Sovereign Brands launches McQueen and the Violet Fog gin; eyes travel retail

US company Sovereign Brands has unveiled the creatively named McQueen and the Violet Fog small-batch gin.

The spirits & wines company said it is actively pursuing travel retail listings for the gin, which has launched in selected domestic markets worldwide. Sovereign recently launched its Bumbu craft rum on P&O Ferries, which it said could also be potential partner for McQueen and the Violet Fog.

Sovereign describes McQueen and the Violet Fog as “the ultimate gin: ultra-smooth, complex and well-rounded”.

The gin world, said Sovereign, is traditionally Europe- (and in particular UK-) centric. For the new gin, the company wanted to do something different.

McQueen and the Violet Fog is made in the hills of Jundiaí, Brazil. It features 21 different botanicals. Sovereign said this number is unmatched, and added that six of these botanicals are found in no other gin.

The various botanicals are sourced from around the world. They include Portuguese rosemary, star anise from Vietnam and Indian basil leaves.


The video campaign highlights the attributes that set McQueen and the Violet Fog apart from other gins.

The gin is made using a traditional copper pot still and limited to 500 litres per batch.

The name McQueen and the Violet Fog was inspired by a poem of the same name. Its final two stanzas can be read on the back of the bottle.

The bottle is made from heavyweight glass and features a wide mouth, embossed details and foil stamping. The logo, a crowned eye, features in copper as a nod to the distillation technique.

McQueen and the Violet Fog’s bottle is designed to be as “unorthodox” as the gin it contains.

Sovereign Brands CEO Brett Berish commented: “With McQueen and the Violet Fog, we’re proud to unveil what we see as the next generation of gin.

“Instead of focusing on just one or two flavours, we chose to be ambitious. McQueen and the Violet Fog reveals something new with every sip: heat, spice, juniper, herbal, citrus and floral notes, all the touchstones of gin, balanced perfectly.”

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