The botanicals are sourced from around the world—as far from Brazil as Indian basil leaves, Mediterranean fennel seed, Portuguese rosemary, South Pacific calamansi, Vietnamese star anise, and a local hero, Brazilian açaí. Each batch is distilled in limited quantities (500 liters per distillation) using a traditional copper still. We use two traditional methods to make McQueen and combine them into one distillation process: McQueen and the Violet Fog is distilled and bottled in the hills of Jundiaí in Brazil. How is this gin made? The goal of Sovereign Brands is to become the wine and spirits industry’s most innovative creator of unique, forward-thinking new brands. With McQueen and the Violet Fog—both versions—they’re headed in the right direction! As a result, the complex palate of McQueen and the Violet Fog reveals something new with every sip: citrus, floral notes, heat, herbs, juniper, and spice.

PREPARE a large glass (or a Boston shaker) and a mixing glass with ice. Add the gin, Campari, vermouth, and bitters to the mixing glass. In a tasting session hosted by McQueen and the Violet Fog, Wiz Khalifa described Ultraviolet Edition as “smooth AF,” while raving about the spirit’s color and bold berry tasting notes. The gin is so smooth and satiny, some might say voluptuous…a gin that’s ultra-smooth and well-rounded, and a step away from the traditional European-style gins (photo #4). of our 21 plants are mixed with a neutral alcohol, titrating 60% of alcohol, in a copper still. The plants macerate for 24 hours allowing the alcohol to extract the aromatic compounds and essential oils of each plant.

The handsome, heavyweight bottle can be repurposed as a water bottle for the table. (For fun, use food color to make violet water.) Ultraviolet Edition is a complex combination of red berries, hibiscus, rose petals, coriander, rosemary, lemongrass, cranberry, blueberry and jasmine. The spirit derives its rich purple color from natural juices and carmine, which help its color shift to a pleasant pink when acidic ingredients are added, such as citrus juice or tonic water. Conversely, McQueen and the Violet Fog isn’t produced in the UK where the majority of gins are produced. Instead, it is distilled and bottled in the scenic hills of Jundiaí in southeast Brazil. The gin is distilled in a traditional copper pot still and each batch yields less than 500 liters per distillation. Badian: Native to Vietnam, this star-shaped fruit provides a balance between light and more mineral plants, adding notes of licorice. It’s made from the same 21 botanicals as the flagship gin, with the added complexity of red berries and hibiscus, plus carmine to create Ultraviolet’s striking violet color.

Wiz Khalifa first partnered with Sovereign Brands in 2018. In 2022, the two teamed up for a limited edition Wiz Khalifa bottling of the award-winning Brazillian gin. The gin world, says Sovereign Brands, is traditionally U.K.-centric. For its flagship gin, the company wanted to do something different. If you like a gin that’s heavy on botanicals (and we do!), McQueen And The Violet Fog is the next brand for you to try. There’s the award-winning flagship brand (photos #4 and #5) and if you like something super-special, the brand has just launched its Ultraviolet Edition of violet-hued, flavored gin. Sovereign Brands relates that no other gin has 21 botanicals, adding that six of the botanicals are found in no other gin [ source].

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Is it the name of the band? The name of the venue? An homage to the Velvet Underground (which took its own name from the title of a book on sadomasochism?

Twenty-one exotic botanicals are distilled into the spirit, including many rarely found in gin, such as jasmine flower, lemongrass, orris root, and pomelo peel.The concentrated vapors pass through a copper basket containing McQueen’s six signature herbs. The essential oils of these plants combine with the macerated alcohol to produce the ultimate gin: smooth, supple, complex and well balanced. A classic Negroni is reddish from the Campari. A Royal Negroni has a purplish hue. The recipe is below. The flavor is tart (from cranberries), sweet, and earthy. Concentrate and you’ll taste the cranberries plus jasmine flower, lemongrass, the Portuguese rosemary, and even rose petals. The color is deep violet when poured neat, but transforms to a beautiful pink color when combined with tonic water or citrus juice.

Wow… Wait till I bring this around the dips,” Wiz Khalifa said with a shot of Ultraviolet Edition in his hand. “You get the berries jumping off of there.” Fennel Seed: Grown in the Mediterranean, this plant brings a licorice and spicy lemon flavor to our gin.

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