and pink pepper. The result is earthy and spicy, with a distinct savory finish. Bottled in hand-blown glass and corked with East African wood, it’s aimed at the high end of the gin market, but its real value lies in being one of the few truly African terroir gins.
Website: https://www.proceragin.com
10. Bayab African Gin – South Africa
Bayab incorporates baobab fruit, African grains of paradise, and a mix of familiar gin botanicals. The baobab adds citrusy acidity and tartness, while the grains of paradise offer heat and spice. While it’s more accessible than some others on this list, it’s still notable for its clear African identity and use of lesser-known native ingredients. It reflects a trend toward locally rooted gin brands in the southern hemisphere.
Website: https://www.bayabgin.com
This line-up represents a global pivot toward spirits as storytelling tools. Most will not suit every palate, and some are “easier to admire than to drink”. But they are evidence that the gin renaissance isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s getting weirder.
Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110314526
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