Salcombe Gin team up with Wiltshire-based Michelin-starred chef Niall Keating

With gin now being one of the most popular alcoholic drinks served at weddings and mobile gin bars available for hire, Michelin-starred chef Niall Keating of Whatley Manor in Wiltshire has collaborated with award-winning distillery Salcombe Gin in Devon to create a world's first gin distilled with a liquid botanical, the Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Restless' (46% ABV 50cl), £65.

Restless is the fifth limited-edition release in the award-winning Voyager Series from Salcombe Gin and is inspired by Niall's passion for Asian cuisine and hasf been distilled with kombucha, marking the first time a gin has ever been created with a liquid botanical. Located overlooking the clear waters of Salcombe and the wild coastline of South Devon, Salcombe Distilling Co. has united Salcombe's rich maritime history with Niall's global influence and revolutionary culinary thinking to create a complex and innovative gin with intriguing and exotic Asian flavours. It has been developed using Niall's very own blood orange kombucha that adds a delicate sweetness, made at Whatley Manor, by fermenting Sencha Sakura tea using a kombucha mother and blood orange pulp. The blood orange kombucha is distilled with the finest English wheat spirit in order to capture and preserve the complex citrus and floral aromas. Kombucha is then used as a liquid botanical and combined with 15 hand-selected botanicals, including Asian pears, Japanese salted plums, Chinese black dates and perilla leaves before being distilled according to the one-shot method. Restless is carefully balanced with the more traditional use of Macedonian juniper, fresh lime peel and orris root, complemented with kaffir lime leaf, Mexican orange blossom and finally Citra hops; a subtle nod to the Californian IPAs from Niall's time spent in San Francisco.

Niall Keating, who was recently crowned Champion of Champions on BBC Two's Great British Menu, has been acclaimed for his daring and innovative cooking. His relentless passion and never-ending quest for perfection are showcased through his rapid rise on the culinary scene and are now expressed in Restless, which challenges the distillation process and the senses.

Angus Lugsdin, co-founder of Salcombe Distilling Co., comments: "Niall is one of the most exciting and prodigious chef talents in the world. He represents a new generation of culinary innovation as he continues to push boundaries. It was a privilege to collaborate with him to create 'Restless' and bring his revolutionary thinking to the gin world. His suggestion to incorporate the complex flavour compounds found in a kombucha led to the development of the world's first gin made using a 'liquid botanical'. Salcombe Gin Voyager Series Restless offers exceptional exotic flavours for discerning drinkers who want to be taken on a taste journey across the globe."

"We have long admired the top-quality gin that Salcombe Distilling Co. produces, and especially the premium collaborations they have done to date", commented Executive Chef Niall Keating. "When I was approached by Salcombe Distilling Co. earlier this year, I felt they were very much the right calibre of distillers to work with on a bespoke gin for Whatley Manor." He added: "I was curious about the production process and how I could introduce some of my more intriguing ingredients to develop a stand-out spirit that would be a reflection of my own culinary journey. I've learnt so much about the fine detail that goes into the creation and distillation process, and I believe together we have crafted a unique and delicious gin."

To find out more, visit www.salcombegin.com/mixology/relentless and to enquire about weddings at Whatley Manor, visit www.whatleymanor.com