The Illusionist Distiller's Edition 2026 Salty brings salted cinema popcorn into a 45% gin built on the distillery's Mediterranean botanical base. It was released alongside the Sweet edition as part of a cinema-themed project, with each version limited to 1,234 bottles. Here the emphasis is savoury: popcorn, toasted butter, sea salt and roasted almonds shape the tasting notes around the familiar juniper-led base.

Limited Edition · Spicy · Herbal

The nose recalls warm popcorn and roasted almonds, with a soft pastry-like aroma.

The palate is savoury and rounded, moving through toasted butter and salt before the roasted-nut character becomes more apparent. Juniper and the house gin's botanical freshness keep the flavour dry and recognisably gin, while the finish leaves a crisp, lightly salted impression. At 45%, Salty has enough weight to stand up to dilution and works particularly well in a short, cold drink or a carefully balanced tonic serve.

This edition follows the distillery's annual practice of giving the master distiller creative freedom for a limited release. The 2026 theme looks to the cinema kiosk and the familiar sweet-versus-salty popcorn debate. The recipe does not simply add salt to a neutral spirit: the producer describes it as a fusion of salted popcorn with its Mediterranean gin base, supported by toasted butter and roasted almonds. Those details make a dry, uncluttered serve more suitable than a sweet mixer.

For a tonic version, fill a large balloon glass with clear ice, add 5 cl gin and 10 cl Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, then stir gently once. Place a narrow lime wedge in the drink; offer salted popcorn and a few roasted almonds on a small plate rather than adding them to the glass. The lime gives the savoury notes a bright edge, while a restrained tonic keeps the salty finish in focus. A small bowl of plain salted popcorn beside the drink echoes the edition's central idea without making the cocktail heavy.