Kings Cross Distillery has announced the launch of KXD Garden Island Navy Strength, featuring aphrodisiac ingredients Damiana and Horny Goat Weed.
Damiana is a wild shrub that grows in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies, which is used to increase sexual desire. Horny Goat Weed boasts similar properties, creating an aphrodisiac cocktail within this new gin.
The KXD Garden Island Navy Strength also has classic notes of juniper, coriander and cardamom overlaid with heavy perfumes of wild nettles, cut grass, gunpowder green tea, quince and pepper spice.
The ‘Navy Strength’ also refers to the fact that this new gin is a little stronger than the Australian Classic Dry, sitting at 58.5%ABV.
As with the venue that is steeped in history, Garden Island has been central to Australia’s maritime history since 1788 when it became a kitchen-garden for the officers and crew of the First Fleet’s HMS Sirius. In the first half of the 19th century it was an extension of The Domain, and a popular picnic destination. It was set aside for the navy in 1851. Since the period surrounding WW1, it has functioned as the major fleet base of the Australian Navy. In 1945 the island was joined to the Potts Point mainland.
The new tipple is a traditional Navy strength gin using an herb and botanical mix “evocative of the Seven Seas”. It pays homage to the association of gunpowder and overproof gin, with the addition of gunpowder tea.
Its name comes from the time before the invention of the Sikes hydrometer, which measures alcoholic strength. The British Royal Navy devised a simple method to test the alcoholic strength of the spirits they carried on board. It was known as a simple under/over method, whereby a small sample of the spirit was mixed with gunpowder to create a paste. Then they would try and ignite it and if the spirit was over a certain strength the gunpowder would ignite. If under it would not. We now know this strength to be 57%ABV. By proving it was a certain strength the term ‘proof’ came into use. In the UK this 57% ABV was called 1000 UK Proof. Today this is known as Navy Strength, which is where this new gin gets its name.
KXD Garden Island Navy Strength is priced at $165 for a 700ml bottle. Wholesale enquiries can be made via: manager@kingscrossdistillery.com.au
