We’re headed to the other side of the world for this month’s Gin Box. From New Zealand, Scapegrace Classic Gin is something a bit different, and a bit special. It was founded in 2014 by two brother-in-laws Mark Neal and Daniel McLaughlin, who had a calling to create a gin their  way. The recipe calls for a selection of 12 botanicals and is produced in a 19th century whisky still.

When deciding on how to bottle their creation they looked to the past. In their own words –

“The bottle is deliberate. It’s a modern take on the original Genever bottles from 200 years ago. If gin-makers from then were making gin today we know they would make it like we do, because we make it like they did.“ This “deliberate bottle” is a distinctive dark glass bottle adorned with a beautiful silver medallion which is guaranteed to stand out on any shelf.

The pair came up with the idea for the Scapegrace business on Christmas Eve, 2012, when they decided to make a gin to sell to Auckland bars. Gin was going through a resurgence in the United Kingdom but the wave had not yet hit New Zealand. Both had experience in the liquor industry and McLaughlin “kept pestering” Neal to leave the corporate world. They learned how to distil gin, then spent six months hand-delivering bottles to cocktail bars in Auckland.

“We both had a passion for gin and premium spirits and really wanted to create a global spirits company from New Zealand. New Zealand is such a fantastic country to build things, we thought it was a good opportunity create premium gin,” Neal said.

The pair have just announced plans to build a distillery in Central Otago and are investing $13 million in the distillery, such has been the success of the product. It is one of the more premium gins we have featured on The Gin Box and whilst it is an expensive gin to produce, the agents for Scapegrace in Europe were happy to introduce Scapegrace to Ireland by supporting it in the Gin Box and helping us bring it to you. It is best served with a wedge of orange and a classicly light tonic, all of which we have included for you in this months Gin Box.

You’ll also find some Forest Feast salted Dark Chocolate Almonds, which are oven roasted with the skin on, and then drenched in Belgian dark chocolate, before being dusted with sea salt and a dusting of cocao for a rich, intense sweet and salty experience!

Enjoy this month’s gin, we are really excited to finally bring you Scapegrace, and we hope you love it as much as we do!