Member Article

Alnwick’s Poison Garden launches new intoxicating beverage

The Alnwick Garden’s deadliest garden in the world housing over 100 toxic and mind-altering botanicals, is making its way into the world of spirits.

The Poison Garden has announced the launch of its first-ever Poison Garden Gin, distilled using fruits from its medieval Medlar tree.

The fruits, harvested in December, historically made them one of the very few sources of sugar that would have been available in medieval winters, and they only become edible when they are ‘rotten’, or overly ripe.

When the Medlar fruit is first picked, they are greenish-brown and resemble small brown rosehip when ripe, or alien-looking persimmons, and are rich in natural antioxidants.

Strategic head of catering, retail and hospitality, Victoria Watson, said: “The Medlar fruit has a complex flavour, combining a tart apple-like freshness with an undertone of butter and hints of cinnamon and vanilla. This unique mix of flavours makes it an ideal ingredient for craft spirits such as gin, breathing fresh life into an ancient fruit that has been fading into obscurity.

“The Alnwick Garden is a testament to plant history and its continuous mission of inspiring and educating about plants’ power to afflict, heal, and nurture. It is exciting to not only demonstrate how something as toxic as a ‘poisonous plant’ has had an impactful role to play in shaping human history – be it in warfare, medicine, but even with the humble gin and tonic.”

The Poison Garden sits within the 12 acres of The Alnwick Garden and houses many plants known for their potent poisonous properties.

Produced by the award-winning distillery, Durham Distillers, the unique gin promises to be a sensory journey of unusual flavour, and is available to buy now at The Alnwick Garden gift shop, and available to order when dining at The Treehouse.

The first question likely to be asked is if the gin is safe to drink. The answer is undoubtedly yes - the Medlar fruits used do not possess any harmful properties. Ms. Watson stressed that the tag ‘poison’ in Poison Garden Gin is more reflective of the garden’s deadly legacy rather than the gin itself.

Head distiller at Durham Distilleries, Ioanna Chatzi said: “The unique process of making this 40-percent proof gin starts with harvesting the Medlar fruits from the Poison Garden when they are overly ripe-almost to a point of being rotten.

“The stage of over-ripeness allows for the complex amalgamation of acids, tannins, and sugars within the fruit to produce that unique flavour that gin-lovers will savour. The fruit is then mashed into a pulp, and the essence is distilled in ‘Lily’ – our 400-litre copper pot.

“The hand-crafted gin is completely safe to drink and is best served with high-quality tonic water to allow the spirit’s unique flavours to shine through. In terms of garnish, either a slice of apple or a squeeze of lemon works to highlight the gin’s floral notes and balance out its woodier undertones.

“This was an exciting project to be involved in and one-of-a-kind so we are delighted to have been able to collaborate with The Alnwick Garden to produce something so unusual.”

The Poison Garden Gin marks an innovative, adventurous venture into the world of botanical spirits that will make a desirable addition to every gin enthusiast’s collection for those brave enough to try.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rachel McBryde .