Sharish Blue Magic Gin

Flavor Profile

The flowers of the Clitoria Ternatea* have one magic trick up their sleeves. And Sharish Blue Magic Gin uses it to great effect. When the flowers of the Butterfly Pea are combined with something which changes the pH of the beverage (i.e. tonic water) it changes from blue to pink.

These flowers have been used in Thai cuisine for some time. There’s even a beverage in Thai culture that plays on a similar color changing trick.

Blue Magic Gin infuses the flowers after distillation. The base gin features a wide range of botanicals all of which are sourced from Portugal. In fact, the distiller himself grows the oranges and lemons which go into the gin— and the fruits are fresh.

Tasting Notes

The nose of Sharish Blue Magic Gin is jammy with literal notes of strawberry jam, strawberry rhubarb pie filling and a hearty dash of ginger to round things out.

Once sipped neat, Sharish Blue Magic Gin has some warm spicy notes that envelop the palate. Hints of cinnamon and raw ginger root. It’s somewhat sharp early, and earthy in warmth.

The finish is full of fruit: raspberry preserves, fresh sugared strawberries and a sprinkle of apple pie spice.

Cocktails

Of course I tried it in a Gin and Tonic. It was remarkably bright and fruit-forward with citrusy and floral notes. I’d easily suggest it to fans of gins like Brockman’s. The two gins are incredibly similar. Just one of them has a color changing trick and the other doesn’t.

It is an extraordinarily contemporary and fruit-forward gin that would be suitable for a Martini— but wouldn’t it be a lost opportunity to have a bottle of Sharish Blue Magic Gin and not change its color at every chance?

Overall, Sharish Blue Magic Gin

It’s easy to find critics of gins like this who dismiss them as pure novelty. But one thing I’ve realized throughout my years of research into people’s taste in gin is that the underlying palate of Sharish Blue Magic Gin appeals to a large number of gin drinkers.

However, the color changing is a gimmick and one that might not bode well for Sharish Blue Magic Gin long term. Especially because once you’ve seen the magic trick— you might realize that there’s other gins at a more inexpensive price point which provide a similar flavor profile.

If you like this gin, you’d probably also enjoy Brockman’s Gin, Nolet Gin and Buss No. 509 Gin.

—Footnotes

*Yes, the name was given because the German botanist Rumpf thought the flowers *ahem* resembled the human vulva.

** Also thanks to my sister-in-law Jen for the sample!