Kiwi gin makers create the world's very first naturally black gin, sells out in a day

If you've been a fan of pink gin, this could be a sign things are trending toward the dark side.

The world's first-ever naturally black gin, Scapegrace Black, is the creation of Kiwi duo Mark Neal and Daniel McLaughlin and their the new ebony liquor has flown off shelves, selling out a three-month supply on the first day on sale.

Scapegrace Black is a pretty scientific concoction, blending natural extracts - including aronia berry, saffron, pineapple, butterfly pea and sweet potato – at precise temperatures in a defined sequence, to create a naturally black gin.

And it makes for a good party trick too: the unique ingredients mean when tonic is added, the black gin actually changes to a bruised purple hue.

Neal says they "always knew Scapegrace Black was something incredibly special, but to sell out within a day was beyond our wildest expectations."

While they were a shoo-in with the knowledge the flavoured gin category is growing by 154 per cent every year, McLaughlin says the intention of Scapegrace "has always been about challenging the traditional DNA of the gin category and Scapegrace Black is a true representation of that."

In 2018 the brand's hugely popular Scapegrace Gold took out the award for the world's best London Dry Gin Trophy at the International Wine & Spirits Competition. It was the first time in the competition's 49-year history that a New Zealand brand brought home the accolade.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.