Scapegrace: The world’s first naturally black, colour-changing gin launches in Australia

Pink is cool, but everyone knows that that black is just a better look for any spirit. Enter the world’s first naturally black gin, echoed from the pure waters of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and captured in a neat-looking bottle from the award-winning Christchurch-based Scapegrace distillery.

Simply dubbed Scapegrace Black, the stylish and unique gin built from natural botanicals is perfectly timed for release in Australia just ahead of Father’s Day. It uses a unique collection of natural extracts for its deep, midnight black colour, which takes on shades of red and purple as soon as the liquid is mixed with tonic, the exact colour being determined by the type of tonic and PH reaction.

Botanicals chosen for the gin include aronia berry, saffron, butterfly pea, sweet potato and, surprisingly, pineapple. Each of the extracts is distilled as precise temperatures in a defined sequence, resulting in the unique colour spectrum presented in the bottle.

The gin was first released in New Zealand last year and promptly sold out in just 24 hours. That kind of feverish demand should be ten-fold now that Scapegrace has released it in Australia, coming with considerable acclaim based off its trophy win of the 2018 Best London Dry Gin at the International Spirits Awards in London.

In terms of what your taste buds should expect, the distillery describes the gin as having a full-bodied “florality” with menthol-like crispiness, a balanced citrus freshness and a hint of spice with a candied sweet potato and pineapple finish.

“We’re delighted to be bringing Scapegrace Black to Australia, this velvety New Zealand-made gin that will most definitely elevate your G&T,” said Scapegrace co-founder Mark Neal. “Full-bodied on the palate, the signature serve is best enjoyed with a premium tonic and garnished with a slice of apple.”

Scapegrace Black Gin is available for $79.99 RRP at Booze Bud and select independent retailers nationwide.

Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.