Get ready to master April’s Innovation! This month’s limited edition comes to you from our Junior Distiller, Ryan, as he releases his second Batch product. Zheng Lun Botanical Blend replicates all Ryan’s favourite flavours and is spirit is packed full of exotic, juicy fruits. Sweet and refreshing notes of passion fruit, guava and lychee are balanced with savoury popped lotus seed and aromatic Sichuan pepper.
Inspiration
Ryan was motivated by the ancient Chinese tale, from the Kunlun Mountains of the Northern edge of the Tibetain plateau, where a young student named Zheng Lun, who through dedication and years training founded a new dynasty and one day rose to become a God. Our now Junior Distiller got to work perfecting his second product, knowing that to become a God himself, he must first train hard and perfect the craft of distillation! Our once Apprentice Distiller set out to combine his favourite sweet and exotic fruits, with the addition of some Chinese botanicals as homage to the story of Zheng Lun.
What is a botanical blend?
We have been crafting some very fun and adventurous spirits this year. Zheng Lun is our second Botanical Blend, the first being Ch-ch-ch-ch Changes. Botanical Blends are distilled with heaps of botanicals, but without juniper, therefore we can’t call them gins. So far our Botanical Blends are a little sweeter and fruitier than our gin, whilst still packing that Batch punch you know and love. A truly sophisticated spirit, we still produced Botanical Blends in exactly the same way we produce our gins. Although Botanical Blends might not contain juniper berries, we can assure you that we put just as much care and time into producing these smooth, cleverly blended spirits. Using the same high quality botanicals as we do in our gins, we are proud to deliver yet another premium product to tickle your tastebuds.
Passion fruit
Custard apple
Guava
Lychee
Pomello
Popped lotus seed
Passion fruit sugar syrup
Red date
Szechuan pepper
Tonka bean
The process
Once again Ryan curated this release right from the first light bulb moment of inspiration, all the way to the finished product. First researching botanicals and flavour pairings, to recipe development and distillation, to working with Lady Jane our Graphic Designer on the label and branding, Ryaneven printing the finished labels before he got to bottling Zheng Lun Botanical Blend.
Art work
Working closely with LadyJane, Ryan drew influences from Chinese Opera masks when designing the label artwork for Zheng Lun Botanical Blend. Not only does this tie in with his inspiration from the Chinese tale of student to God, but this also subtly pays homage to Ryan’s passion for music and live entertainment. Often writing lyrics on his coffee breaks and producing music or preforming on stage at the weekends!
Perfect serve
Serve over ice, with Mediterranean tonic to compliment the sweet notes and garnish with strawberry and basil.
