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£65.00
Named after ‘Island Queen’, a Salcombe Fruiter built in Salcombe in 1853 and inspired by the historic trade of tropical fruits and spices once carried by these sailing vessels; this limited-edition release has been developed in collaboration with Monica Galetti, one of Britain’s most celebrated chefs.
A rich, balanced and totally tropical gin with distinct flavours of pineapple, mango and coconut on the nose. The palate is bursting with fresh pineapple, tropical lime and fruity spices with a backbone of juniper. The finish is smooth and moreish with a lingering sweet smokiness.
Limited to 2,500 bottles. 50cl, 46% ABV.
This limited-edition release is no longer available to purchase.
Inspired by the incredible journeys of the Salcombe Fruit Schooners and their precious cargo of citrus fruits, spices and exotic goods, including pineapples. We’ve worked with Monica Galetti and combined our expertise in developing exceptional taste with her background in balancing tropical and exotic flavours to create this totally tropical gin!
The first large scale cargo of pineapples arrived into the UK from the Bahamas in the 1820s, but the trade only started in earnest in the 1840s with the introduction of the Salcombe Fruit Schooners that could make the return passage in three to five weeks, knocking at least two weeks off the passage times of the 1820s.
The sailing vessels were fitted out with galleries and grid-like shelves, with plenty of space between the battens to allow fresh air to circulate between the precious pineapples and citrus fruits.
With these faster voyages, the precious cargo could be delivered in fine condition to the fruiter ports of London, Liverpool, Bristol, Hull and Southampton.
‘Island Queen’ is created with 9 botanicals to produce this exceptional gin inspired by the South Pacific, which also reflects Monica’s culinary style.
SMOKED PINEAPPLE, coconut, green cardamom, LIME, star anise, MACEDONIAN JUNIPER, pink peppercorns, MANGO.
To capture the tropical aromas and enticing flavours of the Caribbean and South Pacific, fresh pineapples were slow-roasted and smoked over manuka wood in a traditional Kamado oven, before steeping the flesh in the finest English wheat spirit for 72 hours. The pineapple-infused base spirit was then distilled with the remainder of the botanicals including coconut, lime and mango along with the more traditional botanicals such as juniper, green cardamom and pink peppercorns.
Despite having a distinct pineapple flavour, we used the same quantity of Macedonian juniper as we use in Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ to provide a foundation to build the distinct flavours and aromas of ‘Island Queen’.
Born in Samoa and brought up in Wellington, New Zealand, Chef Monica Galetti moved to Britain in 1999 to work alongside Michel Roux Jnr at the two Michelin-starred, ‘Le Gavroche’ in London. She became a household name in 2008 when she joined the BBC1 team as a judge on ‘Masterchef: The Professionals’ and also went on to co-present two series of BBC2’s ‘Amazing Hotels – Life Beyond the Lobby’.
Monica opened her first solo restaurant venture, ‘Mere’, in Fitzrovia, London working alongside her sommelier husband David in March 2017; the accumulation of a
20-year dream. Situated in Fitzrovia’s eclectic Charlotte Street, ‘Mere’ is a melting pot of cultural influences, bringing together Monica’s South Pacific and New Zealand heritage with elements that are intrinsically modern European.
Monica is also the author of two books, Monica’s Kitchen and The Skills.
“After a really early start and a day in London tasting a LOT of wines as a judge at the International Wine Challenge, this G&T is “most” welcome. Sent to me by Salcombe Gin, it’s a collaboration with the brilliant Monica Galetti. Called ‘Island Queen’ it’s a tropical take on a G&T, distilled with slow-roasted pineapples. And it’s absolutely delicious. Limited edition but if you like pineapples and gin it’s a win-win.”
– Helen McGinn – Knackered Mother
*To make the ‘Mere’ spiced pineapple syrup. Peel and cube half a pineapple, slice one red chilli and add to a saucepan with one cup of sugar and one cup of water. Bring to a boil and leave to simmer until thickened. Pour the mixture into a blender and blitz, then strain into a bottle or container and leave to cool.
