Black Tulip Gin
Nothing rejoices the month of April more than tulips. We have always planted and sold many tulips, but what you might not know is that the flowers are edible and in fact, make an amazing, edible décor for your plates. You can serve sorbet, ice cream or some filling in the tulips themselves - they look amazing on a plate or you can just cut the petals up and decorate a dish or a salad.
We specifically grow a beautiful black tulip called ‘Queen of the Night’ - it is a tall upright flower, with a deep purple colour bordering on black. The reason we grow this variety isn’t just because it looks amazing spread in our flower beds, but it also carries a rich concoction of anthocyanins (water-soluble pigments in plants that can turn colour on a change of PH). These anthocyanins, common in the plant kingdom, are thought to offer health benefits as they belong to a class of compounds called flavonoids that have antioxidant effects.
However, it is for the changing colour effect we use them in our gin. Our Black Tulip gin is deep purple and turns the most amazing pink when tonic is added (the tonic changes the PH level hence the colour change). The gin is made with our classic combination of Juniper, Winter Savory, Angelica Root and Coriander, with the tulips adding a weight and mouthfeel which makes the gin feel velvet smooth and rich. Combine with black tulip petal garnish for a magical experience!
