Inspired by Luke Jacques’s mild obsession with Tiki cocktails and questionable lounge music, here we have the second release of the sublime Animus Ananas Gin. And what an epic it is. As you might expect, fresh pineapple accounts for the lion's share of the botanical load, with ginger, turmeric and galangal brought in for a spicy counterpoint to the fruit's sweet aromatics. For complexity there’s kaffir lime, pineapple sage, lemon verbena, lemon myrtle and lemon balm—all picked and prepared on the day of production—and ground sesame seeds to enhance the Gin’s oily, textural mouthfeel.
To drive home the desired intensity, following distillation the flesh and rinds of fresh pineapples (with a smaller proportion of fresh lemons and limes) were infused with the spirit in stainless steel vats for a full 12 months. It was bottled at 50% ABV with no water (dilution was achieved via fruit juice and oils extracted via the steeping process) and it’s free of any additions of colour or sugar.
"Everything is bigger, bolder, richer, and ultimately better." is how Luke Jacques describes the new bottling. We'll drink to that. It’s an explosive, vibrant and multi-layered modern Gin unlike anything else on the market. Animus recommend a partnering with elderflower tonic garnished with fresh fruit and leaves such as kaffir, lemon verbena and lemon balm. Otherwise, it has the texture and balance to be sipped over ice, and also the intensity to stand up to coconut in cocktails. Whichever way you go, its guaranteed to raise a smile.