Copper & Kings "The History Of Lovers Distilled Rose Pink Gin" and "The Ninth Distilled Orange Gin Finished in Destillaré Orange Curaçao barrels"
02/09/2019
Louisville-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. announces its two latest, pure copper pot-distilled American luxury gins: The History Of Lovers - a rose bouquet forward pink gin, and The Ninth - a bold, juicy, blood orange gin finished in Destillaré Orange Curaçao barrels.
“We’re an excitable bunch, and we are incredibly energized by our gin expressions,” says Copper & Kings founder, Joe Heron. “We don’t do ‘Barbie’ gins, and we don’t do gin flavored vodka. We make extraordinary gin, for grown-ups, with sophisticated palates, distinctive and differentiated. We make it our way, with no neutral spirits, distilled on our beautiful copper pot-stills, using a brandy base, and we look to layer and retain complex flavors and sophisticated aromas, without using artificial flavors or colors. These are authentic, luxury, natural distilled gins.”
The History Of Lovers is a gin distilled to retain the intense floral aromatics of rose flowers. Crushed whole juniper berries mixed with rose hips, rose water, honey, sweet orange, tangerine, lime and pink grapefruit peels, alongside jasmine and lavender petals, coriander, pink peppercorns and licorice root are macerated in apple brandy low-wine, then redistilled together with vapor distilled rose hips, pink grapefruit peels, and lavender in the gin basket. A flash post distillation maceration of rose hips, hibiscus tincture and strawberry juice concentrate is added for color and perfume.
Copper & Kings Creative Director, Ron Jasin says “If gin was a love letter it would be this romantic. Redolent of fresh cut, richly fragrant roses, it’s ever so soft and sexy, with round red fruit sweetness. A gin to fall in love with, and to fall in love over.”
Master Distiller Brandon O’Daniel is equally enamored – “it’s smooth, balanced and refreshing with beautifully integrated rose bouquet and zesty, crisp gin botanicals. It’s as delicious as it is attractive to the eye. Technically it was very challenging – we almost became perfumers in the process. Don’t say anything to Joe, he just might …”
The Ninth, a self-described symphony in orange, is a bold juicy blood orange distilled gin. The name is a sly nod to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, music from the famed Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange.
Double distilled crushed whole juniper berries together with orange blossom honey and Seville bitter orange peels, sweet orange and grapefruit peels, coriander, cardamom, and grains of paradise are macerated in apple brandy low-wine, then redistilled together with vapor distilled Seville blood orange peels, sweet orange peels and jasmine in the gin basket. They are then finished in Destillaré Intense Orange Curaçao barrels for added complexity and depth.
“We wanted something unique, transportive and fabled, a Mediterranean beach in a bottle,” says Master Distiller O’Daniel. “It’s a bold, sun soaked warm orange gin. Juicy, orange flesh, marmalade, crisp and not sweet with a touch of tart. Hints of exotic spice. It’s extra smooth from the honey and barrel polish, with accessible balance. Rich, lightly creamy and viscous.”
Creative Director Ron Jasin riffed over lyrics of the band REM’s song Orange Crush;
“I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush. (Collar me, don't collar me)
I've got my spine, I've got my orange crush. (We are agents of the free)”
“It’s hard to collar us, we are free spirits (haha) and we are agents of invention. This is beautifully imaginative, it’s a pirate ship sailing the Med.”
The gins are recommended for refreshing gin & tonics, fresh, crisp spritzers, unique Negronis, and delicious cocktail smashes.
Copper & Kings, The History Of Lovers Distilled Rose Pink Gin.
(90 proof/45% ABV) $35 / 750mL
Copper & Kings, The Ninth Distilled Orange Gin Finished in Destillaré Orange Curaçao barrels. (90 proof/45% ABV) $35 / 750mL