Swedish metal giants In Flames unite with Nils Oscar Brewery and release In Flames Signature Craft Gin No13 – based on own spice combination.
Anders Fridén, vocalist of In Flames, has become widely known as a connoisseur within the world of drinks; as an owner of the Frequency Beer Works brewery, the initiator of two sought after whisky bottling’s from Glenfarclas and as a columnist at Swedish whisky magazine Allt om Whisky. Now he takes his band one step further – to gin.
Following the major break-through of malt whisky and later on rum, the world’s focus is now turning towards craft gin. A fine tuned gin has more to offer than just providing spirits for a gin & tonic, which mixologists, bartenders and enthusiasts are delving deeper into.
Together with Patrick Holmqvist, brewmaster at Nils Oscar brewery in Nyköping, Sweden, Anders Fridén has created a unique seasoning to present a craft gin with a powerful character. Pink pepper and lime are the dominant added flavours, while the gin is based on juniper, coriander, lemon peel, cinnamon, cardamon and elderberry flowers.
Anders Fridén on how he arrived at the mix of spices:
— “I’d made an awesome seasoning for salmon, that was based on the trio of pink pepper, juniper and lime, and thought that as gin revolves round juniper, that it ought to make an interesting flavouring. I got a proper kick when I tried the end result: a loose idea of a combination of flavours that turned out as good as I’d hoped, and with Patrick’s fantastic hand at distilling, better than I’d ever dare believe.”
Gin in Sweden can be allocated with a number of it’s own, and the collaboration between In Flames and Nils Oscar is number 13, batch #1: pink pepper and lime. That opens for the possibility that we could see further releases with other flavourings in the future.
Anders Fridén:
— “Patrick Holmqvist and I have collaborated several times previously with beer, and we’re both meticulous with getting every detail right. Everything has to work and be as good as possible, otherwise you could just as well forget about it. When we went to Nils Oscar to start working on the flavouring, both of us were obsessed with finding the perfect balance. I think both seasoned gin drinkers and newcomers will find this bottling rewarding. It stands on it’s own, but works a treat with a good tonic as well.”
Patrick Holmqvist at Nils Oscar says:
— “It’s been an amazing journey to create In Flames signature craft gin together with Anders. His huge interest in both distilled malts and beer is well known. It turned out that he had a fine tuned nose for gin as well, which allowed us to quickly work towards a gin we can be proud of. It’s got a big nose, and the pink pepper really grows with the backing of the lime. When you taste the result it’s obvious that it was worth the effort to hand-peel all the fresh lime that went into the batch, instead of using dried lime peel.”
Yvonne Wener of Brands for Fans, who’s led the project says:
— “We’re incredibly happy and proud to be trusted with the launch of this gin together with Anders and In Flames. First and foremost, the gin tastes amazing! Secondly, we’ve gone full circle as one of the reasons that Brands for Fans even exists, is the projects we’ve been working on together in the past. Building on passion and a genuine approach as your main force, you can realise your dreams.”
In Flames Signature Craft Gin no. 13, batch #1: pink pepper and lime is released in a limited edition of 2.300 bottles and will be available in Europe, subject to availability after the Swedish release. It’s released June the 27:th and costs 559 SEK, with the product number 87445-01 at Systembolaget.
About In Flames Signature Craft Gin no. 13
Pink pepper and lime are the dominant flavours, while the gin is based on juniper, coriander, lemon peel, cinnamon, cardamon and elderberry flowers. It’s got a big nose, and the pink pepper really grows with the backing of the lime. When you taste the gin it’s obvious that it was worth the effort to hand-peel all the fresh lime that went into the batch, instead of using dried lime peel. The gin is based on organic spirits from wheat, and the spices are all organic as well. To drink it – it stands on it’s own, but works a treat with a good tonic as well.
FACTS: Article number: 87445-01 (At Systembolaget in Sweden)
Price: SEK 559
Producer: The Nils Oscar Company
Distributor: Brands For Fans Sweden AB
Alcohol: 40.0% Origin: Sweden
About In Flames
Sweden’s leading metal band has never stopped evolving during the more than 20 years they’ve been performing. The melodic death metal that placed the band on the musical maps has turned into a unique expression, manifested in albums like A Sense of Purpose, Sounds of a Playground Fading, Siren Charms and the latest release Battles, recorded in Los Angeles. In Flames tour world-wide, and have been awarded several Grammis, P3 Gold as well as the Swedish governments Export prize. They headlined this years Sweden Rock Festival and will be touring Scandinavia this fall with Americans Five Finger Death Punch.