Rock band Queen’s lead guitarist Brian May has collaborated with London’s Portobello Road Distillery to create The Red Special Gin.
The gin is inspired by May’s homemade Red Special guitar
Developed at the Notting Hill Ginstitute on Portobello Road, the London dry gin is described as ‘an authentic collaboration’ characterised by an artistic identity and collector appeal.
The gin is inspired by the guitarist’s own Red Special guitar, which May built at home with his father, Harold, using materials they had on hand. The instrument has reportedly become one of the most recognisable guitars in rock history, symbolising Brian’s ‘individuality, ingenuity, and creativity’.
The rock legend collaborated closely with the distillery to craft the gin, using some of his favourite botanicals, including sage and calamansi orange, which May personally cultivated in his home greenhouse.
Other botanicals include classic juniper and liquorice root, creating an ‘elegant, clean and refreshing’ spirit.
May commented: “Collaboration is my thing right now. (Steve Cropper, Billy Gibbons, Daniel May, William Shatner, Noel Fitzpatrick, Graham Bonnet…) I’ll be proud to see this new collaboration out there. I completely relate to the very British homespun ethos of Portobello, and their attention to detail, making this a very high-quality product.
“Like the electric guitar, this Red Special has to be enjoyed responsibly.”
The Red Special Gin comes in a vintage-inspired bottle said to reflect the character and heritage of both the brand and its creator. The bottle features a sixpence embedded in the lid, paying tribute to May, who used a sixpence as his signature guitar pick for many decades.
Each bottle will be individually numbered, with May holding on to bottle number 000001 and Portobello Road Distillery the 000002.
Gemma Monaghan Gilbert, marketing director at Portobello Road Distillery, said: “Working with Sir Brian May on Red Special Gin has been a real joy. What makes this collaboration so special is that it’s rooted in a shared passion for craftsmanship, creativity and doing things differently.
“Brian has poured so much of his own story, his character and creativity into the project, and we’ve loved bringing that together with our own London distilling heritage. Red Special is the result of two British icons coming together to create something genuinely unique.”
Brian May’s Red Special Gin is bottled at 42% and retails for £39 (US$52) for a 700ml bottle.
The gin is now available for pre-orders on Portobello Road Distillery’s website. The gin will officially launch – and ship – on 8 October.
Fans can secure their own bottle number, whether it’s the coveted 000003, a lucky number, or something more personal, such as a birth year.
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