Cambridge Distillery Anty Gin

This Gin is a blast of innovation on the nose and a zesty classic Dry Gin on the palate.

Cambridge Distillery was founded in 2011 by William and Lucy Lowe. Their stated objective was to "… capture the taste of the English seasons using botanicals grown in and around their home" in Cambridge, UK. And while there are many fine Gin products being produced these days, the laser-like focus of Cambridge Distillery is on ultra-premium Spirit production using extreme precision and some of the finest ingredients possible. Their showroom distillery looks more like a laboratory with beakers and equipment to test every step in the process and has earned them the distinction of "Most Innovative Distillery in the World" three times over, among other notable awards and distinctions.

We’ve been in the quality Spirits business a long time and we’ve seen the word "unique" tossed about quite a bit over the years. Sometimes it applies, sometimes not so much. But Cambridge Distillery Anty Gin has got to be not just the most unique Gin we’ve tasted this year, it might be this year’s most unique Spirit… period. You may already know that the folks at Cambridge Distillery create their craft Gins using local botanicals. But William and Lucy Lowe partnered with the Nordic Food Lab to infuse a classic Gin formulation with six thousand red wood ants… harvested locally of course. Evidently, these insects bring a sharp citrus bite. Once the shock of that clears your head you will want to know that the other botanicals include juniper, wild wood avens (colewort), Alexander seeds, and nettle. Upon release it was dubbed "World’s Most Innovative Alcohol."

Smartass Corner:
The Nordic Food Lab is a project to discover and experiment with alternative food and flavoring sources. A few years ago they conducted a multi-year effort in "insect gastronomy" to familiarize the world with insect-sourced ingredients.