Charlie Hendon said: “It’s an honour to create a gin to support all the fantastic veterans and the armed forces community we have in Britain. Encased in a unique bottle designed by Burleighs’ in-house designer Sam Munton, the bottle features cascading poppies and accents of red, inspired by the red poppies that are synonymous with The Royal British Legion. We stumbled across Poppies Gin while browsing the Vraie Confiture du Durbuy shop. This little shop was a treasure trove of goodies from the region and it turns out their wares weren’t limited to Walloon products. Burleighs suggests serving the Poppy Gin with a crisp and classic tonic, plenty of ice and a fresh citrus wedge. Alternative suggestion: Because not everyone is a fan of Star Anise I am also going to give an alternative suggestion on how to make this Gin. Instead of using star anise you could use Rose Petals or Poppy Flowers which will also support the floral character of the gin.

Charlie Hendon, the master distiller at Burleighs Gin said: “It’s an honour to create a gin to support all the fantastic veterans and the armed forces community we have in Britain. Whilst the Poppy Appeal is a long-standing and well-recognised campaign, with the current times we’re living in and the Covid-19 pandemic hindering fundraising efforts, we want to ensure funds are raised and this is the best way we know how.To celebrate The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop and highlight the importance of remembering former war veterans and supporting existing ones, Burleighs Gin has created The Royal British Legion Poppy Gin. The Royal British Legion Poppy Gin is hand-crafted and distilled in partnership with the Burleighs Gin Distillery. While Sam Watson, commercial director at Burleighs Gin added: “Understandably many volunteers can’t assist in fundraising efforts this year because of the risk posed by Covid-19, but the need for services and commitment to helping members of the armed forces community who need it, never ceases. We’re very thankful to be able to help raise money for the legion through sales of the Poppy Gin.” This official and exclusive The Royal British Legion poppy flavoured gin is produced in the UK and features a 40% ABV with 70cl.

I’ve served this gin in a tall glass filled with ice. As you already know from my previous post the glass has to be nice and cold. For my garnishes I’ve used Juniper Berries and Star Anise. Cause I think they fit in nicely with the floral flavor of the gin. For the tonic I’ve opted for a neutral Fever-Tree Indian Tonic (2 ounces (5cl) of gin and about 4 ounces (10cl) of tonic), because the gin and star anise have a very strong scent and taste on their own I didn’t want to mix in to many flavors. Sam Watson, commercial director at Burleighs Gin, added: “Understandably many volunteers can’t assist in fundraising efforts this year because of the risk posed by Covid-19, but the need for services and commitment to helping members of the armed forces community who need it, never ceases. Developed by master distiller, Charlie Hendon, the exclusive gin has the addition of poppy seeds, paying homage to the charity and its annual Poppy Appeal.We took a bottle home and gave it a try. The taste is quite herbal, with a strong flavor of aniseed or licorice. Reading the bottle, we learned it is distilled with a secret recipe including a ‘balanced blend of selected herbs.’ Designed by Burleighs’ in-house designer Sam Munton, the bottle features cascading poppies and accents of red, inspired by the red poppies that are synonymous with The Royal British Legion.